With the Minnesota budget standstill now finally resolved, it would be good if the citizens took a good look at what brought on this situation and what we should learn from it. Not until they were forced to do so did the Minnesota State Senate attempt to come up with a budget, and that budget came only with the intention to include exceedingly high tax increases.In other words, the Minnesota State Senate leadership still cannot seem to abandon the age old and failed government policy of tax and spend.When the shutdown started, a retired judge recommended to a sitting judge which services were necessary and needed continuation. Are not all state services supposed to be necessary, though?While a judge's determination doesn’t necessarily reflect the real world, perhaps now is a good time to evaluate all of our state's services. Within a $30 billion budget, there could very well be enough to fund what is truly important and actually get a budget done on time. It is obvious though, that the State Senate will not be able to do this until there is a change of personnel and leadership.While the election for the State Senate is still 16 months away, we need to keep the recent shutdown in mind and make those necessary changes in the State Senate on Election Day of 2006.Joe SchomackerLuverne