Imagine, for a second, a house built on a foundation that appears to be solid. But the moment you try to enter the front door, the whole thing collapses.

That false sense of security is similar to the situation Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature find themselves in as this session kicks into gear.

Their lack of ability to deliver became clear when members of the GOP campaigned on transportation. MPR noted that Republicans campaigned on transportation issues last year, especially in Greater Minnesota; however, now Republicans are suggesting that the issue can be solved by asking the Minnesota Department of Transportation to rework its current budget. In other words, their solution is: “MnDOT, figure it out on your own.”

Reports show that Minnesota needs to invest $6 billion in transportation just to maintain the safety of our current roads and bridges, which makes the GOP’s “solution” even more laughable.

Then, there’s the contradiction that none of the Republicans seem to realize they all make: paying for things without providing a source of funding. For example, the new Republican House Speaker, Kurt Daudt, said a priority of his party is to fix nursing home funding. Yet the GOP chairman of the House Tax Committee guaranteed that no tax increases will occur under his watch.

Unless there is a hidden pile of cash stashed away that Republicans are keeping secret from Minnesotans, it seems they’ve campaigned on issues that they can’t fix without raising some kind of revenue or making drastic budget cuts.

Plus, it’s a bit concerning that so many members of the GOP keep saying that Minnesota needs to become more “business-friendly.”

We rank sixth in the country for the top states for businesses, and Minnesota is the best-performing state for businesses in the Midwest.

It seems that “business-friendly” is a tidied-up way to justify cutting taxes for big corporations, as House minority leader Paul Thissen points out.

Perhaps it would do Republicans some good to research the current state of our state and how well we’re doing before they make out-of-touch statements or fantasy promises.

Republicans apparently missed the updates on our promising business environment, which proves that they’re not paying attention.

You can’t pass a fair and responsible state budget with an approach of, “If I say it, it will come true.” If this is the way this legislative session continues, it’s only a matter of time before Minnesotans find themselves with a state budget packed with unfulfilled promises.