Five months have come and gone and our state Legislature has failed to finish its work.

Saturday, May 19, 2001

Five months have come and gone and our state Legislature has failed to finish its work. Such a performance would not be tolerated in the private sector and should not be tolerated in the public sector.

The 201 legislators elected to serve Minnesotans have failed miserably and should be held accountable for their actions.

On Thursday, Gov. Jesse Ventura issued a blistering and accurate portrayal of the legislative session, suggesting the Legislature had wasted five months dealing with trivial pieces of legislation instead of hammering out a new budget and tax reform. Ventura is right on.

Now the leaders of the state’s House and Senate are proposing extending the state’s current budget – plus an inflationary increase – until the Legislature reconvenes in February 2002. From our vantage this is simply passing the buck.

Our legislators have been elected to perform a difficult job and doing nothing, which is what the latest proposal consists of, is not acceptable. Tough decisions need to be made, comprises need to be made and action needs to occur.

We’re living in changing economic times; times requiring new ideas, new ways of thinking and dynamic leadership. Unfortunately the Legislature has not felt the urgency of the moment to set a new and promising course for the future of Minnesota.

If the Legislature adjourns without the major, tough decisions being made, our elected officials will have failed us all at a vital moment in Minnesota’s history.