Our leaders in Washington should look to Minnesota for guidance in reforming the nation's budget. Just as the federal government is facing a spending crisis, Minnesota recently solved their budget problems. The requirement that the state balance the budget was once again fulfilled.
Minnesota shut down all unnecessary state offices and functions for three weeks while the state's finest government leaders cooperated in solving the problem with -- accounting tricks. If we don't make all the state aid to schools payments right now, and if we borrow money based on some tobacco bond payments which are scheduled to mature sometime in the future, the budget is balanced. Great job, Minnesota politicians!
Now, the federal government sideshow continues with a legion of useless negotiators spewing forth useless rhetoric. Their drivel continues to dominate national media's reporting. It would be much easier to just sum up all the stuff that has been said by the donothings, and all the reports of what they have done in three words, Blah, blah, blah.
Where will all this get us? Simple answer is that they will probably take a lesson from the Minnesota donothing playbook, and accounting tricks will be used in a way that everyone in Washington will be able to declare victory. And, that they will do, while Americans will once again lose.
Government is not a football game. Other than in an election, there are no clearly defined winning and losing sides. Politics may get one into government, but politics is not government.
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