Being responsible just isn’t sexy.

In the national news, all you hear about is governors who think they can cut, cut, cut their way to prosperity. Washington Post writer E.J. Dionne noticed this phenomenon today. No one in the national media is giving any ink or television time to those few Governors who have taken a fair and reasonable approach to getting their states back on the right track.

Dionne points out that the courageous goverors are those like Mark Dayton, who realize that the state deficit can’t be solved by cuts or tax increases alone. These governors, including Governor Dayton, have had very honest conversations with their constituents about the need to cut programs, sometimes even programs supported by the governor’s party. A balanced approach also includes tax increases, which Dionne acknowledges no one likes.

So the question is why haven’t these brave governors, who advocate an approach that fair and reasonable on the one hand, but could be unpopular on the other hand, getting the media attention they deserve? The media is attracted to governors like Wisconsin’s Scott Walker instead, governors who stir up controversy and debate with their plans to cut millions or even billions from the state budget and expect the state to get back on the right track.

As I said, being responsible isn’t sexy. But these hard-working governors who understand the need to be open and honest about the process of closing the state budget deficit deserve the national recognition. Governor Dayton and others like him are committed to moving their states forward and we should acknowledge their work and thank them for keeping their state’s best interests in mind.

Photo credit: GovernorDayton