A Tuesday legislative forum in St. Paul should have given officials with the city of Austin some insight into how much governmental aid the state will lend in the upcoming year.

The answer, not surprisingly, isn't positive.

Austin is a community which is heavily dependent on local government aid, or LGA. But if city leaders think the state will leave its LGA funding alone altogether, we'd have to say they're probably mistaken.

The unfortunate part about this likely event is that cutting LGA essentially will amount to a property tax increase for city residents.

However, even if taxes aren't increased, city services and programs will feel the pinch instead.

Neither are exciting propositions.

So what are the solutions?

Gov.-elect Tim Pawlenty made an interesting point at the forum. Pawlenty noted that "wage inflation in the private sector is essentially zero. We may have to ask state government to do the same."

Translated: Many people didn't get raises this past year, so state workers shouldn't expect any, either.

However, freezing salaries isn't going to solve everything. And it's not a popular one -- especially with state workers.

However, the idea is a start.

Similarly, House Speaker Steve Sviggum hinted that the Highway Helpers program may have to be curbed. Again, it's something that's nice to have.

But the state is going to have to start rolling up its sleeves to help overcome a situation that could be deemed as impossible to overcome, unless compromises are made and plans are executed.