Good afternoon is 12:04 with news from Minnesota Public Radio on Greta Cunningham State lawmakers and their families pack the first floor of the governor's mansion this morning for a breakfast reception to kick off the 1999 legislative session Senate Majority Leader Rodger, Moe says Governor Ventura's events. That's a nice tone for the session more or less a ceremonial week after that the the very tough task of making laws and making decisions come and so it's good to have a little fun as we leave because it's going to be hard work after this Republicans control the Minnesota house for the first time in over a decade Democrats control the Senate and Minnesota has the nation's first reformed party, governor.2nd District Congressman David Mindy is holding a series of town meetings to discuss ways to help hog farmers, and he met with farmers in Glencoe this morning last week. The price of Slaughter Hogs was Nineteen cents a pound in Sioux Falls up $0.10 from the 42-year low of $0.09 set last month over these prices remain far below the cost of raising Hogs and he says the strike in Canada puts pressure on us hog market because thousands of hugs from Canada come to the u.s. For processing the forecast for the state of Minnesota today calls for a chance of snow around the region. It will be cold today with hives from the single digits above zero in the Northeast to the teams in the Southwest flight snow is likely in southern Central and Northern Minnesota. It will be very cold later tonight with lows ranging from 15 below zero in the far north to near zero in the south at this hour Rochester reports lights. No one floor below zero. It's cloudy in Duluth and 4 below zero light snow continues to fall in Fargo with a temperature of 1 above and in the Twin Cities lights. No a temperature of 0.Update umbrella Cunningham, but I can grab a 6 minutes and I'll pass 12. Good afternoon. Welcome back to mid-day on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary eichten. Well, I guess this hour is the new governor of the state of Minnesota. Jesse Ventura was officially sworn in yesterday and today he is spending his first full day as Minnesota's 38th or 37th Governor depends on how you count this morning. He held a reception for Minnesota legislators this new it's your turn to talk with the governor. So we sure invite you to give us a call. Alright Twin City area number 651-227-6009 to get used to the new area code. 651-227-6000. Side the Twin Cities 1-800. +242-282-865-1227 6000 or 1 800 242. 2828 Governor. Thanks for coming in today by Gary nice to be here today. My pleasure. Now I haven't seen you for a couple of months predicted my victory here after you one so I was on I did go out on a limb then now you look the same idea feel the same official Governor. I've got to stay the same person as the old thing you do. What brought you here? And so I'm going to stay the same person probably wear suits a little more than I'd care to but then again I can dress the way I want to now I don't have to seek re-election or do any of that so jeans and t-shirt might be that the uniform of the day at a few times here to also because I am very comfortable that way with tennis shoes and jeans and t-shirt day. Do I take the official holds the amino after all this long build-up in the all the surprises of of the year and finally yesterday you raised your hand. Actually was a relief because it's been so hectic from November 3rd. We're truly your life gets turned upside down even beyond what I believed it. Could you know the night that I wanted became the governor elect and from that point on it's been 12 to 14-hour work days, you know at the Capitol dealing with commissions budgets appointments getting acclimated going out to the different departments meeting the department heads and all that. So it really was almost a relief to go there and now officially be doing what what I should be doing and you know, I'm going to throw it out cuz you know how I am I pathetic situation pathetically here if we can for a moment if either Amaya to opponents had one all during that transition, they would have been paid. Attorney general mayor, they would have continued to collect public salaries and I guarantee you they couldn't have done their jobs because I just finished this transition. And it was 12 to 14 hours a focused everyday at doing the transition. And again, it's the unlevel playing field to the person in the private sector. I'm on paid from November 3rd till yesterday and yet if either of my opponents at 1 they would have been paid for their work not really their work. They have been paid for what they used to do. Just like what I complained about during the election. Why do you suppose there's been so much interest in your in your inauguration day after the initial shock of November 3rd, cuz I understand that but goodness gracious sir reporters everywhere. Everybody's all a dog of well, I think it's the fact that I came out of nowhere. No one gave me a chance. If you want to call it the typical Rocky Balboa story where you know, they knew I wouldn't quit. They knew I'd give it my all but no one gave me a chance all the quote unquote experts were wrong. And I think that it is the Underdog Story always plays well with the press send the media because it gives them to you know, something to get their teeth into and it gives him a great story. And so they've been capitalizing on it and I think beyond that to Gary is the fact that we have the highest voter turnout in the United States, which we can be very proud of you in Minnesota still not up to Snuff as far as I'm concerned. It could be even higher and second of all. Brought in so many disenchanted voters people who had left the system would given up on it as well as even more than that. This big number of young people the young people came out and voted in Minnesota more than any other place in the country. So I think it's that phenomena a little bit that had that has the media very much ahead and all parts of the world Japan and all over the world are looking up this because as many countries face apathy all of a sudden he hears Minnesota and that we don't have any lack of apathy going on here right now mentioned that yesterday during the inaugural address talked about that young people keeping them involved. How do you do that? I mean, once it once all the hoopla dies down a little bit. Then you go back to a fairly routine existence is governor in the legislative aide will see will 5 out of course won't maintain it to the peak level that it was a prior to the election of the novelty of it and all that but we had a meeting and I talked about this in my address with we brought in 13 citizens across the state of Minnesota that we're we're not they were randomly pick but not randomly picked that they weren't pick just if they voted for me. That wasn't what we were looking for. Tell us why you voted for Jesse Ventura know we brought them in they read the first time voters or the they were people who hadn't voted in 5 consecutive elections and we brought them in and ask them the question. How do we keep you involved? And they their answers were very clear honesty and I think in light of what we're watching in Washington today, that is a very big word called being honest and when they say honest they were very clear to and saying this doesn't mean we want you to tell us necessarily what we want to hear. We just want you to be truthful. And another thing was brought out how they were alienated. They said it's the same thing every four years. The politicians come out. They give you all this cool rice stuff that you listen to all the way till they get elected. They said then you don't hear another thing about it until four years later when they bring up the exact same things again over and over and over again, and they said we're tired of it. We're tired of it. Lots of callers on the line here. But before we get to our first I have to ask you one more question. What in the world is who you mean? Yeah. That's a greeting. That's a greeting on the inner circle greeting of all Navy frogmen and Navy Seals in that Special Forces Navy Community. If an instructor Like Chief. Moytoy who was there yesterday if he were to drop me for push-ups, the only way I can get recovered and stop doing them and get back to my feet is when I've done whatever the required amount happens to be. I have to give him a hooyah instructor Moy. And unless that's who you are as a company need. I'll still be down there doing push up. So it's a word it's a it's a made-up word that had maybe it's part of Jesse speak now and it'll probably come become traditional here in Minnesota, but that's where it comes from. Just to clarify. So you'd be doing like so you do your hundred push-ups and when you got to a hundred then you yell who you are and if he didn't yell who Ya Back Her. Me and you'll be back in your feet. Are you back? Because you're a train eat your a tadpole. You're not a frog man who ya goes up but doesn't come back out. It's right pretty much covered Jesse Ventura as our guests this hour Jessica your question for the governor. Please years old and in 1998. I am married the man of my dreams and had a baby and we bought our first home and now my husband works as a full-time program coordinator for developmentally disabled home and he makes 8:15 hour and he doesn't get any insurance for us to get insurance for our family would cost about $60 less than our mortgage that we pay for our home and recently we took our daughter to the doctor cuz she was constipated and they said it will bring her and bring her in so we took her in and he charged us eighty bucks to tell us not to feed her rights apples or bananas for about a week and later after we paid the bill. Best thing in the mail saying that they would waive any money that our insurance company didn't pay that. We would oh and that kind of made me mad cuz it said that they would have taken sixty bucks for something. We paid 80 bucks for and basically my question is best might like to know why I know your kind of against social programs. Why wouldn't you support given our situation is getting on Minnesota Cara program that could help us out for a year until my husband who has a degree in biology. Can I get a job that maybe a l'opera some insurance and make it a little less money for us every month with you. But again, you have to remember government cannot always be their government is not your parent, you know, when decisions you make in life, you have to be able to stand up and accept the responsibility of those decisions and career moves Family Planning and things of all that nature you make those decisions and certainly I support government being there to help the people that need Help but I also want the people to understand that they need to stand on their own two feet and they cannot just be dependent upon government and what people need to clearly understand is this and I've said it during the campaign and I guess obviously I need to continue to say it government doesn't create $1 of money when government give somebody money. They took that money from someone else. So always remember if you're receiving something from the government the government took that from someone else to give to you Minnesota Care Program. Would you like to see it continued as it is now or I'm not an expert on and I certainly I think that there has to be a safety net out there. But I also believe in competition and I believe that in the healthcare industry by socializing medicine. It might be a good Band-Aid temporarily but in the long run, I think it's going to be a major detriment as it is to me and socializing a lot of things competition pushes prices down not so sure. Why is it in monopolizing while your question place of the Highway 55 protest reroute Devon? Yep my question to you serious. If they were to show you if our people to Mid walkington to go to people wear to show the state of fishel's New Evidence about the rerouting the destruction that's happening down there with the Highway 55. Would you sir? Look into the matter? Would you be willing to look into the matter and help them in. Amid Walkerton people as well as Earth First keep the rewrite out of the rear out of there to save the sacred spring and our sacred trees on the line. I don't want to cut off list of all, where were you 30 years ago. My point is this I lived in the neighborhood went to Roosevelt High School 30 years ago. They took down and cleared out Hiawatha Avenue and these homes that were there if it's sacred land Y100 protested and made aware that these homes were sitting on sacred land 30 years ago at the good questions that I can't answer, but I think you need to find me that answer because It seems to me all of this sacred stuff started about a year-and-a-half ago and end in my point is what's the difference if a house sits on sacred land or a road or Highway does I understand your point. They're like my my comment to you would be the I don't have that information. The elders that I've spoken to have told me that that is sacred Landon and I believe them and my question would be would you be willing sir to I'm sit down and speak to the elders in the mid Wakita Dakota Community speaking with them. But before I do they better answer the questions, I just asked you and I because because the other thing is this we've also been told about these sacred trees that are supposedly hundred two hundred years old and yet scientifically the trees are not that old. So it's impossible for them to be as old as they're being stated as being without scientifically. They did not take any Course, Tampa. Those for specific trees that were trying to protect. So they have their information saying that those trees cannot be that old is not scientific because they didn't take any course and sample from it won't hurt the tree that I'm not sure if the meter am I but that's what I'm being told by botanists that they're not as old as what they're being claimed to be. And again my statement is why wasn't there protests over the houses being built on this sacred land. Is there anyway Governor to without without reopening the whole the whole Hiawatha Avenue? Is there any kind of Middle Ground here anyway to protect what some people do as you know Parkland sacred land and still get the road straightened out and get all of that taken care by I'm not an engineer. The engineer has of work with this supposed spring is not being touched. You know, this cold water spring that's protect. Nothing is going to harm that it's just a Jag over into the road a Jag over with the road and I have a hard time dealing with this because then what happens anywhere do groups come forward everywhere and cough every land we have sacred land. I mean who deems what sacred what sacred to one is not sacred to another. And as I said, you know, where was the protesting while all these homes sat on this supposed sacred land for all these years. They were people living there with homes built on this land. Well if it was sacred, you know, why what why wasn't there protests Going on 30 40 years ago over why these homes were allowed to be built there Eric your question place. Oh, yes. Mr. Governor talk to you let's talk to you Eric. What I worry about today in this state is a gun control amongst many other more important things, but I feel that where do we stop with this new act to do a criminal check on rifles and shotguns as well as the the As well as handguns. Well gun control is not is not a small thing because it Wheatley it's protected by our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. So it was a large enough issues at the other four fathers of the countries sought is that I'm I'm you know, I believe that that we have the right to bear arms. I've always believed that constitute the Constitution Bill of Rights gives us that right and I will continue to work for that but I buy the same token. We we need to keep guns out of the hands of people who are not to have given up their right to bear arms and those are criminals and but for law-abiding citizens, I'm a firm believer as a law-abiding citizen you have every right to bear arms and not they're not just there for hunting and fishing any any specific changes. You see that you're going to push well terms of sight gun laws. I'm not going to push anything in a lot of it is federal now today anyway, and I think I think the current restrictions we Have now are plenty weird over-regulated already. And we and all we have to do is enforce the the laws that we have on the books right now and they will work just fine and people need to remember something guns truly don't kill anybody. It's the person that pulls the trigger, you know, that's like blaming an automobile if if someone gets goes out and gets drunk and jumps in a Ford and I'm just using that as an example, which I have to clarify those things now Gary you got to be real careful buddy V jumps into a truck or a car whatever make or model Ford Chevy whatever might be and he's consumed alcohol and he goes out and kill somebody drunk driving do we then blame the companies that build the cars absolutely not that would be ridiculous. So by the same thought process you can't blame the guns for the acts that stupid humans do let's blame the humans. Let's put the blame where it belongs on the person that pulls the trigger not not the Particular instrument that they used to cause the destruction with mention DWI. Are you going to support lowering the legal drinking age or drinking limit? I should say. Well if you want that is lowering it lowering it from from 102.08. It looks good politically, but it's not those people that are killing people out in the roads. It's the people we need to get tougher drunk driving laws for repeat offenders these people that time in and time out continue to get drunk continue. They get caught eight times will how many times do they really do it? A hundred fifty-two hundred. These are just the times they've been cut we need to get tougher and be like Europe. That's a privilege to drive an automobile. And we need to start saying this is not a right. This is a privilege that's granted to you and we need to enforce that when someone loses that privilege they lose it very severely because there's no excuse anymore. There's no one on the planet or in the United States of America. The doesn't know that if you consume alcohol, you should not get behind the wheel of a car and we meet we need to be tough. To me. It's not so much on moving to hundreds of a decimal point in their whatever it is. It's the fact that when when someone gets popped and it's the person that's up about 1/3 1/4 and higher than when they get it that they're dealt with very severely and critical role as your Rosemarie your question for the governor. Iros, my concern for the state is the crisis in the shortage of affordable housing. I'm not one of those people who's were real worried at all about getting a tax rebate. I know there's a lot out there who are but I guess I'd be more excited about seeing some some of the money from our state going to housing. There's so many people out there who are you know, working lots of jobs working real hard and they're so very little choices were people can live any more people who are not wealthy. I'm wondering is how you feel about that. I know what your when your priorities as education and and taxes and stuff in education and housing are so closely tied together. It was kids having to move all the time in the mobility and then turn on stability. What do you think about investing more and housing in there we need to do is make it attractive for the private sector to do that. The people that build the homes, you know, you've got all the private sector Builders out there that earn a living and they go according to what the market. Dictates we have to make it attractive for that market place to be in low-income housing and again rather than simply making another government program or taking more government money to subsidize things. Why not lower taxes? Why not do it from that side of it and make it cost effective for the Builder to build that type of house if we can make that happen, they will build them then but you have to make the market has to be the market has to be a thing that that is attractive to the private sector. You cannot just sit and flush money into government programs in government building of everything certainly you look at it to a certain point. But then again if we allow the government to grow and grow and grow and get larger and larger and larger who foots the bill for the government, then you got it. You got it. You got to indulge the private sector and make it attractive for them to build those houses when that happens. Those houses are get built and that's all. Job is government used to make it attractive for the private sector to do that tax rebates tax cuts. What can we expect? Well, you can expect Surplus money is coming back all of it. Yes. Absolutely it Surplus that's above and beyond what was budgeted for the government to operate on the only thing all the hoopla came on this over when cuz apparently the legislature if they've got a few quarters in their pockets, they got to spend them. I don't have that problem Gary. I mean I can be the weather. I give it back immediately or give it back June 30th. I can wait. My point is I want to create a policy here a policy and I call it again kiss keep it simple and stupid because people out there in the world. They don't have time to be watch dogging us. They don't have time to be looking over their shoulder. They're busy raising families going to work doing what they got to do to survive out there and by keeping it simple and stupid if we if they know that biannually June 30th is the end of the fiscal by annual budget and that's when your balance the checkbook and if there's a surplus of money you then though. Wow, this is when will get it back if it's there and that's all I want to do is create a policy not we're going to get a little bit back here in February and then again will give some back in July and then again in December and all of that. Well people need to remember it cost money to give money back. You know what you get becomes expensive to return that money, Indian me in whatever way that you're going to do it. And so that's all I'm trying to do right now. They're going to get all the Surplus money back because I believe very strongly that's what the legislature is there to do in that's what I'm there to do is create a budget. When we bring in more Revenue than what that budget is that Revenue should go back to the people that they put it in there the same as any utility company if they charge you $100 for your electric bill when in reality you should have only paid that, you know, 70 will then you've got $30 coming back on that electric bill plain and simple Republicans were the basic Point as long as there is money in the in the bank. People will come up with legitimate good programs to spend it on and then of course the rebates will well then there's a simple thing it's called no. And then there was a do we need a night and this isn't like getting a second definition of is I don't think we have to worry that there's only one definition of know and if they want to pass the bill to get it out of the mix right away so that they can't do that. I'm fine with that. I have no problem. If they want to make that the first thing that they do no problem, but I just want to create again policy to where it'll come back June 30th the end of the fiscal year the back on money. Are you going to lump that into what let's go to the Surplus? So I'm separating that because Sade the tobacco money is the result of a court case that's not the result. The tobacco money is not the result of over taxation or Surplus budget money. This is court case money. And yes, we could give a one-time give back of that money that lump sum it come out to about a hundred and forty bucks for everybody roughly, you know in that General vicinity, but I think this is this is money. That was one through a court case and I think we can Humana be a lot more by doing some other things with that I one thing I want to do is some of that tobacco money is create a trust or an endowment that will earn money from years to come and with with that earn money that it turns off the principal. I would like to take that bet money that it Hearns and put it into health research both at the University of Minnesota in the Mayo Clinic because I think you've got tobacco that is harm. So many people will let's turn this money into a positive for Humanity. Let's turn it into a positive to where we can do research to help conquer things like diabetes how we can help conquer things like age and disease is out there that help us as a society a lot more I think in my personal opinion, I would rather see my money go for that. Then I would have one time rebate check that I can let go out and spend a hundred and fifty bucks on something, you know Down The Long Haul I would prefer to have the research done to wear as if I were to contract. Come in contact or wife family relatives friends come in contact abhi. You know, we have something like diabetes to know that we've got, you know research going on to help conquer something like that. And I think That's Amore Hue humanitarian thing to do with it that said catch up on some news headlines. Look at this more quieter and Cher. Fanelli doing just now for the Minnesota Public Radio news room. Thank you Gary. Good afternoon. Senate Republican leader Trent Lott is promising fair and quick and peace when proceedings which says he says will probably begin on Thursday lot said he's in touch with Senate Republicans and Democrats and how they like to proceed lot says he has also met with you as chief justice William rehnquist who would preside over a senate trial Minnesota lawmakers open their 1999 session today beginning a unique ear that will bring both tax relief and political uncertainty making this year in pristine is the three-way party split in government Governor Jesse Ventura at the nation's first reformed party Governor. The house has a new Republican majority Dia Feller still control the Senate. The number of bank robberies in the Twin Cities metro area fell in 1998 after a record year the FBI report 64 bank robberies in the 7 County Metro area in 1998 compared with the record 85 the previous year Statewide 81 bank robberies were reported in 1998 compared with 101 in 1997. The FBI says it can explain the decline nearly 20% of the suspects have previously been convicted on a state or federal bank robbery the fence at last report the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained more than a hundred points and early afternoon trading the L stands at 9288. The NASDAQ is up more than 30 points at least 89 Deschanel blamed on the winter storm that's been causing problems from The Plains of the southeast even in places where the storm is long gone are travel is still a challenge Northwest Airlines had to cancel more flights today in Detroit because it couldn't get Cruise in Northwest says the airline has canceled more than 1,100 flights since Saturday the weather forecast for the regional Light snow in western and southern Minnesota a chance of light snow in the arrowhead. I stood a single digits above zero in the north east teams across the Southwest for the Twin Cities today. Mostly cloudy occasional light snow flurries and a high of five to ten in the Twin Cities. Now some light snow in the temperature is too above zero and Gary that's a news update. Thank Perry get back to our callers am reminded with the chilly weather Governor Carlson, the one both Kudos and criticism for closing the schools were time time. I got particularly nasty. What's going to be your policy on? Well, you got to take it as what the weather is and make the call basically as you see it. I think I you know, everyone loves to hear the stories, but you know, it was funny when I went to public school here for 13 years kindergarten through 12th. They close school one day out of those 13 years, and I don't think it's any colder today than it was that and you know the other unique thing I used to have to walk to school uphill both ways. I was going to say I could start it up at 9 the same track how far I had to walk to Roosevelt High School my sophomore year before I was old enough to have a car to do it. Yeah. He was pretty impressed. He said you really did walk. That far. I said you'd are like is there in City Schools? Then Gary there wasn't school buses. There was not any school buses whatsoever. You walk to school then and so but getting back to the issue if it's if it is hazardous to health then I think you have to take that into consideration. But let's remember we're minnesotans. We should be able to dress and function in pretty tough style of weather and so on and besides I don't, you know, when to be better to give the day off on a nice summer day Bob your question for the governor. Are you aware that there about seven hundred homeless people sleeping outside in the Twin Cities? I'm at the facilities provided for homeless male adults are grossly inadequate. My question Governor is if you are aware of the situation, what you propose to do about it, you actually believe that the politicians should give all the budget surplus back without addressing and eliminating this disgraceful homeless problem. Well tomorrow. Well, first of all, we have Charities don't we? Yes, we do. We have Charities out there that work in this industry that are out there to help people and do that and it you know any giving the Surplus back while you know, you have to remember there are taxpayers out there that pay taxes. And they are they're entitled to some type of benefit to and when they've been overtaxed or taxed beyond what it required to run the government. If you want to talk about that then we need to put it into a budget. We need to address it in the budget not take just because their Surplus money of over-taxation that it automatically goes to every special interest group in the world that has a clause out there. What about the cause of the average citizen that goes to work every day holds down a job supports their wife their children or could be a working mother for that matter and adults supporting him and doing their part of of of being part of society and paying those taxes people forget that, you know, people are out there paying taxes and they need to be looked at 2 you're dealing with other people's tax money also and I realize homelessness is a problem and needs to be addressed. But you also have to have people that want to help themselves. You can't help someone that does not want to help themselves and it and I know it sounds a little harsh but there are some people that choose to be homeless. Do you see the state budget is growing at all or pretty much fixed right where it is and any any increase in one area would have to be made up with my cuts in another here. I see it. Is that very much. I see the budget growing only inflation during this first bunch of time because it certainly inflation has to be factored in because 80% of the budget goes to salaries of some sort. And you know, you negotiate that woman raises come in and you have to deal with it like that, but people need to remember the government is not charity. The government is not that you know, what rights do you really have out there? When you think about it? You have the right to something. You have the right to go out there live free and compete with an hour United States society, and the government is not a charity Institution. The government is an institution that is paid for by other people's tax dollars. We have Charities out there and when the economy is good Charities tend to be good too. So let's keep working on the economy. We have a strong economy. People are giving people they will help out other people without government acting as a middleman terms of the budget. We've talked about getting those class sizes down and education and another the teachers are interested in some substantial increases in the what's called a per pupil funding formula and the rest any idea where the money will come from to pay for that too for those it's already been allocated Fort for the last three or four years. It's just the problem is they made it they made the allegation with loopholes in it. There's enough money for that. I feel very strongly in my budget coming up that we we can shift things around and put that as a priority ever. Yes to remember something. You know, everyone has a wish list and it would be tremendous if we all could have our wishes fulfilled. But if we fulfill everyone's wishlist will then we're going to be paying you probably sixty 70% of our salaries to the government and I don't think that's right either, you know, so we have to set priorities we have to do the things that we're capable of doing and certainly a wish list does not mean to write list. You don't have a right to anything. You know why I'm a don't mean you have the right to Freedom. You have those type of Rights, but you don't have her, you know, everybody it's like it's funny. It's like as a celebrity you get approached by every charity in the world and every charity is admirable every charity is the most important one for that person that's talking to you, but you have to make a choice. And it hadn't believed me of one or two that you concentrate on and you didn't you take care of that and and and that's in a way. That's the way it is and what I have to do. I have to set three or four major priorities to get done and if you can accomplish that you're doing well, you know, it's very hard to thin yourself out in in because then you end up doing them a number of things far too many things and you don't do them. Well then have you settled on those three or four priorities that are going to Mark the venator administration getting that class size down is extremely important because I think that solves many of the other problem. See you want to pick out the biggest problem that little have the best trickle down Effect 2 solving the other problems and Inn in Milwaukee and in Tennessee and Indies other places where they've gone with legitimate 17 to 1 ratio and when I mean legitimate, I mean walking into any classroom K through third is where you start walking into any one of those classrooms any school in, Minnesota. We're seeing / 17 students for one teacher and then I think you'll see the results education will will pick its way up test scores will start going up. But again, it's a generational thing. You've got to start in work its way into it any other top priorities top priorities again, or are holding the line on government spending. I think it was very very clear in this election. You know people of said, well Jesse doesn't have a mandate because he only got 37% of the vote true, but you'll find that my fiscal was very close to Mary Coleman fiscal. We weren't far apart on our fiscal and if you add up his 34 with my 37 you come out with 71 and then that was very much. We were not far apart physically because we believe we believe in American people. We believe that people if given the chance out there in the end you almost moved government out of the way as an obstacle, they will succeed. You just need to be there to support them in some manner so they can succeed but not become their parents anything anything else class size hole in line and state spending. Anything else is going to when we get done real. Well, that's what Jesse Ventura stood for. Well, I think that will show that being the case of the Surplus we've had and all that I think cutting some of the taxes there's you know, I find it very interesting that you take the automobile the license tabs. It's the only one we have that is based on a price if you buy a hunting license, it's a flat fee. If you buy a fishing license, it's a fat flat fee. A motorcycle license is a flat fee that drives on the same roads write a motorcycle yet. They don't base that fee on you know, what you want what the price of the motorcycle was. You've already been taxed on the price of that automobile a sales tax when you buy it. She hear you you're buying the privilege to drive on the roads. And I don't think the value of the car should have very much of a bearing on what you pay for tabs to use those roads. I think that it should be much more of a flat rate type thing. And we've got a pretty creative method that I'm going to bring forward in this budget that I think people are are going to enjoy because the one thing you can do right now is you can write those fees off on taxes. We're going to be able to accomplish a much flattered rate and still get the benefit of writing off those fees remind me at that David. You're a question for the governor Place Township supervisor up here in northern Minnesota Crystal Bay township and my issue I want to bring up was real estate taxes. Cuz we've got a situation where people have lived here for a long time even like old fisherman who lived along Lake Superior and then you've got Developers coming in buying land price of of the land goes up and that old-timer who is retiring trying to on that little plot of land that he had along Lake Superior. He can't afford to live there anymore. What was your name? Again? David David up here in Minnesota. David. Let me tell you this and I sympathize up by Lake Superior, but guess what? It's going on like that all over the state and it's not just up there because it happens everywhere development moves to my point is is there anyway your tax at the point of sale and I don't understand why people are taxed because because your neighbor's property went up in value and why should you be taxed for improving your property? Yeah. I know I fully understand and here's here's what I'm going to tell you David right now. My main key is been the budget because you come in here as a newly elected governor and 25% new legislators. Your face with putting together a by annual budget before you even got your feet wet. So I've got to focus on putting that budget together right now when that is over, they'll be another other sessions will come up down the road while when we're done with the budget. That's when I can start turning to these other things and I will tell you over the next 4 years. I want it on my personal goal will be to do something with this property tax system that we have in the state of Minnesota to make it more Equitable to people and to get it out of the Quagmire. It's in of it is just so complicated. So ridiculous the politicians of made it that way and we've got to do something to simplify it make it make it fair and make it absolutely to where people are not driven off their land because developers come into a certain area and they want to develop it but you got to give me a chance on that one. Let me get the budget done. Then I'm done with budgets for 2 years. I don't have to deal with but It's for 2 years when that gets done then rest assured. I'm going to turn my attention to the property tax system and we're going to do something with it. I hope those legislators are listening out there. Cuz what you got happen now with this system is ridiculous and the other message. I want to send the legislators and I want the people to send it to just because they're elected to do legislation doesn't mean they have to come over there with a big bucket full basket full of more laws. We won't think any less of them by not creating more laws for us to live under I mean, I was in the Secretary of State John gross office right before inauguration to place an honor wall. Literally a whole wall, Gary 56 Rose height are all the laws of the state of, Minnesota. Now how to make you know, they tellyou ignorance of the law is no excuse. How on Earth can you use that is as a formula to live by when it would require you to get a trailer and a Truck to just to have all these laws and be aware of them all you'd have to read these laws for the next year-and-a-half just to be caught up on them. A lot of people complain all the time but regulations regulations regulations are you know, what else I'd like which one is which wich pick one that you want to whack hear a regulation. Oh, I don't know off the top of right now. I would like to make fireworks legal over 4th of July for adults. I mean, it's the traditional way that we celebrate the birth of our nation and its and it's kind of weird to me that I can go out and buy a 44 magnum handgun right with the 7-Day wait, cuz I have a clean record. I can go buy one, you know and yet over the 4th of July. I can't buy a sparkler. Ora Ora lady finger firecracker if I want to throw one, but yet I can buy a 44 magnum handgun as a private citizen Governor. Did you ever cheat on that law? I know you wouldn't do it on fireworks occasionally. And I think I join I think I join a lot of other minnesotans of War II up at my Lake cabin this summer. There was at least seven or eight major spots around the lake that were I mean, it was very nice very enjoyable and I felt very patriotic to put it that way on non Fourth of July and I'm not saying and the other point is look at how Wisconsin is making a fortune office right now because Wisconsin to cross the border cells all this fireworks makes all the money and who's buying it. The minnesotans are because Wisconsin has a law that you have to get a license to shoot it yourself. So they are sitting over there. Tommy Thompson's a smart son of a gun. He's sitting across the border making a fortune over there off of us. Doug your question for the governor the governor and there's one thing that people didn't realize then that's the Navy model not self but service what can you do to keep people interested in government? Keep that ball rolling well from government and elected officials right now and they're taking the old pitbull the Constitution I'll take all the lies that are going to be passed in the ones that have been passed hold him up against the Constitution and see where we're at. They were held up to the Constitutional value. Okay, but you have to remember to though times change, you know, sometimes you know, when you have to adapt with those times and laws accordingly and there are a lot of outdated laws, you know one another one Gary now that it comes to mind. You asked me what I'd like what I'd like to do we need to decide when a person is in the belt. We need to pick an age both federally Statewide and locally we need to pick that age because right now young man have to go register for the selective service at age 18 now in my opinion. If you're old enough to serve your country. You should be old enough to have a beer. To put it bluntly if you're old enough potentially to give your life for your country will shouldn't you be an adult or do we send children to war is that our policy? Cuz if you're not old enough to drink a beer and yet you're old enough to be drafted, you don't we don't have a draft but they still have to register for it or should we lose been well, or are they drinking age? Then we lose all over town of Federal Highway money. So maybe we need to up the age of drafting young people if they're at and I'm not saying which age is correct. But let's pick one. Let's get rid of the hypocracy of what we've got going to your work. So it's good to have them adults at 18, but we're not going to give them the rights of adults. At 18, let's pick one. If it's 21 then fine young people shouldn't have to register for Selective Service until 21. Let's seems like a good age to u-20. What about voting? We allow you to vote at 18. See here, you go the hypocracy of it. Again. We need to pick an age and say this is the age. We recognize as being an adult maybe that's part of the mixed message these young people get. One of the most traumatic things I faced I came back. I went to enlist in the Navy went through a year of being trained as a Navy SEAL went to Southeast Asia spend nine months over there came back to the United States of America and could not walk into a bar. If I wanted to I was underage I was in California. I was 21. I wasn't Twenty-One. I went into my executive officer and said I want to go back overseas. You said you can't you got to spend at least know you said you got to spend at least, you know, 9 months your back stateside before you can rotate you. So why would you want to go back I should because over there. I'm an adult over there. No one's questioning me. I come back home and all of a sudden. I'm a child. That's that stuff to take when you're in the military and you realize that you have the potential of giving up your life for your country and yet your country won't even honor you with treating you like an adult is it that we send children off to do it, but I think that age I want to ask you this before we wrap up here because you come in to come in for some substantial criticism of late for being too obsessed with money making money making movies or selling books that you've talked about recessed first lady capitalist. I've been I've been obsessed with earning a living and going out and working hard my whole life Gary what's Obsession about that, but now you're the governor so Show shouldn't you just about all of your attention. I am now to that and I am no one and I've also devoted from November 3rd to today doing it without being paid. Do you get paid? How often do you come in here? And do your show for free while have I been working? Yes, I have 12 to 14 out and I'll let me finish as far as the book deal goes. That's an autobiography of my life up until the election day. I think there's a story that needs to be told it's almost is even bigger than me in the story of the behind the scenes of how this all took place. I think it's very interesting. There is no movie Dil. There's NBC's doing one unauthorized apparently without my permission. How about that? How come they're allowed to do that? They're allowed to make a movie of me. I have no input into it. No artistic input and get nothing from it. So let's talk about this Celebrity Status. Will you lose your rights if they did that to you or if they did that to a regular citizen on the street, they get sued over it. But because I'm who I am they can do it. And as far as the first lady thing goes, I'm bringing that to the attention of the of the Minnesota public in the public of the United States because I find it blatant sexism. Cut and dried in the story. Let's take for an example. Let's put up a hypothetical here. Let's say I was a widower or not married. Okay, and I got elected governor who would run the residents. Are there people who Drake Take Care of that? Yes, but but who runs them who oversees them right now? The first lady now, I'm single. I don't have a significant other who then would do it Dary. We'd hire someone wouldn't we? So that's officially part of her responsibilities. Absolutely. It is absolutely Absolutely. Next Point. Let's say may Shunk becomes the next Governor after me. It's let's say her husband Bill. He's an executive. He works the job. Does Bill have to leave his job to go run the residence. Would we do that to a man? I wasn't aware that the that the spouse was required to do that. Yes, they are. They are the person in charge of running the residents over seeing it and in the end. I'm not doing you just and I'm not seeing it as to how about a dozen the governor. I mean if that doesn't sound right that the governor governor doesn't run run the Residence at all. I have nothing to do the inaugural guess who gets to do that the first lady puts together the entire and I give a works with committees, but that's her responsibility. It's not mine. It's not the governor's responsibilities. And my point being is to me it's and I'm not seeing that she has to be paid or compensated out of taxpayer dollars. They have they have a foundation that runs the residency and does that right now food donations through all the Improvement that goes to that building is not being done with taxpayer dollars. I'm just seeing I find it very sexist. That that that are the female is expected to leave her job and take over a job and work 10 to 12 hours a day and not be paid for it and what happens when the Entertainer on a state a state function. What about the incurred expenses that come in that wood? Would she greet the ambassador of Japan and Zubaz and a t-shirt? That's my point. And what if the governor were single who runs it then we'd hire someone someone would get hired to do it. The whole thing is we've never had a single governor. But if that were the case, someone would be I can't do it. I don't have time to do that. I don't have any time to do that whatsoever. I can assure you that. Well, we're on a time. Unfortunately. I might mean think it's not to get my wife paid Gary. My main thing is to bring certain things to light. And remember you have a governor now and in the first lady you come truly from the private sector. So this is new toss and I'm simply reacting to what I'm watching and reacting to the way it's been and what goes on and I'm simply being honest and bringing it out to the public and if I take criticism for it, so be it. Think it's going to be fun. Absolutely. I'm having fun right now. Absolutely hate your units like anything you've committed to doing the job you might as well have some fun doing it. She's I'll be if I get depressed now. I'm in a world of hurt people poking at you all the time. Oh, yeah, but that's all right. I'm still I'm the boss now, although sometimes you would know it when I get to schedule be there in a way we go. Thanks Gary very much. Thanks for coming and thank you. My pleasure. I guess this hour of the new governor of the state of Minnesota Jesse Ventura, and if you missed part of the conversation, we will be rebroadcast thing is program at 9 tonight here on Minnesota Public Radio rebroadcast at 9 this evening reminder that programming an NPR is supported by the Twin Cities food and wine experience Valentine's Day weekend Minneapolis Convention Center programs available at Lunds and Byerly's or 612-371-5857. Things are a little unsettled as for our mid-day program tomorrow. I think we're going to be talking with senator Paul wellstone over the noon hour tomorrow, but with all the last-minute negotiations regarding the Senate trial impeachment trial in the rest, see how that pans out. Anyway, Gary I can hear thanks for tuning in today on the next All Things Considered minnesotans get their first glimpse of try partisan government does the new legislative session gets underway. Will it be cooperating schnoor gridlock? It's all things considered weekdays at 3 on Minnesota Public Radio k n o w FM 91.1 You're listening to Minnesota Public Radio. We have some light snow. It's two degrees above the wind chill is 25 below at Contra FM 91.1 Minneapolis. And st. Paul light snow is likely through the afternoon with a high temperature 5 to 10 degrees above snow likely denied low zero two five below with the nasty Winchell's partly cloudy tomorrow with a high temperature 5 above.