MPR ran an op-ed by FFM’s Tom Steward on budget Band-Aids, namely the federal stimulus package that gave one-time money to states.
Steward writes:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was an unprecedented law passed during a time of extraordinary economic distress. Lawmakers of both parties agreed that the $2.3 billion of ARRA funding included in the 2010-11 state budget was not intended as an ongoing program or obligation. Still, some Minnesotans may recall that a number of observers nevertheless warned of the perils of dealing with the deficit the DC way.
So how did we get to the Great Minnesota Shutdown of 2011? Read the rest of the column here.
