Minnesota government shutdown will slowly take toll on state's bottom line (day 8 of doom)

AP ^ | 7-8-11 | Martiga Lohn

[WOBBLY BOB]

Minnesota stands to lose tens of millions of dollars in the nation's only state government shutdown, as lottery tickets go unpurchased, tax cheats go unpursued and 22,000 laid-off state workers collect unemployment and health benefits.

The government interruption also threatens to slow an already sluggish economic recovery as the state employees in limbo and others who lose state-dependent jobs - including construction workers and nonprofit staffers - tighten their spending.

[WOBBLY BOB]

at least commuting to the metro in the morning is a breeze now.

[Onelifetogive]

as lottery tickets go unpurchased, tax cheats go unpursued

What kind of dingbat would stop the positive-cashflow generating parts of an organization when they have money problems?

[cripplecreek]

Lottery tickets I can see having an effect but the tax cheats unpursued can’t be that big of a deal.

[screaminsunshine]

A Liberal Democrat would. They would try to demonstrate how much people need government at any and all cost. By stopping the few things the government “should” do for PR purposes.

[WOBBLY BOB]

Dept. of Revenue: No refunds issued during shutdown, but tax payments still due

http://minnesotaindependent.com/83611/dept-of-revenue-no-refunds-issued-during-shutdown-but-you-must-make-tax-payments

[apillar]

Minnesota stands to lose tens of millions of dollars in the nation's only state government shutdown....22,000 laid-off state workers collect unemployment and health benefits.

Uhhm, so are we to assume they were not getting paid or had health insurance working for the state?!?

[apillar]

Lottery tickets I can see having an effect but the tax cheats unpursued can’t be that big of a deal.

Especially since virtually every state has already outsourced their collection activities to outside debt collection agencies, who keep a percentage of the debts they collect as their payment. So I seriously doubt it has affect on collections in the least.

[cripplecreek]

How much control do democrats have in Minnesota?

I’m just wondering if there isn’t some intent to use this shutdown to harm Bachmann and Pawlenty.

[Minn]

Whatever. Very few people even notice the lack of state government. The longer it goes on, the more desperate attempts there will be to convince us we care; attempts like this lame article. As if paying somebody unemployment benefits to not do a worthless job is worse than paying them much more to do a worthless job.

Just privatize the racing commission and lottery. Minn-Pass isn't necessary without state workers on the road. All is good, Gov Dayton.

[apillar]

How much control do democrats have in Minnesota?

I’m just wondering if there isn’t some intent to use this shutdown to harm Bachmann and Pawlenty.

I don't think they can really go after Bachmann, but they are going after Pawlenty. They had some democrat on NPR that was blaming this entire budget crisis on Pawlenty leaving a $5 Billion dollar hole in the budget when he left office.

[cicero2k]

I have no sympathy for a state, who elects Al Franken to represent it in the US Senate. Unforgivable.

[DManA]

Mn did NOT elect Al Franken. He is Senator due to election fraud. No sympathy for victims?

[PDGearhead]

It is interesting that everyone said that if the govt. shuts down, the world will end immediately.

What they are worried about is that people now realize that life goes on and is even better since the shutdown. Private business can take over the many ineffecient programs and the libs know it. This is exactly what we are seeing in DC.

“The world will end if the debt ceiling is not raised!!!”

Time to shrink government back to appropriate levels.

[Reo]

"What kind of dingbat would stop the positive-cashflow...?"

Mark Dayton, who is just about as dingy a bat as you can imagine, even by MN standards.

[Vigilanteman]

Excellent point. Plus the Minnesota Zoo tickets go unsold. The biggest expense in running a zoo is feeding the animals. Admission tickets more than pay the salaries for ticket takers and grounds patrol. Fishing license sales more than pay the salaries of game wardens. The list could go on, but you get the idea.

Our senior senator Bob Casey Jr. is glad that Dayton is governor of Minnesota since there is now that much less competition for the honor of being the dumbest member of the U.S. Senate with a penis.

[WOBBLY BOB]

They did, it was pooled, so ostensibly probably at lower cost.

Pardon me while I hanky my croc tears.

[beckysueb]

We just came through Minnesota on a road trip. The rest areas were closed down but the convenience stores along the interstate were doing a booming business and happy as clams. People stop at the convenience stores to use the restrooms, they buy stuff. Whats not to love?

[WOBBLY BOB]

But prisoners in MN are now not getting prison yoga instructors!

OH,THE HORROR!

[WOBBLY BOB]

Republicans won a massive, historic election in 2010.
In the Minnesota House, Republicans had just 47 seats after the 2008 election. That was two fewer than the 49 they had after the 2006 election.

In 2010, Kurt Zellers and crew roared back to gain the majority by picking up 25 seats to take a 72-62 majority.

In the state Senate, Republicans had never held the majority since party affiliation was re-introduced in the early 1970s.

After the 2008 elections, the Senate Republicans could meet in a phone booth.

In fact, the Senate Republicans didn’t even have enough votes to uphold a Tim Pawlenty veto.

With just 21 out of 67, the Senate GOP was relegated to the sidelines.

After November of last year, the Senate GOP was in control, boasting a 37-30 advantage over the DFL.

http://www.stateshutdown.com/