Pg. 2 of this document tells quite a story. What it represents is an offer by Gov. Dayton, aka MBD, that doesn’t include a tax increase.
It includes a shift in K-12 school payments, a $50 per pupil increase in overall spending and a restoration of funding to the Department of Human Rights, Trade Office.
According to Gov. Dayton’s own document, this would’ve saved the state “$1.34 Billion.”
Also, Gov. Dayton’s proposal included a “signed agreement that tonight’s special session of the legislature would be confined to passing a “Lights On” extension of funding for all current operations and obligations of state government until 11:59 of July 11, 2011.”
Gov. Dayton rejected the GOP’s counterproposal, saying “However, I can not agree to both a tobacco bond issuance and a school shift, neither of which are permanent revenues.”
There were no additional revenues in Gov. Dayton’s initial proposal. That means someone, possibly Sen. Bakk or Rep. Thissen, got to him. Or maybe it’s that Tina Smith, Ken Martin or Michele Kelm-Helgen got to him and forced him to break his promise and back away from his initial offer.
That isn’t something we’ll know anytime soon.
All we’ll know is that Gov. Dayton offered a budget that didn’t include a tax increase, then retracted that offer in a short period of time.
Minnesotans paying attention to unfolding events on Twitter last night know that Gov. Dayton’s ultimate reversal has poisoned the well in terms of trust between the Dayton administration and GOP legislators.
Gov. Dayton retracted an offer that could’ve averted a shutdown. Because of that, Minnesota state government has shut down.
Jack Tomczak put it best last night when he said that anyone can close a Senate office. It’s a somebody that can close a Senate office, then shut a state down. (Jack, sorry for paraphrasing but I just didn’t save the Tweet.)
Technorati: Government Shutdown, Mark Dayton, Paul Thissen, Tom Bakk, Tina Smith, Ken Martin, Taxes, Education, Higher Ed, DFL
Gary:
Lets look at a different spin on what Dayton did last night. Dayton and the legislature are in agreement on the education bill which is $14 billion and the transportation bill which is $5 billion. That means the extra spending of $1.7 billion goes to the other bills. That means the tax increases which he wants goes to the other bills.
Given that fact Dayton should have no problem to wanting to sign the transportation bill and education bill. Since it looks like the governor was willing to negoiate an agreement before he called it to limit a special session to passing these two bills.
Why won’t he do it? Because these bills are creating pain on the state of Minnesota to try to get leverage to get his tax increase through to the state of Minnesota.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
If all necessary State functions are being financed during this “shutdown” then what is the necessity of even negotiating any furthur? Is the Judge mandated funding based on last years budget or how is it determined? If it is based on last years budget this is a win situation for anyone who wants to restrict government to necessities only and control the cost of government?