Shot in the Dark

For Those Tired Of That “Smoke Up Their Skirt” Feeling.

Daytonomics – a noun, referring to economic conditions that look rosy on the surface, but worse and worse the more one examines them.  See also: “Potemkin”.  

The DFL is running the bulk of their state campaigns – the Legislature, the Constitutional Officers and Governor – on the notion that two years of Daytonomics have left Minnesota an economic powerhouse.

Like squatters who move into an “Architectural Digest” house, there’s still some zing in the state’s economic elevator pitch – leftovers from ten years of at least partial GOP stewardship.

But under the surface?

There are three signs that the various editorial boards are doing their level best to avoid, or at the most downplay:

  • State revenue keeps falling short of projections.  It’s lagging because personal income tax withholding is slowing down.  They’re slowing down because personal income in Minnesota is not keeping pace with expectations as of the last budget session.  The fact that it means we’re heading for another deficit is the least of the issues; the economy isn’t that damn good.
  • Along those same lines?  The Minnesota Zoo is laying people off. Costs are up – thanks, Barack Obama! – but attendance is also down.  4.5%.  The Zoo – especially the Minnesota Zoo, which is a pretty spendy day out for a family – is something people do when they’re feeling flush, and feel like showing the kids a good time.  You’ll note that attendance at the Como Zoo – which is free, unless you’re a Saint Paul taxpayer – isn’t hurting.
  • Oh, yeah – after a year or so of bragging about Minnesota in comparison to Scott Walker’s Wisconsin that Minnesota is dead last in new job creation in the Midwest.

Wanna see the interesting part of this last story?  Look in the graph comparing the states in the Midwest.  Check out the historical job numbers:

  • 10 years ago, when Tim Pawlenty and a GOP House ran the show?   Booming economic growth.
  • Five years ago, when Tim Pawlenty at least held the line on DFL spending?   At the depths of the Great Recession, no less?  We were among the region’s leaders!
  • Two years ago, at the end of the GOP’s control of the Legislature?   Still good.

Today?

Dead last.

Dead.  Last.

Last.  Dead.

This is Mark Dayton’s economy.

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15 responses to “For Those Tired Of That “Smoke Up Their Skirt” Feeling.”

  1. bosshoss429 Avatar
    bosshoss429

    Minnesota is also in 41st place for job growth nationally and most of the job growth we have is from part time jobs! No wonder that the commies want to raise the minimum wage! Well, it’s also about covertly raising taxes, but they never acknowledge that. Unfortunately, the brain dead, lazy low information voting crowd won’t realize that they’ve been screwed until AFTER the elections. Wow! Dayton-Messenger economics sure make sense!

  2. Adrian Avatar
    Adrian

    It’s really very simple…ANY good in the state economy (and the nation for that matter) is Democrats doing, anything bad in the economy is the Republicans fault.

    I really don’t know why people find this so difficult to grasp.

  3. Bill C Avatar
    Bill C

    The Zoo – especially the Minnesota Zoo, which is a pretty spendy day out for a family – is something people do when they’re feeling flush, and feel like showing the kids a good time.

    I wonder what the MN Vikings attendance has been the last couple years compared to before that. Because it sure as hell costs a LOT more for a family of 4 to go to a Vikings game, and eat, and park, than it does for a family of 4 to go to the MN Zoo. Hell, you can get a year’s membership at the zoo (free admission for a year) for less than 2 Vikings nosebleed section seats. I haven’t heard that Vikings attendance is lagging. That has to say something about amusement priorities (at least in the metro area).

  4. Bill C Avatar
    Bill C

    Today?

    Dead last.

    Dead. Last.

    Last. Dead.

    This is Mark Dayton’s economy.

    Surprised a certain someone hasn’t shown up to pull a drive-by and rabidly defend the indefensible with misdirections, obfuscations and outright lies…..as is her wont and MO.

  5. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    I’ll be waiting for Emery to come by and point out how well our neighbors to the west are doing in comparison. :^)

    Seriously, I think the Zoo is the better comparison than the Vikings, since a fair chunk of ViQueens tickets are bought by companies for entertainment purposes, and the tickets in general are bought by (a) rabid fans for a one time fling and (b) people who already are well off and can afford season tickets. So it’s a very different dynamic than young families going to the zoo.

  6. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    I think the Vikes are more recession proof than the Zoo.

    People get passionate about pro sports. They make it part of their family financial planning. And there is only one place to get “pro” football in Minnesota.

    There are many places to take a family, many of them free, for a day out.

    Both are discretionary, but the Vikings, people are willing to pay a premium for (“a fool and his money…”). Zoos, not so much.

  7. Chuck Avatar
    Chuck

    its really scarey that low information voters (say 10% of the voters) decide every election. Instead of debating taxes and regulation on business. Job creation. Gov’t waste and how to best spend money on schools, we get stupid commercials.
    -Stewart Mills is bad because his family built a successful business and he works for it.
    -“tax breaks for big oil” (sic)
    -“tax breaks for his friends” (sic)
    -Voted to cut spending on schools (sic)

    Republican ads aren’t as bad, but they seem to be more image related than trying to educate the low info voters on why their lives would be better if somone more center-right was in office

  8. Mr. D Avatar
    Mr. D

    We haven’t been to the Zoo in years because it’s so expensive. For a family of four, if the kids are teenagers, you’re looking at $79 just to get in — $18 a ticket and $7 for parking. For comparison, the Science Museum is $13/ticket and the Minnesota History Center is $11.

    By the way, the zoo in Milwaukee, which is better than the Minnesota Zoo, is $14.25/ticket. I blame Scott Walker.

  9. Seflores Avatar
    Seflores

    “I blame Scott Walker” Damn right. Since he eliminated the requirement that Milwaikee Zoo management had to buy insurance via the Amalgamated Zoo Animals Union preferred carrier, the savings have reduced admission fees. I’m sure a certain UW-Madtown economist has a way to spin this as a negative.

  10. Chuck Avatar
    Chuck

    As of today, Walker is up over Burke (“all sprocket, not chain) 50-45. Marquette polls tend to accurate (I think).

    Spent a couple days in Wisconsin recently. Like Minnesota, the Democrats have all the money they can spend on TV ads. There run non-stop.

    A LOT of large (maybe 6×4 feet) “I Stand With Governor Walker” signs. Very few Burke ones. And fewer yet for the fleabagger Vinehout. My take? Republicans and moderates are still mad at the Madison looney left and their (the left’s) bizarre hatred of Governor Wallker.

    Governor Walker is a nice guy who runs a postive campaign. The Democrats are angry and….well, kind of scarey. It makes it easy for those outside of Madison – Milwaukee to get passionate about their support of the Governor.

  11. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    “People get passionate about pro sports. They make it part of their family financial planning. And there is only one place to get “pro” football in Minnesota.”

    People value their own entertainment more than they value the education of someone else’s kid.

  12. Powhatan Mingo Avatar
    Powhatan Mingo

    People value almost everything more than the education of someone else’s kid. Teachers, for example, value their salaries and pensions more than the education of someone else’s kid.
    Here in Hawaii, a majority of public school teachers send their own kids to private school.

  13. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    If the stadium wasn’t passed with bipartisan support, Mr. Johnson could have used it in his campaign.

  14. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    If the stadium wasn’t passed with bipartisan support, Mr. Johnson could have used it in his campaign.

    He still can. He opposed the Twins stadium while on the Henco commission.

  15. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    And there is only one place to get “pro” football in Minnesota.

    Where is that? I’d always been told that the reason Iowa doesn’t get a pro football team is because if they had one, Minnesota would want one, too. :^)

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