Well 1994 has been quite a year for Minnesota Governor ardy Carlson last spring you'll recall there were people riding the governor's political obituary of one term Governor. They said who couldn't even win his own party's endorsement for re-election, but endorsement no endorsement Carlson won the IR party's primary and then he easily won reelection in November. Landslide comes to mind governor was just back from a series of meetings were present Congressional leaders in Washington and is now getting ready for the upcoming legislative session has been good enough to stop by or Studios today to take some questions. Thanks for coming by you've had this some time to think about this. Now. How do you interpret your huge Victory last month? I mean you won by an amazing large and you think it's personal mandate endorsement of your policies all of the above rejection of the Democrats philosophy. How do you what do you read into that?I haven't got the foggiest notion and I guess in the long run it really that doesn't make any difference. I think the key thing is probably the most exciting thing is that America is going through a major transition. We haven't seen a transition like this since probably 1932 and we probably won't see another one like this for another 30-40 years just a question of partisan change. No. No, I think it goes well beyond that. I I know that there's a tendency to your for Republicans to say G. It's a mandate for us or two big loss for Democrats.There's been a lot of talk over the past 50 years. How do you deal with the New Deal? What kind of relationship are we going to have between the federal government state government local government who's going to do what who's going to pay for what it has been an enormous tuck in Polo. I mean you might recall princess in World War II the imposition of a lot of wartime taxes for tremendous revenues into the federal government, but when the war was over the taxes weren't over they kept the taxes online and the result is for so many years. They drove government spending and they decided what states were going to get in what local governments were going to get and in so doing I think a lot of people regardless of their political affiliation would argue that states rights were being trampled. I remember oddly enough as early as the late 1940s the governor of Illinois. I wrote a very strong and I thought well thought-out article and I think was Harper's magazine calling for the dismantling of the newbringing power back to the states allowing some tax sources back to the states of the states could solve any particular focus on education, you know, the governor was Adlai Stevenson And it's taking a long time to get there. And so that's where we're at in the result is we're seeing a tremendous emphasis on dramatic if not outright radical change. And it's going to be fascinating how this plays out. I mean it Washington is is all perky and full of energy and there's a lot of excitement and another lot of disappointment as well. But a lot of changed out of Washington Governors are really up they Siri definition of of their relationship with the federal government the federal government the president United States the leadership of the surgery on the Republican side in Congress all talking about we're going to be partners and that's a first nobody's ever treated anybody in Washington as a partner. So I think we have some exciting days ahead. I think they'll be some pain that was some problem but I think it's going to be exciting one thing you hear when when this discussion of the the shift back to the states with one thing that comes up a lot is that one of the reasons that we ended up with so much concentration power of Washington's cuz there was such a such a difference from state-to-state Yasha hodgepodge in that I in Minnesota, for example, we might take pretty good care of. People who need help but in another state the four people are just left to their own devices that you need that Federal presence to establish Nationwide standards that is missing. I mean, I lean out that was exactly the ADI the argument that I made him we meeting with Republican leadership in the House and Senate that is said we want some commonality of law. I mean we in Minnesota Francis her fairly strong regulations on environment and by and large we like that that that heavy emphasis on a clean environment what would happen if let's just say for the sake of discussion, Mississippi Says to all the polluting Industries come here. You got to you got a home dump it into the Mississippi River with we have to understand that we do want some uniformity what the president lay down in and I agree with he responded to our complaints are complaints are all the war stories that you hear about the rules and regulations that make no sense testing for chemicals that don't even exist in the state of Minnesota that kind of thing and end end. So the deal that was struck was essentially this what would happen if we on the federal government side said luck. We have expectations are goals a b c and d and how you meet those goals. Is your responsibility? And I think that's Emily fear. I think that's really what the governor's would like the ticklish question then becomes who pays and so Governors are arguing for Block Grants, which you wrap up a bundle of money, you give it to the state and you say you can use this for anything in the area of welfare uses for anything in the area of health or whatever maybe Governors like that. The one with that is that also the easiest thing in the world to cut but I I do sense that the new relationship has the potential to work out but it's going to require an extraordinary amount of giving and taking I think I'm $0.01. There's an exuberance on the part of some Governors that is a bit unrealistic and I think there's also some reluctance on the part of some members of Congress. To give up their power and so both sides are going to have to give and take on this one. I think the one is going to be touchy as a balanced budget amendment think it's like healthcare abstractly all the Greeley Outlets balance the budget but my recollection is it is about 231 billion dollars in the federal budget that goes directly to State and local governments. And I think once those States and local governments begin to realize that a steer head that's been cut off him and I feel quite as excited about it. So the the debate centers and I think it's a fair debate you have you have friends since some of the more enthusiastic Republicans saying Well, what we'll do is pass the exam Constitutional Amendment right now meaning middle of January. I have the states ratify it and then we'll love balance the budget within 7 years for drawback to that is that it doesn't compel Congress to start the cuts today. It means I could postpone for 7 years 111 Governor joke and he said well you can just ignore Wait a minute this a constitutional mandate. You can ignore Constitution water on the other hand the president and then his people were arguing sort of against the balanced budget amendment on the grounds of difficulty at Central Bubba buck. And there is a middle ground and the middle ground is that we have a balanced budget amendment and let's say we agree on seven or nine years. It doesn't make that much difference. But each year Congress is required to cut two or 3% And that means that each succeeding Congress has a responsibility to execute so that we don't delay the date of enactment and thereby throw the financial Market going to probably world financial crisis and Panetta was very accepting of that. And I think that's the way he would like to go and I think I think they were that's the way the governor's ultimately would like to go. Do you see yourself playing a bigger role in the National stage the next for you when I'm beginning to find out is the background of State Auditors is really a very very valuable right now on the on the national scene. So what I want to do is do some work on the on the balanced budget particularly because I think if we don't achieve some for some type of incremental change, I think we will have a financial catastrophe. Let me ask you one more question on the state level about finances and we get some calls here in terms of for trying to keep the state budget and balanced. Apparently the state has to pay the banks. Minnesota 300 million dollars were going to come from two people could donate a little bit to our Christmas. I will have a pledge Drive take care of that for you sometime back in the 1950s and was not rectified in the 1980s o Bingo where we're stuck paying it. First of all, we're we're we're going to make sure it comes out of existing spending. I'm going to start going to result in a tax increase or anyting else and what will probably do is assess each of the spending system somewhere between half a percent into percent and do that over four years or whatever the time frame is this going to be stipulated by the courts of each of us, you know shares if you will in the pain after all everybody shared in the game, so they may have to also pay on the downside as well nearby drawing down the reserve fund a little bit and then go down the reserve fund any more than NPR can draw down. The reserve Reserve fund is not a reserve funds to cash flow account. That's how you pay your current bills. There is no Reserve Fun2draw that we have 350 million dollars in that fund if we drop down we're going to we're going to lose our bond rating. So to me that's not a negotiable item. No reason why the state of Minnesota can simply live within its means it will involve difficult decisions. Of course, it will but I think the good news is I don't know of anybody around legislature this time to said, hey like me and I got to give you a tax increase at least that part of the debate is over. So we'll just simply take it out of spending Governor. If you do put the headphones on there, please and the phone calls Dina's first day. He's calling for Saint Paul go ahead sir graduations on a landslide victory for taxes in the state. If so, how do us taxpayers get that message across the dfl. You're very kind to hold the line on spending which is what we're going to do within a certain to do in our budget the truth. Better is if you add up all the pain that we inherited from the 1980s. We could have probably have had a billion dollar tax cut by now. We need that shows you the tremendous price of financial mismanagement minutes enormous. I think we have to cut a camera over the numbers for exactly but roughly six hundred and sixty million now, we got this Bank bill of / 320 million. Just imagine what that would look like in terms of a tax cut and while financial management may be a dull subject. It's frightfully important. So with this gentleman says is right. I would hope that the that the next phase would be discussions over where we can actually reduced taxes. That's what we like to focus on isn't it almost certain though that state spending will increase to some degree or other if you if you take over more of the financing for education, for example, that seems to be a hot subject now and state funding to funding for education. Call from a good number of areas and shift those responsibilities to the states. The good news is that we'll have a balanced budget and probably stronger than expected economic growth. The bad news obviously is going to shift some of the financial burden back to State and local governments again, if it's done incrementally, I think we can handle it. Okay, because be remind overall state government compared to the federal government's much more cost-efficient and so a lot gets down to how will you manage the responsibilities that are cheap being shifted back to the States some states. I would argue for political reasons have over-promised on the tax cut issue and it's going to be interesting to see how they fare on the next three years cuz I know I personally think that we're going to be pretty good economic growth with balance in 1995 do okay in 96, but in the out years if it's beginning to look a little more close to to a downturn and that's going to affect State revenues David your next your question for the governor. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. I'm calling in relation to the survey that came out ranking Minnesota's being a higher tax state again. And I guess my observation that I liked a comment to is that in our business, we live and work extensively in metropolitan areas across the United States for various lengths of time and where every time we come back to Minnesota. We notice how nice we really have it here. The other areas infrastructure is poor that's making our expenses of doing business hire as well as it's just very it is not nice looking places. These are talented you would think should be nice like Boston and New York and other places and I don't think people really get for a service is how business really benefits in my business in particular. We benefit from a good infrastructure here, even though we have our road crews are working. We still have a lot better than a lot of other areas and I don't know how many minnesotans really know that right. I think the more people travel I think the more they they they do realize that but I think it does raise the expectation that maybe we could manage your governmental resources a little bit. Officially in the truth is we can and and that's really what we want to focus on. I think people going to be a little bit surprised that a 95 budget it mean if I can be just a tough budget in terms of money, but it's going to be tough in terms of the challenges are there has to be more consolidation of services there has to be much more cooperation between units of government every unit of government to can't just come back and say give us more money give us more money give us more money. We got to focus on outcomes and I think it's that Focus that is really large to determine Minnesota quality life. You're right. We insist on good environmental standards. We were friends. You're actually right on roads. We're one of the best states in America in terms of road maintenance, and we do do a lot of complaining in terms of schools. Clearly. We have the highest graduation rate in the United States from K through 12. We're fourth highest if I recall right in the number of students entering higher education, but there are some problems in their part of the problem has been since it in the area. Education is that we need to move more people to Vocational Technical Training to meet the expectations of the job market in the Year 2007. We've got to make some changes but don't Minnesota has a remarkable place to live. It's remarkable place to work and let me just come in if I'm a for just a minute on the survey that came out in today's paper. It it it's not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison because States differ and how much they get back to local government the actual that the accurate figure really is total state and local governmental tax burden and if that were to be added in we would rank about 8 and what I'd like to do is get us out of the top 10 and that would really help us markedly in terms of job creation, but your observations are welcome to appreciate that Tom's on the line for Minneapolis with a question for Doug Carlson. Thank you. I appreciate this year for him and your willingness to go in for the public in thing. Like this isn't even though I didn't vote for you. vote for me patience and your state When do you expect that? I refuse to go off and on and then Leslie do you think that's of the how was your being cleared safely? The highways are being cleared safely. You just heard the gentleman before you even knife rack praise roads are some of the most outstanding in the United States and I think we have to realize this cuz I gather you work for government. I wanted to ask about affect okay, we in government hold ourselves out as public servants. And I really think we got to get back to the definition of what a public servant is. We are to execute and serve the will of the public the public right now is not demanding that state agencies or local governments are bureaucracies swell in size matter fact. They think there's room for reduction did not really anxious to see for the sea is imposed tax increases as matter fact, they would prefer to be going the opposite direction and and and that's what we have to execute and if we're being called upon to impose things like freezes what's wrong with that we have seen freezes imposing company after company SWOT all of United States we've seen wage Cuts in many companies. We were party to an agreement where wages were cutting Northwest Airlines in order for the airline to survive and I think government has got to realize that the private sector has been squeezing its belt now for over a decade in order to be able to compete on the World Market and there's nothing wrong with those of us in government also participating those tough decisions. Back to the phone so pants on the line. Hello, I'd like to ask the governor about to a lot of dicey happening the state that aren't getting either the media nor the legislative attention. I think they deserve once the loss of metropolitan area of Farmland to Suburban development and the loss of sustainability in are there farms with Family Farms being replaced by on largest eyes corporate Farms. I think Prime come up like the fertilizer plant explosion in Iowa when we have a dependent on Patrick chemicals and hopefully smaller Farms would be using less of these synthetic fertilizers. That's one of the questions. What can the governor governor do to promote sustainability Agricultural and the other part of the question. Let's just fuck you obviously are very good in the area of public policy. And I commend you for that. The Metropolitan Council originally was designed to Get local governments to relate to each other not just for the purposes of sugar water and all of that kind of thing, but to develop an overall concept of what do we want the metropolitan area to look like I live my recollection. I may be a little bit fuzzy on it. But my recollection is that we passed things like the Green Acre law and we did things to actually protect farmland and some Farmland is obviously ended up being protected another's frankly has has fallen on the swords if you will of of development and a lot of that is very very natural, but we have imposed. I don't know what to buy what is the marginal line of Cameron the name of that line. We have imposed on Mars online that actually contains development and it's very controversy on this enormous amount of disagreement Johnson. My former Chief of Staff is still working on that issue with the Metropolitan Council. So we expect something out of the Metropolitan Council that better defines the relationship between preservation and and growth The second part that this gentleman raises has to do with the small family farm, which for decades has has fallen apart and he's absolutely right and in the tragedy there is the impact it has on small towns, which I think to a large extent to find the quality of life in Minnesota and and we've done things I give special tax breaks to Farmers at Central will be coming up with some more things in the 1995 budget to do everything we can to do to sustain the Family Farm the federal government largely drives agricultural policy and in 1995, the farm bill comes up for rehearing so a new farm bill is going to be drafted and the good news on that one is and it's going to have it. I think a very favorable impact on Minnesota it is that the new chair of the Agricultural committee is from Wisconsin. I believe it's representative Gunderson. And now that's Keith it took me for the Dairy Farmer because we get punished and buck prices. Everything is is in relationship to proximity to Wisconsin. So I think we're going to see the Upper Midwest get much more favorable treatment, then we have before and what that means is frankly more dollars coming back into the farm economy. So assuming that agricultural subsidies aren't these that part of the budget that sustains an enormous cut Minnesota will probably Fair reasonably well, but has a very thoughtful question and I wish I had a simple yes or no answer I said, yes. This is what we can do. These things are all involved legitimate tugs and pulls the rights of local government to decide for instance the allocation of land and utilization of land resources. That's understandable the desire of the Metropolitan Ariana. I'm a whole to say no we want certain parts of Uncertain open spaces, and we would like some Agricultural and battery still on the line your second question very briefly cuz when I get to some other callers hear Limiting the ability of Corporations to own land in Minnesota. I'm concerned with the larger with a small Dairy and hog operations going out of business and being replaced by larger Factory type operation. So I was wondering if you could say a word about what your thoughts are on the corporate land ownership at law II may be in error, but I think it's one of the stronger laws in the United States that the problem on the dairy side are much more familiar with and that's being driven more by the federal government and its price supports and that's where they discriminate against the farmer that's in Wisconsin Minnesota and up in this part of the Upper Midwest and I'll tell you where the money flows and flows to California and New York, Florida. That's where the dairy industry is growing. It's an absurdity. It's based on the notion that Wisconsin which was once the dairy state of America can basically sustain itself. And therefore we need Federal help to come for the come to the states that border on the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Well, that's preposterous that shows you what happens when you don't have sufficient cloud in Congress. So I think now would Gunderson assuming the chair the agricultural committee as I indicated before I hope things get better for us John's on the line from Bemidji with a question for mr. Carlson. Thank you for talking to us any snow up there a little bit just a little environment that or at least the important said that minnesotans hold the environment in at one time. You talked about the possible clean up on the Minnesota River. Over recently you and members of the democratic Congress attended the groundbreaking for potato expansion plant in Park Rapids. Anda I'm aware that that plant had been cited for environmental violations by the Minnesota Pollution Control agency prior to that groundbreaking request. Your question would be well, I guess I would like to The thing is if plant is on the back of one of the best trout streams in the Northwest Minnesota and currently that plant is expanding some light with tax money per usual conflict between the environment job creation and then have to be that conflict that the plant expansion will have to abide by state pollution control laws. And where where the violations that have taken place and will still continue to stay on top of the foreskin like we do anything else. John your question, please that you're the best person to keep spending under control. And when is Spider-Man coming out to you? And we all know they will just let you know the text the taxpayers will support your efforts 100% to keep them under control. My question is does the current caucus system. I think there's some serious problems and I encourage you to drop to aggressively pursue restructuring the system and he knows we have an earlier primer with multiple endorses. That's when to hear your comments on that. I think you're absolutely I'm tired and I thank you very much for your very kind words the Minnesota caucus system. I think now for the first time both political parties agree it have to be reformed I made without being overly partisan the Democrats thought it was great as long as it was a republican problem, but now that it's become a dfl problem as well. I think they're just as eager for reformers Republicans are I would like a system that bass. Play calls for June primary and multiple endorsements by political parties. I think that would maximize participation. It would make for an early decision. I just think it would be a wonderful wonderful step forward for Minnesota cuz I I think the average voter in it. Maybe I'm a little bit off strong grounds on this but I think the average voter felt that both political parties. Add Dawn to the extremes and we're very very uncomfortable. And I think they would prefer that there be multiple endorsements How would how would your your ideas Rectify Rectify that problem has a lot of people thought that the candidates that were indoors. We're not particularly mainstream. Right? Right GIF. The party would have multiple indoors. Then presumably all good Republicans would qualify for endorsement and could then go into the primary and likewise for the Democrat so you don't have to select the one you can say. Hey, we've got three and they're all qualified or you could say that we got five candidates and only two in our estimate our are qualified and so will bless to and if I want to go into the primary fine, but to go in with with arch support, I think that's fair. I really do but is this the AC early primer that also helps out and I think I'm a number of states do that. I think we're one of the few states that is such a White primer, it's very difficult to come out of a September primary and then get your troops excited about another battle of me. My comparison isn't I think it's valid on Saturday afternoon you go out you play Penn State and then Monday night. You got to play by play Michigan and that's kind of what we're doing to our campaigns. I remember we know the day after the primary on Tuesday. I think it was September 8th or thereabouts September 13th. Our people are exhausted how many they were thrilled with the outcome and to try to rejuvenate those troops into a second battle was very very difficult. The good news was the Democrats had exactly the same problem. But let's just say for the sake of discussion that one party had a very very tough hotly-contested primer in the other party had done you can begin to see what see the imbalance that occurs. Teresa your question for the Governor from listening to you that you're a big supporter of gopher Sports and I hope your concern extends to the women's program over there as well. I can just see this rate. I want to know what you're going to do about the chaos over there. I mean when the most respected and successful coach in the women's athletic department loses her job for speaking out on Pay equity for women something stressticles drunk and obviously president has a mole is unwilling to deal with this problem than wondering. Is there anything you can do to help those of us who have been supporters of this department for 20 years and we're just outraged by what has happened. It was well, first of all this very little the state can do it's a land grant College orange appelley management manager Accenture now that I've taken taking responsibility off my shoulders. Let me put my gophersports henna in MMA. The normally the university argues land-grant independent Etc. I think we're going to have to really sober up on how we look at Athletics and everything else Schluter was a great winning volleyball coach without question about as matter fact when they got into the NCAA tournament, my wife and I hosted them at the governor's residence. She's a delightful woman is very capable couch and I think the tragedy right now is Not only was was was she dismissed and it appears to have an air of unfairness to it also is the recruiting season. So we're going to lose a lot of good recruits and we got some real strong recruits that week we could recruit out of Minnesota and I fear for the way that we will lose him as a result of the second. So I would hope that the management at the University would rethink that position to is I would hope that the Board of Regents would quickly come up with the policy and what they mean by gender equity and let me just raised him sensitive subjects, and I know it's going to generate a lot of disagreement. If you're going to have equal pay you got to be cool responsibility and I think that's fair. If it's if princess one coach has to pack an arena with 14 15 thousand fans per game. Then the other coach has to do precisely the same thing. There wasn't going to be equal on both sides of the balance sheet. I think if you do that, I think it's going to work out very very well. I think where they were the gender Equity issue is very unfair is what in non-revenue sports you have disparity of pay. I I think that's hard to defend but when you get into Revenue Sports than that, I think you've got to expect equals on both sides. I think the football coach fences to compare the football coach to somebody who coaches gymnastics is not fair the football coach has a specified time to get a job done and that job is based on attendance making money and wedding and if those expectations are going to be laid on him, then they should be late on somebody else who wants the same size. And I think ultimately we'll work our way through the other problem is should get to you you have to get through this Maze of people particulate University or into political correctness. And so I've written the University of San Fran book on political correctness. So I too can be politically correct, but if we're able to discard political correctness, I I think we can make gender Equity work in a very fair way and then you shouldn't I think the loss of Schluter frankly is most unfortunate. I would hope that there was some way for the University to rethink that decision and bring her back because she was a winning coach and a very good coach. Do you think I want to get bogged down on this but do you think that woman's Athletic program should essentially mimic of the men's programs in the sense that the there is this emphasis on Revenue Big Time attendance polls so on so forth or should they operate a new take a different path all together? But my attitude is it. Women are going to draw fantastic crowds in areas where they tend to be more different than then imma. Give an example ice skating women's gymnastics big-hit. I mean the Olympics that's one of the one of the hot items that did that that you have my wife used to play basketball at Iowa and they had six person basketball teams basketball. We went down to the last tournament that they had I think it was an Omaha and Des Moines and they packed the arena absolutely jam-packed. It looks like Williams Arena just absolutely jam-packed. And now with that going to five-person basketball you going to see a deterioration attendance. So I think they got to be very careful about mimicking those areas where men tend to have a have a dominance and and start to develop, you know, some of their own programs that are likely to to to draw Kraut women's basketball. I would argue can still be a big head is still a big hit down and I was there doing Well, I think you can do very well up here. Jim your question for governor Carleton good afternoon, ejj extended jurisdiction. I was just trying more young people as adults. You mean provide the funding to implement it in terms of the cost of the jury trials the judges the attorneys and other people who need to be involved with that know if it's a question of money, why didn't you forego ejj which now looking to cause cause more problems than it solves and possibly sign into law the less-expensive preventative program that the legislature proposed which would be like what I don't have Examples on hand, but you name one that came to my desk. Are there with the preventive programs in garlic that involved a school prevention like what? As I said, I I researched this a couple months ago doing a project in school. I don't have to let me see if I can help you out already ministration really took the lead nationally on prevention agenda. That's why I feel so strongly about that topic. What we don't Beetle prevention bills. We are the ones who have led the way and we're going to continue to leave the way the problem is the what are you doing? The meantime are your prevention agenda has a proud of 15 to a 20-year pay off and give an example. If you start a program called Head Start today that helps a kid. That's 3 years old 5 years old 6 years old. When does the payoff on that while the payoff is 15-20 years down the line and you can't book those savings today. You got to wait for those savings to actually be Bebe realize so I know you got to see the prevention agenda as a long-term agenda. Can you do it because it's the right thing to do in long-term. It's going to have a cost-benefit, Give me an example. We started healthkit. We let American terms of reforming Healthcare. We now know that we have two thousand families less than a d c a f d c as a result of Health Care. So that's an immediate payoff that we can book now in terms of of a funding. We did find the program that you're that you refer to it allows that they're juveniles to be tried as adults and as matter fact with the unfortunately but we had to do a Rosso building Loop prison. So the law will go into effect and it will work out. I hope quite well in terms of Corrections, what about the sentencing guidelines proposal which of a buck to the legislature find like to let more non-violent offenders out of prisms quicker or never send them there in the first place so that we can preserved a prism spaceship. Yes, it does. To be supportive. I think we've got to decide the prison space is going to be reserved for those people whom we have reason to fear people who are violent have demonstrated an ability to control their there. They're violent and at the same time look for alternative ways of dealing with people or property offenders that did etcetera by and large in your prison. So you're spending about somewhere around twenty-five to thirty thousand dollars a year in as an extraordinarily expensive proposition and the violent offenders should be there but my understanding of some of the work down there on changing the sentencing guidelines also involve friend since early release for some types of sex offenders that I am not going to accept it as a sex offender is a violent offender. That's a person that I fear the sex offender. My recollection is that the sex offender the Armed robber are the two most likely to receive debate. And I will not support any kind of relaxation and their sentencing Sonia is on the line from Arden Hills. Proposing in the budget next year for Early Childhood family education more or less the same. She's a big Advocate very likely an increase. What do you want Oh, that's more you want lots of before her looks like a wild guess where you work. I have three children under the age of five here at Whole Foods are all your right and those are all pieces of of the prevention agenda in the hard part is it is that they are expensive and there is significant pay off. The problem is the payoff won't be in 1995. It will be down the pike. But we are going to make improvements on all of those efforts. But in order to pay for those everidge, we're going to have to make some other structural changes and I'll just tell you a story that I think it's kind of an interesting story at a meeting in Washington and then goes about a week ago and and a good number of states paraded some of their experimental programs and how we can improve delivery of services including Minnesota. We we put on Parade one of our collaborative grants in Rush City and just so the audience knows we were talking about we're talking about bringing together a program that that house has a whole variety of services that relate to Children. It may be Health all the programs of immunization and maybe various forms of daycare and maybe had started maybe early learning and maybe counseling services for young families Etc could be employment counseling. It could be counseling for a referral for runaway teenagers Etc all there in One building and a variety of states are doing a whole series of things related to these problems and every single one of them. The number one problem was government itself that you had to overcome. The barriers of Shepherd County separate schools separate cities separate everything and each of these programs was successful because they were able to break those barriers down and I want to focus much much more on that. We're probably further along than any other state in the Union. We now have 51 collaborative Branch out there, which we have been at work coverage for about 80% of all of our young families are young people and that's really good. There was a program up in Hibbing friend since I was very exciting. They had all the services from Unum is an immunization to daycare to Early Childhood learning counseling for young families a marvelous program. Put in the middle of the building is Unisys Corporation in Rush City. It's a businessman who's really helping drive that whole system and build strong community support for the school superintendent's right there with his sleeves rolled up getting in marvelous program. So they're all sorts of tremendous potentials. When do we start to bring people together and say look through we all love our children. Do we want to prevent problems? Everybody says, yes. Okay. Now are we all willing to pitch in and get it done County boards that can involve for instance your super show. What we've got to do is make sure that we continue to break down the traditional barriers to success in the more you break down those barriers the more you can be able to allocate money to those kinds of programs, but she's right on target. Those are good programs that Scholars from Maple Grove Jay your turn to Speaker of the House. He's in the upcoming legislative session. I seems to me that a message was sent to November of a lower taxes less government and maybe that does. The house Anderson just doesn't get it. I'll hang up listen to a response letter. I thought it was a terrible move. I really did. I mean the color is absolutely On Target. The message was loud and clear. Can you can you people trim ship? Can you start to put acids where they really count like sansei on the prevention agenda and the answer is yes, we can but you also expect the legislature itself to respond in a positive way to expand committees was exactly the wrong direction in which to go and by the way and I would have some problems with his Governor. My recollection. Is that the herb Anderson and his party lost 13 seats. I fail to understand why losing 13 seat required to an increase in staff. That is just a fact of the average Minnesota at all or is this as far as the east across the government? Increases across the government to me whatever we spend on the legislature, whatever we spend any executive branch, whatever we spent in a court system. That's across the government. That's part of our overall tax burden and it's right. It does send office said no to the rest of the spending systems. Hey, if they can expand why can't we but you can imagine if United States Congress has successfully actually Whittle down the number of committees and Whittle down the amount of staff and close one big office building that puts him in a very strong position to tell the rest of the spending systems. You do precisely the same and that's precisely what we want to get done in the state of Minnesota. Next caller is from northern, Minnesota. Okay, but how can you justify a gas tax increase when the federal government increase their gas text 2 years ago. We haven't lowered medium income. the poor getting poorer and that gas taxes are regressive text cost of living goes up inflation goes up and you have any interest goes up all effects of poor adversity adversity and my question is why not use the excise tax is originally intended wealth of the first of all don't put me in a position of advocating the gas tax. I said, I died would certainly allow it to go on the table and I'll listen to the arguments but we haven't made any decision on a gas tax increase to the increased by the feds two years ago took the gas tax and they put it into their own general or general fund it then go to improve transportation and went to improve their their their their their overall cost of of government and that didn't do your eye any good as far as I'm concerned is at least as it relates to roads and bridges so that the two issues are to be separated. But if you're opposed to the gas tax and I can understand that I do want you to consider the following that is the cost of a funding all forms of transportation there. There's kind of a myth in Minnesota that enroll Minnesota the only use roads and cars Etc in the metropolitan area. We only use mass transit not true. But we haven't been able to take to get through is that we have so-called mass transit needs all over Minnesota for elderly or handicapped Etc. And by the way for poor people and with the legislators going to have to wrestle with is not Justa the any potential gas tax increase what they going to have to really wrestle with Is how do we allocate the funds and that's going to be one hell of a tough to be but no don't put me down. As a person of it's important to advocate of the gas tax increase. I took it off a lot of heat last year for precisely the opposite I refuse to sign legislation that called for gas tax increase Light Rail Transit. Do you think especially what was Republicans taking control in washing? No, I lied. I don't know where the money is going to come from. I think somebody sits in a building somewhere and comes up with all these great ideas and they are good ideas. Don't get me wrong, but they never have to sit down and Sable who's going to pay that we've had enlisted. He's here in the state of Minnesota on light rail. Most people like light right light like light rail except when you get into the details, if you if you build a line between Burnsville and Downtown Minneapolis Ramsey County goes ballistic and says, we're not going to pay a nickel for it. Nobody's resolve the funding problem, so I don't see light rail going anywhere. Back of the phone. So I'm have to call her is on the line return. Yes. I like to ask the governor about the South Washington County ruling Abaya some state board on on gut gender Equity where they're going to be fine, 1.4 million dollars and it seems like there's a very debatable issue is whether or not they were in violation yet. The state seems to be wanting to prosecute for 1.4 million dollars and the Really the school board has no money to pay that. Can you bring me up-to-date kiss you where they want to be fine there the state wants to find them 1.4 million dollars for a supposed gender Equity violation. Is that going to court and it seems like the district and everybody's losing on this issue. I think that's a terrible way to arbitrate a dispute was I apologize for my ignorance. What was was this done by the state department of Turn right or the department of education. Do you know I don't know. There's somebody named. I think it's something like Zemke or something like that from some board on gender Equity but it's state is my understanding it what's going on. It's part of the comprable worthless. Yeah, you're right. It sounds like a person education. Let me let me check into it. I agree with you. I don't like the idea of disputes involving governmental entities ending up in court because all that does is build up the cost of the tax per so you you erase a valid point. Let me look into it just so you're next. Go ahead, please. Yes. I have a couple of questions. Talking about needing more tax money. I'm wondering why we have over 50,000 non-profit business in the state of Minnesota. They pay no taxes on their incomes that also some of them are subsidized by government. Yeah, we're talkin. Are we going to have to let me let me respond to I believe NPR is a non-profit. Am I right now? So you're you're you're you're talking to a radio station that qualifies for your criticism. We also receive some federal funding. They also receive some of their boy they're in trouble on both scores and then you listen to it. So so you're part of the problem to I'll tell you that. This has been a dilemma since the birth of America and I I can't give you the history of a but I have a suspicion it revolved around separation of church and state. I believe they were probably the first ones that were treated differently than any other Enterprise and and think the rash. Essentially to qualify as a non-profit presumably you meet a valuable social need so we don't friend since impose taxes on the Cancer Society. We don't post taxes on schools or religious organizations. We don't impose taxes on MPR or ktca those kinds of things because presumably they perform a public service and not for tax purposes to be treated as a business entity which is in the business of trying to generate profit in it. And I think overall it's a reasonable stand in the problem that you get into is is obviously at times that there are abuses and and then government has a responsibility to correct. Those abuses are the last question briefly plays Governor. Hello. Yes. I want to know how come the Minnesota National Guard is getting the cobra attack helicopter Battalion in Minnesota, but they don't have any war table mission. Well, we're but I'm glad you raised that because we are planning a secret invasion of Wisconsin and I'm confident we can win that one though. I'll tell you I don't know anything about a cobra helicopter when coming to Minnesota, those are decisions that are driven by the federal government. Let me ask you about the something that's come up from time to time in recent years term limits put it on the ballot. I think it's a good idea for everybody and I want to see the federal government to precise of the same thing. And then the key here is not whether you agree or disagree with term limits. It's a question of whether the people have the right to decide that issue. I think the answer is yes likewise unicameral unicameral is to me is the elimination of the worst example of duplication that we have Carly and state government. And that's the existence of two separate houses that essentially do precisely the same thing and Isn't exactly the same people and some people say what GRE you got to understand that one house cleaned up the mess made by the other will if that's such a good idea why she up to city council's and 3 School boards. Any chance you're going to run again know if that's why people sit on a wish you would stop talking that way but no, I I do believe that 8 years is more than enough as Governor. I think by that time you've gotten your policy initiatives out and I would really like very much to go into teaching after the after the other this four-year term expires. I think it's been it's been a very enjoyable experience but In 1998, I think will be time for New Blood to move in with some fresh ideas and some fresh impetus and fresh energy and I think he'll do very very well, but I thought you bet Merry Christmas to everybody.