this is about an hour.

>> now folks, it is my pleasure, to introduce our guest speaker, and our moderator. the honorable gary johnson was elected governor of new next co in 1994 as republican in an overwhelming democratic state and reelected to a second term four years later. despite his two terms, he still prefers to call himself an entra per 4. he started a door-to-door happen r handyman business. it was one of the largest construction companies in new mexico with more than 1,000 employees. i would call that. as a businessman he ran for

governor, and his passion, for helping people. although he considers himself to be libertarian, he has believed that good public policy should be based on practical cost benefit analysis rather than just strict ideology. he is best known for ressisting the temptation to solve every problem with government. he also cut taxes, 14 times, without ever raising them. he balanced the state's budget and left new mexico with a billion dollar surplus. during his two terms, he improved the schools, and executed a major infrastructure overhaul.

in the presidential election, he participated in the republican party primary as a avid skier, ironman and biker, he has scaled the highest peak on each of the 7 constiments, including mount everest. please join me in welcome mooring the hon nant gary johnson. [applause] >> okay. shabazz, if you live in indiana, you know this man from t.v. he is award winning political writer, and he has been covering and writing about state and local government, in indians o indiana -- >> i was basically a crime reporter.

>> he hosts the talk show, and writes opinions for the star, and, recorder, and the state house file.com. he's ap frequent panel list to channel 6, this week, and inside indiana business. he is editor and publish sher of indy palm will a particulars.org, as one of the best political blogs in the nation. >> you are a busy man. >> he's an attorney, and holds teaching positions at the university of indianapolis, and, ivey tech community college. please join me in welcome mooring shabazz. [applause] >> thank you. >> with that, take it away. all right. first of all, i want to extend a

thank you to you folks here, for having me up here to play moderator. just to want let you know i was in west.lafayette, last night ad this morning was get up at 5:00 to make it here. and i can tell you, getting home at 5:00 was much more fun than getting up. it is our pleasure to be here and as the governor will tell you, you can ask him anything, and everything, because he's that kind of person. here's the first question, and this came up, in the car this morning. the last two times we add president's whose last name was johnson, one got impeached and the other got us into vietnam. >> well, let's start with the impeach meant side.

i have done a couple of things in my life or believe in several things, but one of them, is if you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. another is, the unforgivable, is saying one thing and doing another. i many 23409 a hip crit. and then, with with regard to lyndon johnson and getting involve in vietnam, i do fault johnson for escalating the vietnam war. my first vote for president was mcgovern against nixon because of the vietnam war. i don't think that we should involve ourselves, in supporting regime change. i cannot think of one example where that has worked out positively. >> let's start with the big issue that's on the minds of lots of folks, jobs and the economy.

i did a little bit of research, in michigan, the latest unemploy meant figures show 4.5%. and detroit it 9.1, what can or what should the role of the president be in job creation? >> when i ran in the 2012 cycle, rick perry was beating his chest over the fact that he had created more jobs in texas than anybody else running for president. they did an analysis and it was me. my response was, it was the same as when i was governor, i did not create one single job. private sector creates t. government does not. but what i did do, and would do as president, is create certainty, certainty, that taxes were only going to go down, and

rules and regulations were only going to get better from a common sense standpoint, and i did run state government. i will run federal government. i will appoint everyone, to head these agencies. rules and regulations will not get any worse. they'll get better. taxes i'll sign onto any proposal that simplifies taxes or any proposal that reduces taxes. over an eight-year periods as governor, non not one penny of tax went up. so given that kind of certainty, it would be wonderful to sign onto reduction in taxes, but in an environment of uncertainty, i suggest business does have confidence and jobs do grow.

>> how do we restore, the date at that time shows the economy is turning around. a lot of americans don't people t. they don't people like they're making more money, and how do you make that connection with the american voter? >> having been governor of new mexico and running for president, i do think that capitalism is alive and well. i do believe that pay to play exists and that's when government picks winners and losers and i will tell you, having been governor of new 34ebgs co, you can bring an end to that. i add supporter after i left office talking about pay to play and i said, jerry, i didn't do any of that. and he goes, gary i know that, we all know that. it's never happened before r before and it will never happen

again. i will tell you that good government is easy. it is easy to bring that to an end. and what i think people are really looking for, is equal opportunity. it is a system that is game and i believe that. i believe that overnight with whom you elect you can bring that to an end. >> the issue of trade and trade deals. nafta, or the transpacific partnership. are you a free trader? >> what is your position? >> well, i'm free trade. that would mean no tariffs. of course, donald trump is talking about a 35% tariff on imported goods. that number is 1.4%. who is going to pay for the 35%?

i make the pledge that as president of the united states i'm going sign onto anything that makes things better. nothing is perfect. i would sign sign the tpp. we are all about high-tech, high wage jobs and it would do that. >> what about the criticism, that those deals that undermine american manufacture mooring and going overseas and brings them back here to america. do we need renegotiate what we have? >> pledge to you, as president of the united states, and i love this aspect, of being governor, i immersed myself in these issues, from the standpoint of making things better. a analysis of everything that

came on my desk, will this make things better? now, saying that, i may have vetoed more legislation than the other 49 governors. i vetoed 750 bills. only two were overturned. i took line item veto to a new artform. i saw a lot of legislation, that benefited those that had money and influence and giving them more. i saw a lot of legislation that was spending money that wairnlts going to have any impact whatsoever on the issue itself. i was also transparent, writing veto messages and going before the people and explaining my side. i just think that it's sitting in a state that was 2-1 democrat, me beingal andly conservative that i got re-elected the second time than the first time.

i think it speaks volumes to the fact that people appreciate good stewardship of tax dollars. >> we are in michigan, in the motor city, 9 automobile bailout, back in the last decade, would you have supported it? >> free trade. that's about letting the market. no i would not have bailed it out. i would not have bailed out wall street. i'm not doing this in a vacuum. jeff is my economics adviser and staff, no one, on that staff believes that there would have been a financial failure were we to have not bailed out wall street. they made hor ran choices. they should have been rewarded, by having gone bankrupt. we do have a mechanism for restructuring and it is bankruptcy.

i don't think michigan would have died. but i think that government interjecting itself in business does pick winners and losers. >> the other big issue, immigration. what is your position? do you support path to citizenship? >> round up 11 million people? build a wall? will well, i think that we should embrace immigration. we're a country of immigrants. wharton school of business -- that's donald trump's alma mater came out with an analysis restricting immigration. it will have a negative impact on our economy. allowing for more high skill

workers would have a minimal positive impact on this country, increasing immigration, very positive on the economy. 11 million undocumented workers, i have to tell you, that's grounded or the deportation, that's grounded in untrue. these are hard-working people who have come across 9 border, undocumented because the united states has made it impossible for them to get a work visa. make it easy for anybody that wants to work, to be able to get a work visa, it should entail a background check and a social security card. building a fence, is just crazy. they are taking jobs that u.s. citizens don't want. they're the "cream of the crop"

when it comes to workers, and if you talk about the deportation of 11 million undocumented workers in, new mexico, where 50% is hispanic, that's a door-to-door taking people out of their homes, that they have owned. 20, 30 years ago, it was not the issue that it is today. it was because you could not gate work visa, you came over and bought at house and your kids have had kids and now we're going deport leading citizens, in new mexico, theme be deported back to mexico. it's wrong. >> do we do citizenship or green status? >> for the 11 million that are here make it as easy as possible for them to get a work visa. as long as they have been law abiding.

comprehensive reform needs to lay out pathway to citizenship. no undocumented worker should be able to jump the line but we need to establish citizenship. if you look at our -- medicare, social security, our economy, house mooring i think we are -- we benefit by increasing immigration. >> another issue, i was listening to the news program, donald trump is scheduled to make a visit to flint, michigan. the mayor, and the two senators, held a news conference, to bring attention to the crisis. is that a situation that the

government should be involved in? >> it is as situation that the government should be involved in. they have a responsibility to protect us. in this case, pollution. i support the epa. when the whole flint thing broke, as governor of new mexico i add program that no one else had in the countrydy it for eight years. i add program called open door of a 4, where anyone could come and see me on the 3rd thursday of every month, starting at 4:00 in the afternoon until 10:00, at night. flint, michigan would have come to me, at open door after four, if other avenues would have failed. if i would not have done something at that first meeting, the second meeting, everybody would have been in that will meeting, and i would have been

in the middle of that. i don't want to point fingers. i don't know what happened in michigan other than this really is a failure of government, and the inability it communion indicate. and as president of the united states i'm going to have an open door of a 4 policy as president of the united states, there's some logistics, but it's a way to stay connected and it was one of the most valuable things that i did. >> where do you find na medium between overregulation versus held and safety concerns? >> that's what i love about the job. that line there, what is overregulation? what is just nuts? where is common sense?

i come back to open door of a 4, the states closed, an underpass in northern new mexico saying big trucks could not fit under the under pass causing trucks to have a 6-hour detour. trucker comes in and says, they have closed t. well they closed it because your truck won't fit. i have driven my truck 6 million miles, and i go underneath that bridge at 70-miles-per-hour. there's nothing wrong. i'll get that bridge opened up tomorrow. i called the secretary of that department, he laughed and he said that bridge, trucks don't fit -- yes they do and we opened it up. my point is, government does go awry. there should be mechanisms to differentiate between what is

good and what is capri husband is behavior by bureaucrats. but it should be, that vigilance. good government was easy. >> national security and foreign policy, this past sunday we just marked 9/11. since then we have been involved in iraq and afghanistan. what is your position on the war against terrorism. >> after 9/11, i supported going into afghanistan. we were attacked and we attack back. al qaeda,but after being in afghanistan for 7 months we wiped out al qaeda. we didn't get bin laden, but we should have gotten out of there, and left our options open. i believe we should get out of

afghanistan tomorrow, and for all of the horrible consequences, which i believe can be mitigated, is anyone here kidding themselves that those same circumstance, won't exist 20 years from now? when it came to iraq that was regime change. that was going in, supporting regime change. at that time i said, look, we have the -- let's not do this. we have the military surveillance capability to see what somebody is having for lunch. we will be able to see them and roll out any weapons of ms. destruction and have all sorts of options. i do believe going into iraq, has resulted in this syriann

civil war, and, isis, that it was the henchmen that fled, to rock ka. we're a support the kurds against isis. but the kurds are side way wes turkey, who is our ally but not such a good ali since we inrate ised iraq. you can't make this up. but when we support regime change, libya, syria, iraq, we supported the free syriann army against as sad, and this happened in allen aleppo. >> we supported the -- the free syrian army against as sawed

administration. bush was paying assad to fight them. and arms end up in the islamist's hands. you can't make this you up. >> aleppo. you got a little bit of flack, during an interview. 90% of the public, has probably no idea where aleppo is, and, they aren't running for president. did that hurt your campaign? >> was i expecting a aleppo doe, in this campaign with 100% certainty? i was expect mooring aleppo day.

i'm expecting at least one more aleppo day, and however many there are, it is what it is. 90% of americans aren't running for president. i should have known that. there's no excuse for having spaced on aleppo, thinking it was an act crow film. such is life. it's indicative of all of our lives. we all have mistakes. it's how we deal with mistakes. everyday, every one of us are confront we had adversity, we can crawl up? a ball and give up or, you know, smile on your face this is the way it goes and keep on, i'm smile on your face and keep on. >> the culture, american

politics. we've always had brash discourse, lately it is more brash. there's a school, that attributes this to social media, and so much news choice that's individuals go to the news source, that justifies their world and does not try to get outside of those silos. what do you do? >> what can youwhat can you do n those silos so we can have more civil discourse. >> 3, that is sales pitch, three things for the upcoming election. the third thing, myself and bill, we are the only third party candidates in all 50 states. so you elect trump or clinton,

is the polarrighty going to get any better? does anybody believe they're going to get along when all they want to do is kill each other? no way. nobody believes that. third, bill and gary johnson, former governors, right down the middle. fiscally conservative. socially inclusive, skeptical when it comes to military intervention. free traders, hiring democrats, republicans, everybody, standing back and calling out both sides to come to the table to deal with the issues of the day. being able to side with both sides on individual issues, being able to come together, in a big way. i think that third scenario is the only one that has

possibilities. >> hillary clinton and donald trump have never high disapproval ratings. 50s, and trump, 64%. with that said, why are you having a hard time crack that go 15% for the debates. >> my name has never appeared on the top line of any presidential poll. not one national poll. if mickey mouse were on the top line of a national poll, he would be at 30 because he is a known commodity. but he's not on the ballot. so, 70% of america doesn't know that i exist. unique today, 50% of americans, that are going to register to

vote are registering as independents, where is that represent recent station? it is bill wells and myself. right down the middle on all of this stuff. >> what do you say to this individual, in the audience, listen mooring. >> brien: -- listen mooring and he's with me, i get it. but you know, third party, i don't know. i feel like, i can't win. well, what do you tell that individual? >> that's key to all of this, you might be able to win. to win, and we still believe that we're going to run the table on this. we have to be in the presidential debates. expected to garner more

viewership than the super bowl. well you can't be there if you are not at 15%. and you can't be at 15% if you're not on the top line of these polls and 100% of the media starts off by reporting the top line. 70% of america does not know we are in this race. so what do i say to those that say, that's a wasted vote? that's voting for something you don't believe n. nothing will change. they have become so polarizing. they have done this to themselves. >> marijuana, what do you think? >> you knew it was going to come up. >> well, we should, in 1999 i was the highest elected official, in the united states to call for the legalization --

>> highest as in elected not on something. [laughter] [applause] >> just to want make sure. [laughter] >> i've been wait forget three days to say use that line. [laughter] >> you were saying? >> tens of millions of americans are convicted felons, that but for our drug laws would be tax paying citizens. we have the highest incarceration rate, of any country in the world and i refuse to believe we are any less law abiding, and that has its roots in the drug war. i believe that we are going legalize marijuana and when we do that, this country will take a leap of understanding when it

comes to other drugs, and recognize that the drug issue is a health problem as opposed to a criminal justice problem. let me say, indulging in any sort of marijuana, alcohol, any substance, becoming impaired, getting behind the wheel of a car that's always going to be illegal. government has to play a role in that. when it comes to the legalization of marijuana that will ab state issue. just like chovment there are still counties, where there are dry counties. but as president of the united states i would de schedule marijuana as a class 1 narcotic allowing the research to go along with it, that needs to occur. impairment needs to be established.

something that does not exist, and, the banking issues that exist in now half the states that have legal medical marijuana and four recreational and dc, would resolve those banking issues. >> we're coming down to the last five minutes up here, so if you have questions that you would like to ask, feel free start texting those. we've had questions and concerns about the health of our elected officials. mrs. clinton, and, donald trump was supposed to go on doctor oz, today. that's now changed to a conversation about medical health. with the fact that everybody running for president is over 60, and we get more health issues. how are you feeling? [laughter] >> if i'm not elected president of the united states, i will be

skiing 120 days this upcoming season, because i built my dream home north, because the skiing is good. and then next june i'm planning to ride the divide, a 3,000 mile race. that's my plan next june. i many going to have a physical tomorrow because of this issue and, i may be -- it's not such a high bar. but, and i hate to be, i hate to embellish, but, i will be the fittest president of the united states ever. [laughter] [applause] >> we're almost done with our

conversation, before we get questions, which you can text. when you look around at america, today, what would you say is our final question, our greatest challenge, and greatest opportunity? >> i don't think life in this country has ever been better? ever. we get along with one another, better than ever. we communicate better than ever. our kids are smarter than ever. we have issues. all lives matter. okay? but, black lives matter, and here's why. blacks are getting shot at the rate of 6 times that of whites. if you are of on lore, four times you'll nd end up behind bars f. you are white you are not taken out of your car, and

roughed up, like those of color, and roughed up to, where, as a white person if i were subject to that same treatment i would have the cuffs on me. so we do have discrime nation. we've had our heads in the sand. i pose to you myself, i have had my head in the sand. but we will come to grips with this. fatter, and more accurately and put things in place as president of the united states i will be in control of the department of the justice, having appointed the head of the department of justice and threads can be looked at, best and worst, and so that we can overcome the problems that we're facing. but this is america, today.

that is wonderful place. we all know that. we all know it. >> ladies and gentlemen, mr. gary johnson. many. [applause] >> we had several different questions on taxes. so, we add student ask what are your views on simpliif a indication of our tax policy? several people wanting to know how do you lower the budget and provide more services? >> robust military? >> with certainty, taxes will not go up under a johnson presidency. and i say that, with regard to

bill wells. not one penny, not one penny. cut taxes 14 times. bill, furloughed 8,000 state employees, the first day, and he was a republican that served in a states that 4-1 democrat. so, government will get smaller, and -- taxes simplified and lowered. in that kind of environment, that creates confidence, i think, the economy grows with that. reducing spending is so important. look, bill wells and i are pledging to submit a balanced budget to congress, an item breath in 100 days.

what's the significance of that? it is for those kids that i talk to first in this morning. my generation is going to get healthcare and retirement and they'll have to pay this. no, and to do nothing when it comes to medicaid and medicare, and, they need to be done to reduce or make them sound, in the case of social security. military, our pledge, and invisible national defense. but that doesn't mean that the defense department isn't 20% overblown. the pentagon itself, in the mid-90's, requisitioned the commission, the b.r.a.c. commission that 25% more u.s. bases could be closed, but there

was not political will to accomplish it. i will bring that will to make this happen. this job is about doing what's right. what needs to be done. and that's why i'm seek tsmght i really, from a personal standpoint there was nothing more stimulating than being at the very heart of all these issues, and will it make things better? in this case, better, we are headed to a fiscal cliff. bankruptcy, whatever you want to call it. we'll print money to cover the deficit. at some point it is going to have inflation. >> thank you. one of the questions that was

most popular, is all about the affordable care act. and if elected to office what would be your approach? >> that's another one of those acts, i do agree with chief justice ronltds, that it is as tax. my health insurance premiums have quadrupled. i have not been to see a doctor for three years. but we'll sign legislation that makes healthcare more affordable and legislation that makes it better. well, what are the component that's would make it better? it would be opening upheld care to the free market. healthcare is as far removed from the free market as it can

be current limit but if you add free market economy, when it came to healthcare, none would have health insurance to cover ourselves. we would have insurance to cover ourselves for injury, and illness, and we would pay as you go, in a system, would cost about one fifth of what it costs. we would have x-rays. and pricing with outcomes. we go to the doctor, we we haveo idea what it is going cost and when we get the bill you know that nobody is paying that. that's what we have today, if we could have a free market approach we would address health from the start as opposed to poor healthcare.

diet and exercise. lifestyle would be such a huge component on the front-end. but it should be market driven, should be free market driven. [applause] >> they announced its top employees are banned from contributed to go political campaigns. what would you do, to stop corporations from contributing to the erosion of our liberties. >> i think the reform that's needed when it comes to campaign finance, number one, there should be unlimited campaign contribution. but, there should be 100% transparency. something that does not exist today.

limiting campaign droon boosting is -- it's a protection, the number 1 factor when it comes to vote mooring is name familiarity, and if you have held an office you have an upper hand over anybody else. the super packs today. zero transparency. make it unlimited campaign contribution but 100% transparent. i would sign it, that they would have to wear nascar jackets and have logos, comment surratt with the size of the contribution from gm, cocoa cola. google, whatever. [laughter] >> in light of, this is a student question, in light of

the resep shootings in orlando and san bernardino, what would do you? >> well, first of all, what do you do to stop domestic shootings? we should, and i support second amendment. that said we should be open to a discussion on how we keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and be open to a discussion and a debate how you keep guns out of the hands of would be terrorists. as president of the united states i would love to know what transpired between the f.b.i. and the orlando, when it worked up to a certain point. i bet the f.b.i. has some good ideas. bill wells has said that we should instigate a task force to take these calls in, and start

to develop program, but a strategy for how to deal with would be terrorists, which makes a lot of sense. >> now we'll switch to education. in your opinion, what are some keys to restoring educational excellence? and also, your campaign wants to reform education. so, would school vouchers be a part of that? >> as governor of new mexico i was the most outspoken governor regarding school choice. i made a pledge, as the governor, that i would increase educational funding as a percentage of the budget for yeech year i was in office anddy that. what i did, i put more money

into education, which gave me the freedom to say, what i said, in new mexico, which is we need to bring competition to public education. so for six years in new mexico i proposed a full-blown voucher system that would have brought competition to public education. i do believe that education should be a state issue, period. i do believe. [applause] >> if we had 50 labs of innovation and best practice, that we would have fabulous success, that would get emulated by overstates. as president of the united states, as what should the federal role be in education? i propose apololishing the federal department of education. michigan gives washington 13

cents and then michigan gets back 11 cents. how do you like that? and then washington says to get your 11 cents you have to do, a, b, krrks, did and it costs them 157 cents to get the 11 cents. why not leave the 6 cents in michigan's hands and allow michigan to compete with every overstate where we would really have best practice i'm going to predict that best practice will be bringing competition to public education. the model of the future, is the kaun academy. it's free. and many of you, are familiar with that. i think many think it was established under george washington when the department

of education was established under jimmy carter. and has there been anything added since it's been in exist tins? i don't think so. [applause] >> we have two quick questions, what impact will millennials have on this election and what is your plan to attract millennials? >> well, i'm leading in millennials, 18-24, second place, 18-36. and probably some cringing hair, whatever you define, 18-34. i think that the things that i'm saying not only attract millennials but it encompass what 60% believe. that's my opinion and, i think that if i were allowed on the

debate stage, i think my name familiarity would go from 30% to 100% and that would both well for becoming the next president of the united states. but, with regard to millennials, we're leading in that 18-24 age group. i would also like to point out, there was a poll, that have been two polls down by, on active military personnel, and who may favor to be president of the united states, and i'm the overwhelming choice to be the next commander-in-chief. [applause] >> so, last question. you are frequently photographed playing cles while on the campaign trail.

who would you say is the superior player? [laughter] >> so, when -- note >> for. >> [laughter] then we played game number 2:00 a.m. and he said i underestimated you and i will not let that happen again.

he said this in front of national media and is repeating this. i am again so game number three is looking grand - - gram. >> thanks for travelling to our city. >> thanks for coming to detroit. [applause] of course, ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is adjourned. [applause] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations]

>> [inaudible conversations] , to order that injection we can go into recess at any time we have an important

hearing today and the affordable care act premium increases it is a concern to most americans about uh cost of health care. under the affordable care act health insurance premiums are soaring

>> >> this one says millions

cannot afford health insurance. one but then these headlines are not from today. from this week or even this year before it was passed the affordable care act. that will not come as a surprise to anyone for how horrible the individual insurance market was before congress passed the affordable care act. insurance companies used to be able to discriminate against women. they could charge more for those with pre-existing conditions. cancer or exclusions or caps on coverage or terminate policies when people got sick and deny coverage

altogether. people who were lucky enough to get insurance for never premiums they decided to charge. these premiums were increasing by double digits every year. before we passed the affordable care act the insurance market was a complete mess but today is to examine recent increases in health-insurance premiums . republicans love the fact even though it has improved the health care of our constituents. there is one critical fact that they do not want you to know. premium increases have then lower in the cbo when

congress passed the affordable care act. they are lower than we anticipated and could they estimated premiums are between 12 and 20% higher than they are today. here is another key factor. been national health care spending has slowed even more than one repass the affordable care act. spending across medicare, medicaid and private insurance market. national health care spending 2014 through 2019 will be 2.$6 trillion last -- less than cns as we pass the affordable care act.

for 20 million americans. with more comprehensive coverage is is now the results of the lowest and injured rate unfortunately my colleagues will not talk about these facts. this is the rest of the story. and without offering solutions of their own. from day one republicans have been focused to undermine the allotted it has taken every single opportunity to sabotage by any means necessary. and try to defund and voted 60 times to repeal or weaken

. if we want to talk about the premium increases we also need to talk about drug companies that are jacking up the prices of their drugs and now want our witnesses to talk about that. those drug companies that are jacking up prices have a set of fact premiums? with the skyrocketing prescription drug prices. that is across-the-board and for that reason i am pleased twofold a hearing over the increases and we have all

requested dash hearing and i do appreciate mr. chairman to work with us to get the documents that we will be getting. what we be clear i have told my staff prescription drug price -- prices in the unconscionable raising of those prices is one of my top three priorities in this congress. and the reason why is because it is not fair like putting a gun to a sick person head to say pay or go into bankruptcy or pay or get sicker or pay or die. so we cannot even have this discussion unless we address that