To the editor:

The $2.17 billion budget surplus projected today (Nov. 29) by state finance officials is proof that Minnesota has been moving in the correct fiscal direction.

It wasn't long ago that state legislators were trying to figure out how to come back from years of budget deficits. Now that we are sitting on a projected surplus in the billions of dollars, it's obvious how standing firm on solid, fiscally responsible principles reaps its own rewards.

The surplus belongs to the taxpayers of Minnesota. It is not a windfall for state government officials to spend at will. If we are not careful, the celebration could be short-lived. We need to continue to be fiscally responsible as we go into the 2007 legislative session.

Pat Garofalo
Farmington
State representative

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