Afraid??? I think not!

I'm sitting here, on a glorious afternoon, listening to Michael and King on the NARN volume 3 broadcast when Michael threw down the gauntlet. Michael accused the center right bloggers who are dead set against the special session of being "afraid" of the session. Now I am one of those center right bloggers that is dead set against the special session, but it is most certainly NOT out of fear as Michael might assume.

First off, we are echoing the sentiments of our friends and neighbors who just watched this Legislature fritter away a $2.2 BILLION DOLLAR budget surplus on"optional" expendatures - none of which was scheduled to go toward bridges and roads. Money went to just about everything else. As I said in my post about Priorities, our legislators have shown us CLEARLY that their priorities are not roads and bridges so why should we trust them with a special session to now make roads and bridges a priority....

Second - the money is already there for use not only for the bridge but for the flood zones. Drew Emmer at Wright County Republican has the breakdown of the emergency funding access that the Governor has. Between the funding that the Federal Government is bringing and the "rainy day fund" that the Governor has access to, there is plenty of money available to get everyone through to January 13 when the 2008 regular session starts.

Lastly, as Representative Seifert stated after the bridge collapse, the latest budget forecast shows an even bigger surplus than we had previously expected. The final numbers are due in November. If, as Rep. Seifert says, there is a larger surplus there will again be no need for "additional funding".

Michael - I agree that it would be fun ("like Christmas" were his words) to watch the DFL leadership go back on any promise that they would make to the Governor on the agenda of the special session, it is simply not in the best interests of the citizens of Minnesota to call a special session. That is not fear - that is simple logic and common sense!