Thank you. Mike six minutes. Now past 11. Today's programming is made possible in part by The Advocates of Minnesota Public Radio contributors include the Valspar Corporation manufacturers of paint and chemical coating since 1806 and international Dairy Queen Incorporated. And good morning. This is midday on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary eichten glad you could join us for next Tuesday is primary election day here in Minnesota. And today is part of our continuing coverage leading up to the primary. We've been joined by the man who the polls indicate will most likely win the dfl primary for governor name of the Attorney General. Skip Humphrey according to the latest NPR st. Paul Pioneer Press ka-ari TV people that was released last week, Mr. Humphrey had a 15-point lead over his nearest Challenger Mark Dayton, and he was supported by more likely primary voters than the other three dfl can rats come by and Skip Humphrey can turn that lead in the polls and do a primary Victory next Tuesday. He will then move on to the general election contest against Republican Norm Coleman and Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura, Joe. Where does Skip Humphrey stand on the issues that matter to you? We invite you to join our conversation today with the attorney general. Skip Humphrey. Give us a call with your questions to 276 thousand Twin City area number. 2276 thousand outside the Twin Cities. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800 to +422-828-227-6000 or one 802-4228 to a restaurant free things coming in today. Thank you Gary. It's a beautiful day and obviously things have changed the fair is over and I use heard the school buses rolling down my street this morning and all of a sudden Minnesota is kind of back in order again. Summer is kind of a rapidly coming to a close ear people looking for those Parker's where do they put them in a whole different attitude night. I have to say to your listeners and to you. Of course, I want to thank the people in Minnesota for the opportunity to visit with them at the state fair and all this summer. It's been an absolute joy to hear the comments and the way people in this state are involved in not only their family's concerns, but really in the sense of the direction of where Minnesota to go. It's It's been a great opportunity. Do you put much stock in these a pre-primary pole? So that show you way ahead of everybody else. I learned a long time ago. They only pull the counts as the one that's on Election Day, but I do think you have to you know, there is a measurement there. But the dog is stizz August to people are at the lake there enjoying that last month of real summer vacation. And so I guess I would say that sure I'm pleased to have that kind of a lead that people are saying at that point in time, but in a sense, I think the public is still shopping there. They're looking they want to know what their next Governor is going to be doing and whether or not their views are compatible with the candidates are there are actually the reverse the candidates who is compatible with theirs. And so I guess I try and downplayed a little bit. Maybe that's just my own little life paranoia or whatever it is, but on the other hand, I think there's been A steady support and I've been so pleased with the positive response that we received a particularly during these last ten days at the fair. I was there every single day and I had many many people come up and say I like what you're doing. I'm glad you joined with Rodger Moore as your running mate. I'm pleased that you're talking about, you know, family concerns and an agenda that's really going to help my family are young children, whatever. Those are the kind of things that that I I get a very positive feeling and I've had a lot of people come up and say I'm voting and I'm voting for you now. I just hope that every one of those nice statements are are going to you know, take action in 1 week from today General philosophy of government Republicans charge. Can I guess they've directed most of their criticism to you as as the front runner have charged that what you are essentially your ear philosophy of basically the old traditional Dfl approach to the government has higher taxes than they deem necessary. Lots of government spending is that legitimate unfortunate view of those who obviously are of the of the other party's been that that's what the dfl is all about. That's not Rodger and I have enough experience to know very well that government must know its limits and has its limits and can't do everything. It shouldn't do everything. It should do what is necessary. But we also are Democrats that believe that government ought to be engaged in a positive and constructive way in a partnership with people's individual lives in partnership with the private enterprise system. There are there are the opportunities and responsibilities at the private market place that are unique and we must happen to that opportunity to move our state ahead. But on the other hand, we firmly believe the government does have responsibilities. Seeing certain area specifically in public education in the healthcare Arena to make certain that we do have coverage for everyone. We tap into that in Partnership are our private Health Care System. It is a model for the world in many respects, but we need to add into that because we know there's more than 80,000 children that are not covered currently. We know that some 13,000 Working Poor are not covered with any kind of insurance. Ultimately what happens they end up in the emergency Ward, which is the most inefficient and most expensive way of providing inadequate Healthcare. So then we know that it takes a public-private partnership to assure that we have the public safety that we need. We need a strong effort from the public sector in public safety, but we also need a prevention programs and Grassroots efforts at the neighborhood level tying all that together to root out these problem makers in troublemakers, and we're going to see the That's done. And ultimately we know that the driving engine for tomorrow is our Working Families. They are the individual organizations that are going to truly take Minnesota from as good a place as it is 2 an even better place to a higher plane of a of a civil society that we want to see a Minnesota to be and to do that by accomplishing it in Partnership so that we have the best trained best educated Workforce the healthiest public society and embracing all of those. We we believe that no one should be left off the boat that we're not just in this for, you know, there are winners and losers that the live-and-let-live a laissez-faire approach. I think frankly we seen enough of that the results have been that some of done very well and then their whole lot that haven't done well enough we need to make sure that all of the people of Minnesota Doing better son will do better than others. But all are going to rise up on this effort. All of the candidates have talked about tax cuts yourself included in the state of four that looks to me at least you if you listen to some of the experts it it's likely that the economy will be slowing down significantly here. Can the state actually afford major permanent tax cuts. Yes, I believe they can and I say that based on the current projections these other projections that the Carlson Administration are using for their budgeting plans throughout the remainder of this year. And on the basis of the forecasting that is done by the Department of Finance Rodger, Moe and I ever worked many many years to balance budgets in to see what we have we have about a little more than a billion to Surplus that is there. Plus. We have an additional 900 $10 that is coming in the next biennium from the tobacco settlement a part of which is the six billion dollar over a 25 year. When you combine those resources together, there is no doubt that they Humphrey Mo plan of giving permanent income tax cuts of over 1 billion dollars Over a four-year period can be achieved not understand that budget also includes the kind of reserved that all the economist are a saying is prudent and wise and we talked about at least a 5% Reserve. We believe that that is sufficient to take in the ups and downs of the economy and to achieve the goals in addition to the 1 billion dollars worth of income tax cuts. And by the way, they're targeted right towards our Working Families making sure that those who have children in childcare are able to gain an additional level of resource so that they stay with learning bass childcare and those children are ready to go right into Koenig are Want to make sure that when a high-school student to those who are just entering the 12th grade next year when they go on to technical school Community College college that there is a tax credit to help them move forward so that there should not be any economic barrier for anyone to go beyond high school because we know that's critical for the 21st century economy is in a successful lifestyle for all of ours. We also know that there are many of families who are caring for an elderly parent. And in that effort are helping us all of us the people the taxpayers by keeping their elderly parents out of nursing homes, which ultimately are born by the taxpayer and terms of their cause that's what we're giving a tax credit there. In addition to that. We're going to give an income tax credit to businesses that are retraining that are training their new employees that are coming on board. That's so that we can constantly be improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our enterprise system. We believe all of that is very very important. We also want to make sure that there is a property tax relief because a lot of pressure is on the local property-tax now and a good part of that of course will come in the form of relief of taking on additional responsibilities by the state for the education formula and the state aid formula. We think we can move that from its present. It's about 68% on average. We want to see it move up to 70 in the next four years and we think that we I would ultimately like to see it be out of 75 25% split. It was that that level at one time in the 70s when I was in the state legislature and I think that's the kind of propria mix that we ought to see one of their a philosophical question when we get some listeners on Lots of proposals for tax credits of one kind or another there was a pull out that last week and is it a public radio Kera TV? St. Paul Pioneer Press poll indicating that would really want people want is an across-the-board tax cut not really very interested in all these credits. Why not? Just send the money back Jesse Ventura style. I appreciate you saying that by the way, we do give an across-the-board income tax cut. Everybody has contributed to this Surplus. Everybody has suffered innocence from the health effects of tobacco nicotine. If nothing else even as a taxpayer, even if you don't smoke you paid out extra for it. So you ought to get something back every single taxpayer in Minnesota will get an income tax cut a permanent income tax cut under the budget proposal of myself and Rodger, Moe and I got to tell you it's the most detailed plan. It is a plant that does work. That is fully. And I'm very proud of the fact that Rodger and I worked in close partnership, which I think is an example of the developing relationship. We have as a potential governor and lieutenant governor. I expect to have Rodger milk working very closely with me as we work through a number of these agenda items and then work with the legislature and respond to people's interests and concerns around our state dfl gubernatorial candidate to skip Humphrey is with us today to take your questions as we get ready for next Tuesday's primary election. And of course all the focus is on the dfl race for governor, five well-known candidates are going to be on the ballot and through the course of the last few weeks. We've been talking with each of the candidates today get Pumphrey is join us. If you'd like to join our conversation if you got a question for mr. Humphrey to 276 thousand is our Twin City area number to 276 thousand. I'll try the Twin Cities one 802-422-8284 caller is from Burnsville. Thank you. My concern is the lack of any discussion among the dfl candidates on anything that I can see related to the environment. I haven't heard where anyone stand some things like Wetlands clean water Minnesota Pollution Control agency. What's going on in The Boundary Waters all of those things and even when the paper has listed your positions on everything the environment isn't there. First of all, let me just say damn. I want to thank you very very much. I think that is a terribly important issue and concern this that needs to be addressed. I come from the point of view that what we need to do is help all of us Practice What I Call principles of sustainability that is not only in our private lives, but certainly in our public lights and I believe that we have a responsibility of stewardship in that stewardship is not just to maintain what we have in its prey. Condition, but in fact to work to enhance the Beauty and the resources that are given here in Minnesota. I mean that's in a sense what we're here for we're certainly not here for the bitter cold. I don't think and all the rest. Although I must say is some of those pristine cold Mornings in the winter or something awesome to see and what they are awesome. There is a beauty to it and it says if you don't take too many deep breaths, but I I would agree with you on mpca. I want you to know I'm going to make certain that we have people who respect the environment and are not oriented towards the development at all the rest. I think we need to have people who truly are going to project this idea that we can we can see that the laws are enforced that the rules are in place and that the idea of sustainability is enhanced in the end. That's really where I think we need to That's kind of a philosophical point of view. But as governor and making those appointments. I want you to know that's going to be some of my guidelines they have you might also keep listening through the week this week. We're focusing on the environment where they cannot stand on that issue. So if you keep listening through the week, you'll be able to hear from all the candidates on some specific issues. I just want to follow up a little bit too because I really like question because it shows how the environment in a relates with others. We talked about a farm crisis, but one apart of the farm crisis is the radically changing way in which farming is taking place at the feedlot issue is truly an environmental issue, but it's also a a farming and a and a sociological issue of how Greater Minnesota is going to come to grips with a change of Lifestyle in the form of these very significant concentrations of animal production. And I think there are ways in which we can can Can you to grow our livestock industry but it needs to be done responsibly and it needs to be done again with those principles of sustainability in place as sustainability not only environmentally but in terms of a lifestyle that people have come to cherish. I think you can have Family Farms that not only meet the demands of the world marketplace but also are able to be sustainable in a fashion that preserves a lifestyle that I think many of us cherish Mike your question Place. Hi. Hi there. Mr. Humphrey every year. I spend the amount of money for a auto emissions test that is Superfluous and not needed. There is a study from the University of Minnesota that shows that the test really has no effect on the trends of emissions auto emissions in the atmosphere. I can't afford to drive a nuke. I can't afford to drive a two-year-old car any car. I drive I have to repair myself and I pay sales tax and all the parts that I put on a car and when I take it to a dealer or 12. Please have somebody else repair. I pay even more sales tax because they're charging me more for the part. Then I have to turn around and pay $8 to have my car tested in the $8 is nothing more than what I see is support of an industry in Minnesota that's not needed. Could you please address that for me and let me say this? I mean obviously I'm willing to look at those those studies and all the rest and if it's something that is unnecessary and does not improve the quality of our air then obviously it's not something that should be continued on the other hand. I have to tell you that I recall it wasn't too too long ago where we had major studies being done and showing that the air emissions and the air quality in the metropolitan. Mariah was being severely hampered a part of it was because of the failure to have the kind of emissions controls on automobiles. It's also part of the transportation system. If you're all clogged up and sitting on a clogged up freeway, you're causing more problems than if the freeway traffic is Flowing the goal. Here course is cleaner air and I would more than willing to work with the private sector individuals and all the rest to achieve a higher level of air quality, but I'll tell you to say that it doesn't make much difference as someone who's got emphysema as someone who's got some real heart problems and others. We need to make sure that our air quality just like our water quality of the care for our land is it is is very high. And so if the admissions process of testing it is failing and not really achieving that goal then obviously we ought to be looking to something a On the other hand, if it is part of an overall effort that is succeeding at increasing the quality of air that I think we have to measure that investment and see how well it that provides for that additional a quality of life and that we're talkin about real serious health concerns better your question for skip Humphrey if I die you talk to a real good environmental caught here, but is he going to fire the mkca urban and compliance. And the Pea seeds used to be absolutely helpless and doing anything about it. But let me just say that I obviously I appreciate what you're saying Betty. There's going to be a whole new. Mpca and I have to say that in terms of obviously, I'm going to take a thorough review of all of the positions that need to be all of the positions that will require appointment. Let me just say this though that I dunno number of the individuals who are working on the staff of the PCA and I have to commend the way they work in the cooperation in which they give certainly to our staff of attorneys and others. We've had a very positive and constructive working relationship with the MPC a staff obviously our policies and the implementation of those policies from one Administration another are going to change and I guarantee you they are going to change if I happen to be your Governor. I'm proud of The record of top five environmental enforcement to that the Attorney General's office has we've been a leader not only here but nationally and I'm going to continue to see that that takes place and I'm going to work closely with the next Attorney General. I think a continued positive working relationship between the governor and the Attorney General's office is very important in order to protect our environment. By the way. Are you supporting anybody in the dfl primary for attorney general? This is you've held a job for 16 years presumably know what it's all about. I'm going to let the people decide that I'm working hard enough on Just convincing that people that I ought to be the next governor and the decks dfl nominee Tom your question. Please listen on an education issue. Right now the state of Minnesota offers a post-secondary options program for juniors and seniors that want to go on to a college or a technical college and mr. Humphrey. He has asked that we provide scholar. We provide a program for students that want to go on to higher education after they graduate why not save the state money by just increasing in enhancing the present post-secondary options program that's already in place that allows Juniors and seniors to go on to college or onto Technical College and then real quickly. I'd like to know what mr. Humphrey plans to do to help increase of the options that the students have to go onto Charter Schools it would he support allowing private Enterprise to come in and allowing charter schools to be developed. Thank you very much. Good questions. And that Tom thank you. I don't have any problem with looking at further expansion of the secondary options program, but I can tell you I had a daughter who went into that its first year and it was wonderful. It really helped her move ahead. I want to see more of that take place but not every student is ready or interested in taking those kind of decisions. So I think we ought to provide frankly for both. What what I don't want to see is I don't want to see some young person who is graduating out of the 12th grade and ready to go to Tech School Community School on to college but can't go because of some economic barrier and that's where we need to tie this effort of of the of the income tax credit into providing additional assistance to remove those economic barriers. So number one, I would agree with you that we ought to be looking at whether or not we can expand the post-secondary options by Procol. The second question that you had about Charter Schools. Absolutely. Let's continue to expand those efforts. I want to see a very wide choice of educational opportunity within our public education system. Obviously, we want to make sure that our community schools are improved. It really comes down to ABC accountability and that means bottom line. How are we doing with student performance? It means basic Reading Writing arithmetic and some new basic communication knowing of the new technology technical skills that are necessary for the technology that is being used and will be used in the future and communication skills working in teams being able to do those kinds of things that are critical to successful life. That's terribly important you ask about to private Charter Schools. I again here do not have a problem with private charter school so long as so long as they comply with not only the Robert the spirit of the law of our Charter School a program and let me give me an example. I don't agree with the way Edison schools went into Duluth and I've made a very strong point about that on the other hand Addison is also applying here in Minneapolis and is a meeting all of the requirements of the Minneapolis school board and the the requirements of the state law and I think they should have every opportunity to go forward if that is one of the options that ought to be provided. So it's a matter of how you do those kinds of things so long as we meet the standards of the law and and make sure that it's a public education system that is being held accountable by a public school board. Are you made it clear you're opposed to school vouchers, but what about existing tax credit deduction program, which allows parents to use tax money for individual tutors. Like would you like to see that program continue to expanded? What what do you think what we're going to do is continue that we're not going to make a change in that though. The people in the legislature came to grips with that and that is a matter is resolved. But I do not believe that we ought to be in a time where we need to reinvest Andrea reinvest significantly in our public education system. We are not be siphoning off public dollars into a private voucher system. I just don't think that helps and I'll tell you I am very strongly opposed to what I heard Mr. Coleman say a little more than a month ago, and he said that what we need is more competition in school competition just like the Vikings this weekend with competition you get winners and losers we cannot afford in our education system to have winners and losers. We need winners and winners. We need collaboration. We need cooperation. We need a full array of choice whether it's Community Schools Charter Schools magnet schools Alternative Learning Centers. All of those kinds of things within the public education system ought to be there and I believe that we can achieve that kind of flexibility. We also need the flexibility with our Independent School District because in order to meet the new standards that are established and I believe in those graduation standard some schools need to really emphasize smaller class size others may need technological Advance others may choose to reach those goals by all-day kindergarten. Those are all key bottom line. We need to make sure that we are improving the quality of our education. And by the way, the Humphrey Mo plant doesn't start at kindergarten it starts when that child is born literally making sure that we are supporting the effort in those first four years that are the truly critical years of formative years of a child's best opportunity to succeed profile of learning that program is kicking in this year. There has been talk Perhaps it should be slowed scrapped local options for school districts to participate. What do you think the school district local options and they all every single one of them chose to join in and I think that what we ought to hear as we ought to make sure there are opportunities for parents and teachers and a local officials to to work on those standards to see that they really comply and and meet the requirements of the students in that school district. Remember we have independent the word Independent School District. It's not there just as a word these are organizations and structures of our government that reflect the needs and interests of a local community. And so I can see that the the flexibility that ought to be provided is by the input making sure we have time for teacher training so that we know what those standards are all about and how to achieve those goals, but I I lie. The idea of setting benchmarks and establishing them. And by the way, I have zero attorney general. I've I've worked in another area where we use benchmarks to extensively the State Board of investment. And guess what we change the benchmarks from time to time. We monitor to see if they're really helping establish the kind of goals that we want to achieve that's where you need the input from the people that are actually right on the line doing the work the teachers the students and the parents. Skip Humphrey as our guests This Hour 1 week before Election Day, if you'd like to join our conversation, if you've got a question for mr. Humphrey to 276 thousand in the Twin Cities to 276 thousand outside the Twin Cities one 800-242-2828 or collars and this is John biewen on Tuesdays All Things Considered listen for a special report on welfare reform in Indian Country. How do you move welfare recipients into jobs when there are no jobs? It's going to be a disastrous. Some of these women have no alternative but to accept that cuz they have no income welfare reform at Red Lake Tuesday at 5:30. All Things Considered starts at 3 on Minnesota Public Radio k n o w FM 91.1 in the Twin Cities, Minnesota Public Radio is supported by Ecolab A supplier of cleaning and sanitizing products and services sunny skies are forecast for the state today with highs mid-sixties in the Northeast mid-70s in the Southwest Twin City forecast sunny with a high right around 70 degrees currently, it's fair and it's 63 in the Twin Cities by the way an invitation to join us over the noon hour. We're going off to the National Press Club today to hear from leading National anti-smoking activist C Everett Koop, the former Surgeon General and David Kessler former director of the US Food and Drug Administration. They of course are the co-chairs of this new Minnesota partnership for action against tobacco two hundred million dollars from the big toe. What supplement will be used to fund tobacco research in the like and you know, before we continue here, mr. Forgot to say you've got a big press conference coming up this afternoon. Is it related to what they're going to talk about? You want to give us a sneak preview? I know I can't do that. But I'll tell you let me just say that the ultimate goal of course is to make sure that the resources that are coming to us from the tobacco settlement are used in a significant way to help young people not get started in to help others who are addicted to get off of the smoking habit. I'm delighted to hear that you're going to have doctors Coupe and Kessler on the noon hour and I'm going to be listening carefully to that I what we want to do is to see not only 200 million in this next biennium But ultimately over a five-year period accumulate about a 650 million dollar segregated fund that will be used to Do the kind of world-class research and development of smoking cessation prevention programs that has never been done anywhere in the world. Minnesota will be able to lead the way here and we're going to have individuals helped us. So not only from the community and from around the world but also from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota. I think it's it's going to be an exciting opportunity to give one of the unique gifts that our generation can give to the first generation of the 21st century a better life a longer life a healthier life. That's that's something that I think all of us should be proud of being able to accomplish back to the phones. Now. Jeff has a question for mr. Humphrey. Go ahead Place Grand Prix. I read in the same Paul paper last week and I don't know if I understood correctly or not, but it sounds like you do smoke. I know they got that wrong. I did smoke when I was a kid for a little while but for better or worse, I didn't like it wasn't very sweet and I have a sweet tooth. So I quit that and not obviously from time to time. I've had a cigar I haven't had that more than 10 years and I'm off of it and I'm real glad I am thank you for your call. Let's move on to Scott who joins us from Bloomington. Go ahead sir. Thank you, Sir. Humphrey of regards capital punishment has been kind of a recent up swinging in favor of capital punishment is at least it seems to me and I have to confess to being ignorant on your position on capital punishment and recently saw one of your cat paw pads and was What kind of phone what was interested? So what am I to ask you to do is since we all have a tendency to evolve in her position. I'd like to ask you to tell us give us a little sketch of the history of your development on that and your public statements on that through your public positions on that what your current position is. Thank you very much. I've always been opposed to Capital Punishment and let me give you a basically two reasons. Why first I just I think that if you want Swift and certain judgment, do you need to make sure that you send people away for a long time who have committed heinous crimes and that's exactly what I initiated and supported where you have rape murders where you have police officers killed another no parole lifetime in prison done. You can get your appeal and be finished and one of the problems that I've learned about when I Spy To my colleagues of of AG's is that those who have the capital punishment at first of all, they have to hire a whole lot more lawyers because you have to work all the vast majority of people who are on on the in the capital punishment Arena, they are Indigent and so we not only play pay the defense cost but we pay the prosecution cost and all of the appeal car. So it goes on and on forever. I recall while I was in the legislature there were some experts that came to Minnesota as we were debating this issue in the legislature in the 70s. They indicated that it would be on average if we adopted that legislation that it would take anywhere between 12 and 14 years on average to actually execute an individual having having received the capital punishment to term to me that doesn't that doesn't provide for safety. That doesn't give you the certainty that doesn't give you the deed. So for all those practical reasons, I opposed it, but I can tell you more importantly I'm morally opposed it. It's wrong taking two lives is not right taking one life is bad enough. I think we can obtain the same kind of deterrence level and I we can do the kind of punishment that is necessary by saying you're gone and you're gone forever frankly. As far as I'm concerned send them up in a very cold place with a thin blanket concealed weapons, the the notion that it should be easier or at least more uniform across the state for people to receive a permit to carry a concealed weapon in the state. When I think this is one of the sharp contrast that I have with. Mr. Coleman, I'm absolutely opposed to that. I don't want to change our laws. If you need to have a concealed weapon. If you have a reason to have a concealed weapon there certainly is a way right now, and they're always has been for you to carry a loaded concealed weapon. Porter's argue though that it just depends entirely on where you live some places. It's much easier than a soda to get a permit other places virtually impossible. Well shouldn't there be a uniformity they're the same people that seem to have problems with that are the ones that say we are not to have this state control. We ought to have local control. That's exactly what we've got. We got local control Sheriff's if you don't like what the sheriff an elected that's that's what the deal is Gary. I mean this the fact is it's in the hands of a professional who is also responsible to the public and if that becomes a major issue in a county, I am absolutely certain that the sheriff will respond to it, but I'll tell you this when I was out there at the fair and you think about all those thousands and thousands of people walking those Avenues and having some of those carrying a concealed weapon. Is that going to create a greater amount of safety? I frankly think that creates a kind of Hazard. We don't want or need it just defies common sense and I got to tell you it's kind of going back to the 19th century. I want us to go forward to the 21st century. We don't need more handguns. We need less handguns on the street. Tickly when they're concealed now having said that I want to make sure that all your listeners understand. I'm looking forward to going hunting this fall. I love to hunt I go with my son and with friends and I enjoy the outdoors. I understand and know that individuals do collect and I have no problem with that. We're not asking to change any of the laws. We think the law works the way it does right now. We don't need that concealed and carry. Wayne is on the line now the question for dfl gubernatorial candidates. Skip Humphrey mystery. Only had a few questions in a couple questions ones on drugs ones on education and the education improved academic decreases the Arts. I don't know. I tell you this. I think we need to give our school districts of full opportunity in options to explore how they can best achieve the goals and standards that we have established Statewide whether it's block or whether it's team teaching or all year schooling. I all of those kinds of things I think need to be obviously reduce class sizes. All-day kindergarten those kinds of things need to be given as options and that's why mr. Moe's and my budget provides for that range of options that will allow and choices that will allow Independent School District's to really pick up on what they think will best allow them to achieve the goals that are established Statewide L your question. Appreciate that but I don't mean Prairie and my daughter is starting first grade has not does not have the option of getting a foreign language cuz we have caps in our amount of money. We can raise which kind of upsets me about respond on the cats. I appreciate that the metro area second thing. It's about the highways you talking about Mass amounts of people Twin Cities care about the highways and social engineering we had with 394 insane Lanes, which don't work in the pollution causes a sand road rage because people are stuck in traffic as opposed to building bigger better roads say that there's going to be a recession in Moneta don't give a little back and save money in the bank is only in 4th smoking if people are getting killed by drunk drivers. There's a lot more people getting killed by crazy as your 21 a lot of problems. Don't respond somehow listening preciate the responses suburban school know I've always thought I'd say this a little facetiously but frankly what I think we should have done in terms of that traffic as we should have sent to the current governor out there for an overnight and have him drive back for an 8:00 meeting. I all by himself. He'd find out exactly what's wrong with the freeways. There's no doubt that we have to improve our transportation system. We have to do it in a smart way and the I do believe that the light rail certainly has a role to play. We have to come to grips in a metropolitan area with the reaching a consensus on our land use and in the incentives to allow was to grow in a in a fashion that is compatible with a lifestyle that all of us believe in that's terribly important with regard to the Caps one of the things that we want. Do in our budget is to move up the the amount of state aid from 68% to 70. So that will reduce the pressure on your local property tax. I believe that we ought to give a look once again as to whether we need to keep those caps on if we're going to continue to provide a higher level of State involvement in the financing of the education system. Perhaps we ought to allow local school districts to make their own decisions in citizens that live there within those school districts. So I'm open to looking at that but you remember the cats were put on because an awful lot of people said we don't want to have more property taxes your issue about smoking 21 is an interesting idea. I frankly think we still got a lot of work to see that we enforce the laws up to 18. So we need to work on that first the issue of 21 may very well be addressed. Within the legislative session and I'm not necessarily opposed to that. I think really what is important is a strong educational effort from young adults and young people as well as adults and parents to understand how important it is to not get started back to the roads issue briefly in terms of road construction new highway construction highway repair and the rest would you support an increase in the gas tax to pay for it? I really don't think we have to do that in our in our budgets. We provide over 140 million dollars of additional new money into Transit and transportation for the state of Minnesota, by the way, not just the metropolitan area but a transportation system for all of Minnesota and that is to be leveraged with the significant new Investments of dollars being returned to us from the federal government. We believe that we can achieve the kind of Transportation in and Transit System. Goals by combining those efforts so I don't see the need at this point for a AAA increasing the gas text. I must say it's interesting. When when you ask people. Well, what about a guest text? They at least know what it goes for and while no one wants an increase in attacks, and I'm not interested in and I'm not going to support an increase in the gas tax at this point. The reality is it is a user tax and it's one that people acknowledge that it's being proper to use for the the goal of transportation and a year question, please I am over newspaper that you are opposed to using taxpayer money for stadium funding and I'm just curious to know. Why did you choose Rodger Moe for your running mate who flew around the state with Carl Poland to get the public support of public Stadium funding? Well, I am a post and so are the people in Minnesota. It's very interesting. If you ask the folks every time I meet with people I usually ask him how many of you want the twins to stay here. All the hands go up and how many if you want to pay for a stadium, no hands go up. The people have spoken the people don't like to be put up against the wall and threatened by the idea that if you don't build us one, we're going to leave here. Frankly the public made it abundantly clear. They said well if that's the case, we'll be seeing you but that's not the situation so I can tell you that I am opposed to it. I'm opposed to it myself as well as in response to the public Rodger moute did his level best to protect the interests of the people you remember we have a governor here that wants to have a stadium in the worst way at a time of Crisis by on our Farmland at a time of other kinds of very important needs our current governor course calzone a special task force for what a state. He's got the priorities all wrong. And so does Norm Coleman stadiums are last. In fact, there are less than last what's first is education Healthcare getting rid of crime and making sure that are working families have the resources and the energy and the ability to meet their needs. That's what's most important and Rodger Moe's going to be a strong partner with me, but he was there making sure that anything that was being adopted by that legislature was not on the backs of taxpayers that it was for those only that we're going to use it and he had to deal with a governor. Is there any circumstances whatsoever where you could see any public money being used to pay for a stadium? Well, let's put it this way. I think the commission's move to extend the lease for two years will give us some time to work with the business Community to see what the owners want to do is I give you an example in San Francisco. It has taken Which years they are now building a new stadium that stadium is surrounded with a new mall it they people of San Francisco rejected outright at least twice. The kind of funding that is being asked for here. Are they made it abundantly clear that they were not going to pay for this that it was going to have to come from either user or some other kind of flow and that's why the mall is there they have found a way to meet the needs of the team. But at the same time not put it on the backs of the taxpayers. I think that there could be some dialogue along those lines, but I can tell you I mean this all to be over and done with and I know there are those that will stand back and say oh there he goes he's waffling I'm not waffling. I want to make a bun at McClair. I'm not going to support that kind of funding for stadiums. We are going to see that if the twins want to see her by the way, I'm for the Quint. I love the twins. I love the quiz before they were the twins. They were the Senators I grew up with. I'm in Washington DC. So I don't want them to leave their good team. We would love baseball in this state. But by golly we're not going to do it the way it was proposed. So no public money or a different approach to using public money. I don't see any way that we will have that kind of public financing now. I don't see that Jim your question. Please talk about allowing for-profit hmos in Minnesota, and I just wanted to find out mr. Humphries position. I'll hang up on this and thinks all thank you for that question, you know Minnesota. I think it'd be rightly proud of the quality of healthcare that is here. And I know that there are some challenges obviously, I think that we need to have health care that that is and decisions that are made by doctors and patients, but I'll tell you in comparison to a many parts of this country in this world. We have a standard that a lot of people are trying to get a cheap. That's done through non-profit not-for-profit organizations. I believe we ought to keep it that way. The goal of these not-for-profits is to bring about good quality care. It's not to just respond to shareholders and the whims and fancy of a Marketplace. It is indeed to look at the longer range concerned that there's plenty of room for improvement on what we have but I don't think that the for-profit approach is the right way to go. Let's see. Let's get at least one more color on your Merry. Hi, I wanted to know what your view is about the relationship between concentrated poverty in the inner cities and suburban sprawl and what you would do to encourage more efficient use of resources and put a stop to the growing inequities caused by these throw patterns. And then also one other thing was just on with the Metropolitan Council since it has the third largest budget. I was just wondering if you support it being elected rather than appointed by the governor. When I first ran for public office in 1972 and was elected 1973. I was for an elected Council. I'm still for an elected Council. I agree with you that when you have those kinds of public dollars available for budgeting they ought to be responded to by an elected official that the public will have an opportunity to judge none her or his efforts to use those dollars wise like you're concerned about concentrated poverty in the relationship to the suburbs. I think it is very very important. I had a gentleman out at the fair yesterday. I say to me said I just I just moved here from Los Angeles. He said I cannot believe the level of concentration of poverty in your state. You have a beautiful stay here, but you've got some people were living in pretty tough poor situation. I would agree. It is time that we come to grips with us. We have got to achieve a much broader base of support throughout Community for affordable housing for the kind of educational opportunities we need a transportation that allows people to move from the inner cities to where the jobs are there are so many things that we can do that will not only overcome this problem but will create great opportunity for an expanded economy and a better life in Minnesota. I'm looking forward to working with you and others to achieve those goals couple of quick questions before we run if if the legislature to pass a a ban on partial-birth abortions, would Governor Humphrey sign that bill or veto it. Well, I ice it very clear that I let you know, I'm opposed to those kinds of abortion except where the the the life of the mother the health of the mother is at stake that that is terribly important and I think that sometimes it's a gets blown completely out of whack. I don't think there's anybody that that says if that's the right kind of thing but you know the choice of here and the opportunity for making those Very very difficult decisions needs to be between a woman and her doctor. That's that's what's really critical. So so I would not you know, I would not support anything that would completely ban and finally a longtime public supporter of Norm Coleman. You been of course like the other Democrats very critical of late. Why what changed besides his party affiliation? Well, let me ask you a question just as short as real question. I got it. I got a joke for you. Knock knock. Who's there Norm Norm who good question. Where is North? I thought I knew Norm Coleman. He was he's a friend of mine. He worked for me did good work. He brought forth a lot of ideas that I enjoyed working with and I gave him a lot of ideas somehow or another something's changed rather dramatically. We're going to have to talk about that. I hope I have the opportunity. I hope that your listeners are going to vote Humphrey mole on September 15th. It's very important that people get out to vote all these naysayers to say that's not going to be any voting. I know Minnesota we're going to vote. Thank you. Mister. I appreciate your coming in today dfl gubernatorial candidate. Skip Humphrey joining us today here in our mid-day program part part of our meet the candidates series. Now we're going to be rebroadcast seeing this program at 9 tonight. So if you tuned it later would simply like to hear from his trumpet again 9 tonight to rebroadcast tomorrow at 11. We're going to be broadcast Andre broadcasting the Minnesota news network debate featuring all the carrots that's being held this evening. We'll have it on at 11 tomorrow. And of course Sunday at 7. All five of the dfl candidates will be at the Fitzgerald theater. Hope to see you there for the big debate right before the election. I'm Ray Suarez President Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky is raised many questions about ethics and who gets to Define them last week. One of the president's political allies Senator Joseph Lieberman called The Affair Amaro. What does it mean to be an ethical human being should there be a shared understanding of honor and integrity will talk about what makes a person Morrow on the next Talk of the Nation? NPR news documentation begins at 1 this afternoon. I'm going to break for station identification now and then it's off to the National Press Club. We're going to hear from C Everett Koop and David Kessler. They'll be talking about the latest developments in the anti-tobacco effort Coop and Kessler coming up right after station identification.