Once upon a time, there was a farmer named John. Before he had planted a single seed of corn, farmer John heard a long-range weather forecast predicting plentiful rain and generally salubrious weather conditions throughout the growing season.
Being an optimist, he began to imagine his bins filled with a record corn crop, well beyond the normal yield. He referred to the corn beyond the usual yield as "surplus."
Before he planted a single seed, farmer John used his "surplus" to buy a new combine and to book a Caribbean cruise for his whole family. What could possibly go wrong?
Today, Minnesota politicians chatter endlessly about a budget surplus of about $1.9 billion and have made proposals to spend it or give it away about five times over.
Wake up, Minnesota, there is no surplus. Rather, there is a forecast that attempts to predict state government revenues and expenditures over a two-year biennium that doesn't begin until July 1, and which runs through June of 2016, based upon assumptions of low oil prices and good growth in the U.S. and Minnesota economy.
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What could possibly go wrong? How about war in the Middle East that takes out a substantial part of the world's oil exports, resulting in a huge increase in oil prices and a major economic recession in the world and in the U.S.?
Pick your own less than rosy scenario.
The Democrats at least want to spend the "surplus" on priorities such as education. Worse, Republicans in the House of Representatives have voted to give the "surplus" to some of the richest property owners, such as Nader Ghermezian of Canada, who owns the Mall of America, and to Hilton Hotels.
Don't let them get by with it.
John Burns
Willmar
