EXPECT MORE OF THE SAME
Big ideas unlikely at State Capitol
While every legislative session provides important lessons for Minnesota voters, the just-concluded 2011 debacle (yes, debacle) left one massive teachable moment:
Today's politicians will not compromise on their respective party's core tenets, so when Minnesotans elect a divided government, expect irresponsible results.
Don't overanalyze that point. This is not a call for party-line state government. However, it should alert voters (again) about just how entrenched Minnesota is in a two-party system -- especially one in which politicians are more beholden to their parties than their constituents.
Minnesota voters simply must realize that under this system, dramatic reforms (ideas such as term limits, unicameral, tax/spending reform, even finishing on time or shortening legislative sessions) are highly unlikely. Why? Because while neither party will agree to compromise on sacred principles, both agree that keeping the status quo ensures each remains one of only two players vying for the power.
The other big lesson from this session is that by not addressing and changing the basic structure of Minnesota's government, Gov. Mark Dayton and the Legislature guaranteed that voters will see a similar debacle (yes, debacle) in two years.
Unless, of course, voters in 2012 opt for major changes. Then again, with only two choices and a divided electorate, how major can those changes be?
FROM AN EDITORIAL IN THE ST. CLOUD TIMES
