Gov. Mark Dayton will deliver his state budget proposal on Tuesday, and preliminary information indicates he wants to spend most of the state’s projected $1 billion surplus on programs for children.

Dayton is proposing increased spending for education, especially early childhood education, for school breakfast programs. He’s also earmarked money for expanding social service for struggling families, and expanding the tax credits for child care.

Dayton is not seeking any tax increase for increased government programs, outside of a special proposal for transportation in the state.

It’s hard to say no to kids, but there are lots of groups out there that see their needs as important, too. Transportation, especially road and bridge repairs in outstate Minnesota, is in need of more funding. Nursing homes and care providers could use an increase in state reimbursement rates for their long-underpaid workers.

Everyone sees the need for tax reform, from farmers to senior citizens to small businesses. Tax reform costs money, too.

Minnesota’s billion-dollar surplus won’t cover all the requests, especially since inflation for existing programs is going to eat up much of it.

Taking care of children and educating them is a good place to start the budgeting debate, however. Gettting kids off to a good start now will prevent expensive problems in the future.