The learned trio opens:
The tentative contract agreements negotiated by Gov. Mark Dayton with the state's two largest unions are representative of the problem today in state government: protecting the status quo and asking Minnesota taxpayers to pay more for it.
Members of AFSCME and MAPE have been working for the past year and a half without a new contract. That wasn't a problem for their members. The current contract, which includes a $43 million increase for built-in autopilot pay increases and free health insurance for state employees, remains in place until a new deal is approved.
In other words, the unions have all the leverage. They can continue working until Dayton offers them a contract even better than the ever-increasing pay and benefits they currently receive.
What sticks is that "two and a half years" stuff.
Dayton was elected in 2010, unless my memory fails me.
So the carping is over a PAWLENTY contract. Why then in the world are these learned savants jumping up and down saying, "Dayton, Dayton, Dayton."
They should be jumping up and down saying,"Our guy Tea-Paw, our guy Tea-Paw, our guy Tea-Paw," but honesty in things and politician posturing never are necessarily congruent.
Again as stated at the start, am I wrong, is there something I am overlooking?
I believe it was negligent of Strib to accept this editorial submission, if indeed the complaint is that Pawlenty cut too good a deal for them to where the unions are happy to live on under it. Dayton is not and cannot logically be held at fault for Tea-Paw and his dealings.
So, am I wrong? This is an open invitation to any Republican who can shed light on how and why I may be reading things wrongly.