With a Senate committee defeat of a Twin Cities gambling casino and the postponement on the vote on it in the House, we couldn’t be happier.

However, a merger of the two plans could still be brought up.

The Pawlenty plan called for collaboration between the state and poor Indian tribes while owners of Canterbury Park race track promoted their own plan.

On the surface, Pawlenty’s estimated $143 million from gambling or even Canterbury’s proposed $103 million for state coffers sounds enticing. But in the long run, the money would be eaten up treating the ills of expanded gambling.

Curing the budget deficit on the backs of Minnesota residents shouldn’t be an option. But Pawlenty seems determined to avoid tax increases to solve the budget woes which have plagued his term.

We applaud his effort to avoid tax increases, but there comes a time when, after cuts to social programs, he may have to bite the bullet.

While we aren’t excited about tax increases either, something has to give. Perhaps looking at administrative spending should be more carefully scrutinized.

It’s obvious there are no simple answers to solving the state’s money issues &045; we will have to pay one way or another.

But we would hate to see state residents prone to excesses become the hapless victims.