Minnesota state government shutdown has commenced as of this morning. Although it has been in the news for a couple of weeks, I haven’t thought much about it until last night. That is when I realized that it would directly affect us. We are planning to head north to Duluth for the Fourth of July weekend. Part of our plans include visiting Split Rock Lighthouse and also Gooseberry Falls. Both of those places are managed by State government employees who will not be working as of today.
My first thought was disappointment for my family. But contemplating about it a little more, I started to think about all of the people who work for the state and how their livelihoods will be affected by this shutdown. If it is short then the disruption won’t have as much of an effect on their income, however, if it drags on, it will have a much bigger impact. Having been through a long spell of unemployment myself recently, I am much more sensitive to how things like this affect a family.
I hope the budget issues can be resolve quickly with as little political posturing as possible – not for my sake, but for the sake of those whose lives are directly and economically affected.