Like Emmer, it's easy to say cut, cut, but what, what?

In the current race to be Minnesota's governor, a common, though age-old theme is the Big Bad Government. It's too big, too cumbersome. It doesn't hum like the Lexus they'd all drive if they didn't have to prove their patriotism by driving a Ford.

We should make it lean. Make it more efficient. Set it free, like the market.

No one is offering specifics, which is the politically prudent thing to do at this juncture, lest they let voters know it may be their ox that's going to get gored.

Today, let's take Tom Emmer, the Republican, who has mused a lot about what should be cut. Sorry, what could be cut. Emmer's people launched a campaign to correct misquotes of his positions Tuesday, so we have to make sure we are not insinuating that Emmer will do something, when he's actually only saying that he might do something.

Or might not.

Last week on Minnesota Public Radio, for example, Emmer wondered aloud what the Department of Natural Resources does that might be better done by someone else, like civic groups. He mentioned a DNR program to "take metro women" on "camping trips," and another on studying migrating owls.

Great example, Emmer! We'll get back to owls and campers later.

So I read it. OK, I skimmed. The "Minnesota Policy Blueprint" indeed has lots of ideas. Some are quite good, including calls for accountability and competition and the one on page 21 to "eliminate the office of lieutenant governor."

Well done, Meeks!

The intent of the study, undertaken by the Center of the American Experiment, was to make sure everything in the executive office was "subjected to conservative and free-market tests."

There were also some specifics about how to re-work departments, such as the idea to employ zero-based budgeting for the DNR. The study doesn't say if it will save money, however. Nor does it say how much any recommendation might save.

So I called Mitch Pearlstein, president of CAE and contributor to the book, to see if I was missing anything.

Since the book was published 11 years ago, we have had an Independent Party and a Republican governor. If the plan is so good, why didn't either of them implement it, I asked.

Pearlstein paused.

"Fair question," he said. "Is that an indictment of the government, or an indictment of the document?"

Pearlstein said the book inspired many reforms, such as increased use of free-market solutions to government problems.

"But has it had the influence some of us wanted 12 years ago? No."

While he's sympathetic to the goals of delivering services at lower costs, "many conservatives don't think a government value is providing equal opportunity or outcomes," said Smith. "We do."

Emmer has thrown around figures on how much could be cut by merging or cutting departments. As of Tuesday, that amount was 20 percent over the next four years.

"I think that's preposterous," said Smith. "They need to show us."

For example, let's get back to those campers and owls.

The owl program is actually run by a nonprofit in Duluth and monitored by volunteers. The DNR didn't have the capacity to run it; instead it gave a small, $3,000 grant to help a multi-state effort to track an endangered bird.

Sounds like just the kind of creative, low-cost program Emmer is talking about.

There's a family outing this weekend near Lanesboro offering fishing, archery and target shooting. It will cost a family of four $280.

Tom, I won't say you should go. But you could.