Minnesota Government Shutdown Prompts Strong Twitter Response

It looks like the battle of the budget has claimed the state of Minnesota, or the government at least. But many on Twitter are quick to point out that although state parks are now shut down over the h...
Minnesota Government Shutdown Prompts Strong Twitter Response
Written by Josh Wolford
  • It looks like the battle of the budget has claimed the state of Minnesota, or the government at least. But many on Twitter are quick to point out that although state parks are now shut down over the holiday weekend, you can still go camping in one of Minnesota’s beautiful private campgrounds. (No joke, this is one of the biggest concerns from the Twitterverse regarding Minnesota right now)

    The government officially shut down last night at midnight after a week of hard-fought negotiations. Republicans and Democrats have been in disagreement for months about the budget – specifically how to close the $5 billion budget deficit.

    According to the Washington Post, the state battle mirrored the budget battle on the national front – Republicans putting the emphasis on cutting spending on certain programs and Democrats attempting to raise the taxes on the wealthiest 2% of Minnesotans.

    This isn’t the first government shutdown in recent memory. In 2005, the government shutdown under then Governor Tim Pawlenty. That one lasted 8 days and resulted in the temporary layoff of about 9,000 workers. Pawlenty is now a candidate for President.

    During this government shutdown, only necessary government functions will remain up and running. This includes public safety like the police and fire departments, welfare programs, state facilities like prisons, and IT management of governmental systems.

    Like I noted earlier, the state parks will be closed this weekend. This is estimated to cost the state $12 million in revenue for each week the government remains shutdown.

    The state government was close to a deal, but Democratic Governor Mark Dayton could not approve the GOP’s cuts to the health and human services department. Earlier in the negotiations the Republicans proposed a budget that included some layoffs for state workers and teachers. It also included some non-budgetary items such as a vote ID bill and abortion restrictions. The Democrats refused that proposal.

    So, with the two parties in a deadlock, the government is now shutdown. Twitter is reacting strongly to the news, with opinions coming from all sides of the political spectrum. Here are a series of tweets blaming the GOP for the shutdown –

    Hey #gop Minnesota is a example of what happens when 1 side takes a no tax increase position things collapse #p2 #toct #teaparty 44 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® · powered by @socialditto

    .03% of Minnesotans (those who earn $1M) have shut down our state due to refusal to raise taxes on them. #7700donors #mnshutdown 3 hours ago via Twitter for Android · powered by @socialditto

    Thank you #mngop for shutting down state government to serve your selfish ideology and your corporate masters. #mnleg #mnshutdown #dfl 2 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    Some on Twitter point to Democratic ideals as the cause of Minnesota’s budget problem –

    I’m glad Minnesota is no longer caving in to tax & borrow & spend; but it makes no sense to shut down the lottery, a source of State income! 45 minutes ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    Every state that spends too much of the tax payers money on parasites always goes broke. Minnesota is well known. http://bit.ly/jw0ytd 45 minutes ago via Mozilla F1 · powered by @socialditto

    Many have just decided to take a crack at the state of Minnesota –

    #MN is known for 2 seasons: Winter & Road Construction. Since the roadwork has stopped due to the #MNshutdown are we technically in winter? 1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    Hey Minnesota campers. You are welcome to come and join us in South Dakota. We are open for business over here! #mnshutdown 1 hour ago via HootSuite · powered by @socialditto

    To all my Minnesota pals, so sorry your government has SHUT DOWN! I know you’re all very polite, so riot politely, but do riot. 9 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    The Minnesota government has been shut down. Even the state moose-shampooing plant. #MNshutdown #dirtymooses 8 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

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