Wow: Dayton Caves, GOP Wins Minnesota Shutdown Battle
Very interesting — sticking to principle to defend taxpayers can result in a big victory. Who knew? Certainly not the Republicans in DC, or so it seems. Gov. Mark Dayton, Democrat, sent off a letter to the MN Republicans today to let them know of his surrender.
“Despite my serious reservations about your plan, I have concluded that continuing the state government shutdown would be even more destructive for too many Minnesotans,” Dayton wrote in the letter. “Therefore, I am willing to agree to something I do not agree with – your proposal – in order to spare our citizens and our state from further damage.”
Dayton said accepting the offer, with conditions, would bridge a $1.4 billion gap between him and the Republican leadership without any more drastic cuts to to essential services. “If this gets resolved and gets Minnesota back to work in the next few days, then it doesn’t matter what people say about me,” Dayton said.
This is, to paraphrase VP Biden, a big deal. Minnesota isn’t exactly a red state, but the Republicans there forced a liberal governor’s hand while defending taxpayers from the predations of the state. Very well done.
Ed Morrissey, blogging from MN, notes that this is an almost total capitulation on Dayton’s part. The man’s actions had blocked fishing and there’s a looming beer shortage in his state. No wonder he finds himself over a barrel, so to speak.
Time for MN Republicans to take victory laps and spike the football for the next few weeks.
+1
+1 more
+1 for the comment. And I’ll give ya another +1 when the libs squawk about the football-spiking.
I hope the republicans in the house in DC will take a lesson from this.
Unfortunately, it’s not time for the victory lap yet! Dayton accepted the budget offer “with conditions.” One of the 3 conditions was to drop the 15% across the board cut in state employees. This appears to make a significant reduction in the attempt to cut the size and scope of government, and the costs associated with those proposed cuts. There is no mention of his proposal to replace the budget savings resulting from these proposed cuts and no indication that he accepts any cuts in the size and scope of government.
Stay tuned!
“GOP wins”
For now.
“A poll conducted by Public Policy Polling in late May shows that to help balance the state budget, 63 percent of Minnesotans would support a tax increase on the wealthiest 2 percent, compared with 32 percent who say the budget should be balanced only through cuts.”
The current crises are useful for demonstrating how absolutely nuts the GOP has become.
“63 percent of Minnesotans would support a tax increase on the wealthiest 2 percent”
Meaningless. It’s hardly surprising that many who benefit from the current system want someone else to pay for it. Note too the 45% who pay no federal income taxes but want the “wealthy” to pay more taxes. Again, meaningless. Of course, if 63% of the “wealthiest 2 percent” said we, the wealthiest 2 percent should pay more, well *that* would be news.
PPP polls are worthless, as they are slanted Left. Furthermore… late May?!? That was a looonnnggg time ago when it comes to public opinion. Try to keep up, huh?
To me it looks like it’s demonstrating how completely nuts 63% of Minnesotans are.
Most of that 63% voted for Al Franken, after all…
None of you seem to realize that Dayton initiated this specific idea himself. He didn’t cave, he agreed to what he started…
http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/enews/breaking/Dayton-Offers-Compromise-Budget-Solution-125568428.html
Good work spotting this.
So, is he trying to reopen negotiations, or is this just a CYA, blame-the-Repubs, political ploy? If he is trying to re-open, then it means that he will still try to get what he wants. He won’t get it, but he will try. Meanwhile, it also functions as a face-saving way of saying he may finally be willing to compromise. IOW, he is ready to cave, at least on some things.
Poor MN, stuck with this left-winger for 3.5 more years (because the Independent candidate split the vote). It’ll be good for them. Builds character. This is the FedGov problem writ small. This is how it’ll play out nationally.
I think it’s hilarious that all you commenters (and I’m assuming, most readers of this blog) are taking this to mean the GOP legislature ‘beat’ DFL Governor Dayton. The truth is that Dayton is going to come out of the shutdown looking better—willing to compromise, rational, and put Minnesota above petty partisan politics—than the stubborn ‘my way or the highway’ GOP legislature (if they even accept the offer). No matter your opinion on the issue of raising taxes to close a HUMONGOUS deficit, the fact of the matter is that it’s not our elected officials’ job to make ultimatums and to draw a line in the sand, unwilling to cross it. No, we elect these politicians because they’re supposed to work with each other like adults, compromise and get things done. You may applaud Minnesota’s legislature for attempting to make a fundamental change in the governments’ structure, and I can respect that view, but I politely disagree. Throughout this whole shutdown Dayton has offered budget after budget, and while GOP leaders have been quick to shut down every offer, they haven’t made one since the government stopped running.
Compromise isn’t a sign of weakness; it shows strength of character and one’s willingness to overcome petty personal differences to serve the people that put you into office. I don’t care what political party you agree with, but I hope that you respect him for being willing to compromise to help Minnesota.
Ridiculous, especially the HUMONGOUS part. Oh and the adults part and the get things done part … and compromise is overrated in a test of wills on how government is supposed to operate.
congratulations to the GOP — that’s political courage! let DC republicans learn from this fine moment!
‘No, we elect these politicians because they’re supposed to work with each other like adults, compromise and get things done’
NO, we elect these politicians to represent us because there’s too many of us to vote directly on every single issue*. Backslapping at the public trough is NOT why we vote for them, on any level.
*Back in the day when you had to walk to the polls 6 miles, uphill, both ways, in the snow, and it took months to count the vote and figure out who won, a representative democracy made sense. Which also is why we elect in November, and inaugurate in January (used to be March, mebbe we need to rethink this one once again to slow down inter-election shenanigans.) At this point I’d be all for a massive expansion of the concept of public referendum. You bozos make your stupid deals, we’ll tell you whether we approve or not.
As there is no federal ‘right to vote’ I’d also be for restricting the right to vote in federal elections to those with skin in the game. If you’re a net tax payer, and thus have skin in the game, you get to vote. If you’re a net tax consumer, aka, moocher, you get to sit this one out. Speaking as a federal employee (non-defense) I’d also be more than comfortable with anyone on the public payroll not being eligible to vote in elections for the level of government that employs them.
Now, if only DC Repubs will learn a lesson..d’ya think they will???? With all the “Red” States, or “Red” winners overwhelming the “Blues” in the STates, with the peoples’ support, doncha think our own Repubs in DC would get the feeling that we MEAN it, CUT THE SPENDING.
Oh for the days when I was mad about “only” 1/2 trillion in deficit spending, not 1.5 Trillion..”only” 9 trillion debt, not 14 trillion…”only” 32% GDP debt, not 60%…
Oh for the good ol’ days.