While Illinois keeps creditors waiting, New York, Florida, and other states are taking the ax to nonessential spending. Kittens, space aliens, and motorists in need of a toilet are casualties of cuts. Below, some of the more curious side effects of the new age of austerity.
Minnesota
Asian carp may join the swimmers and sunbathers cavorting in Minnesota lakes this summer, thanks to a proposed $16 million cut to the budget for rebuilding the Coon Rapids Dam. Without the dam, officials at the Minnesota Natural Resources Dept. worry that the invasive species will migrate up the Mississippi River basin and into the state’s northern lakes.
