Cory Doctorow praises Minnesota.
Last fall, I wrote about the strange case of Minnesota governor Mark Dayton, a left-wing billionaire heir to the Target fortune who came to power and reversed his Republican predecessors’ Reagonomic idiocy, instead raising taxes on rich people, increasing public spending, and creating shared prosperity for the people of Minnesota.
The results of the experiment continue to surprise and delight: unemployment is down to 3.7%, private sector earnings are up 1.5% to $891/week, 47,000 new jobs were added to the economy in the past year, and the state just declared a $1.8B budget surplus, even as Forbes ranked it 9th in its table of best states for business.
And our neighboring states are all doing much, much worse under Republican regimes.
I have to add a reality check, though. We’d be doing even better if the other states in this region were sharing in our successes — we are not an island.
And more worrisome still: in the last election, the idiot citizenry elected a Republican legislature. Why? I don’t know.
The good thing about Trumpist Republicans is that they don’t give a damn about the law, and often find themseves in dire straits as result. Also, do not discount the possibility that some of the new legislators will get caught along with some young male companion they contacted through Rentboy dot com.
I already look forward to your comments about the coming local scandals.
Tell me about it *grumble* grrrr
Living in Massachusetts, one of the bluest states in the Union, we seem to always go for a Rethuglican governor. We even had Romney as ours before he left to run for POTUS. Romney did offer us Romneycare, where State Tax forms demanded proof of health insurance, or get fined; which Obama used as inspiration for ACA. (which the Rethugs promptly slapped Obama’s name on the ACA they hated). Even today, we still have a Rethuglican governor while the state solidly voted Democrats in all other offices.
I chalk it up to attempt to be “fair and balanced” [which Faux Noise exploits as a slogan] by giving voice to both sides of the argument and avoid supporting only those that one agrees with.
There IS value in always questioning oneself, and being presented with an opposition to keep one’s stand clarified to third parties.
…
so uh…
back to topic now my rant of local shit is over. I am too focused on Mass so Minn [hmmm, odd conflation] is outside my attention.
Good luck, seems your state is making opposition adjust towards more liberal views.
Maybe the Overton window can be nudged in both directions.
Now, now! I’ll entertain no whining from Minnesota or Massachusetts residents. Take your self pity and feel it for people like me. I’m stuck in Florida!
Clearly, it was because of economic anxiety. (sarcasm)
Silly Bastards!!!
I’m in Wisconsin. Walker is a real disaster. We’re getting low on teachers, he’s managed to drive many of them out to more higher paying areas. He’s for making poor people take drug tests and cutting entitlements, but he’s also willing to spend six million on the Cream Puff pavillion at the State Fair grounds in West Allis. What a total wanker.