(00:00:00) It's a few seconds past 12:00 noon now and we do have in our Studios Our Guest for today. She's yawns. Maybe the president of Spring Hill Center Spring Hill is a conference center. Just west of the Twin Cities where policymakers from many parts of the community can go to hash out ideas likes to place itself on The Cutting Edge of public policy dealing with emerging issues rather than ones that have been around for a while. The person who had Spring Hill must be able to deal with people who have widely Divergent viewpoints on some very controversial issues. Yawns. Maybe came to that job last fall after serving as director of Hennepin County Human Services Department and is Chairman of Minnesota's sentencing guidelines commission. So she is no stranger to controversy. We should also mention that yawns. Maybe is co host of the popular public affairs program Almanac on public television. If you can't quite place the name you've been on out in the outside the An area now for a couple couple three as we like to say in Minnesota. Couple three weeks. Yeah for three weeks. Yeah. I've been out there. Let's see I moved out in the country. So to speak after being a city kid most of my life in October and it's wonderful. It's wonderful. Well dogs are loving it. Oh I'll bet I'll bet out in the country to at Spring Hill. Yes, because that is a yeah Sylvan atmosphere out there. It's beautiful. It is beautiful Spring Hill sits on a hundred and five acres of Rolling Green pasture Woods, wild natural Prairieland. It is beautiful. Just beautiful. We have our own dear you hired as we hire the here to him out. It is lovely. It is. Absolutely lovely. Well you hire shout some very probably unlovely issues and also some controversial issues out there too, and we'll get into that. I want to re tell our listeners that we are taking their calls today if you have questions for yawns maybe and we are dealing primarily today. Spring Hill and public policy issues. And the number in the Twin City to call is 2276 thousand if you're calling from outside the Twin Cities, but within the state we have a toll-free number and that number is 1-800-695-1418. What are some of those issues that you're looking at today? It's vacuum. Well, we have a rather full agenda for 1987. Although new ideas. Keep coming up from a variety of sources throughout the state. And so what I will talk with you about today is probably going to be even greater two weeks from today, huh? One of the first things that will be tackling out at Spring Hill. This spring is a major conference a Statewide conference. It is going to be looking at AIDS not AIDS in the present but aids for years from now when the epidemic hits so to speak and when we may have anywhere from one thousand to twenty five hundred people in the state of Minnesota Afflicted with AIDS now those Numbers may not sound great, but they really are rather extraordinary in terms of not just the medical costs that those numbers will represent in terms of medical treatment, but frankly what suddenly going from a hundred and twenty-five people to maybe 2,500 people Afflicted with AIDS will mean for our social conscious our social fabric our educational institutions our employers our employees. So we have agreed to bring together people from across the state to develop a strategy that will allow us to be prepared to deal with reasonably rationally intelligently and humanely with AIDS and with Aid victims for years from now. So this is not something where you just have a bunch of people sitting around talking about. Oh my goodness. We're going to have a terrible problem, but actually working out Solutions in advance of that. Absolutely absolutely and in Much of what Springhill pursues we will always be looking a little bit toward the future and we will always be attempting to strategize in advance of whenever a problem may come upon us so that we are prepared and that we have given a time and thought and attention and the AIDS epidemic is a classic example of an issue that Spring Hill is dedicated to dealing with when you say we and bringing people together from around the state who are these people who are the we that's an excellent question and frankly the answer will vary depending upon the issue or the topic at hand Spring Hill is a non-profit institution indeed. It is the only nonprofit Conference Center really within the region. So there is a board of directors and that board represents people from the corporate Community the academic Community Social Service communities. They are an important source of identity. Buying who should be in attendance at various conferences at Spring Hill as well as being a group of individuals who influence through their own knowledge and experience what some of the issues will be that Spring Hill will address but I probably spend at least 50 percent of my time away from Spring Hill meeting with people with institutions agencies organizations gaining knowledge and insights from them as to what are pertinent issues. And also who needs to be in attendance at a particular conference AIDS. The AIDS conference that we are planning has an audience that we hope will be comprised of community leaders around the state who don't understand fully what AIDS is and what it may represent to their community in the future. We do not want in that audience people who are already experts on the subject because then we really are gaining nothing in terms of public understanding. In education, so we will specifically be going after Community leaders be they mayor School superintendents school health nurses heads of Chambers of Commerce from across the state and allow them to come together to learn and also to discuss in frankly debate because AIDS does raise a number of troubling issues in terms of individual rights versus the rights of our community and we need to have those aired and hopefully some resolution achieve so that as a community we will be really prepared and willing to support eight victims. Okay, that is one way that Springhill addresses. That's one of my big public policy question. If you want to put on your headphones, we will as they say on TV go to the phones but no teleprompters here know you're all on your own. We'll go to our first caller with a question for yawns. Maybe go ahead (00:07:02) please. Yeah, and I have it on very good authority that you want to be the first female governor of Minnesota. When can we look forward to that? And I encourage you in your efforts in that regard (00:07:12) now, here's a question. I wasn't going to add. I don't know who's good authority. That is that isn't my mother's Authority isn't first and foremost. Thank you because I do I do consider that a very high compliment. I have enormous admiration and respect for people who are willing to run for public office and serve in public. Office and obviously I come from a family background where politics is no stranger to me at all. But other than a brief moment for years ago when I seriously thought of running for a state senate seat my political Ambitions have always been for others never for myself. So at this point I've I've signed on with Spring Hill and I've made a commitment to work with that institution and to continue to be involved with public policy issues for the next several years and I simply don't see Politics on my Horizon on the other hand. You have never been known to turn down an opportunity when it presents its own. Oh that is that is true. That is true. That is true. We will go on to another caller. I don't think the governor Rudy perpich has an opponent quite yet no ready to announce. Okay. Let's go on to another caller with a question. Go ahead, please. (00:08:35) Thank you first. I'd like to thank you for the work you do through Spring Hill. I think it's very valuable. Then I'd like to know if you have any plans to studying Indian issues as a policy issue in the state It season it seems to me that there's a real vacuum, especially now that the Attorney General skip Humphrey is has been withholding financial aid to certain of the reservations on the basis of sovereignty issues that and their bees have public policy study about what the position of the stages versus the Indian inhabitants. (00:09:12) Excellent question. Yes, as a matter of fact, we have been having a number of discussions with respect to two things. Really number one Minnesota those still predominantly white and northern European is increasingly becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, which is marvelous and yet we also have a generation now within our midst that really did not grow up during the Civil Rights era and I think we must remain ever Vigilant to ensuring that the increasing diversity among the peoples who habitat Minnesota is respected is honored and frankly is also promoted and that the civil rights of people not ever be jeopardized by anyone in the state of Minnesota. So we are committed to looking at the increasing ethnic and racial diversity of Minnesota and celebrating it as well as ensuring that people be ever vigilant. That the rights of of our various cultures and races are not endangered the Native American population of Minnesota is one that has for a long time been of particular interest to me. Although I certainly don't share that interest alone. I am haunted as I think many people are by the fact that that remains overall one of our poorest populations in the state of Minnesota. It's intolerable. We need not allow Native Americans in the state to live in poverty. We cannot allow them to not achieve good education's they are rich people they are rich in culture. They have given us much and I do fear that in recent years. They have not received either the attention or the support which we as a community must provide them and which we I think not only is a community must provide them but in so doing would be enriched by their stronger and healthier involvement in our society as a whole. So yes, that is an issue that will be looking at one. There is a foundation in Minnesota known as the blandin foundation. It is located in northern Minnesota and it is pulling together groups of people to look at the issue of graduates high school graduates among Indians in the state of Minnesota. The number of Indian students who successfully graduate from high school is not nearly as high as for any other racial group much less the overall white population. That cannot continue isn't it close to a 50% dropout rate? Yes. It is indeed. Yes, it is indeed. And so that that is something which in concert with the blandin foundation. We hope to be pursuing at Spring Hill as well. Okay, yawns, maybe is president of the Spring Hill Conference Center. If you have a question for you on the number in the Twin Cities is 2276 thousand if you're calling from outside the metro area, but within the state the toll-free number is 1-866-560-4440 South Dakota or wherever you may be you can call us collected area code six one two, two two seven six thousand. We have another caller on the line with the question. Go ahead please (00:12:37) yes, I have two questions one's an easy one. What did you think of the Minnesota monthly article about yourself before you answer that? Let me ask my second question with all due respect who you and to your heart. Situation. I think it can has terribly elitist to cast to it. And I'm wondering that I really sometimes whether it's necessary to have another Conference Center. We've got the Hubert Humphrey Institute. We've got the Citizens League eccentric cetera, et cetera et cetera and be that as it may are you going to do anything about this as Leaders character by opening up your board of directors to somebody besides the Dayton's etc. Etc. Etc. (00:13:25) My well Arne Carlson has been quoted as saying that that Spring Hill is going to be deleted by my presence and he does that with a wink in his eye. I think frankly I will deal with that one first before I respond to the Minnesota monthly article. I think it important to remind everyone that Spring Hill was created in 72 so it actually came into being before the Hubert Humphrey Center and it has had a board that has always been comprised of people not just from the corporate Community, but from Community organizations, I think probably what has been a weakness of Spring Hills Through The Years. Um, excuse me, is that a lot of the frankly challenging invigorating programs, which it has pursued have not been publicized the community has been unaware of some of the people who have been out there meeting and Gathering and I assure you that the people who are present at Spring Hill by no means represent the elite of Minnesota. They by no means represent just the wealthier the privileged in fact Spring Hills greatest source of business in terms of use of the facility and its greatest number of participants in terms of the programming which Springhill sponsors comes from the nonprofit sector. So we have a wide variety of people in organizations at Spring Hill and involved in our programming who are anything but the elite or the privileged because you did mention the date and name. I feel a need to respond to that as well Minnesota. I think has been blessed by having a corporate Community overall that has been very dedicated to addressing in dealing with social problems and social issues. And so whether it be the Dayton's or any other Corporation, it is largely through their willingness in of both dedicating money as well as their resources to identifying problems that need attention and helping to solve those problems that we have in part of reputation as a rather enlightened and Progressive state in terms of the Minnesota monthly article. I will say right now Amy Age is an extraordinary writer. My she is a talented writer and I couldn't help but be pleased by the article though. Oh, it's an unbelievably self-conscious thing to read about one sells a lot of income goal in mind and one of the women with whom I work was reading the article ahead of me and I would shout out to her in the Next Room Mary Mary. Is it safe for me to go on but Amy is a talented writer and I think what happened in my reading the article about me was my becoming more impressed and really in awe an enchanted with her writing skills. Then what she had to say about but but but she did she get it right? Yes. She got it, right. She got it right now. She just wasn't what he did a fine job. Okay talking about going back to the issue of Spring Hill being elitist. I think that you know, maybe just the the setting that it's in your writing. Yeah, you know, it looks like it's out there in this little Paradise kind of Valley or something and people go out there to think Grand thoughts and then come back and then what happens that's right. Now that says do any of these things get implemented you were talking about the AIDS conference earlier and that remains to be seen but can you point to anything that has been discussed at Spring Hill that is now reality in terms of our public. Actually there have been there really have been a number of things by the way, the Minnesota sentencing guidelines commission, which was created in 1978. And yes, which I did chair at the time had its first meeting on the Spring Hill and often went back there many times in order to get a great deal of business done in part we can say Spring Hill is responsible for the guidelines whether one likes them or not. Yes things do get produced out there. Let me just give a couple of quick examples. The AIDS conference that we are planning out of that is going to come basically attend point for lack of a better. We like even numbers but no a 10-point plan for a To follow in assessing the extent to which they is a community are prepared to handle AIDS. We have another project that we are co-sponsoring with the Minnesota lawyers committee and it's a project about which I'm terribly excited. It is called the Minnesota protocol a group of Minnesota lawyers and doctors over the past three years have volunteered hundreds of hours of their time to develop minimum guidelines with respect to the medical and legal investigation of death by torture or assassination and this has already had some exposure to the International Community. It is already had some exposure to the United Nations it now needs to be finalized as a document published presented to the UN in addition people from around the world need to be trained in its use Spring Hill is going to bring the people from around the world to both finalize this document so that it can be presented to the UN and so that they may be trained in its use and while it will not solve the problems of Human Rights throughout the world. I think it will be a not insignificant contribution toward improving human rights. And so out of that meeting will indeed come a product Publishers have already been lined up to to publish it in a variety of languages and it will be heading from Spring Hill to the United Nations. Does this have any connection with the torture Center the no been hearing about no, although indeed some individuals who have been involved in this I believe. I've also been involved with a torture Center, but this has no no connection. So that is that is an example of a another project on which we are working mightily right now. Okay. We have some callers waiting on the line. I did want to ask you though. If If any of the issues that Springhill thinks are important are issues that the legislature is dealing with this year. Yes. Yes welfare reform welfare reform now admittedly that's not getting quite as much play as it was anticipated know before the session began and it is going to get some attention by the state legislature and indeed of course, we now have the president and we also have Senator Moynihan talking about welfare reform at the federal level and frankly. It is High Time says an old welfare person like me Spring Hill is going to be very involved on a number of fronts in terms of working toward welfare reform to a certain extent. We have to be realistic most of our welfare programs are controlled by the federal government and thus in terms of achieving fundamental reform. We will be largely dependent on the federal government taking action, but there are indeed a number of things which we can do within the state. So we are going to be working on employment training programs for welfare recipients in Joint training programs for Youth and for teen mothers. We're also going to be looking at the issue of education and dropouts indeed. There is a proposal that teen mothers who apply for afdc Aid to families with dependent children not be allowed to drop out of school if they are to secure afdc monies. That is all very well and good. There are a few of us. However who are on a campaign not to allow really any children to drop out of school in Minnesota. We still allow children at the age of 16 to drop out of school. Legally. I think we have the right to ask the question. Why why do we still allow that when we pride ourselves so on our educational system And it is true that Minnesota has the highest graduation rate of any state in the Union. We've held that honor for actually a number of years. But if one looks at the welfare rolls in the state of Minnesota and particularly in my home county of Hennepin County, we find that over 40% of our afdc recipients do not have a high school degree or do not have a GED. I think that is shocking. I think it also very telling in terms of what Bleak future is available to young men and women who are unable to graduate from high school. So that is another Arena that we are going to be pursuing through our programming at Spring Hill. So when you look at welfare reform you look at underlying issues for welfare rather than approach the system itself again in absolutely there is a system itself, but there are also underlying issues and then there's the role of of the community that goes beyond just government we will be looking at ways in which the The private sector through its benefit packages. It's hiring practices may be able to address some of the related employment and training needs of the poor so that people become more able to secure employment and maintain employment rather than have to turn to welfare for assistance particularly when it comes to dealing with such issues as child care. Okay, we are talking today with yawns. Maybe who was president of the Spring Hill Center located in Orono. It's a place where people go to talk about public policy issues. We have a caller on the line right now with a question for yawns, maybe go ahead (00:23:21) please the last question are raised in a sense with the question. I'm going to put you in this me that since 1972 Spring Hill has been kept under a bushel speaking. Most people don't know what it is or what it is about to do and what do you plan to do? To make it more make the community in the state more acquainted with your programs. (00:23:47) Well, we're going public I shall worship me. I acknowledge that. I wish you would I told her yesterday that I would ladies and gentlemen, you must know that that was my mother who just called constantly watching you is she is indeed. She will she will ensure whether she will in she will remind me to night whether I had any dangling prepositions or split infinitives, but actually she raises a very good question and as always is probably my both my strongest critic in my strongest supporter Spring Hill and its programming and its efforts needs to be made more public. It needs to become better known throughout not just the Twin City Community, but throughout, Minnesota. And we are going to achieve that through a number of through a number of strategies first and foremost. We will be publishing information following every meeting and Conference that we sponsor at Spring Hill and make sure that that has very wide distribution such as the Citizens League absolutely such as the Citizens League does. Secondly we also have relationships with ksjn public radio and the public policy unit. And also with of course Katie CA and the Minnesota public television network and through those relationships. We will hopefully have them cover some of our events some of our speakers broadcast live or a broadcast through a tape delay some of the activities that are happening out at Spring Hill we intend to be fairly aggressive in the issuance of press releases so that again people know who and what is happening at Spring Hill. Ultimately, we will not only be producing a newsletter but it is our hope to produce a publication document. So there is much that is on our agenda in terms of spreading the word about who is up to what out at Spring Hill and as a result, by the way getting people's reaction to what is going on out there. We have a board that is dedicated to pursuing Innovative challenging issues and ideas and is not at all afraid of controversy. And I think that is what makes my days at Spring Hill. So appealing is the I is is the knowledge that we shall have a lot of diversity. We shall have a lot of debate and we will at times perhaps have that roof shaking a bit because of some of the arguments that may take place within the halls of Spring Hill and that is very very good. Okay another caller with a question for yawns. Maybe go (00:26:36) ahead. Hi, I'm safe. From there to the noontime ksjn program in some time ago. I heard yawns maybe give a speech. I guess it was on ksjn to legislators on welfare and things like that. And what occurred to me as a time was the only thing I know about this person. This is she's a TV host and I'm sure she didn't appear in a puff of smoke like Vanna White, but he must have had a life before that and so my question is basically what qualifies her other than being a very bright and articulate person to to discuss these issues and to raise them and to bring them up into for instance speak speak to legislators in that way. Has she been in Academia or has he just always been involved in public policy or just exactly who the heck is? (00:27:30) Okay. I think I think we can turn that around and maybe the question should be as what qualifications do you have to be on television because it's really you come from the other side of the fence. Indeed. I do indeed. Certainly. Thank you for that. Thank you for that. Turn that around I have absolutely no qualifications to be on television at all. As a matter of fact, I'm the most I had ever thought in terms of being public was radio. I always thought radio was just wonderful because you all have these incredibly fantastic voices and nobody sees you reject great. I think that's marvelous. I I have I have spent the past 14 years working in government and working on public policy issues. I guess I cut my teeth in the criminal justice field. I spent 10 years working in that Arena. I worked with issues involving Juvenile Justice adult Justice correction sentencing law enforcement. I was a budget analyst I've been a lobbyist actually throughout the 14 years, but for a period of about two years, I literally was a full-time lobbyists on Austin Human Service issues for Hennepin County and then I was appointed as director of the economic Assistance Department in Hennepin County, which is one of two welfare departments. It is the financial side of welfare. And so I headed up that department for four years and two I guess answer directly the the listeners question. It was because of my work in welfare that I had been invited by the legislature to address them on the issue of welfare reform. I should say. However that what what right have I to be talking about any of these issues. I hope my right to do so is as great as is the listeners and anybody who's listening in other words. I think we all have a right indeed. I believe we all have an obligation to to not only talk about these issues but to try and become as informed as we can about the various issues. Well, how big a role do you play at Spring Hill in determining? What issues are going to be discussed there? I Seeds insignificant, but by no means do we believe it's Spring Hill that we somehow have the collective wisdom to set the agenda for Public Policy discussions indeed. We are largely influenced by what other people in the community be they citizen groups or think-tank institutions such as for example, the Humphrey Institute what they think is important. We are developing a process. Whereby we're going to bring together people from around the state who are involved in what is known as issue scanning, which is a sort of a fancy term for looking at the Horizon and based on Trends. We're seeing in our demographics Trends we're seeing economically what are some of the issues that may be confronting us within the next decade and when we bring together those people they are incredible Fountains of not only information but creative thinking and they largely influence. What ultimately ends up on the agenda at Spring Hill see look at yourself as a researcher a little bit of that ili's are and an organizer and a convener one of the things which we do do well as we do we've done very well in terms of bringing again diverse people together and sharing with them. Hopefully very good inaccurate information and and and staging the event in such a way that there will be there will be diverse thoughts and opinions shared and hopefully some consensus arrived at and achieved. Okay, two two seven six thousand is the number to call in the Twin Cities area. If you have a question for yawns maybe today if you're calling from outside the metro area, but within the state the number is 1-800-695-1418 have to keep my curiosity at Bay here and let our listeners go. We've got a full Bank of callers. Go ahead please with your question. (00:31:38) Yes as Isis. Do you watch her and problems? However, I would be interested in knowing how the Spring Hill operation evaluates the results of the investment in time money people energy and so on that goes into the symposia ETC that are held out there for example, can the center identify how many people in what particular area have in the quality of their existence improved as a result of and a study or an action of Spring Hill. (00:32:24) Excellent question. It is a very tough thing to evaluate. I think it is. Probably one of the constant pressing questions. We ask ourselves at Spring Hill. How do we know what kind of impact we're having on this community indeed. There are some seminars symposiums conferences, which have been held there through the years that have led directly to changes in laws changes in policies are guidelines of both corporations or of government there have been a number of agencies and institutions that were created out of discussions that were held at Spring Hill, but we still always ask ourselves. How do we know that what we are doing is making a difference. I will never sell short bringing people together to learn and to share ideas and to debate and discuss Among themselves. I will never sell that short as something which does not make a difference. It does we have I think a tremendous need in the society to not only ensure that we are well informed and that we are dealing with factual information, but that we are open to the Views and ideas of others. So in at times if that's all that happens at Spring Hill that is in itself a contribution if 100 people walk away with a better understanding about let's say welfare than they had before they entered the Spring Hill doors. Then I say we have made a contribution on the other hand. If indeed let's take the AIDS project that we are that we will be engaged in this year. If indeed we have communities throughout the state who will now not only be given good information but actually given a blueprint as to how they can ensure that their institutions are ready and able to deal with be at One or 108 victims in their community that is a contribution. So we attempt to show that investment of not only money but time at Spring Hill activities will lead to some results. Always however, remembering that sometimes just better informing the people who are there about the issues that are confronting us in our state is in and of itself. I think not an insignificant contribution. I think would be very difficult to evaluate how much impact Spring Hill has since these issues are that is not the only place these issues are discussed. Not at all is not a vacuum out there after all it isn't at all and at times Spring Hill is a stage that is how I describe it at times. We are a stage for the ideas or the work of others and what we do is bring people together to make sure that they are exposed to the ideas or the work of others and thus we are stage or platform again that has value but it may not necessarily need to lead to a new law. Okay another caller on the line with the question or a comment for yawns. Maybe go ahead (00:35:34) please okay on I have been asked. Home others were four months now and what I was thinking of is sort of a retreat for stay-at-home parents with their children up at the center in the issues. I'd like to see addressed are like moms and isolation and self-esteem. Does that make any sense? (00:35:56) So does that ever looking at a mom your mom to be? Oh, yes. Does that make sense and indeed? I have talked to so many women. I must say that although a few men as well. But but largely women who have identified that as something that they would see being a real value. Yes. We've been thinking about that. We don't have anything immediately planned, but I think it is something that would fill a real need among women and particularly women in this in this community. Would you come Paula I sure would because you know, I've also been convinced that it is a public policy issue. It is sooo. Tony Bowser has been on our are right here saying that crime the prevention of crime starts in the home at a very very early age. And of course the parent is the one for responsible for raising that child Don Fraser and Darvon freezer. Both of said virtually the same thing. Yes, it is a so, no it is it is raising children are very I you see II do not have children and occasionally, I think because of the publicity I receive and some of the work that I'm involved in there are those who wonder how I can possibly do all I do and I quickly remind them that I do not have children. I have extraordinary admiration for the woman who has the responsibility for rearing children and who met at that time also have to be outside the home working, but even if they aren't outside of the home working I can think of very few contributions that are greater in this world than raising good healthy strong children. Well child care, of course is it is a great big issue now in the corporate community and the government world all over the place because of the number of women who are working now is that one of the things this thing Hills? Yes, that is one of the things we would really like to be able to address when we look at the private sectors role in addressing welfare reform the extent to which more of our corporations and frankly. I shouldn't just say private sector because it involves government entities as well. But the extent to which our employers across the board if not able to provide child care on site which can be a very tricky thing to do to what extent can we begin to find ways to benefit packages of subsidizing child care. It is an absolutely critical issue. I think for all parents. It is a specifically critical issue for women who are on welfare with children their ability to work even part-time is often made Impossible by virtue of having no access to childcare thus if we hope to have any make any inroads in terms of reducing Reliance on welfare dependency are on welfare programs. We must increase the availability of childcare. Alright more callers waiting on the line with questions for yawns maybe and we will go on to the next person. (00:39:05) Hello. I'd like to allude to a couple of phenomenon one of which kind of touches you personally and get your comments. And then a question first is the the media celebrated holiday sort of thing that you in the last few months particularly have been I don't know subjected to or whatever. They say. The second is those elections whose outcome seems to be based on how people feel about the candidate rather than whether they agree with the candidate on the position, you know his position on the issues or whatever. I'm curious. If you have any ideas on what psychological need underlies these two if they're related at all. And is it unduly being exploited or and is it a (00:39:45) problem? Well, let me deal with the ladder first. But but I met her qualify this by saying you're now about to hear you're now going to hear us maybes this may be his personal philosophy about how we elect our political leaders. I think that there is no question that in the last decade in particular we feel I'm not sure if this is in reality really happening, but we feel as if we may be influenced more by the the media hype of a political candidate as opposed to the candidates stand on a particular set of issues and that is just because we've become such a society of imagery and of images. I ideally wish that we could elect individuals based largely on their stand on issues and less on their Are their makeup and their personal style and Charisma, but then I'm being terribly naive and saying that for indeed I suspect I am like most people I am hungry for leadership. I want to be inspired. I want to be able to place my trust and confidence in someone in terms of their thinking and in terms of they're doing and thus I will often judge a person I suppose like most of us by how they sound and how they behave and how they indeed use their Charisma to attract my support and perhaps listen a little less to the specifics of their positions on issues. I do worry, however about about the fact that we may be swayed by advertising as opposed to hearing are people who run for office live and uninterrupted in public forums and debates in terms of the own the attention I've received recently. I think it is humbling in many respects. It is certainly been flattering because today it's been positive. But yeah, I am a private person and thus a little wary about people learning too much about yawns. Maybe other than what publicly is a person's right to know. I also because I come from a family that was involved in politics throughout my life. I have learned. The lesson well that Fame is very fleeting and fame is very fickle. And if one believes too much in what is written about one? I think you're in a lot of trouble so keep it in perspective. And that's what I try and do let me ask you with your background in politics your family background how you see today's politicians. Do you think that they are less effective than the people who may have been around when you're your father your mother were involved. Well, I think I don't know if they are less effective, but I think their job is exceedingly more difficult. I was involved in politics as I think we saw that major transition from really the politicians emerging from two parties either Democrat or Republican and standing on a platform in generally debating, perhaps a half a dozen issues and identifying themselves at most by party. And occasionally by some additional labels such as labor endorsed or not to now our candidates running for office having to respond to an endless stream of special interest groups. It is exceedingly difficult. I think for anyone who runs for public office today to not only be as responsive, but I think it is also much more difficult for them to deal with the issues of today given the competition among the special interest groups for not only the candidates attention but also often for well, let me put it this way candidates now are subjected much more to threats of no support if they disagree with a special interest group on a single issue and clearly 15 or 20 years ago. That was not the case when one ran for office, so I think it was much more difficult. Maybe you don't want to go into politics. We have lots of callers remaining on the line. So we will go to the next one. Go ahead please. (00:44:43) Yes. I have one question with two parts to it. And I posed this question perhaps to clarify the relationship between the elite and policymaking group such as yours. The question is this can you get the elite especially the elite from our beloved war-making corporations here in Minnesota to sit down at Spring Hill and make plans for Rapid conversion to Peaceful production. And then the second part is can you help them to rapidly Implement those plans? (00:45:11) What a challenging question there. There have been as a matter of fact just in the past few months a couple of gatherings at Spring Hill though. We were not directly involved with them of people who have been looking at some of those issues are related issues. Is that at this time on the agenda for Spring Hill? No, it is not although we are involved. In sponsoring along with members of the Humphrey Institute this Fallen International Conference that is going to be looking at ways in which we can more effectively enhance, I guess International cooperation on fronts other than the political. You've raised an issue. I've marked it on my brain and I suspect we'll be carrying it back with me to to test it in the waters of Spring Hill. It's a good question and it is a good issue and it is one that clearly is very much part of I think the community dialogue right now on War and Peace. Does Springhill put itself on the line and taking a position on issues know the board of directors does not they remain neutral they do not adopt positions on issues at all. And I am glad for that because I think we're Spring Hill to begin to adopt formally positions on issues. We then obviously become identified as perhaps having a particular bias. I never want anyone to feel uncomfortable walking into the door of Spring Hill regardless of what their position is on an issue or their philosophy that is its point. There are too many institutions where people may feel that they cannot have a fair hearing because that particular institution has adopted a position at Spring Hill we will not have done that we intend to ensure as a matter of fact that at every conference we have that there are diverse opinions being shared. For example, we will be looking at the issue of sex education and contraceptive distribution. That is going to be probably on our agenda either at the end of 87 or the beginning of 1988. Now that is going to be real issue is very controversial and there is no way we are going to address that issue with like-minded people only in our audience. We intend to have people there who have wildly differing and strongly held opinions on that issue, but it needs to be addressed it needs to be discussed. And we want to be the form that pulls those people together and gets that issue out on the table in the differences aired and debated with the hope that if not immediately in time. Some consensus will be forged so that we do a better job than we do now in wrestling with the issues that swirl around sex education and contraceptive distribution. Okay. Another caller with a question for yawns, maybe go (00:48:08) ahead. Yes. I'd like to know how long you've been doing your work and what really got you started at (00:48:14) this. Well, I've been at Spring Hill since October of 1986. So I've been there but for months but I have worked in public policy and with public policy issues for really actually since 1970. So what is that now 16 years going on seventeen right Evan teen? Yeah quite a while. Do you think that it was your family background? No question about us area. No question about Impala. My mother was very much involved when I was a child and throughout really my childhood was very involved in community issues and she was very involved in politics. My father was involved in the Co-operative movement and as children our house was filled with political talk and was filled with a variety of people from around the world as a matter of fact, so I it was maybe in my bloodstream. I'm not sure what but it is it working with public policy working in public policy and wrestling was public policy issues. Not only challenging but and at times very frustrating but extremely rewarding and Spring Hill is a marvelous place for me to be at this time in that we deal with everything from agricultural issues to perhaps issues dealing with the zoo. I mean, we we have we have the ability and the freedom to address any number of things. So I'm learning every day and that I can't think of anything better than each day to still be learning from people and from from other resources. It sounded like a younger call it did and I'm guessing that maybe she wanted to know what kind of educational background get yourself into the well I tell you other than holding a record for having skip more days in high school than anybody else. Oh no Patty Ritchie shaking her head. She tell you I think I for some of my teacher That was the bane of their existence. I am I was rather particular about what I liked and did not like in school and I'm afraid I used to walk in one door and out the other and go sit on the riverbank and eat apples. When I was growing up. Did you do that too? Oh, I am now surrounded by I'm glad to know I wasn't alone in any case. I'm glad my parents are like I ultimately graduated from the University of Minnesota and my background is in English literature because there was a time in my life when I wanted to be a poet and I still love poetry very very much but I learned I wasn't going to be a poet and be able to eat it. That's right and be able to eat if you understand and so ultimately I ended up I spent some time studying International Affairs But ultimately I ended up also with a degree in something called Urban studies and that was looking obviously at Urban issues and urban public policy events and issues. So I have a somewhat eclectic background educationally. Okay, we have some time for some more calls and it's a good thing because there are lots of people waiting. We will go on to the next person. Go ahead. (00:51:29) Hello. I am I on the air. Yes, you're on the air. Well, you've given me quite a lead-in for my question. I must say but first I want to thank you for these Noonday programs. I find them very interesting and stimulus and I'm also happy that Ian is that Spring Hill? This is my assumption and I should say that my background is in education there seems to me to be a lack of understanding of the long-range implications of our public policies and what we expect of our elected officials and I wonder if some of this can be due to the fact that we've allowed students to focus on their education too narrowly and if there isn't a need to broaden the scope for instance with more literature music history sociology. I was in so forth (00:52:17) Bravo. Yes. I personally believe that but I think increasingly more and more people throughout throughout our society are recognizing that indeed that is that is essential. I am struck by the fact that it increasingly as I talk to employers and particularly in the corporate community that they express a hunger for the more well-rounded educated student in terms of liberal arts. Having had a background perhaps not so much in just business or just economics but but having a background in the Arts in literature and in language, we are internationally. Perhaps one of the most ignorant people I think in the world that is a crime and it shouldn't be that way. I do not speak a second language fluently. I should and every one of us should and I should not be ignorant about the world around me of which we are so much a part. So on a personal level I say three cheers to what your you are expressing and I also feel that within our own community that is becoming recognized as essential. One of our reporters just did a story. However that said yes, it is the chief executive officers of companies who say that they want more well-rounded individuals and people educated in the liberal arts. But the the actual hiring of people is still done for their technical skill that's or there and that is true. They're narrow field of expertise. So it's still a problem there. We have a some more callers will go on to as many as we can get about 5 minutes remaining in the program you are (00:55:08) economic requirements and not the students need (00:55:14) What can I say to that? I mean you see there's there's a voice a voice of both experience and a voice expressing an opinion and I think one which has been and will continue to probably be expressed at educational forums. We hold out at Spring Hill. It sounds like he's saying there needs to be a shake-up absolute our educational system. And I know that there are other people out there saying that same thing you're going to get them together and Shake It Up we actually have been doing that Spring Hill is just come off of that's not good grammar. Excuse me mother at Spring Hill has just completed a three-year. I have to do that. Now a three-year program that has been dedicated to looking at educational reform issues and indeed did Issue a report, but we will continue to be examining educational reform out at Spring Hill. We have a number of projects underway in that Arena as well. Okay. I think we're going to try one more caller. All right, I'll try and be brief. Okay, you're doing very well. Go ahead, (00:56:10) please. the top of that you're discussing the current administration of the University of Minnesota has been criticized lately for its past actions and its present policies our differences all the way from the dissatisfaction forms tab with the changes in the agriculture extension service all the way through problems in the student body my question is has the center done in research on this and if so what are the results and what other not answering yes to that what do they plan to do any critique of the University of Minnesota and if so who they listen to and how will they get that type of information out to people (00:56:50) let me repeat that since we had a pretty poor telephone line there I think basically the question is are you going to be taking a look at the University and how effective it is we have not done that really in the past in terms of specific format Springhill I would I will share with you right now that given all the debate that is going on around commitment to focus particularly now in the halls of the legislature I am personally very Tempted to bring folk together from the legislature and the university and have at least a day session at Spring Hill to sort out some of the issues as well as some of the complaints but I'm not going to have the opportunity I think to do that this session. You've raised an issue and that is depending upon what the legislature adopts our does not adopt in terms of the commitment to focus program that that Ken Keller at all are pursuing might spring. He'll move in and say let's evaluate that it's a good question again. Maybe it's a new idea for us that we had not otherwise contemplated. I think that with that we are going to wrap up the call in portion of the program. I'm sure that if people want to say anything more to you they can reach you out. It's bringing us together during the day. Anyway, this is of course Friday and we have to remind our listeners who are all over the state of Minnesota and our region that they can now see yawns maybe and Almanac the public television program. That is one such high accolades. Thank you on seven o'clock tonight. That's right lives. Yeah seven o'clock life and then we repeat it here in the Twin Cities Sunday morning, but Statewide it's live at seven o'clock tonight. Do you know what Paul that one person called to ask how tall I was. You've raised an issue and that is depending upon what the legislature adopts our does not adopt in terms of the commitment to focus program that that Ken Keller at all are pursuing might spring. He'll move in and say let's evaluate that it's a good question again. Maybe it's a new idea for us that we had not otherwise contemplated. I think that with that we are going to wrap up the call in portion of the program. I'm sure that if people want to say anything more to you they can reach you out. It's bringing us together during the day. Anyway, this is of course Friday and we have to remind our listeners who are all over the state of Minnesota and our region that they can now see yawns maybe and Almanac the public television program. That is one such high accolades. Thank you on seven o'clock tonight. That's right lives. Yeah seven o'clock life and then we repeat it here in the Twin Cities Sunday morning, but Statewide it's live at seven o'clock tonight. Do you know what Paul that one person called to ask how tall I was.