Sometimes it's hard to see how the endless disputes between politicians in our state capitols actually affect our daily lives. But the Minnesota government shutdown is now hitting our precious Friday nights. As we noted earlier today, because MillerCoors didn't renew the licenses before the shutdown for its 39 brands, the favorite beers of a certain demographic must be pulled from the shelves. We shudder at the thought of guys in backwards ballcaps left to sip daintily on imported brews. Commenter Patrick Noonan points out that this is a curious case of bureaucratic priorities:

Let me get this straight... the people who process these asinine license renewals have apparently been furloughed. This will mean pissed consumers and lost tax revenue. But the people who enforce the license requirement have not? I struggle to think of a less essential person in state government than the person who makes sure that each beer brand is properly licensed. Yet here they are, reporting for duty, and forcing Miller to pull its wares from store shelves.

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Elspeth Reeve