One big pile of goo...

"Anyone who decides to throw in the towel after this session, I don't blame you. I can only imagine the emptiness law makers must feel. Heck, this session was worse than the last one, and everyone thought that one was rock bottom."

I went out to get the paper on this fresh spring morning and noticed a foul stench in the air. Dead skunk in the middle of the road? Someone's garbage not been picked up for a month or so? Backed up septic system in the neighborhood? No, no, and no again. It is the annual end of the session stink. It comes from the pile of goo which resulted from what was worked on in St. Paul the past three months.

The bottom line is simply this. And it is a tale as old as time. Whenever we allow law makers to congregate together for an extended period of time, the size of government grows. That is a natural law. Like the speed of light, it never changes.

Even with that, this year's game of liar's poker between the House, Senate and the Governor, cost the taxpayers a lot of money. However (and this is where the comedy part comes in), for Mr. "I have my money in South Dakota" Dayton, the amount of money the Republicans wanted to put on the card was not enough. So as bloated with nonsense and goo as these illegal bills are (illegal, as they violate the single subject rule), Governor Goofy has pledged to veto them. Good!

There really was nothing for me in this pile of goo, so I have no dog in this fight. My biggest pet rock, taxation on Social Security, once again went ignored. "Can't afford it. We need the money for refugee resettlement", or some nonsense like that. The tax cut? Won't affect me but a few nickels and dimes, at best. Tax conformity? I want that to go unsigned. I want Minnesota to stick out like a sore thumb next tax season. That might FINALLY bring about the needed tax changes we all seek.

I know everyone worked very hard this session, gave up a whole lot of nice days, and are now bushed. If at the beginning, leadership had vowed to hold the line and not spend a dime, then it would have been worth the fight. As it was, many compromised a lot to get very little - except a big pile of goo. 

Anyone who decides to throw in the towel after this session, I don't blame you. I can only imagine the emptiness law makers must feel. Heck, this session was worse than the last one, and everyone thought that one was rock bottom.

Oh well - time to move on. In less than two weeks the big show up in Duluth. Wonder if this session will be discussed. Here is my guess - COUNT ON IT!