The Minnesota Legislature – and in this case, mostly the DFL caucuses in the legislature – are trying to figure out how to spend the roughly billion-dollar surplus.
Sound familiar?
There are bills to boost funding for Reading Corps by more than $5 million; $1 million to prevent tractor rollovers; and another $15 million to expand Head Start school programs. There are countless more without firm price tags. And Gov. Mark Dayton himself has requested $100 million for broadband Internet development and another $6 million to offer state employees paid parental leave.
It illustrates the political and financial reality that even a $1 billion-plus surplus can only go so far. And while it may be less painful than making cuts to close budget gaps, extra cash just leaves politicians with more to argue over.
And there’s this absolutely precious quote by former Senate majority leader and gubernatorial candidate Roger Moe:
“The average person who watches the process would think that it would be easier if you have a budget surplus … than shortfalls. It’s probably the opposite,” said Roger Moe, a former state senator and longtime Democratic majority leader. “That puts more pressure on the Legislature.”
Well, no, Senator Moe.
The average person who is remotely literate about government looks at that surplus and thinks “that’s money that’s been over-taxed; give it back”.
The DFL and media (pardon the redundancy), beholden as they are to the notion that money that people earn is government property first and foremost, never, ever put that out there…
Why do I suspect the Minnesota Federation of Teachers are licking their chops, wondering just how well 1.2 Billion would fortify their pension fund?
If you spend it, it’s not surplus.
Maybe the DFL (Democrat-Finance-Lawyer) could setup a commission to figure how the government’s money keeps getting into the bank accounts of workers?
Remember – You didn’t build that, you didn’t earn that, and you don’t own that. The proper role of government is for Your Betters to decide what you may or may not think, say, own, or do, who you will be permitted or required to associate with, and what your allowance will be. And to deprive you of your property, your liberty, and ultimately your life if you rerfuse to get with the program.
Maybe we should rename Dumbocrats into Spendocrats. There is no rainy day for them – libturds are always ready and willing to squeeze the turnip for more blood to feed their constituency to buy their votes. Well, I am sure my family is not the only one who will not be contributing to the surplus this year. I wonder what the MN migration statistics say on this matter.
It boggles the mind; we are running a surplus and the DFL still wants a huge bonding bill. Can’t contemplate living within our means, I see.
On the bright side, I know so much better where I am when I see the giant $100,000 “welcome to our town” signs instead of the $100 signs we used to have. And what a blessing to have a multimillion dollar “Aquatic Center” that allows you to do anything involving water except for….swimming. Nah, it’s not like the Wal-Mart shoppers of the world need some exercise or anything.