Something caught our eye below the headline yesterday that Tim Pawlenty's soon-to-be campaign staff had leased 5,000 square feet of office space in a swank downtown Minneapolis office building.
They liked the site because of the Hiawatha Line light rail link to Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport.
I used to joke quote a bit in the past about the magical Minnesota pony that farts up public services free of charge, because of the mentality of some folks that live here because Minnesota is (or was) such a nice place to live due to things like quality education and community programs and parks and such. So they move up here to take advantage of all these things, and then scream about all the taxes they pay, because apparently they are not able to form a connection between good public services and adequate taxation.
I can't really joke about it anymore, because it's become so irritating (and on a national level, as well). I realize that some folks are not the brightest and honestly believe that things like welfare or NPR suck up all the money while rail lines are somehow free. I realize that some folks cannot understand the idea of community unless that community stops whining about things they want and only pays for the services that personally benefit the folks (or just don't care unless it only benefits them). But politicians I can't really give a pass to, because they know better. They are merely using this to win elections, because at this point, that seems to be the only thing they have any interest in, country be damned. So they talk about the things that the public reacts favorably on - cutting taxes, and providing services. That these things are completely incompatible with each other is not a pressing concern, because it's about the marketing, not the reality. And yes, it sells. Damn well.
And I can't give a pass to the idiots that keep voting in "fiscal conservatives" time and time again, because no really, this time they are totally going to give you all the public services you rely on while cutting taxes and spending for other, mysteriously unnamed things, and if/when they don't, well then they weren't a real fiscal conservative anyway - but hey look at this guy, he is totally going to give you all the public services you rely on while cutting taxes and spending for other, mysteriously unnamed things, and I bet this time he's totally for real. Rinse and repeat.
The idea of Lucy and the football is often used to describe liberals that naively believe the promises of Democrats only to be suckered in the end (and we are. Constantly). But it appears conservatives have their own football as well, and that football is the fiscal responsibility myth.
It's just a damn shame that their football will end up taking down the damn country. We cannot keep up this farce of being able to spend without raising revenue to do so.
(via Norwegianity)
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