'Like Night and Day': How Life is Different in Minnesota and Wisconsin

The ways life is different in Republican-controlled Wisconsin from DFL-controlled Minnesota is the topic of a front-page story in Monday's edition of the New York Times. 

The article contrasts how things are in Duluth and Superior, but most of the day-to-day and political differences apply all along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. 

Here is a short excerpt from the much longer article headlined "Twinned Cities Now Following Different Paths":

"Since Republicans in Wisconsin took control of the State Legislature and governor’s office in 2011, and since Democrats gained full dominance in Minnesota last year, people here have watched essential elements of their daily lives — their savings plans, job expectations, personal relationships and health insurance — veer apart. ...

“'It’s staggering, really, like night and day,' said Lawrence R. Jacobs, a political scientist at the University of Minnesota. 'You’ve got two states with the same history, the same culture, the same people — it’s kind of like they’re cousins. And now they’re looking across the border and seeing one world, then seeing something else entirely on the other side.'”

Does the New York Times do a good job of describing what life is like along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border? What's your experience? Leave a comment below. 

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