There are two things to remember in the budget debate.

1. Not giving the full amount of increase proposed by a department is considered a cut in their budget. They may receive more than they did last year, but the Democrats and the news organizations will report it as a cut.

2. Gov. Mark Dayton suggests that we use tax increases to fund these increases to state department budgets. By following the governor’s solution this year are we committing to tax increases every year from now on? Gov. Dayton is pushing the standard Democratic solution of tax and spend that got us into this problem.

John Forman

Albert Lea