14 days and we finally have a conceptual framework for a budget in MN

which allows a news conference and live coverage.  win-win-win!  they were going to celebrate with some toasts, but the package store was out of MGD.

basics:  the relevant of the GOP's June 30th final offer was taken... $700 million bonding against future tobacco lawsuit revenue, and screwing the schools one more time with a "$700 million deferment."  last 1.4 billion deferment of aid payments has not, of course, been paid out.  it will be paid out when pigs fly.  oh, and the GOP has to push and pass a $500 million construction bonding bill, which is probably the $500 billion in projects the governor last proposed end of April to try and get something, anything, to put people to work.

NOT ACCEPTED was the last-minute insertion of the GOP of the Wisconsin Agenda... take away teachers' bargaining rights, take away prevailing wage for construction, take away 15% of state jobs permanently, fully defund any medical outfit that ever did an abortion,... same old crap that just punishes and stigmatizes folks who deserve better.

it's not a good compromise, but assuming this does not blow up in the next day or two as the details are worked out, it's better than keeping Lesser Mississippi shut down, and having more bar-and-grills, more tourist stops, more 3rd-tier business dependent on state and construction collapse.  the toll is probably over 40,000 jobs so far from a two week shutdown.

Cheryl and I were in the crowd tonight in Blaine questioning (and occasionally the crowd haranguing)  the 51A state rep.  the 54 state senator did not attend, was invited, has committed to a meeting in 10 days.  much was said of the structure of the budget, and much made of the "we only have 34 billion in the checkbook" argument, basically with constituents saying "if that's all ya got with the bills coming in, around our household, we'd get another job for more money."

unsaid, and I didn't get a round to say it in, is that if you think you got structural budget problems NOW, just wait.  in 10-15 years, 60 percent of the US will be retired.  it's a little higher expected in Minnesota.  no way you're going to push all the extra costs that entails onto property taxes; if you just plain cut and smile away, it's going to be a Death Squad (tm) signing those bills.

the "important conversation" the GOP wants is going to have to include the fact that expenses will double or triple with the doubling and tripling of the non-workforce in their rocking chairs, on medical assistance/Medi/Obamacare, needing many more services.

and here in Lesser Mississippi, it's the older generation that is armed up veterans.

food for thought out there in political magic-land.

tax the rich.  that's all ya got left.