Consider the can kicked

Posted at 6:16 PM on July 14, 2011 by Eric Ringham (10 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

Photo by Aldor, via Flickr

It's all over but the legislating and the voting and the second-guessing. The governor and his negotiating partners in the Legislature emerged from a three-hour meeting to say they have a deal. So now they'll make a little legislative magic and presto - we'll have a functioning state again.

The downside is that the problem will be back in about a week. The funding mechanisms in the deal don't solve anything, they just move numbers around. As the most popular phrase in politics goes, they've just kicked the can down the road. In other words, we'll soon be able to go fishing - but we're still up a creek.

Do kids even play Kick the Can anymore? Or is there an app for that?

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Comments (10)

Thank you, Bob. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Posted by Angie | July 14, 2011 10:31 PM

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If the people of Minnesota keep the GOP in the majority after 2012 then they deserve all the shifts they get. Keep kicking the can..

Posted by Kelly | July 15, 2011 7:21 AM

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This post should include the audio of Tom Crann's call with Arne Carlson from all things considered last night. Gov Carlson offered a pretty unvarnished assessment of what this deal does for the state.

Posted by bsimon | July 15, 2011 8:11 AM

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@Kelly,
Let's not pretend that the can kicking is a new phenomenon of a Rep Leg/Dem Gov, this is simply a continuation of what the Dem Leg/Rep Gov had done for the last several budgets.

Posted by matt | July 15, 2011 9:00 AM

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@Matt,
I hope it's a really long road in that case!

Posted by Cara | July 15, 2011 10:35 AM

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To answer the question above, though I do not pick a can while on my daily lunch-time walks, I do kick loose stones along the road. Yup, a truly exciting life I lead.....

Posted by andy | July 15, 2011 11:21 AM

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Funny, Eric! You're a worthy stand-in.

Posted by Jamie | July 15, 2011 11:24 AM

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// “Let's not pretend that the can kicking is a new phenomenon of a Rep Leg/Dem Gov, this is simply a continuation of what the Dem Leg/Rep Gov had done for the last several budgets.” //

The two situations are not equivalent, matt. The Democrats in control of the Legislature back then were forced to make those deals with a governor (Pawlenty) who was as intransigent as the Republicans are now. It was Pawlenty’s way or the highway then just as it’s Koch’s & Zeller’s way or the highway now. And it’s the Democrats who almost always have to give in to the bullies.

Posted by Jamie | July 15, 2011 11:38 AM

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@Jamie,

How is it that one party magically has the power to hold firm and the other doesn't? How is that Pawlenty is intransigent but Dayton wasn't?

The simplistic approach is to measure how far one side moved from its original stated position to see who "gave" the most, this just makes pols move their initial stated position further out to be the one who is bowing lowest.

The campaign number or repubs was $32billion but they moved this up with the increased revenue projection to $34 billion so which is their starting point? How much do they compromise under this bill?

Dayton started at $37 billion and then came down to $35.8.
The value of the budget deal is being put at around $35.4 billion did the repubs cave more? Should Dayton be viewed as the bully here?

The last budget used $1.8 billion in funding shifts this budget only uses $1.4 billion should we pat both sides on the back?

When will they address the out budget can that has been kicked down the road?

No bullies and no heros in either parties. Just a bunch of children who talk big game and shoot little rabbits.

Posted by matt | July 15, 2011 12:25 PM

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Also @Jamie - Your preception of who was or is intransigent is your view.

I think both parties for years have been intransigent. It has only been through the work of a hand full of legislative members that any 'real' work has gotten done.

Remember the 'override 6' from 2008 - how many of them are still in office. 6 GOP members overrode the Veto and all paid a very big price, their 'people back home' voted (most of) them out.

How many democrates 'broke' ranks to allow a override of Daytons veto. That's right NONE, GOP leaders didn't even try because none would switch. Sounds pretty intransigent to me.

Posted by BJ | July 15, 2011 2:52 PM

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