Saint Paul’s budget is collapsing!  We need to raise taxes because Aid to Local Government has been gutted – gutted, I tell you!  Why, even learned wonks say so!

So it’s good to know that Saint Paul’s government has its’ priorities straight; they’re going to spend over a million dollars building three new outdoor ice rinks.

At least there was an argument:

[Councilwoman Kathy] Lantry said the money should go toward keeping recreation centers open over the next year. The mayor’s budget proposal calls for eliminating 10 centers. In 2008, the city will also eliminate nine outdoor ice rinks.

The ice rinks were a part of the overall requests for the special half-cent sales tax dollars known as STAR funds.

“We are closing 10 rec centers,” she said. “You take this money and open every one of them back up.”

Or cut the property tax hike?  Or meet in the middle?

Saint Paul is hemorraging financially – the result of the state opting to subsidize less DFL spending-mania at the expense of the parts of the state that are succeeding – and still spending money on hockey? 

Why could that be?

[Mayoral aide Bob] Hume said the refrigerated ice rinks are a priority for the mayor, who skated on St. Paul rinks as a kid.

So the city is closing ten of the rec centers that (arguably) help keep inner city kids out of trouble, but opening three rinks to teach white middle class kids with highly-driven parents how to beat each others’ heads in?

Well played, Mayor Coleman.