innovation in terms of market development. and it got five, ten, 15, 20 years ago the you could take a car, turn it into a plastic bottle. do they you could take biomass and turn it into of west the someone in the military could potentially when that is lighter and stronger than they are that would save lives. his that was possible? mentioned here earlier, a tendency in government is to have one-size-fits-all. agriculture is not one-size-fits-all. agriculture is buried. as a great diversity in terms of size of operations. regulatory systems have to be better equipped to handle that

diversity. and so that will require innovation. now, i will finish with this. why is of the support? those of you have heard me speak before know where i'm headed with this much is because it's the driver of the economy and employment is connected to it or because it makes a seafood secure nation in there for a stronger nation, this is important because of the value system that those alive and well in rural areas, fueled by those who work on farms and ranches. something that gives, as the land to us, if treated well and will continue to give it treated well. something that is that important requires us to give something back to it. every farmer, rancher worth their salt understands and appreciates the nation.

they convey that value system to their children and grandchildren and nieces and nephews, that that land is valuable. it gives to us, and we must give back to it. young people will learn that anything of value must be invested in. it is one of the reasons why so many young people go into the military because they know a country that gives us freedom and liberty to the extent that this country does, those are extraordinary gifts require somebody to stand up for it, someone to give back to it, someone to sacrifice for it. we have been blessed with extraordinary bravery and courage of the elastic in a more in harsh circumstances that we avenging people be willing to step up and do at. well, and for all populations decline in farming is not available and then people can't be attracted come if we continue this seat -- to -- my question

will not be who will farm the land, but it will defend the land. so this is important business. that is why this out what form is so important. that is why it is important for us to have a strong and healthy dialogue and why is important for us to convince our friends and neighbors not just in rural america but that every single american, every single citizen, a person who inhabits this country has received an extraordinary benefit from american farmers and ranchers, the benefit of affordable food, seafood, available food, and the benefit to choose with their life something other than growing food. we are able to become one of rory want to be because we still continue to have great people willing to go out and is in their responsibility for feeding not just their family of our families. and thank god for every single farmer and rancher in this

country rose to what they grow, how big or small they are. we are blessed. thank you all. [applause] [applause] >> the beauty of america is that in this country we have the ability to write the script of our own life. we are, and as sentiment in the driving seat of our own future. the biggest decisions in life are made. america creates the sense of possibility. none of that you can become an activist, a community organizer, in essence, what are you doing? your living of the great capitalist explosion of wealth that you did not even create. >> of many strong men set out, it is hard to know where to begin. no one said america is the most

terrible place. but there are couple of the search is a you have to take on faith that are astonishing. one is the idea that america -- americas great invention was wealth creation, not based on that tall. what about the death of the entire continent. that was a theft. that does not mean -- [applause] -- 90% of the presidency lived here were murdered, and that was a part of it. >> bill ayers and dinesh d'souza debate what is so great about america tonight at 8:00 eastern on c-span2. >> the discussion with bill ayers and dinesh d'souza is on c-span at 8:00 eastern. here on c-span2 book tv in prime-time with our 3-hour in in-depth interview with author and women's studies professor.

>> new jersey governor chris christie held a town hall meeting focusing on hurricane sandy recovery efforts. he also took questions on other topics. you can see the meeting tonight and our companion network c-span at 10:00 p.m. eastern. here's a brief look with a question from our resident about grants for caylee. for -- grants for hurricane relief. >> we were flood victims. and my comment, you are right that there is not enough money to make everyone all. they are not going to get there, but i would like to know your reasoning behind privatizing a lot of the grant programs. my town beta hundred million to different contractors to run the program. the main one that comes to mind -- [applause] that could raise about a

thousand houses. one of the men's eights gi. >> let me stop you for question -- seconal and your question. what is your suggestion on our should have done it? should have fired thousands of new government employees to be able to administer these programs? >> i have heard you on tv saying year 60,000 employees. but they did not privatize it. >> by the way that is not correct. by the way, new york is significantly, by a measure of two or three fall behind us in the distribution of money to victims, significantly behind this. so, you know, you can't just say one fact the like that supports your position. this supports your position. new york did not do it that way. the talk to the victims in new york like i have who have not gone anywhere near the type of aid from the programs in new york that the victims in new jersey have gotten. we're trying to do this in no way that it set out to people as

quickly and efficiently as possible. don't take my word for it. >> i won't. >> i know you won't. the secretary for housing and urban development in the obama administration has said that this money has gotten out faster than in any major disaster in american history. not from me. >> can we get back to my question? why was hgi fired? why the debate and $50 million? why did you privatize most of the grant program? you did not have to. >> i disagree with you. okay. the alternative -- the alternative is -- [inaudible] >> the alternative is -- i'm answering the question -- to have hired thousands of additional government employees. well, who will administer it is, in fact -- you know, it is a rhetorical question.

someone has to administer these programs. we do not have -- we do not -- we have a new company in place to run the program going forward and the fact is that if we reach a point where we believe there is another company you can do the job better than the company that was initially brought in under the bid and will make that change. my point hesitate to make change for think there's an option that is better. and so if you are hoping for is that every decision is made regarding billions of dollars is going to be made perfectly the first time then, you know, your expectations are not where they need to be. the fact is that we do not have the number of employees, thankfully, thankfully, for you and your tax rate on staff in the state government that could run an additional 15 to $20 billion of the programs. and if we did we would be running your government efficiently from day today. we have a number of employees

that i think we need to run the $303 billion government they already pay for, and i am not going to bring a more people who have to pay health benefits for, pensions for the over the long haul to run a program that by its very nature is a temporary program. as the type of people you bring in private contractors to run, not something that is going to be a long-term program was something that will be a temporary program. that is what this says, why we brought in people to do it that way, and the results we have delivered is significantly better in terms of the amount of money put up the door that what you're seeing the other side of the river. >> and you can see governor christie's town hall meeting tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern on our companion network c-span. >> this weekend on c-span the national governors' association kicks off their winter meeting live at 10:00 eastern with an opening news conference. throughout the weekend with

panels of homeland security, early education, jobs, prescription drug abuse. and live on book tv talk to the monuments men author, the story of the allied forces task of recovering european cultural artifacts stolen by the nazis saturday morning at 11:00 on c-span. and the premier american history to be real america. archival films produced from the 1930's to the 1970's by government, industry, and educational institutions. what sunday at 4:00 p.m. >> you're watching c-span2 with politics and public affairs, weekday's featuring live coverage of the u.s. senate. on weeknights what's key public policy events, and every weekend the latest nonfiction authors and books on book tv. you can see past programs and in our schedule at the website and join in the conversation and social media sites. >> the all new c-span.org

website is now mobile-friendly. that means you can access our comprehensive coverage of politics, nonfiction books and american history where you want, when you want, and how you want. our new sites responsive designs kales to fit any of your screens from the monitor of your desktop computer to your laptop, tablet, or smart phone. whether you're at home, at the office tomorrow on the go. you can now watch the live coverage of washington and the c-span.org makes it easy for you keep an eye and on what is happening in washington. >> ahead of this weekend's national governors' association meeting a group of democratic governors met with president obama at the white house. after the meeting several of them addressed reporters.

>> how are you? >> we have not had heat like this in vermont since august. [laughter] is that better? your good man. >> slighted on end. >> do we have everybody? come on, governor. we need you. >> thank you so much. i am honored to be here with my fellow democratic governors. we just had a very productive meeting with the president. obviously we share a common set of of -- set of objectives which is to grow jobs and economic opportunities for our constituents. as you know, the president has been focused on ensuring that we lift up the middle class, expand

opportunity and ensure that every american has the potential to have a good job by being paid a fair wage, ensuring that they have known that they can live in and enjoy in security and a secure retirement. we democratic governors are working together across the country on exactly the same objectives, trying to grow jobs and economic opportunity for the middle-class by investing in education, infrastructure, innovation, and a brighter future. as you probably know, our view is that our republican governors are engaged in a different effort. as we try to grow jobs in the middle class, opportunity for all, education, child education to higher education, republican governors have been distracted by a more radical social agenda

that gives tax cuts to the wealthiest, asks the middle-class to pay more while they get education and the aborigines that will allow us to grow jobs and discrimination. while they do that they seem more focused on passing policies that alienate women, minorities, immigrants coming days, and other americans. so we are proud to stand together as the democratic governors committed to growing economic region in the. i can tell you in the state of vermont we enjoy the fifth lowest unemployment rate this side of the mississippi not despite but because we are investing in education, investing in infrastructure, investing in the things that our constituents expect us to do to have a brighter future. the president shares dec. objectives. i'm going to turn it over now to my good friend vice chair of the

dca. >> thank you, governor peter shumlin. thank you all for being here. i wanted to join governor peter shumlin and my fellow democratic governors and thinking the president for spending time with us today so that we could talk but the initiatives we are all making together to expand opportunity for the people of our country and that states. in new hampshire one of the efforts we have made in the president has really helped shine a light on is making sure that college education, the community college or university system is affordable. because real to invest in higher education in new hampshire and no less bipartisan budget we have been able to freeze tuition at the university system, the first time we have been able to do than 25 years. they are also focusing with the help of businesses, community colleges as partners with our university system and our k-12 educators focusing on the stem education has never before,

making sure that we are going to modernize our stem standards, making sure that we are partnering businesses and educators so we can do the kind of training that would give opportunity top of our citizens. it is an incredibly important thing when you talk to businesses and get people that we make sure that you and people understand what kind of careers are available to them in advanced manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing, incredibly important economic sectors in my state and many others. finally, we talked a lot with the president this morning about making sure that americans who work really hard and are working 40 hours a week or more can bring a more real, level wage. particularly making sure that an equal day's work kits and equal base pay. we know that women who work full time in this country are earning on average 77 percent of what men who work full time have. we know that campus presidents just about every single occupation.

so one of the things we will be focusing on is making sure that men and women, and about 50 percent of women are the breadwinner's arco breadwinners, but we know that what women turn, may pull wages, it helps all families in raw opportunity for all of us. it's a great conversation with the president and they're fellow governors. rear focus, as our people are to come together and solve problems and move the country forward. it's been great to be here in that thing, governors for their excellent work. >> thank you so much, governor. i have just a few words now from a governor who i have the pleasure of following as the chair of the dca creating jobs and economic pickup opportunities in the great state of maryland, governor o'malley. >> thank you very much. one of the touch of a topic that we discussed at length with the president and vice president, a couple of us in two meetings on this topic, and that is the

topic of minimum wage. it is one of the things that all of us as governors agree upon, we should do the things that work, that actually grow our economy and a span opporunity. we understand that prosperity does not trickle down from the top and never has. prosperity is built from the middle loud and from the middle up. in maryland this year we are seeking to raise our minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. i know that these debates are happening in a number of states, metropolitan areas and cities all across our country. the truth of the matter is that when workers are more businesses have more customers and our economy grows. today we had discussions with the president about how we can work together so that when people work hard and play by the rules that they are able to get ahead. that is where america is all about. a mom or dad that is working 40,

50, 16 hours a week at a minimum wage job and falling behind is not the america that we want our children to grow up in. when people work hard they should be able to get ahead which is why so many of us believe that it is time to give america raised, to raise the minimum wage so that we can grow our economy and strengthen our middle-class. >> thank you, governor. >> finally, from the other coast, the great cat owner of the state of washington. >> great. i want to speak from the northwest region of the country. we have a very the. [speaking in native tongue] economy. boeing, microsoft, amazon, we get technology in our state. i was really delighted to add this conversation with the president today. his opportunity agenda gives us

a pitch and it is to work with the federal government and a high-tech and dynamic way to increase jobs. he gets it when it comes to education. he gets it in understanding that as we defeat climate change we're going to a grow clean energy jobs by the bucketful. bread doing that in my state today where we're building a car and five airplane stock carbon fiber substrate for cars, the most durable silicone panels on turf, marysville, washington. we talked with the state and federal government about ways to partner to grow clean energy jobs. the second thing is, i just want to make a comment about minimum-wage. we are i high-rich economy. i was asking my sick honesty of a day even though we have these tremendous the dynamic growth oriented companies like amazon and boeing that doing incredible , while we still not having as much economic growth as we should expect and want.

in the answer was clear, it's because we have a dry in our economy because of low wage jobs that are not creating consumers. in a corner of the country, the high-tech corner, i can tell you that one of the most important things we can do for economic growth is to remove that anchor on our economy and increase these lower wage jobs in this minimum-wage is something that we want to do. my state has bias minimum-wage, we are trying to increase our state minimum wage because we know what it does. it creates more demand for more restaurants and retailers. here's one truth we ought to hold self-evident. if you're working 40 hours you ought to be able to feed your family and not be on public assistance. >> all right. the other governors here, the great governor of hawaii and the governor of illinois to legacy of from pr.

doing a great job in the state of kentucky. the great state of connecticut. tooted ms. i think i got you to straight. >> we're pleased to have warmer weather and are working on the sunshine. >> that's right. >> he would be happy to take questions if you have them. >> what do you make of the president's message last night, democrats don't think midterms are sexy enough. don't you guys think midterms are sexy? >> i think they are particularly sexy myself. >> he took a shellacking, as he put it. >> here is the good news. the american people the the economy is coming end of the tank. the president has created, with the help of democratic governors to over eight and half million new jobs and things a looking up with the american public will say in the midterm elections is, listen, coming out of the worst

recession in american history we're seeing jobs pick up. we are seeing our kids a better educational opportunities, and we actually seeing a president and democratic governor focused on lifting of the middle class as opposed to our republican governor, as i mentioned, i want to protect those most privileged and give them greater benefits while the middle-class -- >> howdy you think the middle-age arguments -- middle-age argument impact? is that a winning argument? >> you know, we won't know whether it is a winning argument. we know is the right thing to do we did not elect to do what people think polls well. miguel like to do what we think is right. bottom line, if we raise the minimum wage as a governor and others just said, live people who are currently working 40 hours a week or more, working hard and have to go on

government assistance to live in poverty after they get there pay check, what kind of nation are we. as you know, it is disproportionately affects women , and personally affects those who want to build a better life but cannot. there is not an american, i do not believe it does not believe in the basic principle that you work hard for your family and get a decent wage. we are not paying a decent minimum wage. the average to partner with the president and ensuring that with a do-nothing congress we can actually implement higher minimum wages and partnership with the president and our state. >> a question on education. >> i wanted to add one thing and a minimum wage. what we also know is that when people have a level of financial security, businesses have more customers. and i think the historic data and most economists agree that it elevates our economic growth. and i think we will see that in the results, but i agree that it is also the right thing to do.

>> let me just say, we already raised their minimum wage this year, january 1st. we are now proposing $0.45 next january 1st, $0.45 the january 1st after that. a grand total of $404. we're not talking about a lot of money. we are actually talking about is making sure the mothers and fathers to take care of the children and in some cases that families can come back together and that they can be reunited. all we're talking about is making sure people have the opportunity to pay their gas bill, oil bill, water bill, and stay in the same apartment more than 60 days are 90 days. this is important stuff to real americans, and everyone he criticizes this proposal is maybe a lot more than $404. let's be realistic. women will benefit, 55 to 65 percent of people earning -- depending upon one stage, but overall nationally 55 percent of

women, the category that is making the minimum wage. you will hear the other thing, well, a lot of teenagers. 12 percent nationally of the people making the minimum wage are teenagers. well we are talking about is mothers and fathers and people who have a job. we need to help them get it done. >> governor, are there ways that the governors can exercise their executive power to demand the average into the agenda? >> we can. i know we were exploring some executive action on adoption of a minimum-wage involving a state employee that, perhaps, contracts, and we are exploring and. i am pursuing legislative strategy to raise the minimum wage which was $9.32 per hour by dollar 50 or $2.50, and i will tell you why. all we are doing is restoring the purchasing power of the minimal waste when it was two or three decades ago. we have had a severe erosion of

about 20 is 25% above the minimum wages. all we're talking about is giving americans what they had in 1968, which is a way to live if you work for 40 hours. as far as economic analysis, i used to be in congress. i am entitled to speak freely what the cbo. i am sure it has some talent columbus of -- seven nobel prize winners are concerned and 64 studies have shown which is empirical data when you really study counties that have raised metal waste verses those who have not, you know comes out ahead? the people in the counties and states that have raised their minimum wage. i am very confident that the economic analysis shows in real-world terms that we are going to create jobs by doing an by the way, none of those nobel prize winners works of the cbo. actually know that as well. >> one last question. >> they came out very critical of the common core education standards that the governor of create.

a lot of movement in various states in. can any of you comment on that? >> i think it is a misstatement to sit there is an argument about the common core standards because there were developed with teachers. there were developed with the educational organization. there were developed with governors and boards of education across the country. the argument is about implementation. we need is to stop foot-dragging by the congress to help us across the entire spectrum of education in the united states from preschool right on through the devil take education and re-education, refocusing our education establishment across the country. if you do not have a common core standards you are not going to be able to compete in the real world. what we needed support for the implementation across the board. [inaudible question] >> what a great note to end on. thank you so much for joining us

. [inaudible conversations] >> tonight on c-span2 book tv in primetime. author and women's studies professor. ..