Putting a Face on the Governor’s Budget #2

This morning I got another video from the House DFL demonstrating how Governor Pawlenty’s proposed budget cuts would hurt real Minnesotans.  This one startled me…

I know the man in this video.  He’s not a close friend, or a family member, but I recognize his face.  When I worked for Amy Klobuchar in 2006, one of my responsibilities was to walk down the street to KSTP every so often and check the public file to find out who was buying ad time and how much they were spending.  The man in this video, Mark, worked at the front desk.  I remember him as being an unnaturally friendly man.  He seemed to know the name of every single person who came through the lobby, and he even remembered my name after only two or three visits.  I am sad to learn of Mark’s misfortune.  I think its all too easy, especially when you are dealing with a problem as big as a multi-billion dollar deficit, to focus on the numbers and forget the human consequences of budgeting.  But when you see how someone you know will be directly affected by these proposed cuts, it really brings it home.