Government shut-downs are such brutal things. Consider the tragic case of Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton. The GOP has been so mean, and so uncaring, and so inconsiderate that he has been forced to lay off ½ of the 40 people originally on staff due to a government shutdown.

According to the Minnesota Post, the following essential personnel stand tall by their beleaguered governor’s side.

• Lt. Governor — Yvonne Prettner Solon
• Deputy Chief of Staff — Dana Anderson
• Director of Operations — Paula Brown
• Special Projects Coordinator — Jen Gates
• Scheduler — Laura Herman
• Assistant Chief of Staff — Micah Hines
• Deputy Chief of Staff — Legislative Affairs – Michele Kelm-Helgen
• Executive Assistant to the Lt. Governor — Marnie Kesler
• Executive Assistant to the Governor — Kathy Kostohryz
• Residence Support Staff — Michelle Mersereau
• Deputy Chief of Staff — Communications – Andrea Mokros
• Sr. Policy Adviser — Hue Nguyen
• Residence Support Staff — Micah Pace
• Director of Citizen Outreach and Constituent Services — Adam Prock
• Residence Manager — Amanda Simpson
• Chief of Staff — Tina Smith
• Press Secretary — Katharine Tinucci
• Senior Aide — Fatima Villasenor
• Executive Assistant to Chief of Staff and Deputy Chiefs of Staff — Nicole Wittig-Geske

So what, pray tell, are Residence Support Staff Members? Mr. Pace cooks for Gov. Dayton and Ms. Mersereau cleans the house. Austerity has whittled poor Governor Dayton down to only 1 cook and 1 maid. As a famously tasteless poster once read…