In January, Minnesota Public Radio took an up-close look at White Bear Lake through the State Budget in Your Backyard. The folks at MPR found that White Bear Lake’s only nursing home, Cerenity Senior Care, was under pressure financially even before the state budget cuts and that Century College faced a tough choice to either raise tuition or cut student services. In addition, White Bear Lake had 26 miles of streets awaiting reconstruction, but city repairs would have to wait.

Six months later, at the end of June, MPR went back to White Bear Lake. Cerenity Senior Care reported it won’t give its workers a raise this year or next to deal with the governor’s budget cuts. Century College was dealing with rising enrollment and fewer resources:

"Now, more than ever, we have dislocated workers coming to us," he said. "And that’s what’s really hard. We’re a community college. The community’s hurting now, and they’re turning to us, and we’re dealing with less resources. That’s the pain for us."

Across the city, dealing with fewer resources will become a theme. City Manager Mark Sather told MinnPost to expect more unfilled jobs at City Hall, postponements of technical upgrades, less weed-spraying in parks, and a longer wait for snow to get plowed thanks to Governor Pawlenty’s unallotment.

White Bear Lake has been tightening its belt since January—there’s only so much belt-tightening it can do before it’s forced to make cuts to areas like public safety, which provide essential services to the residents. Even delaying snow plowing until the next day, rather than right after it falls, could potentially increase the number of accidents on the road. We need everyone we can to help defend Minnesota from the cuts Governor Pawlenty and his allies are forcing cities like White Bear Lake to make. Invite your friends to get the facts about Governor Pawlenty’s ruthless cuts.