Bob CollinsMPR’s Paul Tosto has set up a new blog, Shutdown 2011. I’ll leave it to you to figure out what it’s about.
In the “who’s winning” nature of political reporting, the details of what’s behind the stalemate often got lost. What’s in the Legislature’s budget proposals that aren’t in the governor’s, for example? The Minnesota Budget Project has just released its report, “A Tale of Two Visions,” which compares the two sides. It’s an excellent resource.
The state shutdown will have a ripple effect in private business. The state’s forestry industry has issued a news release saying a state government shutdown will mean lost jobs for workers in its business.
But, sure as shootin’, the first image people will have of the shutdown is a “closed” sign at a state park (or at a rest area). Three-thousand people have reserved campsites for the July 4th weekend. What happens to them? MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports they’ll be reimbursed, but you should wait until Monday to cancel. That, however, creates “shutdown roulette.” Do you feel lucky? If you cancel and get your money back, what if the shutdown is averted at the last minute? How would you feel about sitting around the house on July 4th when you could’ve been camping?
The DNR has a question-and-answer page about the shutdown.
