Minnesota government fails at compromise

June 21, 11:26 AMSouth St. Paul ExaminerRob Shirk

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Henry Clay of Kentucky

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is exercising a little used procedural stratagem to balance the state budget. It is called unallotment.

Unallotment has been used before by both parties but sparingly, usually at the end of the budget cycle. If an unforeseen event has messed up the plans set forth by the budget poo-bahs at the legislature and the governor's office. This is the first time it will be used at the beginning of the budget cycle as the state tries to reign in a staggering 2.7 billion dollar deficit.

The jury is still out whether this plan will work and there are plenty of people who laud the governor for not raising taxes. He has had a blood oath with The Taxpayers League of Minnesota his entire six years in office to not raise taxes under any circumstance.

The actual process of constructing a budget is pretty well worn as far as the rules go. The governor puts together a budget proposal and it is sent to the House of Representatives. It is there that an amended budget is hammered out. The same thing is happening down the hallway in the Senate chambers. This takes a while.

After both chambers have their own budgets finished they go to a series of committees and compromise their way through any differences and usually there are quite a few. This also takes a fair amount of time.

One of the beauties of a monarchy is that you don't have to wait around while the House and Senate are jicky jacking away at compromise. A monarchy can say here's the deal. Ain't it swell?

Then the fun begins as the governor and the legislature compromise and compromise until a budget is in place. The result of compromise is that everyone is equally unhappy. This is where the unallotment maneuver comes into play this year. The DFL proposed their budget to the governor that is balanced, as it has to be in Minnesota,  It is a mixture of cuts and tax increases. The governor, in unmistakable language said, "Nyet!", because of the tax increase which, in Pawlenty's view, is unnecessary.

For their part the DFL trotted out a budget they knew the governor would veto, use unallotment, or not allow under any circumstances thereby dealing everybody in the state a losing hand. They are powerless to override Pawlenty's unallotment plan. They may as well as have stayed home.

Old Henry Clay, the Great Compromiser from Kentucky, would spin in his grave. The great beauty of the American System has been America's uncanny knack to strike deals where none could heretofore be had. He was the best the United States ever produced. The great breakdown was the Civil War and although the Minnesota standoff cannot be compared the that disaster, it still blasts the image that all Minnesotans are nice and understanding to one another. The good people of the North Star State can slap backs and shake hands at the State Fair or the Independence Day celebrations everywhere along with numerous other festivals and get-togethers. At the state capital, however, Minnesota Nice is a thing of the past.

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