Understanding Government

Doug Grow of the MinnPost reports on Democratic Governor Mark Dayton’s signing of a budget bill that ends Minnesota’s state government shutdown and the stalemate between Dayton and a GOP legislature. It would be nice to write something like “federal deficit reduction negotiators could learn a thing or two about the tough budget choices made by Minnesotans,” but neither Dayton nor the legislature distinguished themselves. In order to balance the budget, reports the New York Times’ Monica Davey, “The state will delay payments to local school districts and borrow money against expected payments from the tobacco industry.”

The MinnPost has lately provided almost everything that anyone would want to know about the budget conflict between Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and the state’s GOP-controlled state legislature. The contours of the debate are pretty different than the negotiations going on in Washington, D.C. over reducing the national deficit. (more…)

Monica Davey of the New York Times reports that, “The dismal fiscal situation in many states is forcing governors, despite their party affiliation, toward a consensus on what medicine is needed going forward.” However, that is really not the case at all in the Midwest, where Democratic governors have called for tax increases and Republican governors have called for tax cuts and less federal interference. (more…)

I’ve blogged about how incoming Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker wants no part in the federally funded construction of a high-speed rail line between Milwaukee and Madison — Walker says the $750,000 annual operating cost ($0.02 per taxpayer per year) is too much for Badger State residents to pay. However, Walker’s opposition may force Minnesota and the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to build a rather unwieldy rail line that connects Milwaukee to St. Paul. (more…)