The dominant sentiment among Minnesota’s left (expressed in this case by the estimable Bob Collins via Twitter – and I am not lumping Collins in with “Minnesota’s left”, per se, by the way, but he happens to express the sentiment more concisely than most) is that Minnesota is a messed-up state (sometimes with the qualification that it’s still a great place to be,anyway.
Of course, what’s “messed up” (think they) is that the GOP didn’t fall meekly into line behind the DFL’s “Crack Whores With Stolen Gold Cards” tax and spend spree. The GOP broke with recent tradition and worked as a caucus to try to act like Republicans are supposed to act.
There was no talk of “compromise” and “bipartisanship” when the DFL was revelling in their supermajority in the Senate, and their almost-veto-proof lead in the house, last fall. No, it’s only when they ran into a governor that’s outmaneuvered them at every turn, who’s not only stuck to his guns but creamed the DFL in doing so, that the “C” word – compromise – has escaped their rusty, creaking jaws.
“Diversity”, “Compromise” and “Reaching Across the Aisle” are things the DFL only values when they are out of power. Which – this is the funny part – they are not. They hold nearly-absolute power in Minnesota; only a governor and a couple of Representives stand in the way of Minnesota becoming another California.
Did I say “California?” Megan McArdle shows us the future of a state that acts like the DFL and their bobbleheads in the regional media want the state to act (emphasis added):
California is completely, totally, irreparably hosed. And not a little garden hose. More like this. Their outflow is bigger than their inflow. You can blame Republicans who won’t pass a budget, or Democrats who spend every single cent of tax money that comes in during the booms, borrow some more, and then act all surprised when revenues, in a totally unprecedented, inexplicable, and unforeseaable chain of events, fall during a recession. You can blame the initiative process, and the uneducated voters who try to vote themselves rich by picking their own pockets. Whoever is to blame, the state was bound to go broke one day, and hey, today’s that day!
That emphasized bit- does it sound familiar? Like, exactly what the DFL does whenever there’s a “Surplus?” Turn windfalls into permanent spending, and then whine about deficits when the windfalls go away?
“Messed-up?” No. The fact that we have an opposition, that our government’s dominant party has to compromise, that the (current) electoral minority in this state is protected – is a strength. It’s a strength. It is a saving grace of this state.
Careful, Mitch. The CA GOP also can stop tax bills. It takes 2/3 of the Assembly to pass a tax hike, which is why the GOP can actually stop them there. They generally try to do so, and much like the override 6 the Dems can often, but not always, peel off a few votes with appropriate bribes.
Much of the problem in recent years is Arnie, who took Bush’s version of conservatism and further exorcised his minimal hint of fiscal responsibility and limited government and applied it to CA.
The CA Dems have gerrymandered that state up so well that they’re all safe, GOP and Dem alike. It’s why CA has had a GOP governor for 20 of the last 25 years and nothing approaching parity in the Assembly.
The ratio in the legislature is stuck without a change in attitude by the populace and that’s unlikely barring any catastrophic. event; and in this case they’re counting on Obama viewing them as “too big (in electoral votes) to fail.”
I liked living in CA as a young, single person fresh out of college. But would I want to spend time there as an adult with kids? No!
In the MN State and Senate we are going to get rolled over and over again. I have had my differences with Pawlenty, biggest of these are the “Green” inititatives ( in effect a huge tax on our electric and natural gas bills) and his anti smoking crusades (no I don’t smoke).
However, without him and say Norm Coleman in office we would be in the same boat as California.
For the record, since you didn’t ask, my definition of “messed up” is not “is that the GOP didn’t fall meekly into line behind the DFL’s “Crack Whores With Stolen Gold Cards” tax and spend spree,” though I have to admit you once again make me wish I had your ability to write.
What I consider “messed up” was articulated a week ago in this post.
I think what’s “messed up” is when grown men and women cannot reasonably solve pressing issues — together. Idealistic? Probably.
Anyway, I’m more than willing to be used as the symbol of all that is wrong with the world, but I would rather it be on the basis of what I actually think or say, not what is convenient for someone else to suppose.
Bob,
Fair enough, and I’m sorry if I misapprehended you. And I THOUGHT I made it clear that you’re not a symbol of all that’s wrong with the world. (Bob Garfield is).
On the other hand, to a huge chunk of Minnesota’s media/academic/political intelligentsia, “solving issues like grown men and women” EQUALS “voting with the DFL”.