"Minn. reaches deal to end shutdown" July 15, 2011|Associated Press
ST. PAUL- Governor Mark Dayton and top Republicans struck a deal yesterday to end a budget impasse that prompted the state government to shut down, with the Democratic governor giving up on raising taxes....
That's a good thing for any American.
Also see: The Silver Lining in the Minnesota Shutdown
And now it is back to work!
The two sides agreed on a proposal that would raise $1.4 billion in new revenue, half by delaying state aid checks to school districts and the other half by selling tobacco payment bonds.
Unreal!
The answer up there is sell SCHOOLS SHORT and issue a BOND PROGRAM so TAXPAYERS can take on ADDED DEBT and INVESTORS can GET PAID?
It was a big sacrifice by Dayton, who had made new income taxes a central plank in his campaign last year and the centerpiece of his budget....
The shutdown has idled 22,000 state employees, closed state parks and rest stops, and cut off funding to many social services. It has cost the state millions in the cost of preparing for the shutdown and in lost revenue since then.
But the politicians even got paid.
The deal is contingent on approval by the Legislature, no easy task after an election in which a more conservative Republican caucus took power. Koch and Zellers said they believed rank-and-file legislators would approve it. Republicans hold narrow margins in both chambers, and Democratic minority leaders weren’t in on the deal-making.
Say what?
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Related: Restarting Minn. offices will take time
