EckerNet.Com

In an teleconference with Minnesota Senate Minority Leader Senjem, Gary Gross points out some, while maybe not important, at least some interesting priorities of the state DFL caucus.

One of the things the Senate GOP brought up was the fact that the legislature budgets for each legislator to use 5,500 stamps per year. The Senate GOP proposed cutting that number to 3,500 stamps per hear per legislator. Sen. Senjem said that, as Minority Leader, he uses approximately 3,000 stamps annually. Considering the cost of a stamp is .50 cents and considering there are 201 legislators, a reduction of 2,000 stamps per year per legislator is a potential savings of $200,000 per year.

The DFL defeated this common sense proposal on a straight party line vote.

Next, the Senate GOP proposed eliminating the Senate\’s in-state travel budget. Last year, that budget was approximately $100,000.

The DFL defeated this common sense proposal on a straight party line vote.

Minnesota is facing a $5 billion budget deficit.  That\’s \”real money\” as they say and smart spending will only go so far.   It\’s going to require real sacrifice in programs that will really affect Minnesotans.

Most parts of the Minnesota budget just don\’t represent enough slices of the pie to be able to cover the gap.  Only health care and education represent enough to cover the gap.  Which means at the end of the session, the DFL controlled legislature is either going to have to raise taxes, or else cut education and/or health care, or a combination of all of the above.

So at the end of the day, we are all going to be asked to sacrifice one way or another.  Wouldn\’t it be nice if the DFL was willing to also sacrifice?? Even on something as petty as stamps??  It may be a trivial amount in the grand scheme of the budget but at least it sends the right message.

But as usual with the DFL, we all have to sacrifice for a \”better Minnesota\”.  But the DFL wants you to go first.  And like those humorous \”Free Beer Tomorrow\” signs, the DFL will pick up their share tomorrow….whenever that is.

[Crossposted to True North]