@RHenry. Your comment shows you know so very little of what will happen. There is no back pay for laid off. There is a delay between laid off and getting unemployment. Unemployment is only a fraction of your wage and it is taxed. Nobody in their right mind wants to go through that. IS it really so hard for people like you to know a little bit about what you comment on?

Idiot.

To R Henry,
Your comment shows you know nothing and probably shouldn’t be leaving any comments. A state worker who is llaid off will not be paid back pay. They will not be orkin, so why would they get paid? It’s just lost wages, meaning they can not pay their bille, feed their families, or anything else.
Your comment was ignorant

Please tell me where you obtained your information? My father, a conservative, just informed my husband, a 20 year state worker, that we are getting back pay for all our time laid off. This is wonderful news! We can relax now and just take this like the vacation it is. Please let me know who to contact, as the state and the union laugh when I ask where I can sign up to get our back pay.

Boo hoo. You think she’s the first person to get laid off who needed her check? Get real. I was laid off a few years ago myself and no one came to my house with a camera and asked me how horrible it was. What is it about state/union workers that makes them such prima donnas who think a bad economy should never effect them? Besides, shutting down the EPA for good could only help the economy. I see she’s wearing her union shirt for the cameras. Talk about concerned and angry. I’m concerned about our governors unwillingness to sign off on the cuts we need to make to keep the government open, and angry with the state/union prima donnas who won’t let him. I want to see a shut down just so everyone can finally see how much useless fat most state government is. SHUT IT DOWN NOW. DON’T WAIT. JUST DO IT! The people in the wagon might notice, but those of pulling it probably won’t.

@ Sam. Cheryl is correct about you. Do you really have any experience with state workers and their jobs? All 36000 jobs just sit around? It must be real special of you to know what everybody does.

Sam I am I agree

Wow! 36K employee sitting around. Ignorant statement

Hey you stole my name! Not cool!

How do you save money when you live pay check to pay check? And your GOP wants to cut welfare and all that, so how would she live just fine? And she is educated with a bachelor’s degree a-hole! And State workers dont suck off taxpayers, its your politicians who get $1000/month for their car payment that are the true leeches!

I am a state employee. I do not sit around and do nothing. I have been under a wage freeze almost from the beginning of my employment (5 yrs ago). I have received a $1.72 wage increase since i began 5 years ago. $1 of that was a cost of living increase. I have had my hours bounced around because of the budget, but I love my job and i am very good at it and there is a need. I work at a WorkForce Center and I see what the government is doing to the people of the US, including myself and my co-workers and YOU–Joe Public. I watched my husband’s job move to Mexico, lost my house and had to move to find work…and i presume it was so that someone who has money and doesn’t want to contribute to the US economy– moved his business to make more and payless. I serve the people of the State of MN, and i take my job very seriously!!! I am angry that i am the “cause” of this shutdown, because i am NOT!!
I just want to know why that the top 2 or 3% of Minnesota wage earners can not contribute their fair share!! And why is it that our ELECTED officals can’t get it together enough to learn to compromise once they are elected. I would like to see any of them try to live on $7.25 / hr!!!
The Dept of Employment and Economic Development just got “kudos” from the Dept of Labor for using the ARRA dollars wisely and efficently and would like to use MN as a tool for other states to follow….but is that in the news???

So before any of you can say anything negative about your state workers, you should GET INFORMED and find out what it is that they do for YOU!!!

Sam, I hope you don’t live by one of those state run homes that houses the criminally insane and or sex offenders. Yes, come July 1st I will just be sitting around.

She went to college and HAS an education idiot. Some people just choose to work in a field that they believe in…not just where there is money to be made from scamming someone out of their retirement funds. Kristin beleives in the safety of our state and our clean waters. What better job is there than going hoem knowing you made the state a safer place for our children?

The republicans don’t know how to run a goverment, all they how to do is stick
there nose in are personal lifes !

I like your comment Sam. Time to trim the state work force by 25 percent. Bunch of over paid and under worked complainers. Join the real world like the rest of us. I know Cheryl thinks anyone who complains is a republican. But, I beg to differ. Were just anti union.

Dear Donkey Joe. Do you have your post saved somewhere and keep posting the same thing over and over again? Every politician has interest groups that support them. Dayton paid for his own campaign or did you already forget that? Did you not ever read the GOP budget depended on a waiver from the federal government to make the medical work out. WHY WOULD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIVE A WAVER TO THE GOP ? Hello, the GOP legislation has been very polarized, so an administration headed by a Democrat is going to give a special waiver to GOP legislation. If they are going to give Minnesota a waiver then ever other state will ask for the same? Know what you are talking about Donkey Joe

Being they have to pay back the 5 billion Pawlenty shifted to this year, wouldn’t that be a 2 billion cut? Those cuts were made on the backs of education, LGA and disabled and elderly. The cities and schools end up increasing property taxes, god only knows what happens to the institutionalized handicapped, disabled and elderly.

Dayton is trying to do to MN what obummer has done to the US of A. don’t fool yourself.

he must have done something good, your still here

Amen. I guess a single parent can have it all. If you’re an overpaid state employee that is. How come the media never asks the ones pulling the wagon if they’re angry. It’s always the ticked off union/state workers rioting and protesting and wrecking state property and causing millions of dollars in damage like they did in Wisconsin who’s voices are heard and are asked how they feel. That’s why we don’t don’t care when these people get laid off. We’re tired of being punished for behaving and pulling the wagon and paying the freight for these whiners. Quit talking about it shut it down already.

I don’t believe where the boys father is is any of your business. Run your own life and don’t worry about where he is.

For your information he pays child support to pay for daycare. It’s none of your business anyways. Do you not know any single mothers?!

If you to check any of the statistics of state workers per capita, Minnesota has been on the low end compared to other states for decades. I can’t image how you would compare it to private business. What total population would you use for the private business? And private business and government have totally different functions – so how would they compare?

@tuna-free. If you are curious about the wages of any state employee, for your information, the wages are public information. You can do a freedom of information request and get the amount of wages paid to any state employee. As a conservative you are pushing the agenda of everyone can take of themselves. So you need to get this information for yourself. Be proactive! Then come back and post it for the rest of the posters here. Go for it! I challenge you.

And probably because you’re not educated enough to have one of theose jobs. Just continue being a wal-mart greater and be happy.
No, I don’t know that you work at wal-mart, just making a dumb comment like you did.

FYI, she earns less then $16/hr guaranteed. And she rents. And she works very hard. And State workers do feel pride for their jobs even though they are unappreciated. Selfish prick.

Ummm…LOL…the union doesnt suck tax payers dry! LOL! You do realize that State workers are ALSO tax payers right? And State workers are the ones paying union dues, not you!

Ya I always like that too. If you are a “non-essential” gov worker perhaps we really do not need you. In the Free Market, I found out I was non essential at my job and was let go – took me two years to get another job and it wasn’t great but I had a job again and restarted my career.

If I was a single parent I would be covering my bases everyday – doing what I need to do to save for a rainy day – because they come for everyone. Not making enough? Try two jobs etc… That is how the real world works..Unless you are too busy being the Union Steward pumping up employment and payments for the union “workers”… Its not about productivity – its about Union Thug Strength!

@Kevin. This is probably belaboring the point, but I think all of us know that ESSENTIAL SERVICES are mostly public safety: troopers, law enforcement, etc. Maybe some MNDOT services. Just start to think about what is nonessential: parks, recreation (public pools), public buildings for recreation, probably public health services of many different kinds, all contracted road work, DNR officers (hey, you can probably go and poach, now). A lot of administrative services probably not going to be essential such as providing license tabs and vehicle titles if you want to buy a car. Should be fun trying to buy a new car after July 1. Start thinking about what you wish for….

Zeke, If Dayton has said he will cut the workforce by 6% why isn’t he doing it? Oh right. The unions.

Was it Timmy who caused the recession or was it the homebuyer/remoder who thought they were “entitled” to a new home, without reading the bank’s fine print or guessing what the consequences of a adjustable rate mortage?

MSNBC blamed it on the homeowner!! Sorry Zeke, your mistake.

Dems love their Weiner!!

That’s what happens when you vote for a democrat Dave.

Thank you John 2. Let’s try voting for someone who’s backbone isn’t made out of rubber.

NOT TRUE justaxnspend! I am a State worker, and my boyfriend and I have an almost 2 year old and are expecting our second in January. If I lose my job because of shutdown, we are both screwed…sure we will make it, but barely. We probably will get evicted out of our house and have to pay the thousands in eviction costs and then try to find a new place to live and keep paying our other bills. We live pay check to pay check because we both make under $15/hr, and cant save any money and are educated. We dont have anything extra…no cable, no internet, no car payments. We both work in the cities and live in the country and work different hours so we have to drive separate. Not to mention the outrageous cost of gas and day care expenses, plus trying to provide the essentials. We are good with our money, dont go on vacations. We really try to do the best we possibly can. We live in the country because we both hate the cities and want to raise our children where we dont have to worry about our neighborhood going bad, but rent anywhere for a house is ridiculous. We work very hard to afford what we can. Wijthout my job, I dont know what we are going to do. I will lose my health insurance because I have been with the State less then 3 years and that’s scary being pregnant. I do have a second job, which helps when I have both jobs, but isn’t going to put a dent in the things we need when I lose my State job on July 1st. What happened to the days when I was growing up and the State was a good place to work for, benefits were good and you were considered lucky to have a job here? People have become so greedy and selfish…it’s really scary.

Agreed!!!!!!