Yesterday, I discussed Republican Mark Buesgens’ proposed budget, HR 2, which would lead to a 20 percent cut to the education budget. Buesgens’ proposal is probably a good indication of what the MNGOP’s final all-cuts budget will look like. It’s not just education that Buesgens slams. Here’s how his proposal shapes up compared to the most recent forecast [PDF]:

• Health and Human Services: $3.2 billion cut (24 percent)
• Education: $2.9 billion cut (20 percent)
• Higher Education: $113 million cut (4 percent)
• Environment: $37 million cut (11 percent)
• Transportation: $15 million cut (8 percent)*

Buesgens’ budget would be absolutely devastating to Minnesota. What would a 20-percent cut to our education funding do for our students’ competitiveness? How many people will be denied medical care after a 24 percent cut to health and human services? Where will they turn?

This is not the way forward for our state. We can’t afford to balance the budget on the backs of the poor, the sick, the young, and the old. We need to do what’s best for all the people of Minnesota. That means we can’t just dump the burden of our deficit on the poor, while giving new tax cuts to the rich.

*The transportation budget appears very low because this is just the general fund. Most transportation expenditures are made from a dedicated fund, which is beyond the scope of Buesgens’ proposal.