What a Lovely Plan.

OK, so we've got a former Republican governor of MN, who endorsed the independent last fall, and a person whose presidential campaign was a miserable failure, riding into town to rescue the budget "impasse," if you can call it that.  An "impasse," in my view, is when both sides have TRIED tirelessly to compromise and then hit a wall.  This budget process has been like watching a bird try to fly with only one operating wing.  It isn't going anywhere because only one side is showing up.  Here's the thing that sticks in my craw:  whether I like it or not, the voters of Minnesota HIRED DAYTON TO DO A JOB.  Get off your rear and DO IT.  The Republicans spent the time putting a budget together and presented it to Dayton weeks ago, then offered changes at LEAST two different times.  Not only has Dayton not offered a complete budget, but he will not tell Republicans how he wants to spend the tax increases he keeps insisting on.  The whole UNNECESSARY tax increase thing is downright immoral to me.  Republicans are offering a budget, complete with a 6% increase in spending over the last biennium, based on projected revenue.  WHY, pray tell, is a tax increase a good idea?  It's not.  I don't care if we're talking about Bill Gates, here.  Forcibly separating a person from his money is wrong.  It's theft.  I find it offensive that certain citizens are targeted in our system of taxation and I've begun to think of our incredibly over-reaching and burdensome tax and regulation system as downright theft to a large degree.  The problem with citizens supporting Dayton's insistence to "tax the rich" is, in our beautiful, free American society, there's always the potential "the rich" could someday be you!  Then what?  Our entire society is built on human potential, so to punish and/or discourage achievement is, by nature, un-American.

Having this motley crew come together will make for good theatre, but I don't know where it will lead in the very serious business of making Minnesota operational.  We'll see.