A few humble suggestions in light of the transformative nature of our current crisis:

Put aside ambition. About half of current DFL legislators want to be the next governor. All of the current governors want to be the next president. Let it go. We can't let that ambition — and the friction it brings to the resolution of the fiscal problems - exist. Do your current jobs.

While solving our budget deficit puts a real test to the old homily that "good policy makes good politics," accept that sound decisions this time are not going to make you popular. For the most part you are good people who want to do what's best for Minnesota. Focus on that.

Forget special interests and ideology. They are called "special interests" because they prioritize their own interests, whether it is profits, salaries or their niche in the health care funding stream. Ask them for objective information and take their policy suggestions with skepticism.

Locked-in ideologies are of little value. They are tied to beliefs that just don't function in the complex reality of the modern world. They result in barriers to common sense and sound judgment. Make practical and wise decisions based on real evidence of success. Eliminating purist ideology from the discussion of health care reform would be a tremendous help to reducing costs in the area where we have the most rapid growth.

Have everybody contribute. We can't put the entire burden on the poor, on the rich or on the business sector. Find a way to make this a community solution, not just in the pain it will bring, but in the change that is needed. Dramatically expand citizen engagement.

Everyday citizens have a wealth of ideas — some practical, some wacky. Hear them, engage them, and most importantly, encourage them — not for the politics of it, but for real ideas that can emerge and overwhelm the bromides. And don't rely just on the "everyday citizen" a special-interest group presents; reach out to others.

Reform the finance system. Our tax system is an unfair accumulation of special interest exemptions and exceptions. Our spending system is driven by inertia. We need to provide help to the needy, but we just can't keep expanding eligibility to everyone. If we want to subsidize something, do so up front with transparency and public awareness, not with, for example, generalized tax subsidies to business.

Reform health care systems. The growth of health care costs is one of the driving forces against the economic welfare of the state, privately and publicly. What you pay in insurance or directly in health care bills is distorted greatly by the current system. There are reasons why this is the only country that pays such outrageous overhead costs. If we united at looking at practical outcomes instead of protecting ideological and turf interests, we could get something done.

Invest in the demand side of our economy. Henry Ford knew it long ago when he raised wages so his employees could afford his cars: Create consumers, and you build an economy.

Our infrastructure maintenance and modernization is years behind due to neglect. Bonding for improved infrastructure creates jobs and spreads the costs. Properly done, it also can create other benefits, including a transition to a green economy and improved technology that increases productivity in both the public and privates sectors.

Priority-budget. Elected officials frequently start discussions of "reform" with statements like: "If we could start from scratch, we'd sure do it differently." Well, this is the time to take that thought seriously.

For instance, knowing the evidence from economists that early childhood education and care have the highest return on public investment of any government-supported policy, why in the world does the public pay law school professors hundreds of thousands of dollars and put so much money into K-12 and higher education while treating early-childhood investments as an afterthought and pay early childhood teachers virtually nothing? Why does our health care system reward health care treatment so disproportionately to disease prevention?

Finally, trust the people to understand that times are incredibly tough, resources are limited and we have a common interest in government doing the best it can. Consider these suggestions with the many other good ones you will be given and do the best you can to find answers that, while painful, will allow the people to regain trust in you.

John Hottinger served for 16 years in the state Senate representing the Mankato-St. Peter area. He was Senate majority leader in 2003. He runs a policy consulting business in St. Paul.