Editorial: Get off the road and into the office

• Dayton

File Photo: Mark Dayton talks about why he picked state Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon as his running mate.

Talk about it

Gov. Mark Dayton’s schedule this week included a Tuesday visit to St. Cloud, a stop in southeast Minnesota today and a Moorhead (tentatively) visit on Friday. Forum Communications Co. reporter Don Davis wrote Monday that Dayton’s travels are “an effort to convince Minnesotans that is worthy shutting down state government to get a budget from the Republican-controlled legislature.”

Just want Minnesotans need — the governor waltzing across the state pointing fingers while we endure the longest government shutdown any state has seen in two decades.

Meanwhile, Republican legislative leaders continued to reject new proposals from Dayton, turning down Monday a suggested increase in cigarette and alcohol taxes and a broadening of the state sales tax. Instead, they continue to insist that Dayton call a special legislative session, so that the Legislature could pass a temporary budget that would put 22,000 laid-off state employees back to work.

On the surface, this makes sense — get something done so that people can again do their jobs. We’re a little cynical, though, about even a temporary budget.

After all, how friendly should anyone expect Dayton be to any budget passed by a Republican-controlled House and Senate? GOP leaders simply want Dayton to call a special session so they can take action — and the public then see the governor strike their action down on his political principles.

Dayton should return to St. Paul immediately and order GOP leaders back to the negotiating table. The time for gamesmanship is long past.

Tags: opinion, editorials, minnesota, legislature, politics, dayton