Minnesota Government Shutdown: Grandmas and Grandpas Speak Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WdpRuIHrK0
What's at Stake in Minnesota
We are now 13 days into a state government shutdown, with the eyes of the nation and even the international community upon us. We are face to face with the structural deficit that budget analysts predicted more than two years ago. Even while services to seniors rank among the highest of priorities, we will not come away from this stand-off between the Legislature and the Governor without cuts. Still, we can shape the final outcome – our immediate goal is to secure about $20 million that would close the gap between the Governor’s and the Legislature’s budgets for the spectrum of senior care.

As the closed-door negotiations between Governor Dayton and legislative leaders continue, we must return to our core messages and remind policymakers of the $6.7 billion economic impact of older adult services on the state economy, the 142,000 jobs we generate, the demographic changes that are sweeping our state and the names and faces of those we serve and those we employ.