(00:00:00) Today on midday. We have a special rebroadcast of a program called focus on the issues back on October 27th, Minnesota Public Radio and budded Governor Rudy perpich and his Challenger Arne Carlson to talk about some of the important issues in the governor's race at the time. John grunts. Seth was still a candidate each of the three candidates spent an hour in our Studios answering questions from our listening audience and from some special guests in the Studio's of Minnesota public radio stations around the state of Minnesota. This was a special three-hour live broadcast on the news and information stations of Minnesota Public Radio. Well, John grunts Seth of course has withdrawn from the governor's race. So today for the next hour and a half or so. We will hear just governor perpich and is independent Republican Challenger Arne Carlson. Arne Carlson was in our sample Studios Rudy perpich was with us by telephone from the northern suburbs Carlson and perfetct answered in separate segments of the program which explains why they don't respond to one another's comments. They answered Students about education State finances Health Care the environment taxes abortion and more focus on the issues was made possible by the Dayton Hudson Corporation in the public interest of the people of Minnesota our host for the program are Bob Potter and Gary eichten and to start things off here is Bob Potter with Arne Carlson Arne. I'd like to ask you the first question if I might you have indicated that you think the state of Minnesota face is a fairly significant budget shortfall over the next biennium will covering that shortfall require a tax increase of some kind I think a tax increase would be an extraordinarily foolish move. Here is the problem exactly we have a revenue forecast, which is premised on a whole series of assumptions, which now are faulty. In other words, it assumed a 4.3 percent rate of inflation. Well, obviously we've gone above six it is so named assumed no oil price increases. We don't have gasoline at the pump at a dollar ten, which it assumes we don't have oil selling it to twenty one dollars a barrel. We do. We have not really affect that a significant budget reduction and we don't have declining interest rates. So when you take all the assumptions you begin to realize that they aren't Eric now we close the year and our fiscal year ends on June 30th. We close the fiscal year with $396 396 million dollars in the bank. Now we are spending roughly 500,000 dollars a day more than we are currently taking in. So we're eating up that 396 million dollar balance in order to finish paying the bills at the end of the fiscal year by the by the tail end of the spring will have to borrow 18 million from the budget reserve of 550 million. So will already have eaten into that. Now if those assumptions are in error and I think reasonable people will conclude that they are they are in error. We will have a shortfall the governor's budget. Assumes no salary increases no spending bills by the let legislature are as harsh as that may be technically that's doable. Not likely but doable, but the worst part is he assumes an 11% increase in revenues, which means he's assuming another 1.5 billion dollars coming in. That is not going to happen learning. That's where I disagree very much. So on that basis and now nobody should disagree with that analysis. Those are just straight facts what the governor did last night. He acknowledged that he was moving that 500 million dollar Reserve around what I would do. First of all, let's assume a shortfall of 500 million very very doable because there I want to get the grace Commision cooking immediately. That's a that Commission on cost efficiency and waste in government and the federal government. They say 3% if we do that in Minnesota that's 450 million so we could do that without any problems. There were any any kind of effect on services to I wouldn't I would do as governor purpose would do I would use the the reserve our office originally recommended the creation of the reserve fund Governor purpose the first governor to fund it and it's there for recession. So I would use that After that, then you start to get into the real cutting. And what would I put online at that point? I would put virtually everything online except that which affects education I really want to reshuffle the for the financial deck, but I want more time and that's why I want the revenue forecast out now so we can all have the benefit of time and make that an ally not an enemy Bob. We've got a caller on the line from Grand Rapids ahead with your (00:04:40) question. Yes. Go ahead already. Yes. Good morning. Good morning. I actually live in Minnetonka. I'm visiting a Grand Rapids. (00:05:14) Well the truth This is what's so funny about the fund. It's really a paper fund. It's based on an expectation of Revenue that made materialize and that's why I took exception to what the governor said in other words, assuming 1.5 billion dollars Flows In in additional revenues. Then at the end of the biennium there would be a reserve fund of 550 million, but the truth is we close the books with the balance of 396 million. So don't Focus too much if you will on the reserve fund because I think what you're going to find out it's paper in the event that there is a recession or a decline in the economy. Independent Republican candidate for governor Arne Carlson with Bob Potter and Gary eichten. Well, Bob Potter also asked Governor Rudy perpich. If he too would pledge not to raise state taxes. Even if there's a downturn in the economy, (00:06:11) I have to answer the question first on the budget itself. And I know that the what you hear about from the opposition mainly is a 1 billion dollar deficit going into next biennium. We have and June 30th of this year. We had eight hundred and eleven million dollars in the bank more money than any state in the Union but that he had 11 alternate lose the 550 million dollar budget Reserve since this legislature went home. Our revenues are literally literally over our projections to tune a 49 million dollars. So we go into the next so by June 30th of 1991, obviously, we're not going to have any problems because 1990 session we made the reductions that were necessary both in this biennium and the next biennium now going into the next biennium with the projections that everyone is accepting the Business Partnership and I think that the major candidates what we're doing is we're holding spending 22.4 percent increase per year into the next biennium and we have the Reserve at we still maintain that Reserve at 550 million dollars. So if the if an economic downturn does occur in 1991, we have six months to deal with the biennium for the 1991 through in 1993. Okay, and secondly, you have the use of the reserve now, I know that they've also mentioned the pledge not to increase in 1986 that I took that pledge not to increase taxes. Well, what happened is in 86 we Had over a billion dollar tax reduction caught short going into 1987, but the fact is over the eight-year period they're not and I asked that question last night in the debate name me one tax that has been increased that's inheritance tax personal property. I mean the personal income tax the corporate income tax and that also includes a stale Stacks right hand and our and unemployment comp. So in that eight-year period we definitely did not have an increased So my answer to will we have a tax increase in the next biennium I say no, but there's always the possibility that in that four-year period that there might be for one reason other than might be a shortfall where you have to revert very temporarily to an increase but overall over the four-year period I believe that we will be exactly where we have been in this last eight year period and that is that we will have lower taxes at the end of that four year period that will have a January 1st 1991 Governor. We got a question now (00:08:54) from Southwestern, Minnesota Mark styles. This Mark (00:08:57) and Cee Perkins Laverne City administrator joins us with the question Chief. Good afternoon Governor. Good afternoon. Steve my question relates. We have a lot of debate around the revenue forecast and you're saying that perhaps will be a surplus in the money's coming in and the other candidates are saying there's going to be a shortfall very optimistic Stephen. I guess I forgot to say that if they might if the others would tell me what the stock markets can be doing in July 1st and 15th of 1991. Then I'll accept their figures are what we're willing to be on June 30th of 1993. That's all let me let me just say Governor. I hope you're right. But but my concern about a year ago, you were talking about increasing property tax relief by 300 million dollars approximately in late 1989. Then when the revenue forecast came out, I believe you were proposing a real cut to of about 300 million dollars in property tax relief 424 1991 and 92 and a 66 million dollar cut. For 1990 and that was before the 1990 legislature to make up for some shortfalls and revenues my question. Do you relate to what what is your proposal for property tax relief and local government Aid particularly in the way it affects our poor property wealth communities in the outstate areas. We I'm concerned about a two class society and I see our rural areas particularly in southwest Minnesota and along the bordering areas where our per capita income is now about half of the metro area in 10 15 years ago. We were about equal so we really can't afford higher property taxes. And that's my question. Where do you see us going in with property tax relief? We have 1 billion six hundred million dollars for the biennium in property tax relief at the present time and in the 1989 session the year that I vetoes a bill we went it was well 530 some million dollars in additional. I mean a part of that 1.6 going into the next biennium what I would like to do and this will Time obviously is pick up all of the maintenance and operations for school purposes and let the rest of the that City or counties base before from the property tax base before local purposes, but I would also make the following adjustments much like we did in st. Paul when we had to separate the the sewers that for Cent increase in the cigarette tax to help pay for that separation. So I believe that we should help those communities that have to be based on on the value of the tax base itself for wastewater treatment. I believe at the motor vehicle excise tax as that grows by percentage-wise that the the again link we have in the past the county the city should have monies for the streets and then the economic development that we continue to help those. Have a very narrow tax base like we do know up to $500,000 for for a start-up and then you re you have give the city's more options like removing the living limits and let them then operate, you know with the local with the local property (00:12:14) taxes up to our members stationed at St. Cloud in Collegeville area, William (00:12:19) wilcoxon. Yeah, I'm up here in Bill McAllister has one more quick question Governor Arne Carlson has challenged you to release the budget forecast before the election saying, of course, this will determine how we'll have to proceed with balancing the budget and so forth and next session your only response that I caught that last night was that traditionally it's been released in mid-november and that's just the way you've done it. Is that really an adequate response to the challenge. Well, it's always been the third about the third week in November when they they could release it now because they don't according to mr. Hutchinson, they won't have that forecast until sometime in November from dri and for them to Everything together. Our budget is still operating and we're putting a whole budget together on what the forecast when we left the, you know, when the session adjourned and we're well, I'm still saying weren't balanced and for the next biennium and the 550 million dollar budget Reserve is still there in case something does happen, and I don't see any change of any significance in the November forecast not the way things are going at the present time in Minnesota, and as you're well aware, we present that budget in January, and then by by the time May first week in May or so again, we come through with a with you with the latest forecast so that we make whatever adjustments are (00:13:40) necessary back to some of the Minnesota Public Radio member stations. For more questions now Gary WS C D and Duluth Jim. (00:13:46) Hi Gary this gym here and with me is Meg by dfl activist former dilute City councilor, and she's currently also the director of the arrowhead Food Bank Meg. Thank you, Jim. Good morning, Arnold (00:13:59) Hi, how are you? Good. (00:14:03) I think that no one of us can dispute the statements that you're making about the importance of education and the statements about the kinds of things that need to go into an increased focus on education, but I would like to focus in on a specific and have you give me a specific answer if possible of the 14 billion dollar state budget four billion dollars is spent on education K through 12. You have talked about the potential deficit that could be either 500 million or even up to potentially a billion dollars. You have also talked about the importance of not raising taxes. My question to you is since its projected that in the next biennium, we will have to spend nearly to include the new students that are coming on board something in the neighborhood of 84 billion dollars and seventy two billion dollar million dollars. I'm sorry is million dollars because of the new students coming in. Where are you going to get the money to increase education a 3% increase would be two hundred million (00:15:17) dollars Meg. That's the reason I really want you to use your your strong contacts with the governor to get him to release that forecast tomorrow. I mean it I don't think you people like you who are good effective (00:15:28) company (00:15:30) art, if you will, let me answer your question, you know, and I know that the best way to fly is to fly with a good map. I want that map released. I want it released tomorrow of all the public documents that we've had to release. This is by far the most important that way you don't have to fly blind. Let's find out exactly what the revenue forecasts suggest. I don't I fail to understand any logic or any fairness that says that a forecast should be released November 15th one week after the election. I'd rather see it released one week before the election so all of us, Democrats and Republicans and independents can thoughtfully and intelligently find out how we are going to fly now for instance the governor's Legend but lacking that lacking that what do you do lacking that? I thought I went over that with the first question what I want to do and I'm willing to do I'm willing to go into the reserve fund. I want to establish the grace Commision. I know we can affect the savings of 450 million so I can see my way clear to a 900 million dollar shortfall after that point life gets hard. There's no question about it. And at that point you start to put everything on the table the thing that I'm going to do my best to keep off the table is K through 12 and higher education. I really and truly want to restructure the financial deck I can talk about how we're going to say, you know twenty to twenty twenty-five million of Economic Development by starting to move that down. I can start to take away certain types of subsidy kinds of programs and move that down. But when you start to get above a billion dollars, you're now scraping into the bone. (00:16:59) Okay? I think that's fair. My question it is clear to all of us that there is not going to be extra money in the budget. Well the governor here, but Meg clear to all of us that it is possible will have less money and yet you say you want to increase educational spending. Where are you going to cut Meg water to get that extra (00:17:20) money? The governor's budget assumes 1.5 billion dollars of increased Revenue now if you assume that that's an accurate figure than your question is answered. But apparently your question is assuming that the governor's estimate on revenue is faulty. What I would ask you to do is to call Governor per page and get that revenue forecast released tomorrow Jody who Bemidji Is With Us by phone now, mr. Day. (00:17:46) Good morning morning. Good morning. (00:17:48) I'm fine. Thank you. (00:18:00) geography and so forth and also the US has tended to import more Goods than we export, you know with this in mind and some of the demographers predictions such as by 1995 sixty-seven percent of the labor force will be women and people of color. And by your 2005 83% will be women and people of color what sort of strategies do you have for providing poor quality education? And equal employment opportunities for these new emerging majorities. Wow, (00:18:44) that's one of the reasons. I like to run for governor. That's when you develop those those strategies. Let me give you the thoughts. I have first of all in the positive side. There's no nation in the world that does more to educate his children and those the United States and we really have a democratic input relative to our educational process where we are not an elite system that that's one thing. I think we should begin to understand. To the real test is that over the last 10 20 years we've fallen into this notion that we can give children an education. We really have taken the children to some extent off the hook when I spoke about last night. I really meant and that is the we've got to build a new relationship a new partnership and partnership. It starts with with the students coming in a contract with their parents and their teachers that they will be given the opportunity to receive an education provided they seek at think we must instill in them the value of expectation that they will seek likewise from the teacher. I want the teacher to have maximum flexibility to be part of the process that develops educational policy and give full strength to that classroom three from the Viewpoint of the community. The community has to begin to see education as really their number one overpowering concern and always be part of the You're not an adversary. If you will in the process itself, the parents have an enormous stake in this and I'm a parent of a seven-year-old and and it's so easy just to turn on the TV set and ignore her. That's silly we can no longer do that anymore. We have to sit down and read and entice at cetera. We have to be part of that partnership with our children that says okay. The TV set is off. We're going to study we're going to work on homework and be part of an effective partnership with my final one. The final one is a state of Minnesota is home. That's funding I do want to put more money into into education. I really and truly do it's easy to say we're going to do more with less, but the honest truth is, you know, and I know it frankly doesn't work. So we're going to put in more money. We used to be in the early 1970s when you measure per pupil spending. We were seventh in the United States today. We ranked 16th. We have been steadily slipping behind and we got seventy one thousand new students coming in by 1996 quick question. Arnie and I were to go up to the Luther follow up if you Well, you talk about a contract. What about the kid who comes from a family whose parents don't give a hoot frankly or if you're a kid, you're mired in pretty awful circumstance. You see absolutely no point in going crazy in school. What do you do about those? Just let him behind from all during the primary. I focused on prevention more money into programs like Head Start more into education Outreach programs getting kids when they're three and four years old and getting them into an environment that is educationally oriented mainstream oriented. I'd rather put frankly $1,500 in Head Start any day of the week invest in a kid that way then have to turn around 20 years later and build a cell and in order just to house one inmate in one prison cost us $30,000. We've got to learn to prevent the problem and the best way to prevent it is to work with our children and you're absolutely On Target the kids at risk. Has to be our first priority question from Southwestern Minnesota Mark style standing by at Minnesota Public Radio Station care (00:22:08) SW Mark. Thanks Gary with me this morning is Ron Scott who runs a sanitation and recycling Service in Worthington also operates the Nobles County Landfill and co-chairs the Nobles County independent Republicans. He has a question this morning about education. Okay, good morning, (00:22:24) honey. Good morning. (00:22:26) I would just like to ask you about private education in the state. We have a lot of good private schools that provide a good alternative to public education. I'm just wondering if you support private education and also would be in favor of some type of fair taxation for families who are trying to pay between two and four thousand dollars in tuition along with the other taxes that they are paying for public schools in their District that they aren't using. Do you have a system or could come up with a way to have a fair taxation for people who like alternatives to public schools and walls All you know keeping good private schools. Also, I feel helps the whole public school system. (00:23:13) Well, let me say at the outset. There isn't any human being on this planet that can design a tax bill. That's fair to all people. I mean senior citizens can can argue. Why should I pay the property tax when so much of it goes to our schools and I don't have any children couples who are married and don't have children can say why should I pay because we don't have any children. We don't use it. A lot of people don't use recreational Services Etc. So taxation is exist really on the premise that you have to do that which is good for the whole our Prime responsibility by the Constitution by the way is to provide for public education. So it's understandable that that's our Prime mission now toward that end Minnesota has been remarkably generous and I've supported those bills when I was in the legislature that provided for financial assistance on books and transportation. Now, that's a very very very generous step forward. But the truth of the matter is we're going into a budgetary crisis. I don't think you're going to find any candidate that can truthfully look you in the eye. And say yes, we're going to give we're going to make available more tax credits. And I think if they were to make tax credits of available. It's more likely to be in the area of higher education that that then K through 12, but it's very very difficult to go into recession what we anticipate a decline in Revenue that may be up to a billion dollars to turn around and say well, let me tell you how I'm going to give some more tax breaks, but I do want to be very very honest with you. We have to provide with the Constitution directs us to do and that is to strengthen our commitment to public education and I think Minnesota has been quite generous in the area of textbooks and transportation to private education. We have Folks at several stations all around the region with questions Jim Newman in Duluth standing by Jim. (00:25:07) You're aware of some school districts throughout the state qualify for additional general education Revenue funds because of certain characteristics my question. Are you satisfied with the state's current funding formula for the K through 12 classroom education under which some school districts are receiving as much as seven hundred and twenty dollars of less per student than other school districts. Well, we know in 1987. No, I'm not happy with the fact that we have this we don't have Equity funding throughout the state of Minnesota. And in 1987. Of course, I have presented to the legislature that time that we would make some adjustments because of the districts that are getting so much less 8, but those formulas are very very complicated and every time you make a change in that formula a it costs a lot of money and B, then you kind of throw something else out of kilter but there are legitimate, you know complaints about how the formula is working. We try in a very various ways desegregation funding the for Duluth Minneapolis. And st. Paul is an effort to try to equalize some of the you know, cost that certain communities are school districts have to bear secondly you have school districts. Or the mortar and brick and their and their equipment is old. That's really it's incredible. How old they are and what bad shape there. Well in the last legislative session, we finally have a dress that the request for well over 200 million, but we of course appropriate 23 million dollars to our bonding. I intend to go back to the next legislative session and again to ask money for bonding to take care of those schools that have a very very very narrow tax base and yet have to have to meet the needs of their students Governor. This was more style in Worthington. I just curious if if you think that some of the smaller rural school districts in this part of the state in Western Minnesota and all across the state really should be told by the state that they should consolidate. No. No, I'm really opposed to consolidations. I have witnessed enough consolidations where your turn And family against family and it cause it creates all kinds of problems. I believe with our program now where you have these options the both the post-secondary options and also the choice of which school you want to attend that that will take care of whatever needs. There are in communities that have smaller districts. We have the pairing the sharing with interactive TV the optic fiber all the things that we have going to high-tech we have going now, I believe a lot in the small school districts, they'll still continue to function. I don't know what the numbers are for this year. But I know the year before last when this program first came into being they said that it's going to be the end of the small schools, but year before last more students transfer from Big schools small schools than than the other way around. I'm a really a believer in that in a small schools. And I think with the Technologies we have that they can still operate. There are some that obviously will probably go out of business with the The options that the families have where they can actually send their children to whatever school they want. (00:28:40) And that's dfl Governor Rudy perpich. You're listening to a special broadcast called focus on the issues back on Saturday, October 27th dfl Governor Rudy perpich and is independent Republican Challenger Arne Carlson answered questions from our radio audience and from some special guests in Minnesota Public Radio studios around the state of Minnesota. We are rebroadcasting portions of the program on midday today. Arne Carlson was in our Saint Paul Studios governor perpich was on the telephone from the northern suburbs in the original broadcast. They appeared in different segments of the program and that explains why they don't respond to or follow up on one another's answers focus on the issues is made possible by the didn't Hudson Corporation in the public interest of the people of Minnesota. All right back to the hosts of the program Gary eichten and Bob Potter. All right. Let's go to one of our other Minnesota Public Radio member stations Gary who's on the line off to Rochester. Carol Gunderson, Carol. (00:29:35) Yes, sherlyn medic is with us. And she's involved with the IR party here in Olmstead County. She has a question. Yes, Arne Carlson, we all remember that she didn't even try for the party's endorsement because you knew would you would lose you were then soundly defeated by voters in the September primary now promoted by a few wealthy supporters and your friends in the media you some back into the (00:29:57) race. The reason of course I got into the race was because of the enormous void that there was that both campaigns were chocked turning off a lot of people a lot of legislators particularly Republican legislators and a lot of by the way in the Rochester area really felt that their re-election chances were were in tremendous Jeopardy you saw in the newspapers today that both leaders in the house and the Senate on the Republican side and or Star candidacy as John grunts at the step on it. So so the all of those things are rather obvious, But I think more than anything else it shows that what happens when a political party gets taken over by single-issue voters. It's very very frightening. And now we're beginning to see the whipsaw go against Senator boschwitz. I mean, I find that absolutely incredibly comes in and the exercise is some leadership on the budget and Washington comes back to Minnesota exercise some leadership on the party and the very very people that should be his strongest supporters. And now turning against him Central Minnesota has a question William wilcoxon standing by at Minnesota Public Radio station. Ksjn in Collegeville, (00:30:54) William. Yeah, I'm joined Here by Bill McAllister of the thank God. Thank you. Irony. (00:31:00) Hello Bill. (00:31:01) I want to ask you about abortion. It's pretty clear that there's a difference here in with your re-entry into the race. There's now a choice if you will on that issue again, although it seemed as though the pro-choice forces in the primary were somewhat under mobilized, but what I want to ask you I got the 2-part (00:31:20) thing one pertains to the (00:31:21) campaign and the other one pertains to And afterwards as far as the campaign goes now Mike Hatch in the final days of the dfl primary came out strong on the issue. And you know, I ran full page ads on it. I guess when I want to ask you is how much emphasis do you think that voters should give to this difference between you and grunts hasn't perpich and then secondly if you are elected, how will you manage the issue in the coming session knowing that they're going to be pro-life bills introduced so that there's not a polarization and protracted battles at hold up other (00:31:52) things. Yes Bill. If you have a solution to how you prevent polarization on the issue of abortion for heaven sakes give up your job as a reporter. When come on board. We need you badly. We'd make you president of the United Nations, but let me try to handle the issue as best as I possibly can one. I think we can bring people together on both sides of that issue and agree on the area of prevention. I think the time has come for that. I want to bring together religious and business community and educational leadership working with government to see what kinds of sex education James we can put together with values attached so that we can prevent this problem in the first place. I think there will be agreement on that. The disagreements obviously is going to come on the availability of abortion and who is going to make the decision a rest assured. Nobody wants abortion. Nobody favors abortions. The real question becomes who makes the decision I've decided that I don't want government to make that decision other people obviously disagree, but I do not want abortion bills on the 91 calendar. I'd rather see the 91 session deal with all of this very serious financial decisions that we're going to have to make and I think leadership on both sides of the aisle would frankly agree with that decision including those who feel strongly about the issue and perhaps differ with my opinion. So you hold it over till 92 I would like to do that. Yes Governor. Let's take a question from Southeastern Minnesota. (00:33:10) Hi, we have a couple of guests that will start with Sue Rockne whose Democratic National Committee woman. Go ahead. Sue you and I disagree on the issue of a woman's right to choice and I don't really want to argue the She specifically with you but I would like to talk strategy. Okay, and that is that we already have two states that are sending. Well one is not a state one is Guam and the other is Pennsylvania who have sent bills that have been challenged in the courts that are going up to the Supreme Court that's can certainly be used by the anti-choice folks to see whether Roe v-- Wade is going to stand and you've been Governor through so many of our ugly times in our legislature where bills have been pushed through in our attorney general and therefore the taxpayers have had to bear the cost of doing all the challenging in the Supreme Court. Some of us think it's time for some other state to do this and that you already have those two options. Therefore my question is this would it not be reasonable and in fact wise for the next governor of the state of Minnesota to declare a moratorium until the such a time as the Supreme Court has ruled on Pennsylvania and Guam And say that we'll have no more anti-choice bills. We may work on prevention, but let's not do it, mr. Krause and agreed and his program today to at least putting off until 1992. What is your position? Well, no, I don't think that I would support a moratorium on the legislation. What I always do is work with the legislative leadership as you're well aware and if there's legislation that's going to tie up a session completely then of course the leadership decides that I mean, you're not going to stop the public hearings and the whole process obviously, but the leadership has a list of what our priorities like was in 1994 the drug and alcohol programs that the overall programs that we wanted past. So, I don't know I wouldn't support that there be a moratorium but I definitely will meet with the legislative leadership. And if it continues the same as it was in this last session, that would be a speaker of an ascetic and Senator more (00:35:31) Governor. You have said on a number of past occasions that it bothers you that if a if a very restrictive laws passed that wealthier women will be able to go out of the state of Minnesota for abortion Services where the poor women will not have that opportunity this distinction between the economic groups bothers. You does it bother you enough to the point where you figured out a solution to that. (00:35:54) No, you know, we we know what the lies in Minnesota which I've been supportive of but I've said it in the last year and a half or two years where I see that with all the cutbacks were having on a federal level and just give you some idea of it when we adjourned in May of 1989. And by the time we came back in February 1990, we had 106 million dollars of the feds and programs the feds have cut out that we had either pick up or drop and in four weeks later today. Catastrophic insurance with other 15 and 1/2 million. I see what's happening I States right now. Is that the poor does more and more? Well some the middle class is going to the poor there's more and more poor people and that bothers me very much that we might become a two class Society. I say at that point then of course, I would have a change of what our policy should be. But at the present time, I'm still supporting that (00:36:49) in your hearing questions from people at the Minnesota public radio network stations around the area. We have a number of people who've been waiting patiently on the telephone to put the put a question of the governor and we'll turn to one of those calls right now. Go ahead, please. What's your (00:37:02) question last night Governor? Am I on you are okay last night Governor, you asked your opponent to identify any tax which has been increased in Minnesota and they weren't able to come up with one recently. The tax on gambling revenues was increased raising about 60 million dollars. Annually when the legislature authorized charitable gambling it. Expected that about 13% would ultimately benefit charitable organizations, but because of increased taxation it is now at about 1% or 2% in light of this low return for charity. Does it continue to make good public policy makes sense to justify our States involvement Independence and gambling Revenue. Well, we recognize what the change in the law that there were problems occurring, you know in some of the charitable gambling whatever you call the outlets. Okay, and so we have asked that the do the study and see what is exactly what is happening in each one of those posts or whatever. They have. They have an outlet whatever charitable group is selling the the pull tabs and we expect that report to come in December or originally going way back when the tax was As 6% if I'm not mistaken, then changes were made in the law about four years ago. And then of course we made another change now, but I believe that the from the original that this at the present time isn't as onerous as it was originally but we're going to find out in December. We know that as an example, they should allow for real estate and they don't have to present time. We're going to try to get some of those changes in 1991 session Governor. This is Gary eichten know (00:38:58) basically you're opposed to gambling but overall. Do you think the the paramutual lottery pull-tabs has been good for the state (00:39:10) should we get rid of it? No what I've seen a communities the the group's charitable gambling that is making a big difference in the communities around Minnesota. They really put A lot into the communities, you know all the way from tennis courts to supporting little league and what have you secondly it's a to take I think three or four more years before we really know what impact it's having on society, you know, the compulsive Gambler. What is it doing as far as people having to go to the Human Service rules because they're compulsive gamblers. So I think it's that take a little while before you can really sort it all out to what is actually occurring what's happening to our society because of it, you know, when the people have their go to the ballot on a the Constitutional Amendment the vast majority of people Minnesota supported what's happening out there right now and I again if it gets excessive as happened before Minnesota going back a number of years, they then of course by law got rid of a lot of gambling so I'm going to happen again. Okay, here's not This is this Jim Newman up in Duluth. And with me is Steve Chadwick. He's the executive director of the Duluth Community Action Program is a question on an issue that hasn't been discussed so far governor perpich and under your leadership. Our economy has grown its vastly improved but in some cases that those benefits haven't trickle down to all sectors of the economy. You just talked about more and more poor people across the country. The rich are getting richer kind of two questions you supported the increase in the minimum wage this last legislative session and can you support further increases in the minimum wage and tying that to inflation and second for those families who have not been able to find work up to this point the public assistance program for Children and Families. There's a number of people than advocating to increase Benefits much closer to the poverty level right now of family who's receiving Public Assistance is that about seventy percent of the poverty level? It's very difficult to survive. I wonder how you feel about those two things. Well, the minimum wage literally we had asked for more than with finally, you know was passed and I believe that in 1991 that you'll see another effort to increase the minimum wage because it's people just can't make it. They definitely can't afford any kind of medical insurance and this is why we've as you're well aware The Stride program where we for one year and sometimes even more where people are coming off of Human Service rules and going into and most of the jobs are low paying jobs that we will pay for their day care for their children and also for their medical insurance and then phase it out as they you know as they get back on their feet secondly. Do I see a increase for the now you talk about a FTC and the other programs correct and general assistant? I know I know that's pretty tough going in the legislature. I've I think that you're going to see the dollars that are available will go into type of programs like stride that we just mentioned and then that family investment plan where you bring all the programs together and really concentrate on getting those people special training and into the workforce. I believe any donors that are available or any crease that you see in that area will go for programs targeting to get people off of welfare and into the you know into the jobs Governor. Here's a question that was called in from a listener a bit earlier. I live in Columbia Heights. I am registered to vote and I do plan on voting in the elections on November 6th. The question that I would like to pose to all the Candidates is whether or not the candidates are what the candidate stances on gay rights issue gay rights issues more specifically. I'd like to know if they would support a Statewide legislation which will prohibit discrimination against individual solely because of one sexual orientation and if they're not in support of such legislation if they could State why they don't support such a legislation. Thank you. Well, I guess they first asked about when I became Governor 1983 my executive order and executive order which prohibits discrimination against any state employee at work because sexual orientation and then I had a task force Prejudice and violence and they proposed legislation and we sign a law requiring that hate crimes be reported and that prosecutors those be trained we have now a special committee that setup. It's a broad base task force to go. Examine all issues facing lesbians and gay men associations and they'll be making the legislative recommendations to me in order to resolve this once and for all I felt that the only and best way to do this is to hold hearings throughout the state which are being held by the way and then when they make the recommendations that we then present that to the legislature so we will have to wait until that task force comes in and they'll be ready for the 1991 legislative (00:44:50) session and that's dfl Governor Rudy perpich earlier we heard from I our Challenger Arne Carlson, you're listening to a special rebroadcast of an NPR program called focus on the issues. Well in addition to the guests at Minnesota public radio stations around the state gubernatorial candidates perpetration Carlson took questions from some people at Napoleon's Bakery in st. Paul. The first question to governor perpich was from Nick Davis St.Paul Community activist. First of all those of us in the minority community. Feel that there's been selective prosecution in dealing with some of the perpetrators involved in the War on Drugs. We see a lot of people of color being arrested and convicted and given lengthy sentences, but we haven't seen the people that are on the other side of that the car dealers the bankers and the people that are that are financing these operations and we feel that until that problem is dealt with that. There's going to always be a new crop of troops to replace the ones that were just locked up the second question as a result of our concerns to the authorities and dealing with the War on Drugs. We believe that the police departments and st. Paul Minneapolis. And even in some outlying areas have been somewhat abusing their powers and dealing with with the problems and there's been case after case that we have increased police. Leti what we would like to see and we would like the governor to support. This is a Statewide citizen review (00:46:29) board. Well Nick I have no problem with the state review Council or board, you know, we've created so many many of them even want that commission that I created on, you know, hate and violence crimes of hate and then of course the legislature responded with some very very stiff penalties. I it's very very difficult to see what we can do in the in where the prosecution's are. See. I'm not aware of that. They are more lakhs which is to get you I'm looking for using the question what you're saying is that those that are funding or the ones that are really the big pushers and sellers that they're not being arrested and prosecuted but the The street for sure. He's the one that there. (00:47:25) Nick you want to take a shot of clarifying that yeah just to be (00:47:28) clear. We're not just talking about the (00:47:31) big pushes. We're seeing them being aggressively pursued and convicted and so forth. What we're talking about is the car dealers in the case of palooka Duke. He had a multimillion-dollar operation where he was purchasing vehicles from car dealers here in the Twin City with with Drug Money. There's other drug dealers that have worked not only with car dealers but with Realtors with people in the banking industry and so forth. So we're looking at a following the money Trail here in the people who are getting some of that drug money as a result of their businesses, whatever it might be. So I guess that's really the focus. Yeah actively pursuing the trail of money from the inner city and follow to where it's going. (00:48:11) Well Nick I guess it's just start by saying that you know, you know more about this what's going on in the communities and what's going on, you know in drugs and then the next ten people I know so you're probably much more aware of it, but I really believe in Minnesota that is right across The board that the authorities are really going all out and I'm told now that there's much less of the hard drugs on the street and there was previously thanks a lot of people including you. So the first part of questions, I really not aware that they are that they're not pursuing it. I believe that they are on the second part of your question. I have no problem with a review of citizens review border commission and maybe sometime after November 6 we can get together as we have in the past and discuss this (00:48:52) Harold Gunderson Bob has another question for us from the Southeastern part of the state down in the (00:48:57) Rochester area and Minnesota public radio stations down there Carol. Hi Pat lychee is here with me. She's a political activist with the League of Women Voters in Rochester. And she has a question. Good morning Arnie. Good morning coming from Rochester. I think our first question should have to do with Healthcare specifically as you know, there's this big squeeze between access and quality and cost with government not having much money. How do you propose to deal with? Shoe of Health Care in Minnesota, should you be elected? (00:49:29) Well, the first thing we're going to do is wait for the report from the Health Access commission and let's find out what it is that they're recommending. I know that the blues are Blue Cross and Blue Shield recently submitted a proposal which had some Merit. Basically, I think what we're ultimately going to end up with is some kind of a pooled approach so that we can put in those at risk with with those that are not at risk and and lower the overall premiums. That would be tremendously beneficial particularly those people and non-metropolitan Minnesota. The second thing is is going to be a partnership between the private and the public right now. It's being discussed almost exclusively as somehow a governmental problem. And for those of us in politics, it's easy for us to say, yeah elect me and we'll do it but you're talking roughly 400 million dollars. You've got roughly 375 Thousand people that are either underinsured or uninsured. I mean, it's an enormous problem and nobody is out advocating a massive tax increase. So who's going to pay for it? Well, that's that's the point. What you have to do is slide it in on your priority list. That's why I want a five-year financial plan. So you take for instance when the if it's when the recession ends you take that priority and you slide it in and it's doable because revenues will grow there's no question about it. Is it doable in 1991 if we're in a recession, I frankly don't think so, but there are other things that we can do that are substantially less expensive and one is to properly fund our safety net. Our children's health program prints that that's really a solid program but it needs proper funding likewise. You've got met medical assistance and all the other programs make sure that the County's do have adequate funding for that so we can Loop we can at least protect the safety net and the second thing that we can do is really go out of our way to to to encourage more in the way of nurses practitioners doctors. Assistance at cetera. We're not as well advanced in that area as we could be and this too by the way would be a tremendous assistance to non-metropolitan Minnesota. We do something to make Healthcare a little more accessible and a little less expensive and we're going to continue and expand the scholarship program to encourage Physicians for instance to locate in more remote parts of Minnesota. I think that's a very fair trade off. So we're open to it to an awful lot. But we do want to see the commission's report and that will come out and letting the latter part of December of this year. Let's go down to Minnesota Public Radio member station Kayla see at Rochester for our next question Carol. (00:52:01) Hi, Carol Gunderson Rochester. And then we also have a guest with Rochester. Businessman. Jeff people who has a question for the governor. Governor. Yes, three times. You veto the work comp they will because it had no insurance company regulation. Our company has pays $90,000 per 1 million dollars of payroll and Wisconsin and we pay three hundred and sixty thousand dollars per Million dollars of payroll in Minnesota for workers comp still we have a hard time finding carriers that even are willing to carry our company's Insurance in Minnesota. If there's so much money to be made in Minnesota, we need regulation so bad. How come companies aren't even willing to write workers comp in, Minnesota. Well, we have I forget the exact number of companies that we have that right workers comp in Minnesota. And then of course we have the state fund for those they be high risk or whatever that they don't know. How many companies are in that pool right now, but a number of them are let me answer the workers comp people forget the 1983 we did sign a worker's comp Bill and at that time the Minnesota Business Partnership and the Minnesota Association of Commerce and Industry were very supportive of the bill labor was very much opposed to it and it was a reduction in benefits. We sign that bill into law in 1983. And what happened the same time was that the insurance industry and workers comp was deregulated. Nationally the rates went up 40% in Minnesota. They went up over a little over 80 percent little better than 221 over what the rest of the rest of the country, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota. Order and it's not a political issue because they have Republican Governors all regulates workers comp insurance and I believe you know, I went down that card and pass once I don't tend to go down at the second time. I believe if you're going to have meaningful reform in Minnesota that you definitely have to regulate workers comp Governor. This is Jim Newman up in the president of the governor the legislative audit commission, which is, you know, a non-political organization that group along with the bipartisan support for workers comp seems to indicate that that should have been something you should have gone along with and yet again three vetoes seems to indicate that you're not willing to to move in that direction. Well the sport parts to it. It's you know the benefits obviously but also the regulation third is it's one of the few areas left were there. Literally, it's the usual customary fees for the in the medical area. And I believe that that should also have controls and the number fourth is attorneys fees one on one side of The Ledger. There is a maximum of the side there isn't and I believe you have to take all four components for a worker's comp Bill and again one, you know, the one area that so clearly needs reform is this when 7% of your claims here in Minnesota that are getting 80 percent of the money there needs to be clearly some adjustment there again, you have people that are you know permanently disabled and How many of those would end up on the on the tax rolls or on the welfare rolls? And then the what has happened in Minnesota? We are now 11th Hour increases in the last three years have been considerably under what they are in other states. Some of those states are having increase of 25 30 35 percent. And so that gap of us being way up on top and others being lower is closing. And in this last study that was done where number 11 though (00:55:52) Governor. We have a question now from the st. Cloud area from our folks standing by at Minnesota public radio stations in Collegeville, William. (00:55:59) Wilcoxen. What are you? Yeah. We have a actually a couple people here with questions Joe very political science professor at Saint John's has a question Bobby. Governor I don't hear them. (00:56:10) All right. Well, I'll tell you what we'll do then got em. Okay, great. Go ahead up there in college - (00:56:14) Governor perpich. This is Joe Perry. I teach at st. John's University. Yes, you've achieved a national reputation for providing State leadership in the area of Education isn't it time for the state of Minnesota take the lead in the area by providing appropriate medical insurance protection for all our citizens you express a concern about having it to class system and isn't it in the area of medical assistance that to class system is most rapidly developing idly sure. I wait for your comments on that. Okay, no problem. Well, obviously we have a lot that has to be done yet. And of course, I think we're the only industrialized Nation on Earth was already a national health plan. That's a of the national Governors Association. We've been working very very closely with Congress. Hoping that they would move in that area. Obviously. They're not now we're saying we're going to have to take a leadership role. Our in our own State. I hope to have a kind of public-private partnership in this effort and hopefully maybe the feds can help us out a little bit but we're now looking that way at the present time what's happening in Minnesota is that we've had a number of plans that we continue to expand like the one of course with the children the that plan we started with I think it was about seven or eight thousand we expanded it. So there were 17,000 that plan and now on January 1st will go from age ninth all the way through 18 and that means another 50,000 of young people children will be covered. What I see happening is that those six and a half percent that don't have any coverage at all right now that we will have to have a proposal in place and I imagine it'll take us about the latter part of 1991 at the earliest for the coverage of for them and we're waiting for the Health Access. Commission to make the report part of the problem of course is going to be the cost and where do you go for the secure coverage for those people and is a number of options that are out there for us. So we'll have to wait for the Health Access commission, but we have been moving in that back every year a dislocated workers is example there be 19 million dollars in that fund that becomes effective knowledge January 1st. We will give coverage to those that are fit that description for one year will have their medical coverage. So there's a number of plans we have, you know, the Minnesota the Comprehensive Health act again is about 27,000. That's where the uninsurable we have that in Minnesota and that is covering people that you know absolutely would have coverage anywhere else (00:58:57) you're listening to a rebroadcast of the Minnesota public radio program focus on the issues featuring dfl Governor Rudy perpich. And is I our Challenger Arne Carlson they were This I guess it was a week ago Saturday for the live broadcast of this program over these stations and we're bringing you an edited version of that program on today's midday program. You're tuned to Minnesota Public Radio. This is a member supported service. Well, this is a special broadcast called focus on the issues over Minnesota Public Radio on Saturday, October 27th dfl Governor Rudy perpich and is independent Republican Challenger Arne Carlson answered questions from our listening audience and from some special guests in Minnesota Public Radio studios around the state Governor perpich participated in the broadcast by telephone from the northern suburbs. Arne Carlson was in our Saint Paul studios in the live broadcast. They appear during separate hours. So, of course in this broadcast, they do not real but each other's answers focus on the issues was made possible by the Dayton Hudson Corporation in the public interest of the people of Minnesota. Well, let's rejoin our hosts now Gary acted in a bob Potter here is Gary eichten, Minnesota Public Radio Station K RS. Who is with us and Mark style standing by with the question or the (01:00:12) some folks who have questions mark That's Right Gary. Thank you with me is Steve Perkins? Who is the city administrator for the city of La Verne in Rock County and Bolivia the question concerning City State (01:00:24) financial. Really? I think I know what he wants morning Honey. Hi Steve. How are you? Just fine (01:00:31) in listening to your proposals today as well as the throughout this campaign. You've proposed some significant educational initiatives and you admit that they might cost a hundred and fifty to two hundred million dollars more and at the same time we're going to have a revenue shortfall of maybe up to a billion dollars, as you know, you've audited local governments. There's a great disparity of wealth among cities Bloomington and Edina have maybe two thousand dollars in taxable wealth per capita and in Pipestone and Worthington were at maybe two three four hundred dollars significantly left proposals have been Still as far as cutting local government Aid and shifting AIDS from cities to school districts, which would have great differences in tax increases. Maybe one city like Crooks and goes up 67% in Bloomington gets a 15% cut. How are you going to look at the state? Local City County Fiscal relationship and do you propose to balance the budget by cutting local government AIDS and in favor of education and I'm a strong proponent of education, but real estate tax increases to do everything you want to do (01:01:49) and make a 30-second sound bite out of that Ernie. Yes, everybody in local government, once those local AIDS and nobody wants any kind of a tax increase. That's a well over the limit. Let me just lay this out very very quickly. We spend about three hundred and twenty million dollars in aids to cities and this is what's D Perkins. Talking about now. He indicated this a great deal of disparity in property wealth, but what Steve did not mention for instance when he mentioned Bloomington was a Bloomington gets virtually no State AIDS, but Laverne does so there's a tremendous disparity not only in property wealth, but there's also a tremendous disparity also reflected in how we give out our state aid to cities and would Steve really wants to know is that 320 million dollars going to be on the chopping block? I would prefer not obviously I feel very strongly about it. Am I running mate is jonelle deers dead. Who's the mayor of red wing? And she's going to be in charge of local state government relationships, and she doesn't want it on the chopping block, but I'll tell you what I am gonna do Steve. I do want local government to also tighten its belt and I mean that you know, we can't protect every program and continue to expand spending on every single program and then have the state of Minnesota pick up the cost because I'll tell you this. I haven't gotten one single letter from anybody advocating an income tax increase So I think we all if there's a recession we are all going to share in that as well and what I'm talking about sharing I'm talking like from the given example in the city of st. Paul the stories that have come out now on the enormous level of expenditures for top administrators, which well exceeds that of any City in the state. It's easy to complain about what we're doing but it's a little harder for all of us to say. Hey, I'll pick up my share of the cost as well. So I don't want to put state aid to cities on the chopping block. I do want to build up a meaningful partnership and as I've indicated to the league of cities, I want to direct our financial assistance towards legitimate problems many of which relate to the physical infrastructure sewer water roads Bridges Etc, but it's gonna be a Cooperative relationship, which is a little bit Ernie why I asked you about that question about a tax increase because there are all these demands for spending there are interest groups and the public has a tremendous appetite for these programs. We've heard questions about that during the first half hour. Nobody wants a tax increase. Hate to talk about tax increases but we know they happen aren't you better off leveling with the folks right off the bat and saying look it's going to cost you some extra money. If you want these programs. Well, if you want those programs, I have no intention of coming to that conclusion. Let me tell you why since 1980 Minnesota's overall government local and state has exceeded the rate of inflation by 57% because the public has demanded it now. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Let's not go into why because frankly you don't know and I don't know why it comes about it maybe because the political system demands it or because whatever medical system refuses to discipline itself. We are Fort we are growing 42% higher than our state's economy and 35% higher than people's income now. I would think the first thing you'd want to do is set up a rational process that answers the question you raised. Is it the people that's demanding the increases or is it the political system now, our current system says that we pass all of our spending bills first now, I've never met a spending bill that I didn't like I mean that and as a matter of fact I think conservatives and liberals should agree on that point. Then at the end of the session they add up all the spending bills and they say oh my gosh surprise. Looks like we're going to spend a little more than we're going to take in. And we no longer increase taxes. They call it Revenue enhancing. Well has been a lot of this enhancing going on lately. Now, what I would like to see is the tax bill passed first. Once you pass the tax bill at that point you have stability in your system you and then you focus on disciplining your spending making critical choices. Let me give you an example the state of Texas know I'll admit that I think is a key Point. Alright, and we move on we've talked a lot in Minnesota about jobs jobs jobs and the answer always happens to involve government money big subsidies. You were right next door to the World Trade Center. That was a five million dollar subsidy that the city taxpayers the st. Paul have to pay. I went down to Texas some years back. They had 10 people on their staff of Economic Development and they were beating the Daylights out of us. We have a staff of over two hundred and twenty seven people a budget of over 30 million dollars plus. We have a World Trade Center board and everything else at all. The public knows is that they keep revolving around the planet on a regular (01:06:23) basis Governor Perkins from Laverne would like to follow up his tanks question. Sure. Well Governor, I certainly heard your position on that you wanted to assist just cities in like wastewater treatment. The city's under 5,000 don't receive any gas tax money because they're not entitled to under the provision of the Constitution of the motor vehicle excise tax, but we put money into the counties and that's supposed to Sunset. I think it's in 1992. Well, that's correct. But I think that the issue is is on police and fire and Parks and Recreation and general government that if you take over all of the maintenance costs for schools, which is certainly a noble goal the to class decided that we have the poor property area communities and outstate Minnesota would see property tax increases of 50 60 and 70% while are wealthier suburbs like Edina and Bloomington would see tax reductions of fifteen to twenty percent. So does that really fall in with your concerns about a two class Society where we would be raising taxes on our poor outstate people and actually reducing taxes in our more wealthy suburbs. Well, no II start your body. Phasing in of obviously no one can just pick that up at at any one time. We in this last legislative session. I think we went up to about what 63 or 64 percent and where our first objective is first goal will be 70 percent. So it's going to take a while for the for us to do that. But if we're helping you in streets wastewater treatment Economic Development, those are big ticket items and like we do in schools when we get to that point. Obviously, you're going to have to make some do something that equation that's going to help those communities that have a very very narrow tax base color on the line from Roseville. Go ahead. Yeah. Good morning, Arnie. Generally, it seems that a lot of people believe that the current three-tier property residential property tax system isn't really fair that causes a homeowner with a house that's valued at $150,000 to pay five and a half times price or taxes of a house that's $50,000 three times more house five and a half times attacks. It causes people who put all their eggs. One basket if you will a Minnesota house to be penalized compared to those that might invest in a smaller house and go buy a big car fancy boat condo in Florida all things that don't really add much to our financial situation here in Minnesota. You're right potentially make elderly people would have bought and paid for house lived in it for decades literally be forced out of their homes because they can no longer pay the property taxes on it and it's all based on a miserable assumption that the price of the house is equal to the ability to pay based on these and a whole host of other. Okay, sir. Can you can you state your (01:09:12) question? I think I understand. It's okay. Alright, aren't you going it? I understand the question and it's an extremely valid question and let me just very briefly go through it. There are only two states in the union that have a property tax system comparable. So it's obviously rather unique and what the gentleman says is really I think very very truthful. If you own a home up to sixty eight thousand dollars you pay at a 1% rate if you own a home between 68,000 and a hundred and ten thousand dollars you pay at a 2% rate if you own a home that's a hundred and ten percent or above its a three percent rate and the result is that there is a more progress civet e in the property tax system than there is an income tax system that is not acceptable. That's not good tax policy and it's not very fair tax policy right now non-metropolitan, Minnesota the average home in a metropolitan Minnesota's right at the cusp of about 68,000 in the metropolitan area. It's pretty close to 90,000 but large pockets of Metropolitan Minnesota and some pockets and non-metropolitan Minnesota have already gone above the hundred thousand and so they're in in really into the three percent bracket. We have a very limited window of opportunity to work with legislators and both are Metro and now metro area to see if we can't knock off that. Third tier I think we could pass it. But that window is very very brief. And so I do want to work on that but it also points out the need for a five-year financial plan. So you can put on the reforms as we move out of the recession when wilcoxon standing by Bob with a question from Central Minnesota and st. Cloud area with him. (01:10:50) Yeah, I'm here and I actually I kind of want to shift gears a little bit and maybe ask an agricultural kind of question given this part of the state here in this region. This is big Dairy country. And I know that a lawsuit has been filed by the state to try to change some of the federal Dairy policy and I'm wondering that since we're going to be in for a new agriculture commissioner regardless, I wonder if I mr. Carlson has any thoughts on the pursuit of that or other a dairy matters. (01:11:15) Yeah, we're going to do everything we possibly can frankly to make sure that the Commissioner of Agriculture one is of Agriculture and of the farmer, I think that's very very important into that. The focus is really going to be on what we in the state of Minnesota can do to assist the whole agricultural industry. We want to focus on Manufacturing. What we wanted we want to focus on distribution. We want to focus on processing. That's why I'm so adamant about taking the Greater Minnesota Corporation and moving out of downtown Minneapolis out into greater Minnesota, which is designed to help and to start to build a Partnerships that are necessary. I also want things that will have effect in the agricultural industry. I want workers comp reform. I want that passed out in the first 60 days Republicans and Democrats three times put together a proposal passed in three times was vetoed. I wanted signed into law. So whatever we can do to be to be helpful because we recognize the frightful important importance of agriculture in our economy, whatever we can do to be helpful. We're going to do it and that includes transportation and everything else. We got a caller from Fargo Jack sulesky, (01:12:14) Jack Greater Minnesota corporation, which course up here in Northwestern Minnesota. The more hit areas is pretty important. It has a strong support from people on the other side of the political aisle Roger mole and your opponent. That's right governor and your objection, and I remember when we discussed this when you were up here is At its headquarters are located in the city's correct. You have said that you'd like to move that out. But given the historical intransigence of bureaucracy. Could you be specific on what you mean by moving the headquarters out where how hard it would be done? I think it's a popular idea of up in Northwestern Minnesota. But how would you go about doing that? (01:12:55) Okay, the original legislation called for the Greater Minnesota Corporation to be located outside the metropolitan area somehow it was finagle to be located in Downtown Minneapolis. The reason I wanted out is not really for a political reason or to play on this in-state out-of-state bias that we always hear about it's because that organization was designed very specifically to service the legitimate job needs of non-metropolitan Minnesota. We want to encourage job growth out there. So what I announced and I was very specific on it is that I wanted to go to Saint Cloud Mankato or Rochester one of the larger Central cities that's located outside the Boston area but is also relatively Central to the state of Minnesota. So it was accessible in terms of Transportation. I thought it was a reasonable proposal. I still do the second part was to professionalize it and take the political influences off of it itself and three very specific goals and objectives and a specific time frame attached to it as to when they were going to accomplish their missions and their tasks that have been assigned to him. (01:13:56) This is Carol Gunderson in Rochester and Sue Rockne would like to ask a question Rudy one of the major problems. I think that people are starting to realize we have with is with respect to violence against women in their own homes. And that's the domestic abuse situation women are being killed and harmed and it's particularly a problem in the suburbs and greater Minnesota where we do not have mandatory arrest policies. Would you support not only attorney general Humphreys plans to Do something about domestic abuse, but a mandatory arrest legislation in the next session sure, you have to explain to me the mandatory rest. Okay, very simply it is if there is an instance of battering domestic assault the perpetrator is taken to jail and arrested that this is a crime and you get their attention by putting them behind bars. Even if it's only for a few hours until they banished to get out but it is to show the fact that this is serious and we aren't going to put up with it attorney general supporting that is that constitutionally. Oh, it's a perfectly constitutional some of the Minneapolis for one has been a leader in this area. Tony Bowser was part of it down here in Rochester were fortunate to have the cooperation of our local law enforcement and we have our intervention project which does have in most instances of mandatory arrest but in Duluth also, but some of the other parts of this state it just isn't there and I think our To stab you Larry. Our law enforcement is still not taking the issue of domestic abuse. Seriously. And until they do more women are going to be killed or harmed that it's so (01:15:43) unnecessary. All right Governor. What's your (01:15:45) thoughts? Well, I would be supportive of that. If you know, we have no constitutional problems, you know, the civil rights of people we are I believe a leader in the nation in this whole area of battered women and we keep expanding that program every year. I've I still believe that we have to mount a major educational program you do it through the schools and it's work time and time again for us in Minnesota and we want to write it but I'm open for more questions sure, but someday I'd like to go on and talk about what impact and the progress we make by working these programs through the schools and especially in this early childhood programs where the family comes in with the Rent, and were you conduct this sessions where with other people and the social workers? And I believe that's the best way to get the public more aware of what is (01:16:42) happening dfl incumbent Governor Rudy perpich. We also heard from his independent Republican Challenger Arne Carlson. They participated in a live broadcast back on October 27th called focus on the issues. The candidates responded to questions from Minnesota Public Radio listeners and from some special guests and NPR stations around the state of Minnesota. Arne Carlson was in our Saint Paul Studios Governor perpich participated by telephone during the live broadcast the answered questions during separate hours which explains why you didn't hear any rebuttal has or any given take between the candidates during the past hour and a half or so. We have heard their views on education taxes Healthcare abortion state government human rights gambling drugs and many more issues as well. Focus on the issues was produced by Dan Olsen with Chris Roberts and Sarah. Are executive producer George boozy the program was edited for this broadcast today by Sarah Mayer and Liz henin technical director for the broadcast with Scotty ankus and I Thanks to an MPR Network station hosts William. Wilcoxon, Mark style Jim Newman and Carol Gunderson focus on the issues made possible by the Dayton Hudson Corporation in the public interest of the people of Minnesota.