6 minutes past 12 programming on NPR is supported by the Baja Tortilla grill the next generation of Mexican food located in uptown Miracle Mile and Harmar Mall. And good afternoon and welcome back to midday and Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary. I can glad you could tune in round. One of the contest for governor here in the state of Minnesota is now over for the weekend Republicans wrapped up what appears to be one of the most successful State conventions in years endorsing St. Palm Aire Norm Coleman for governor earlier this month. You'll recall dfl endorsed Hennepin County attorney. Mike Freeman to run against Coleman, but it's actually make it to the November general election. Ballot Freeman still has a long way to go. He has to defeat five challengers in the September primary Coleman for his part does not have to worry about any primary challenge. All of the other Republican candidates have dropped out today Coleman and the rest of the endorsed Republican ticket is touring the state trying to capitalize on that party Unity with several stop scheduled across southern Minnesota tomorrow. He'll be touring Central and Western, Minnesota. Outgoing Republican Governor Arne Carlson says, he expects Republicans. Especially moderate Republicans will give Norm Coleman a very warm reception as he travels the state Carlson himself has long been at odds with conservative activists in the Republican party. In fact just by Carlson popularity in the public opinion polls the party never endorsed him for governor. But Saturday the last day of the Republican Party State Convention that passed ill-will was set aside in favor of Future Part of Unity on Saturday Carlton delivered what will probably be his last major speech to Republican party activist and they were going to hear once again what he had to say governor use the occasion to reflect on his eight years in office to give his personal endorsement to Norm Coleman and a call and party activists to give their candidate room to win and Rome to govern delegates loved the speech. Here's Governor Arne Carlson speaking at the Republican Party State Convention. Keep that up and I'll accept your endorsement. They're you're wonderful, and I want to thank you. and my wife Susan and I thank you ever so much for your kindness has over the many many years. I want to address you today. More on the responsibility of governance. Then anything else? I had a wonderful breakfast this morning with Barrett Coleman. And we very soberly discussed. the issue of governance It is my personal belief that this convention. Has given your mayor Norman Coleman. The greatest gift that's within its power to give to anyone. The opportunity of Public Service the opportunity of leadership. The opportunity if you will a vision. Over the past several days you have celebrated you have whooped it up you have cheered and it's a great moment for all concerned. And it's abundantly clear that the party is coming together. but I also want to remind La Mer lieutenant governor Olson And all delegates in all alternates. That there are times of cheering. There are times of Celebration. There are times of ceremony. But they will also. Has Steve swiggum alluded to? the times of disappointment times of Crisis and frankly times of loneliness from today on the people of Minnesota are going to want to know more about me or Coleman. They're going to want to know more about Senator Olsen. And they're going to want to know more about the Republican Party. your responsibility to nominate has been discharged. In a most responsible way. I applaud your decision. I'm proud of Mayor Coleman. I celebrate the attempts. to reach out I celebrate the sense of decency that I believe prevails over this convention. I applied for instance the reaching out. By Alan quest in selecting as his running mate the Reverend Dan Williams. But as delegates who made the decision now your responsibility starts. There is a broad-based Republican party out there. some of whom feel slightly on edge about their relationship with this party. You as Leaders now have a responsibility to reach out to them and to bring them in. do it thoughtfully to do it carefully to do it intelligently and always with a sense of decency You have an obligation to recognize. that the mayor Has not only responsibility to win but he also has a responsibility to govern. And in November the people of this state will give them their greatest gift that's within their power to give to anyone the governorship of the state of Minnesota. And just as he did as mayor so too must he also do as governor. He must be the governor for all people. Not just for a few not just for some. And not just for many. At all times he shall be the governor of all of Minnesota. and the set of challenges That will be before him. Will be different than the challenges that confronted our Administration. There is no one in this room. They can forecast the events of tomorrow. but when we elect people we elect them on issues of judgment. capacity inability to serve and we ask of Mayor Coleman. always to always recognize the best within himself and even if his decisions are lonely decisions and even if they are decisions that you and I may disagree with we asked him to always bear in mind the long-term well-being of the people of this state that truly is what public service is all about. Is Steve Stricker mentioned? We have to confront first and foremost a prevailing financial crisis. a crisis with the deficit that exceeded 2.3 billion dollars and I can honestly say that 1991 was without question the most difficult. The most painful and the most lonely year of my life. But I do have some good memories. I have memories. I was in Menard at leader of the house at that time. representative Dempsey from New Ulm Who always cheerfully in his usual Irish way? smiled And said Arnie. Will back up any video You cast. and he and the Republican house members did precisely that It was that ability to govern. That allowed us the cast from 179 Beados more than all governors in the history of the state of Minnesota combined. and when the leadership was passed on from Dempsey to swiggum That same firmness prevail. Again, it was clearly understood that if you veto we stand by you we walk the plank regardless of how hot it may get. But I want everybody in this room to remember one thing not one single Democrats supported any of our burritos. And our financial planning we focused on the long-term we focused on what is it take to get back the AAA Bond rating. And we built back our reserves so that today is returned over this Administration to Governor Coleman. We turned it over with reserves in excess of 2.2 billion dollars. We turn it over. with a AAA Bond rating we turned it over with 3 billion dollars in tax cuts funded. We turn it over with a 35% reduction. in commercial industrial property taxes funding we give you the capacity to work with the legislature and affect a permanent tax cut. We give to you a workers compensation system that has been reduced by some 35% pouring 10 million dollars a month back into our economy to create jobs. We are now growing jobs at a rate that is 50% faster than the rate in the nation as a whole. And are unemployment rate is half the unemployment rate of the nation as a whole. And while the nation's manufacturing base is in Decline ours is growing at a rate of 10% As representative swiggum declared we have attempted and I think with great success to reform so many of the cost drivers in our system to bring down the rate of budgetary growth. During the 1980s Minnesota was spending at a rate of 15% higher than the capacity to pay. Anybody with an IQ approaching room temperature could figure out they were going bankrupt. But again, let me remind you. That one of the key architects of that bill of 1989, which led the state into bankruptcy. One of the key Architects was Rodger, MO. And I can assure you. Mike Freeman was part of it. And your bird Humphrey was there. And all three can take credit. But we tackled Healthcare. And today there are fifty-four thousand children that were left out of the Health Care system is part. a receiving help from the state We're now shaving over 2 million dollars a month as a result of that reform coupled with welfare reform. I'm like so much National rhetoric. We did not believe it right we did not believe inequitable. We did not believe it's fair. to punish people for being poor There are many people in this room that were born and raised for. There are very few families in America. We're part of their history was not spent in poverty. We respect the poor we care about the poor we reach out and help the poor. And what we did. was particularly reach the single Perron family and we said the worst thing that we can do for our children because all children are our children. The worst thing we can do is loud them to grow up in a family unit where there's no focus on work. That's how you define yourself. That's how you define Who You Are My father was a janitor. He was a handyman, but he was proud of it. My mother was a waitress and she was proud of it. And what we said was this we will give your children Health Care. Will give you extra money. But here's what we want. We want you either to go back to school get more training or get a job. And I'm proud to say. That we've had a reduction in the welfare rolls now of some 23% Some 4,600 families that were dependent upon welfare are now employed. My friends that's what it's all about. but let me Is Steve so eloquently mention? Get on the subject of my deepest passion. It's education. Mary Coleman and I were talking this morning at breakfast. And I asked him. When is Grandparents came to the United States and he said his grandfather was born on a ship? Coming to the United States. And we reminiscent. about the dream of the immigrants and the waves of immigration that came in the 1820s the 1880s and my parents came over in the late 1920s early 1930s. And none of those waves of immigration came to the United States because we guarantee them Healthcare. None of them came because we guaranteed welfare. They came because they had heard of this dream this vision of opportunity. Could I somehow Make It in America? I can't speak the language. I may not understand your culture. But I'll tell you what, I sure understand your dream. And I want to be part of that dream. And they understood that the defying piece of the American dream was access to Quality education. And they willingly sacrifice themselves for the well-being of their children. And what was it that they wanted? They wanted their children to have the skills necessary to participate successfully in the American economy. What do you think it was that won World War II? heroism courage but the incredible capacity of the American people to produce the roll up their sleeve to be Innovative and to get the job done and boy did they do it. My father never got past the 6th grade. But he could work with his hands. He develop skills. And those skills were marketable today if you don't have computer skills technical skills. You're dead meat in the marketplace. And we have an educational system. That has been dominated by the providers. They told us what the problems were. They told us what the expectations were. They told us what the outcomes were and they told us how much we're going to pay. But they never told us how we doing. And it's been an uphill battle. It has been a lonely battle. What is we went on it got less and less and less lonely. And today your majority of minnesotans strongly support the educational reforms we put online. Our goal was not to destroy any educational system. What we wanted all systems of Education to succeed because we understood that the customer was the child. And when you have one third of our children not cutting it. You got a problem. And those children will not disappear. They will not vanish. They will show up at all too. Frequently those show up on the welfare rolls in on the crime rolls. And if we love our children, we want to make sure that every single one of our children has a chance at success and we're going to nurture that environment that allows them to succeed. And so we put in money. We put in money to improve and to help public education we put in money so that we could leave the United States in the ratio of computers to students. We move more money into the local school buildings so that we don't have districts running everything but rather parents and teachers getting together and forming Partnerships. We set up goals and objectives and once and for all we won the battle on Statewide testing. I had some union leaders in my office and they said you realize what's going to happen. If we have statewide testing why parents will be able to make choices. They'll be able to make decisions about their schools. And I said you got it, right. But we did other things we took the tax code. And we said listen if a business lunches deductible. Why shouldn't we help families All Families regardless of income? Why shouldn't we help All Families buy a computer for their child in school. Why shouldn't we help families hire a teacher after hours to help tutor their child? Why can't we form a partnership and help parents? Send their kids to an educational summer camp. And why can't we partner and allow parents the right to make choices as to where they send their child being a public or a private school? And believe me we took our criticism. both big newspapers blasted us And frankly, they haven't stopped. but I'll tell you there's the central question that bothers me the most that is never asked is this Why why is it all right for the president of the United States to sit down with his wife forget about the politics of it and say our child will not go to a public school in Washington, DC. Will send her to a private school and everybody applauded and they said that's wonderful. That's a personal decision and the vice president did the exact same thing? And we all applauded and sent us a private decision. It's okay, including the teachers unions. including the editorial boards But then they turn around when the Republicans passed legislation giving scholarship to low-income kids in Washington DC and they be told that legislation. And they said no these low-income kids shall not have choice. I say that Chelsea's Choice shall be their choice of every child in America. Well that's got in that line. A lot of people on their feet here and you can hear in the background. By far the most well-received line of the speech dust far. Probably half the delegates on their feet applauding. Oregon's Governor Carlson Set the question we're raising today is a legitimate question and once and for all it should be asked and answered. Can you imagine? Can you imagine what they would have said? Had a Republican president of equal wealth to that a President Clinton. Vetoed a welfare bill. That help those same low-income families. We would be so tortured we have to flee the country. but when we ask for the same opportunities Where are low-income children and for our children from the middle class that we give to the well-to-do and to the powerful. Then we're told it will be vetoed. Too bad. I say the rallying Cry of the Republican Party must be. That we love our children so much. That we're going to give them every opportunity to succeed and part of that is choice. No, I listen. impart did the Democratic Convention? And I listened time and again to the refrain of eight long years. And you know when you think about it from their perspective? It has been eight long years. You know, we're here we have skip Humphrey. Why that the privilege of knowing over the years? totally in love with 1937 and anything he can do to bring us back to the Days of the New Deal he'll do. For a while there he was talking about a tax cut. But you know. When Humphrey and Freeman and mode talk about a tax cut. It's like those occasions when you and I are stuck walking a dog by a fire hydrant. And that fire hydrant has this magnetic pole. And tax cut just doesn't sound right. And so we always get the refrain tax increase. And Skip had no sooner mentioned tax cut that he unveiled what he calls a half a billion dollar spending program. I call a billion dollar spending program, but what's half a billion between friends anyway. And his aide. When he's asked where is the money can come from? His aide says well. Skip hasn't decided whether it's going to be a sales tax increase or an income tax increase. Well, let me tell you this. The Republican Party in the people in Minnesota have already answered the question and the question is with Governor, There will be no tax increase. As I indicated at the outset. The people are going to want to know more. about Mary Coleman No, I could give you a lot of the traditional rhetoric. I'll let me strip that aside and let me talk to you about it in a slightly different vein. I dialed is governor. To make absolutely certain that it all the times. I did the very best that I could to serve all people. and I sincerely wanted to and I believe I have build Partnerships with the cities of Minneapolis and st. Paul I want them to grow. I want them to prosper just as I do all of our cities. But they are clearly the Twin Cities and their importance to every single one of us regardless of where we live. And both cities at that time had Democrat mayors. What we did for him? partnership, and we worked And I remember attending one of the earlier speeches in a lot of the press Corps were puzzled as to why I was there. It was a speech given by mayor Coleman early. I'm the state of the city address and he talked about reducing the property tax burden. He talked about how do you lower the budget and still meet your legitimate obligations? I frankly was proud of Norm Coleman in. I was proud of the courage of that message talk and it was even prouder when he executed on that promise. And I remember. his vision of a Riverfront development and I felt an obligation on the part of all citizens that we would partner with him. And we would have cysts in building that riverfront. To make it something that we're all proud of. And we participated financially and we participated in every way possible to make that a reality. But I also remember the early and the darker days of school choice. I remember sitting in the office with him and I asked him about it. And he could have head you could have said look I'm a mayor. I'm not really involved in this you better speak to the school superintendent the school board at Century, but he did. He knew I didn't have the boats. Any news that we would not Prevail on the first round. But he very sincerely leaned over and he said I sincerely believe in choice. And I will publicly back you. and he did and you and I we're going to be asked a lot of questions about who he is. always remember this when Norm Coleman gives you his word. You can take it to the bank. He will not betray anyone Under Fire. Old friendships are permanent friendships. old relationships are permanent relationships And I know there's a lot of controversy about hockey. But let me tell you this next week. When we break the ground in St. Paul on hockey I can tell you this much. We would not have hockey in Minnesota for not for mayor Coleman and I'm darn proud of him. the people of this state want a constructive conservative they want somebody who radiates optimism. There are all too many people run around twenty-four hours a day being angry. We're never going to win an election by being angry. Coleman radiates optimism Any radiates opportunity? I think you have made a splendid choice. And ultimately the people of this state will make the same choice. And let me tell you briefly why. It's not just skip Humphrey that wants to take us backward. It's the bulk of that group. How hot it is for a mundale? Do I have to remind his colleagues? That they ought not to drag the Democratic party to the good old days of spend spend spend excessive spending than tax tax tax. I wonder how you been Walter feel about that one. the reality is with your convention the public clearly knows this. And that is under the leadership of Norman Coleman. Under the leadership of Jenison. We will continue to grow jobs. Will continue to expand educational opportunities for all children, no ands ifs or buts about it. Will continue to have a successful economy will continue to have prudent financial management. And we will have permanent tax cuts. That my friends is the message of optimism. That's the message of the future there people of this. They do not want to go backwards. It's hard to walk backwards you tend to trip. And we're not going to go back to 1989 when they spend 2.3 billion dollars more than they took in. That was governor ardy Carlson speaking to delegates at the Republican Party State Convention speech that he delivered Saturday morning and we broadcast that speech live course as part of our continuing election coverage great opportunity to hear. Once again. What the governor Arne Carlson had to say I Carlson speaking at the Republican Party State Convention joining us now is the party's endorse candidate for governor st. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman. How are you human or with any of the rest of the Republican ticket? What kind of response have you gotten their state for many years and if we can get it by the fire next challenge is to unify the people in Minnesota and we do that you're going to see the things they talked about going to see improve test scores and then What job opportunity and rate of Frankel Choice involving kids education. So what we got a challenge before us but it was pretty pumped up there at that convention. We want to keep me pumped up at least through November are you so you're going to maintain a pretty high-profile or lay low, the course of the Democrats have the have a problem here. They have to still settle on a candidate that got a lively primary this summer. Are you going to be out among? The the voters are just left the Democrats beat up on each other for a while successfully unified the party. I told him to the folks that were greeting you we got done with all our business and the bright Sunshine was still signing out. They'd rather prefer Democrats kind of got done in the middle of the night. We got to get out there and articulate our division again of of permanent text raising test scores. It's a great opportunity. Governor candidate we believe me and listen to them. Listen to them is another part of it. Thanks about the need for a party activist to give you their candidate room to run and Rome to govern if you're elected. You think you do that or are they? Do they have their issues and they're going to hold you to them? Yeah, I got it. Call Ian. Dallas it wasn't a lawn. I'm covering I've gotten in a way to transport people that I'm driving away that has focus on the things you got to do it soon to move forward and hopefully move it station visible body education's up. I think we've had a convention that has endorsed what the governor was talking about. The people have their issues. Absolutely and then they want to cut a good pick and pull your part on this or that will you sign this car if your Governor will sign that if you're going to bring that message, Things that were talking about the things that I have tried to do in st. Paul or just as relevant today wouldn't I be in Winona with my ferret is there on st. Paul Mayor? We're going to let you go early a phone is breaking up a lot. We sure appreciate your calling, joining us on the road on the way to Austin Minnesota for another campaign rally Tamara. Coleman was endorsed by the Republican party over the weekend. He is now the party is official candidate for governor joining us now is Phil Carruthers Minnesota house speaker and one of the most prominent Democrats in the state of Minnesota, mr. Speaker, I would think as a Democrat you folks are in. And kind of a tough spot right now the Republican Party seems to be unified and all set to go and you still have a fairly Lively battle looking at you just to pick a candidate. Well, the the fact is it that Democrats want to pick the strongest candidate and we do have choice of outstanding candidates. The people that died running now in the dfl primary are very very strong. And that's the way I think it's a long run by democrats and the public of Minnesota will be better served by having a very strong dfl candidate who will come out of that primary primary is a is a better way ultimately to select a candidate than that then the endorsement system but we still have the candidates are going to run in the primary. And so so that's just the fact and and I think of the public as well served by a process that encourages discussion of issues in that the The sixth of the strongest candidate at the end of enough money left over after after the 6-way primary enough money left to take on the Republicans believe no question about it will never compete with Republicans in terms of ability to raise money from from Big contributors. Clearly Republicans have big access to to wealthy individuals and people who are well healed but but Democrats in a we run Maura Grassroots campaigns, and we tend to rely more on Modest contributors and solo will continue to do that. What do you think about Norm Coleman candidate for governor? He's not feel very tested. I mean, he's been mayor for st. Paul just one term and compared to the Democratic candidates who are much more experience than much better-known. I think he he pales in comparison. The other thing is he tends to have an almost totally Metro phone. I am about him and Senator Olson are from the metro area. The Democratic candidates have a much more Statewide Focus their strong in the metro area, but they're also strong and greater, Minnesota as well. Is there one or two of your candidates who you think would stack up better against Coleman not to say that they're the best candidate for governor necessarily but in terms of getting out and doing battle with Coleman well by Mike Freeman, of course the endorsed candidate a very well-known throughout the states and has a strong Statewide appeal. He was a former state senator. And now the Hennepin County attorney, which is the second most important law enforcement job in the state. So he's important experience there and for skip Humphrey as well, but you know, we have very strong candidates that what are you talking about? Mark Dayton or Ted Mondale? We we've got good candidates. And so, you know, I think whoever comes out of the primer is going to be in a very good position to not only take on but defeat Norm Coleman and you think the party will be able to Rally around whoever wins that primary. I mean, there's do you think there was almost bound to be some You know some hurt feelings and and the rest we will rally no question about it. I'm around whoever wins the primary no question about it. The Democrats are used to having a good battles and at the end we will unite and definitely we will win the governorship and we will keep the House of Representatives as well. One thing that distinguishes. This year's Governor's race from Leslie a 1994 race. And after that matter that turned out to be the 1990 election forget about the campaign is the election anyway is the fact that it appears that abortion will be an issue again this time around and Norm Coleman is a pro-life candidate 5 of the Sexes dfl candidates are pro-choice candidate. How important do you think that issue is going to turn out to be People are pro-life and in most of the public which is somewhere in the middle by think it would be important issue, but I don't think it would be the defining issue a Minnesota to do care about a lot of issues. Certainly they care about the the system of public education. We have they want to continue tax relief and they want job growth. So so those are issues that they will will probably go to a greater extent dominate the discussion. Do you think a lot of people who are pro-life will end up voting for Doug Johnson? They dfl candidate the only real life candidate in the dfl primary the last have a play a significant role in that primary. I don't believe in this is my experience that I've been elected to the number of times myself. Most people are not single-issue voters. There are some who are on both sides of the issue, but most people look for the overall person the overall candidate and they want somebody that they can have confidence in McGovern who's experienced and who may agree with on a whole host of issues. So I don't think the abortion issue will be the defining issue Norm Coleman and the other Republican candidates all were talking about and are talking about a billion-dollar permanent tax cut can the state of Minnesota for that that the legislature passed during this biennium a 2.7 billion dollar tax relief for the people of Minnesota. So we've already taken major strides in that fashion interesting ly the Republicans they've already really had their chance Governor Crossing strongly opposed a permanent income tax cut that he felt that was not appropriate because of uncertainties about the budget in the future certainly with the Asian situation and all I've so if it was Such an important issue then I think the current Republican Governor. I would have a pasta that the permanent income tax cut the Republicans are now calling for I'm so so I think it's a little disingenuous for them to come out and be pushing that the income tax cut when they couldn't get it done and there and the Republican Governor did not support it. I think Democrats that we will be interested and continued attacks relief certainly focusing on income tax. Excuse me on property tax relief, but we want to see we want to be careful. We want to make sure that the economy is in good position to handle a permanent tax cut that we're not in a situation where where we've been in a number of instances in the past where one year we cut the taxes in the next year because of the economy turns out we turn around and have to increase taxes. So we want to be cautious about that is also talked about some education. Changes are indicating that he is essentially a poll is Dudley profile of learning program the second second part of the new graduation standard and also suggest that we should expand the tax credits and deductions available for parents that money that they can use for educational expenses including private school education. Are those going to be big issues this fall at the profiles of learning. We're Push by Governor Carlson a republican governor. And so now we have a republican gubernatorial candidate running against the positions of a of a mainstream Republican governor, governor Carlson. So I think that's rather interesting, you know, the reason we have some of these standards is because we want us at set minimum standards of confidence that we want to set standards of what we expect the public education system to produce. In terms of its graduates in the focusing on standards and I on accountability is very very important and I hate to see us backing off of that. And as far as vouchers, you know again, what we have is a situation where we would be taking money. This is a debate this been going on for quite some time but taking potentially taking money out of the public education system, which really has not been that Well Finance to Minnesota and an infant and turning it into a funding for private education. I have nothing against private education, but we really have to set our first priority on adequately funding our public education system in the state. How closely tied is the fate of your house majority to the governor's race. Totally separate did they go hand-in-hand? So if your candidate does well you're going to do well, what's the relationship to a relationship strong candidate at the top of our ticket? And and certainly four years ago when we didn't do very well against darnit Carlson that hurt our efforts to have a strong majority in the House of Representative. So we need to have a very very strong candidate on the top of our ticket no question about it. And I feel that all of the candidates who are running our are good candidates and we just have to hope the Democrats do pick someone who is very electable who's very strong who will do very very well Statewide and a lot of time left but one last question for you sir, if you maintain control of the house and if Norm Coleman is elected as governor, you got along fairly well with the Arne Carlson at least the last year or so. Can you work with with Coleman there seems to be such a visceral dislike among many Democrats for him. Can you work with him? Well, I will certainly work with whomever is the governor of the state of the people will make that decision and it's incumbent on us to work together. The difference though is I think Arne Carlson was really a very moderate than mainstream a governor. In fact that I always noted that I'm quite a number of issues. He was really much closer to that the dfl and Democratic point of view than he was to his own party. And so the question for a for Norm Coleman is if he gets elected, which I don't think it's going to happen. But if he gets elected, he he cannot be following the Republican point if you want so many issues because it's really out of touch with where most minnesotans are and if he does that if he if he is the the right-wing candidate that he's showing himself to be in terms of coming out of the convention then then it's going to be much more difficult for us to have a good working relationship. I mean what the legislature generally just because it will be out of tune with where most minnesotans are. Thank you so much for joining a sir. You're welcome rap up this edition of midday. Continuing political coverage on Minnesota Public Radio expect a lot more as the campaign continues. Ted's North to International Falls for our next show on Border issues. I'm Rachel reabe join us tomorrow at 9 on Minnesota Public Radio know FM 91.1