Minnesota legislators knew there would be some tough decisions in the coming months, after trying to overcome a $2.3 billion deficit for 2002-03.

Gov. Jesse Ventura, one of the chief decision makers,

said last week that more employee layoffs are around the corner.

That's not really a surprise.

However, we instead would like to see state departments pare down their budget by reducing spending and instituting temporary hiring freezes to state-funded positions.

Is it going to take more work to figure out how to do that? Of course.

But jobs are critical to this state's economy right now. It perplexes us that in a time when state leaders are crying that this region's economy needs a boost, we're looking at axing jobs as a quick fix.

This slash-and-burn method will work for now. But it is really healthy?

One such agency, the Department of Children, Families and Learning, is just one of many that are feeling the financial squeeze.

Barb Yates, the agency's deputy commissioner, told the Associated Press that "we are whatever is beyond 'thinly staffed' at this point. We will have to not do things."

Admittedly, we don't have a sure-fire solution for this one. But holding -- and reducing -- the line on department spending is one option. The other is instituting a temporary hiring freeze, and only filling state-funded positions that are absolutely necessary until Minnesota gets out of this budgetary mess.

These aren't ideal solutions. But we have a unique problem, and cutting jobs to stop Minnesota's financial bleeding isn't the answer.