Minnesota's Budget Battle - No Dog In This Fight
Reason number 27 it sucks to be a conservative in Minnesota these days:
In their attempt to resolve Minnesota's budget deficit, the DFL finally agrees to some modest across-the-board cuts in state government - astonishingly including something they've previously treated as sacrosanct - education spending. DFL Senate spokesmen stated:
Wow! This has sure been a long time coming. I mean I never thought I'd see the day the DFL agreed to reduce government spending to such an extent. And I REALLY never thought they would consider including a reduction in education spending as part of it.
Let's go check in with Minnesota's Republicans to check on what's sure to be quick agreement on at least this much of the plan...
*SIGH*
So now we're supposed to pretend that we agree with this notion that education spending can only ever go up? Its funding is now on the same level as basic public safety? Even though we've been the ones noting higher spending isn't correlating to higher student performance for a few decades now? We're supposed to join hands with the inflexible education shakedown artists (i.e. unions) and hold the line against cutting something that already accounts for forty percent of the state budget?
Yes, I realize Republicans disagree with the proposed Democrat budget for its higher taxes on Minnesota businesses as well, and I don't begrudge them holding that particular line. But to try to out-demagogue the DFL over education spending just at the moment they finally agree to be sensible about runaway spending in this area in defiance of the teacher's unions who normally dictate DFL education policy... I just can't pretend that even makes sense, let alone that I support the Republicans here.
In their attempt to resolve Minnesota's budget deficit, the DFL finally agrees to some modest across-the-board cuts in state government - astonishingly including something they've previously treated as sacrosanct - education spending. DFL Senate spokesmen stated:
"If everyone shares in [the cuts], this is going to be much easier." ...
[DFL] Senate leaders acknowledged that the $973 million in proposed K-12 education cuts over a two-year period would be difficult but said education represented too large a share of the overall state budget to be exempted.
Wow! This has sure been a long time coming. I mean I never thought I'd see the day the DFL agreed to reduce government spending to such an extent. And I REALLY never thought they would consider including a reduction in education spending as part of it.
Let's go check in with Minnesota's Republicans to check on what's sure to be quick agreement on at least this much of the plan...
Republicans and education advocates decried the proposal...
[Teacher's union stooge] Dooher found an unlikely ally in Brian McClung, [Republican Governor] Pawlenty's spokesman, who had similar criticisms. "The DFL's proposal fails to set priorities by cutting everything equally, including some of the state's most important priorities: military and veterans programs, public safety, K-12 education, programs to crack down on sex offenders, and much more," said McClung.
*SIGH*
So now we're supposed to pretend that we agree with this notion that education spending can only ever go up? Its funding is now on the same level as basic public safety? Even though we've been the ones noting higher spending isn't correlating to higher student performance for a few decades now? We're supposed to join hands with the inflexible education shakedown artists (i.e. unions) and hold the line against cutting something that already accounts for forty percent of the state budget?
Yes, I realize Republicans disagree with the proposed Democrat budget for its higher taxes on Minnesota businesses as well, and I don't begrudge them holding that particular line. But to try to out-demagogue the DFL over education spending just at the moment they finally agree to be sensible about runaway spending in this area in defiance of the teacher's unions who normally dictate DFL education policy... I just can't pretend that even makes sense, let alone that I support the Republicans here.
Posted by Doug Williams on
Friday March 13, 2009 at 10:46am
Seems to me you want to attack them on the tax hike piece first, though. I think we've managed to sell the idea that "trickle down misery" doesn't work.
Conservatives have been demanding more local control of schools - which state funding undermines in the first place. In the face of a huge budget deficit, conservatives should not be opposing "cutting everything equally," as we've been calling the state budget far too large for a long time. It's not an abandonment of tactical advantage to acknowledge your OWN principles and work forward from there.
I heard Sen. David Senjem respond as well...
When I heard this, I felt like I was in opposite world...
Problem is that by not setting priorities, all the stupid and ineffective programs get cut the same as public safety, education, old folks homes etc. The courts, for crying out loud which are a relatively small part of the state budget are already practically broke. This is a situation which screams for reform. Cutting everything across the board isn't reform. It's a punt at best at a time when the DFL has nearly all the power, they have no excuse.
The Republicans (at least so far) are getting played. I hope they can do better than "we need to spend more on education." Please, Education has had massive increases in the past few sessions. It's never enough.
There is no principle to "seize upon." The DFL doesn't have any principles, and they don't have any priorities in spending. They aren't admitting that education can be cut without affecting results, they're simply admitting (finally!) that you can't spend more money than you take in and have a balanced budget. They've responded to Pawlenty's carefully considered cuts and priorities with a cop-out about across-the board cuts and a massive tax increase. If Republicans accept this proposal, they're admitting that they don't care about education, because they're willing to cut it blindly, when "everybody knows" that educational results depend on ever more money being poured into it.
I don't think the education funding argument is going to get settled in this round of budget battling, we still haven't gotten the DFL to agree to setting the simplest of priorities, and they haven't given up on the idea of massive tax increases. That's where the battle needs to go, at this point. Make them respond to Pawlenty's budget specifics, without more taxes. They're losing the battle so far, and looking for the easy way out; time to tighten the grip.
Oh good lord. And they say the same about Republicans and nyah-nyah-nyah. It's all beside the point.
The point is that the Republicans didn't need to accept the whole budget proposal. All I expected them to do was NOT object to the notion that it is okay to cut education spending.
Why is that suddenly impossible for Republicans to agree with? If the DFL offers to cut back on diversity training, are we suddenly to stand up against cutting that too? After all... they might be trying to trick us.
I think the state government owns far too great a share of education spending. I think the education budget is bloated and is an excellent target if you need cuts to resolve the budget deficit. Suddenly I'm fighting the Republican party who tells me that's an irresponsible position.
Lordy. I'm more convinced than ever this is not my fight. Duke it out as you like.
This is the part I'm focused on. After two months of complaining about the Governor's budget, the only thing they offer is "easy"? This isn't admitting anything about what should be cut or how much. There are no reforms or priorities, just a simple across the board cut. There isn't anything to agree with, because this isn't a real proposal. It's an attempt by the DFL to dodge their responsibilities while blaming Republicans for everything.
They attack the Dems not just for not "prioritizing," but for cutting education spending. They further call this kind of cut irresponsible. Oppose the DFL however you'd like, I cannot back a Republican Party who can't accept education cuts in this economic situation.
And, to take your point further, Why the heck do the Repubs have a DFL-copycat response regarding the Dems refusal to prioritize? I personally have been FINE with the idea that we freeze the budget as-is, and simply adjust for inflation. That would be an "across the board" remedy to balance the budget. Is THAT supposed to be somehow anti-Republican as well now?
I'm sorry, I am not about to attack "across the board" spending cuts in state government. I think the idea is great. I guess that makes me un-Republican.
That's what bothers me here. The DFL has "admitted" only two things: 1) that they cannot raise taxes enough to cover the entire shortfall, and 2) that those EVIL Republicans are going to force them to CUT education for YOUR kid! They should be criticized for it, because that is exactly the game being played. Republicans finally get one right, and we want to criticize ourselves?
A freeze was a good idea three months ago, when nothing else was on the table. A "retroactive freeze," where the State would simply reuse the budget from the last year in which spending was below what it needs to be this year, would also be "easy." It was 2007! Now that Pawlenty's very specific proposal has been on the table for two months, though, those simplistic solutions should no longer be considered. Republican leadership is fighting this political battle-- and that is ALL it is at this point-- pretty well. The DFL will NOT engage the policy battle until the political battle is over. We have to win the latter to have a chance in the former.
I guess that, like you, I can be disappointed, and have been for a long time, that Republicans refuse to stand up to the educrats who demand more money to improve results, and then, when results don't improve, demand more money to improve results. Pawlenty's initial budget should have included a freeze on education spending instead of an increase, but from what I hear most of the increase is to drive reform in the form of Q-Comp. I know, that's not much "reform," if any, but it's a start. At any rate it's not a complete cave to Ed MN.
The DFL is still playing the game, trying to paint Republicans as the party that wants to "cut education funding," which means cutting educational results in the minds of most people. Until we get most folks convinced otherwise, it's political suicide and we shouldn't be taking the bait.