The Fourth of July is a day to celebrate; it is the anniversary of the beginning of democracy in this great county. July is also the anniversary of our state’s record 21-day government shutdown, a stark reminder of the increased gridlock we have witnessed in our Legislature lately.

It is worth revisiting the shutdown because we don’t want history to repeat itself next year. After the shutdown, the Legislature used mostly borrowing to temporarily solve the budget. Minnesota faces another $4.5 billion deficit next year including over $2.4 billion in debt to our schools. If the next Legislature doesn’t act responsibly, we could easily see another unsolved budget deficit and another government shutdown.

The Republicans’ delusion that the economy will outgrow the state’s deficit with tax cuts for the rich simply is not working and won’t work.   Minnesota has passed the point where we can correct our fiscal errors in a pain-free manner, the sooner we realize this, the less economic pain we will have to suffer.

Human labor is being replaced by sophisticated machines, operated by high-skilled workers. Therefore, if we want to create jobs, Minnesota needs to invest in education, not borrow from it, so that we have the skilled employees that manufacturing companies require.

Please think about these issues when you go to the polls. Vote DFL.

 

Shannon Savick

DFL candidate

House District 27A

Wells