Governor’s Budget Begins the Discussions—We Need Political Courage
Feb
16
Written by:
2/16/2011 11:35 AM
Minnesota’s political leaders are, no doubt, facing tremendous challenges: an unprecedented budget deficit projected for the upcoming biennium; a divided electorate sending mixed messages about spending and expectations; and limited “easy” options—such as shifting payments or maximizing federal funding—available to them.
What we really need are some brave public policy statesmen (and women) who will demonstrate strong political leadership, and who will be able to work out compromises to very disparate positions. The mixed results of the last election make this “wish” very difficult to attain—there were many reasons for the pendulum swinging as it did during the last election: economic angst, mistrust of government, and polarized messages resulting in gridlock.
The responses to Governor Dayton’s first budget are good indicators of whether there will be a “rising to the top” of true courageous leadership, or whether the political rhetoric will just increase to set up the inevitable end-of-session entrenched, polarized positioning. If the social networking world is any indicator, it will be a tough road: just a few hours before the budget was released, a political operative tweeted, “The big decision the GOP has to make regarding the Governor’s budget proposal is whether to push chop or liquefy on the legislative blender.”
As I fast forward the state budget discussion and think about the challenges facing the legislature and Governor, I believe we cannot continue to conduct business as usual and hope to maintain the standards that we have come to expect in Minnesota, especially when it comes to the delivery of care and services to the elderly and persons with disabilities. As we talk to elected officials we must take on the role of citizen, reminding them that polarizing discussions between the political parties will not solve the structural budget deficit. While we understand there are power struggles, and that winning and/or keeping the majority is important to both parties, true statesmen will rise above that rhetoric.
As a Minnesota citizen, I expect our officials elected to office to be civil to each other during negotiations; to show courage, creativity and cooperation in solving the state’s budget deficit; and to believe that compromise is not a dirty word. Another expectation that I have as a citizen is that I will pay more taxes when this battle is over—but hopefully I will understand the value proposition with these increases—what my increased contribution toward the state coffers will provide me both as a citizen and also as a person with a vested interest in making sure the infrastructure for older adult service delivery is maintained.
Copyright ©2011 Patti