MORNING EDITION

Dayton says GOP 'completely out of touch with reality'

What at first might have been construed as a rhetorical misstep now appears to be a tactical strategy. As Tim Pugmire of MPR writes: “Republican leaders haven't changed their budget bottom line, or their opposition to tax increases, but they've come up with a new message. They say they're the ones who have compromised, and DFL Gov. Mark Dayton has not. Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, R-Buffalo, said it's been 90 days since Dayton last presented a substantial, budget proposal. During the same period, Koch said the GOP has compromised three times. … Dayton didn't talk to reporters Monday, but he issued a written statement in response to the GOP news conference. Dayton wrote that Republicans' unwillingness to move in budget negotiations is ‘a source of increasing frustration.’ He described their new scorecard on compromises as ‘completely out of touch with reality.’" I say we bring in an arbitrator to decide who is wholly delusional.

Senate Majority Leader Koch stopped in at the St. Cloud Times to make the case for all the compromises she’s made. Mark Sommerhauser writes: “Koch also spoke about the Legislature’s proposed cuts in funding for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, the system that includes St. Cloud State University and St. Cloud Technical & Community College. The higher-education budget bill passed by the Legislature — and later vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton — would cut funding for MnSCU by about 11 percent relative to the previous two-year state budget. Koch said the proposed funding cuts reflect the state’s tight fiscal circumstances. ‘Unfortunately, there has to be some trade-offs there,’ Koch said. Koch also said state colleges and universities can find greater efficiencies and cost savings by encouraging more students to enroll in online courses.” Or even better, I hear those for-profit colleges can hook you up with some sweet federal loan programs. Even if you can’t read.

Don Davis of the Forum papers notes: “While legislative leaders have not talked to Dayton since Thursday, a Republican freshman senator and the governor have talked at least twice and Dayton met with Democratic-Farmer-Laborite lawmakers Monday. Sen. John Howe, R-Red Wing, said he and Dayton continue a discussion started last month about expanding the state sales tax to more goods and services, while lowering the percentage of the tax. Such a move could eliminate the state income tax, Howe said, putting more burden on the rich who buy more goods and services. Howe’s proposal is to pass a bill by June 30 to keep government operating, although at a reduced level, for 120 days to 150 days. During that time, he said, a commission would work on the sales tax plan. Once the plan is written, a special legislative session would be called to finish the budget that includes new funds from the sales tax.” This Howe guy is going to get his tires slashed.

Hey, what’s another 5 percent?  Chris Williams of the AP writes: “University of Minnesota regents approved what the university president called a ‘dismal’ budget that raises tuition by 5 percent for most resident undergraduate students and trims millions of dollars in costs through layoffs, program cuts, a wage freeze and health care changes. ‘I will support the budget only because it is the least objectionable of a number of poor choices,’ said Regent David McMillan, shortly before the vote was taken. The regents were faced with a budget that anticipated a cut of about $71 million in state aid. ‘I don't have any better solutions for the current situation,’ said Regent John Frobenius.” Hmmm … have they thought of canceling all those expensive science and medicine classes and just offer courses in Constitution Theory?

Are you ready for yet another round of flooding on the Minnesota River? Brad Allen of KSFY-TV in South Dakota writes: “ … flooding concerns are spread across the Midwest tonight. In Shakopee, Minnesota...folks are keeping an eye on the Minnesota River. It's currently below flood stage but weekend rains are expected to push the river out of it's banks. The area is also in line to get rain tonight.”

Paul Douglas’s forecast says: “The NWS has issued a Flash Flood Watch for much of western and central Minnesota — they just expanded it to include the Twin Cities metro. Latest model guidance is hinting at over 2" of rain tomorrow, with a potential for some 3-4" amounts. I do expect some street/urban flooding tomorrow, with a slight risk of a few isolated tornadoes over far southern Minnesota (probably not in or near the metro area). The threat is greatest to our south, from Mankato and Albert Lea to Rochester and Winona. Showers linger into Thursday, a clearing trend on tap for the end of the week.” Then, in quick order, it’ll be the State Fair, the Twins will lose to the Yankees and winter again.

Nick Ferraro of the PiPress reports on a poor man/stupid crook’s variation on a “Bourne Identity” chase. “A St. Paul man suspected of stealing a city of West St. Paul work truck hours earlier Friday ran through two houses before being nabbed by police. Michael Lee Pflepsen, 29, remains behind bars at Ramsey County Jail on suspicion of auto theft and burglary after police say he stole West St. Paul's 1997 Chevrolet pickup truck from the city's ice arena parking lot. A St. Paul officer saw the truck near Seventh and Payne avenues about 4:30 p.m. Friday — the same day it was reported stolen. ‘I guess they're pretty easy to find when they say 'City of West St. Paul' on the side,’ West St. Paul Police Chief Shaver said. Pflepsen allegedly pulled into a liquor store and then ran away, leading officers on a chase, St. Paul police spokesman John Keating said. He ran through homes in the 500 block of Tedasco Street and 600 block of Burr Street before being taken into custody without incident. ‘People were in both houses at the time,’ Keating said.”

Will the shockers never cease? Dan Browning of the Strib reports on “International Rarities Corp., a Minneapolis-based coin dealer that's under investigation by the Minnesota Attorney General's office on allegations of consumer fraud, appears headed for bankruptcy ‘within the next several weeks.’ Attorneys for the company broke the news in a federal court filing Friday in Florida in an attempt to explain why two representatives of the company had skipped a May 18 deposition in the case. … The Star Tribune reported in May that unlike financial services firms, coin dealers are largely unregulated. As a result, no law or regulation bars a person with criminal convictions from the coin industry. The paper found that a number of Twin Cities coin firms have hired salesmen with criminal records, including some with previous convictions for coin fraud.”  Just a question … what are the rules on Wall St.?

First there was “The Audacity of Hope.” Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker seems to be building material for a possible book, “The Audacity of Sheer Damned Audacity.” Kathleen Gallagher and Tom Johnson of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel write: “With Gov. Scott Walker's venture capital bill on hold after running into heavy opposition, two Republican senators are proposing a revision that would jettison the most controversial piece: a plan to provide $200 million in tax breaks to insurance companies and give hundreds of millions to out-of-state financial firms. Sens. Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac) and Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) — both facing recall elections this summer — want legislators to bring the proposal to a vote soon. Darling says she would like to see the money made available to venture capital funds by September. The Hopper-Darling measure is one of at least three being discussed as possible replacements for the original $400 million Wisconsin Jobs bill, which stalled after questions were raised about provisions giving tax credits to insurance companies and control of half the money to out-of-state money management firms called certified capital companies.” As my dad’s Jewish buddy Al used to say, “THAT is some kind of chutzpah.”