say their proposal is a way to spark debate over whether government should be in control of certain entities in the first place . `` Government does n't always have to do it , '' Michel says . Running the Minneapolis-St . Paul airport -LRB- MSP -RRB- is a prime example of something the government could do without , they say . `` The airport is a significant asset , '' Brod adds . `` Why is the state running the airport , which provides restaurants and shops and the functions and the operations that a private business probably would do very well ? `` So what we 're looking at is just ... raising the real question of ` what should government be doing ? ' '' Watch the lawmakers discuss their proposal '' Michel and Brod also cite a recent survey by J.D. Power and Associates that put the Minneapolis-St . Paul airport at the bottom of a list of 19 `` large airports '' in terms of customer satisfaction . But they say their intention is not to `` indict '' anyone -- merely to `` shine a little light on what is a new idea for
ST. PAUL , Minnesota -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If a state held a yard sale of government entities to bring in some much-needed cash , this might be what it would look like . Two Minnesota lawmakers have proposed selling the capital 's airport to alleviate the state 's budget deficit . Two Minnesota lawmakers are asking the state 's legislature to consider a proposal that would sell to private firms the Minneapolis-St . Paul International Airport , along with other state property and programs , in an effort to bring in roughly $ 6 billion or more . Coincidence or not , that 's about the same size as the state 's estimated budget deficit . State Sen. Geoff Michel and state Rep. Laura Brod -- two Republicans from Minneapolis suburbs -- say they do n't want to go about solving the budget crisis in a traditional way . `` The discussion is often ` do you tax more , -LSB- or -RSB- do you spend less ? ' '' Brod says . `` But it seems to me that there is a third option out there , and that 's reforming how government operates . '' They also