minnesota's three major governor's candidates face each other in a debate. after that, a debate for louisiana's senate seat. candidates for's governor face-off. on tomorrow ross "washington journal", we will talk with a republican pollster and a democratic pollster about next week's elections. after that, neil irwin on the latest economic numbers. later, tim storey will discuss the 2010 census and congressional redistricting. "washington journal", every morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern. the u.s. commission on civil rights will vote on a report expected to be critical of the justice department's handling of

a voter intimidation case against members of the new black panther party. live coverage at 8:30 a.m. eastern on c-span-2. later in the day, a conversation with the aol chairman. live coverage from the online news association begins at 12:45 p.m. eastern. minnesota's three major governor's candidates face each other in this debate from the campus of minnesota state university. democrat mark dayton, republican tom emmer and indepenendent tom horner are running to replace governor pawlenty.

the cooke political report rates this race a tossup heard >> welcome to the minnesota gubernatorial candidates' debate. tonight's debate is brought to you from the campus of minnesota state university, mankato. >> good evening. my name is tom williams and i'm the president of the minnesota state student association. on behalf of the fellow leaders beside me, and minnesota state university, i welcome you to our campus on this fall evening for discussion about the future of our great state. minnesota state university is a great university, after 140

years has been serving minnesota, the nation and the world. minnesota state prides itself on being a place were learning produces real world thinking. our state faces difficult challenges. so tonight, i ask the candidates, much like the university asks us students, to take their big ideas and couple it with real world of thinking, combining dollars and passion to help the people of minnesota to go further than they then this is -- and the state thought possible. our moderator tonight are joe spear and bill salisbury. please tell me well, gubernatorial candidates tom emmer, tom horner and mark dayton to msu. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010]

>> they evening. -- good evening. on behalf of the debate minnesota foundation, we welcome you to tonight's debate. debate minnesota supporters are from different political backgrounds. some of them are here with us tonight in the audience. they share concerns about the impact of negative advertising and money in politics and the lack of civility and our political discourse they propose that we take a lesson from abraham lincoln, stephen douglas and kerry are issues back to the public square -- and carry our issues back to the public square. we believe that the best way to

restore civility in the election process is through substantive, content-based discussions between candidates, the people, and their communities. >> we will begin with 2 minute opening statements. they have drawn numbers to determine the order. each candidate will have two minutes with a one-minute follow up. the order rotate throughout the night. each candidate would be given the opportunity to make a one minute closing statement. we thank our student timekeepers tonight for helping us keep on schedule. we remind you now to hold any further our cause until the conclusion of tonight's debate. our first opening statement goes to mr. emmer. >> thank you very much. do you want us to stand or stsay sea -- stay seated. ? thank you to debate minnesota. it is an honor and privilege to

be running for the office of governor of the state of minnesota and i appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself to you tonight with these fine gentleman up there with me. briefly, we only have two minutes for the introduction. there are three people running for office of governor and the state of minnesota but there are only two messages. on one side, my colleagues believe that we have to raise new taxes. they argue that if we do not raise the billions of dollars, we must cut services. i disagree. i believe it is time for us to get control of the out of control spending, start to redesign the delivery system of government so we can deliver the services that citizens in this state expect government to deliver in the most efficient manner. then we have to reduce taxes and streamline regulations to start growing jobs. the discussion i hope to have to nice is -- tonight is that the next governor and the next legislature will have more to spend. our general revenues are expected to grow 7% to 8%.

we expect government to purchase the services that people expect within that new revenue. in other words, live within its means, and we need to start growing government -- or growing jobs again in the state of minnesota. thank you so much for having us here tonight. >> no clapping. sorry. i have to enforce the raúl right away. mr. horner? >> i want to thank these kellen for joining me in another debate and thank all of you for attending. when the former governor's endorsement, they all said the same thing, that this is one of the most important elections they can remember. they came to that conclusion because they really believe that minnesotans have rejected it the policy of no new taxes. we will not return that policy to the governor's office in 2010 and i think the voters have made that decision. the question in this election is

whether we are going to swing the political pendulum all the way to the left. will we continue to invest in a tax system that does not work for well? we can call it tax the rich. it is a tax system that is raising property taxes and raising income taxes, and it is not working very well. or will we settle on in the middle? or will we take a course that promotes innovation, that says we have to change the way we tax or spend it? we cannot afford the status quo. every major newspaper has endorsed me. and they have done it because they said that i am a chance, the opportunity to break the gridlock carrot time the opportunity to move the state to the future. innovation is not going to come from all of the special interest on the left anymore than it will, from the special interests on the right. minnesota should not be for

sale, yet that is what we're seeing in the last week of the campaign where millions of dollars of national money is coming into the state. i have not excepting pac dollars because i believe we need a governor who starts with the ability to engage the public. that is where our future is going to come from. i have a plan to accomplish this. i am looking forward to having a conversation with you this evening. thank you. >> mr. dayton? >> i want to thank minnesota state, mankato, and debate minnesota for hosting our 27th debate. this is an election that is about the future of minnesota and your future. it is about putting people back to work all over minnesota and i bring the experience of serving twice as commissioner of economic development. i know one of the cornerstones economic success is the best

possible education system. so when i learned that minnesota state university has had to eliminate 92 positions, and one students could not graduate on time because of lack of course offerings because of those cuts, i know we are going in the wrong direction. similar with k-12, overcrowded classrooms, tortured day school weeks. where we value public education -- four days school weeks. my opponents want to increase taxes on the wealthiest -- i want to increase taxes on the wealthiest minnesotans. my opponent increase the sales tax on consumer services such as hair cuts and car repairs, or

make cuts to local government services. that would result in higher property taxes. i believe that mine is a fair approach for minnesota, a better approach. those investments are made in education are ones that will put this on the path to further growth and prosperity for minnesota. >> the first question. >> the first question is about what kind of leadership qualities you gentleman would bring to the governor's office. mr. horner, you have mentioned the gridlock. how would you put aside partisanship that has hampered progress on major issues at the capitol for the last six years? >> every major newspaper that endorsed has said that i am the one has the ability to do that. i think you do it in a couple of ways. one, like jesse ventura, appoint

a cabinet of people that are there because of their ability to engage with minnesotans across the political spectrum. i think the most important opportunity for the next governor and the only with the next governor will be successful is if he does not look backwards, if he does not try to forge a consensus only among democrats and republicans, but engages the public, goes over the head of the legislature to talk to the public, and gauge the 70% of minnesotans that have been forced to the sidelines. the consensus there. and i think, frankly, what we see in my two opponents here is senator dayton with no ability to do that and rep emmer not having shown interest in doing that. when you looked at my experience in public service, and community service, i am the one who has shown the ability to reach out to the public, free

from special interests and forge a consensus. bring them back to the legislature with the commitment that i will be the lightning rod. i will be the one that provides political cover from republicans, democrats, independents who are willing to take the tough votes. why would never promised to be a one-term governor, because it cannot be a lame duck from day one, i have always said that if in providing the political cover, the consequences of that are we roof minnesota forward but i am not reelected for a second term -- the consequences of that we move minnesota for but i am not reelected, i am ok with that. >> i served nine years in the second branch of state government. i was the heads of three different state agencies. i am the only candidate who had that executive branch experience. i have worked with democrats and republicans consistently to

advance, as commissioner of economic development, the agenda that helped put people back to work, to get the state funding necessary to audit local governments and make sure they are to provide -- they are providing their services as cost-effective as possible. in the senate, i served for six years under republican president. and i worked with senators on both sides of the aisle. i was able in my last year to get the first congressional funding for the pioneering program of the minnesota a national guard beyond the yellow ribbon which provided support services to our returning war soldiers, heroes, and their families, to help them with reintegration. i worked with senator john mccain. and ted stevens to attain that funding. i have a proven ability to work with members of all sides of the aisle to get what is done at the

best for the people of minnesota. >> you have lived through six years of partisanship. why would you do to change things? >> as i listened to my colleagues, two things come to mind. one, you have got to stand for something and you cannot be everything to everybody. i think leadership is about leading people to where they need to be, not where they are. you articulate a very clear and concise and vision for where it is you believe we need to go, and you communicate that to people on both sides. this election really is all longer about republican- democrat-independent. i am proud to be the republican, but it is about more than that. it is about common sense. what we have been doing has not been working. the start by articulating very clearly what your vision is a for the state. we are the only candidate to have put out a complete and detailed budget that everyone running for office and voting can look at to see exactly what we would do with the 7% to 8%

more in revenue the government will have current senator dayton is $1 million off. mr. horner is $2.5 billion off. you have to be able to articulate what your vision is and it starts with a detailed plan. second, i think we have to change the process. right now the governor has the ability to -- i would like to see first things first get passed right away. it would give the governor to declare a fiscal emergency which is defined as our revenues will not meet our expenses. once that is declared, the legislature has 45 days to present a balanced budget of their own. so the governor would put one out in the first year of the biennium, and of january, early february. if it was declared on the first day of the legislative session, it would cause them to put out a complete budget by the middle

of february. you have all of march, april, and made to find of were the two sides agree and get those off the table and identify your points of disagreement so you can balance the budget and get first things first done it. >> let me follow up by asking who your leadership role models are. mr. emmer, which minnesota governor do you admire most? >> i do not have a game cards for minnesota governor's. >> i apologize. to mr. horner. >> do you have game cards? >> how can i say anything other than the governors and have endorsed me? >> pick one. >> i admire governor carlsen. he came in with a deficit with a percentage of the budget almost as significant as the one the next governor will face. he resolved that in ways that were fair and bipartisan.

then his next step was to say, let's engage in reform, let's fix the problem that we have in health care and brought together a bipartisan panel of republicans, democrats. the first offering was up to the standards we need in minnesota. so he went at it again. and he went and in a way that engaged in public. when you start with policies, putting a stake in the ground on tax the rich that even most democrats cannot support, you're off to the left, or cut spending, and many republicans do not support that and you are off to the right, how you build bipartisanship? when you allow the special interest to spend $4 million to beat up on the other party is to beat up on the other politicians, how do you turnaround and then say, i will be a bipartisan leader? you have to start with bipartisanship. you have to start with a track record and the experience that says, that is what i have done

in my community service career and in my professional career record >> please stick to one minute responses. >> one minute on the follow-up? >> are we supposed to be watching this down here? >> we are easily confused, bill. we have not done is enough. >> what did you say the other night -- 12875? >> senator dayton was supposed to tell us when we were done. >> would you tell us which governors you admire most? >> the governor this served twice as commissioner of economic development because he was a job as governor. he was committed to economic growth in our state and was successful. and because it was proactive. he was engaged and working tirelessly day and night to make this a better state. he had a sign in his office --

none of us are as smart as all of us. part of his success as he was a sponge for other peoples of good ideas. and i would adopt that approach as well. the other governor is governor harold stadson. he was a reform governor appear. he had the integrity to resign the office and serve our country in world war ii? >> i would not phrase it that way. you said you admire? it is not a matter of being favored. when i thought you were addressing emmer, i do not have governor game cards. i admire everybody has ever served in the office. i admire everybody that has ever put themselves out there and said, i am willing to run on the principles and ideals that i believe will put this state in a better condition than how we found it. so anybody and everybody that has run for the office, and not

only run but been elected. and i think these two gentlemen would agree with me. the one thing we have learned is that this is a long road, if you put yourself out there every day sharing your vision for the future of this state with minnesotans all over the place. anybody that is willing to do that, i have the most admiration for. >> mr. emmer, the next question, again regarding which occurred you have two minutes to answer this. imagine that you have been elected in your and your first meeting with your cabinet. give this your first talk. what would you say to your cabinet that lays out your vision, the expectations you have for them, and how would you measure your success? mr. dayton goes first. >> i would tell them i want excellence. i believe in government but i believe in the importance of government serving the people of

this state. once we are elected or appointed, our responsibility is to all the people of minnesota and to do the very best we can. it is as i attempted to do and the three state agencies that i headed. to instill the same ethic to all state employees care to tell them that our positions are paid for by the hard earned tax dollars of the people of minnesota. and we owe them our responsiveness, efficient -- efficiency, courtesy. we have a responsibility to respond in that fashion. when i set up in my senate office the health care health plan and provided a service to those who were denied the health care their physicians said they needed by their insurers or deny payment, my staff would say, we will get back to you within 24 hours.

people were astonished. there were more astonished when the person actually did that. i think it should be the norm. that should be the right of any citizen to expect that they can call somebody who is paid with their tax dollars and receive that kind of courtesy and swift response. so i will do my utmost to instill that quality service of commitment to people . we are the stories of the resources that belong to all of the people of this state. it is our responsibility to manage them in a way that looks out for now and the needs of our citizens today and also our children, grandchildren, and generations to come. >> mr. emmer, you're next. expectations you have. how're you measure your success and vision? >> it would start long before that first reading. immediately after the election on november 2, if we are elected to serve as governor, we will start by taking apart every

agency of government. i want to know what was the original mission? how did it start? what is the mission to date? is that mission a party of government, and is it being delivered in the most efficient manner? you have to build it again. the governor right now has 22 cabinet positions. that is too many. but like to see as secretariate model. reduce that to six or nine people who have responsibility for one area of government. once that is put together, and by the way, it should not be based on party. is to be on the best people available to do the job. and it has to be about customer service. to many of us who have been outside of government have the feeling that government, we have to ask permission all the time. when we call, we get records. we have to have a government serving as. it is about customer service. it is about making sure that minnesotans are sure the

government is here to work for a i have a neighbor that was given the responsibility of the comptroller of our national will our manufacturing and business. they got a saw or did they got a call from the state of io -- he got a call from iowa, asked him to come down. when he called minnesota, the response he got is, this is what you must do if you want to expand in minnesota. we need to change that attitude. do we find efficiencies within government, and deliver more for less? secondly, or recurring jobs in this state? did people start to invest again and create new opportunities? >> mr. horner? >> a first of all, i would remind them that they are there because they are smarter than i am. they are there because they are not democrats, republicans. they are minnesotans and that is what they needed to put first.

they need to start by asking the right question. it is not how much we will spend, how will we pay off that favor? what is it that we needed to achieve as minnesota anns to ensure prosperity of the state? i would tell them to go out and talk to the people who are affected by these programs and policies, the people who have the innovative ideas, the people have the new solutions cured i would tell them to challenge the status quo. innovationck winth occurred and here is what i hope they would come back with. there is a great program and the department of health that dealt with low-income kids who have as much. terrific program that said we are going to go in and figure out what triggers the attacks for low-income kids and how we keep them out of the emergency rooms? they worked with the families. they figured out what was triggering the attacks, how to correct them. over the course of these

programs, they were able to save it average of $2,000 per child per year. keeping them out of the emergency rooms. that is how to restructure health care costs. the other thing this program did -- it saved kids. it kept them in school. it reduced absences by an average of seven days per child per year. at it over th4e course of 12 year academic year. that is nearly half fiscal year. there is the achievement gap. that is just from one intervention, by being innovative, by looking at health care and not just as a national program but as a community solution, and by looking at the achievement gap not just as education but as other issues. >> one minute follow- up. would you describe yourself as a

coach or ceo? >> a coach and the ceo. this executive has the responsibility to make the decisions in the best interests of all minnesotans, but it is also is teaching role. it is getting people to work together to achieve a common goal of being be the very best they can be. it is definitely a team effort as well as a leadership position. >> same question to you, mr. emmer. >> i would say ceo. there are similarities when it comes to curtain. this is the business of the state of minnesota. when you decide a leadership team, you will. the best and brightest to the areas of responsibility -- you will appoint the best and brightest. you want of limited government epaminonda. and economic freedom is what you want them to embrace. i think the way you handle leadership is everybody gets

input. you want them on the team because they bring something of value. if you are the ceo, the leader, at the end of the day, there is one final decision and the restaurant the leader appeared >> mr. horner? >> i would describe myself as a ceo and tell them that if they wanted because they could go to tcf stadium. wait a second. minnesota needs of someone who are making executive decisions that are in the best interests of all people, and that is going to take some solid decisions, some leadership. i think the best ceo's, when you look at the tradition of ceo leadership in minnesota, the best ones are those who are leaders, who are innovative, bold, who are not stuck in the past, who do not rely of the status quo, who are challenging the status quo and pushing out for something new. that is the kind of ceo i would be. >> thank you.

now we will switch over and talk a little bit about your vision for greater minnesota. i will start with you senator dayton. a poll last week showed 43% of rural residents do not address their needs. what policies would you put in place that would help to assure residents of greater minnesota that you would treat them fairly dense >> i have held 114 community meetings. one in every county. i can count on every finger the people that felt they had gotten better service from state agencies than they did five or 10 years ago. the further you get from st. paul is more the feeling of distrust you get from state agencies, not from mayors, city council members, who were promised that local government aids would be protected.

the promise was broken by the current governor. one example was one mayor, when i went up there after the tornado, with blocks flattened, and there was no loss of life. most of the residents have a net worth of $15,000. we could not provide the emergency response capability without that support. i remember there was a mayor in international falls saying that she had been promised by governor pawlenty before the last election that he would protect local government aid. they cut their property tax levy by 60%. after he failed to do so, they had to go back and raise it back up to what it was before. the integrity of the relationship between state and local government is key. then the economic development efforts -- agriculture.

i was a big proponent of tourism. i had responsibility for tourism. the investments the state made in tourism brought back of multiple. i expanded at a program for economic development. that assisted local governments all over the state in identifying business opportunities and to create -- i worked with businesses to create additional jobs. i would revitalize that program. >> how would you ensure greater minnesota that you treat them fairly? >> in my campaign, i have made those assurances. it is reflected in how editorials, all leaders are responding to me. an editorial said that i was the best hope for a strong, rural minnesota. it is not just from putting more dollars into rural minnesota,

even though i have a commitment isl gaga, but i think it creating an environment in which our communities can succeed. it is making sure that we have policies that protect a strong infrastructure, allows people to get world-class quality health care and gives them that asset to attract new businesses. we are making sure education, k- 12, or two-year schools, four- year universities are doing other jobs, are integrated into the regional economies. we have the right infrastructure, building up a 10 ton roads, the railways, the zero bridges, the water and sewer that makes it possible. that we are investing in research, of building the economy of the future not just paying for the mistakes of the past. there we are making investments in new applications for agriculture, energy, manufacturing. then we have a tax policy that

does not tax small businesses out of job creation. that is the problem. so many of our businesses in rural minnesota are sub-s and would be killed by your proposal occurr. digikey would lose hundreds of jobs by your proposal. when you look at the survey, one of the most compelling statistics is that nine out of 10 people said may be part of the solutions. we want to be part of the solutions. i think that is critical. any governor has to say to world minnesota -- to rural minnesota, you are part of a solution. we will create this together. >> how would you treat greater minnesota fairly? >> i think the blanda record is simply a restatement of our platform we are running for. the report that was issued for greater minnesota says very clearly that the number one

issue for a greater minnesota residents is high quality paying jobs. very importantly, the next thing that they talk about in the report our taxes, spending, and governance. it is not about creating a business environment to draw up new investment and create a high quality, good paying jobs. in fact, all of minnesota. taxes are too high. spending is out of control. and governance -- people in rural minnesota think that their government is not listening to them anymore. it is the start to make sure that government starts to serve the people as opposed to having the people service more with their tax money. what we are going to do for greater minnesota is the same thing we propose to do for all of minnesota. it was redesigned government to deliver the services people expect and create a business and

are read by streamlining regulations and lower in texas to start growing jobs again in the state of minnesota -- and a lowering taxes to start growing jobs again in the state of minnesota. >> you talked about jobs i n rural minnesota. there is a property tax figure for $1 million commercial business in welles that paid twice as much as a property in egan. is there a problem with that? >> the problem is the inequity in the property tax system. businesses in minnesota pay four times more in property taxes than in any other tax. the league of greater minnesota cities said that mr. emmer's cuts would result in higher property taxes. for every dollar reduction in local government, property taxes go up by 67 cents. when i was in austin, a city

that reduced the number of positions, as with most counties throughout the state -- governor pawlenty cut the state employees by 11%. governments have cut back. if we will cut again, property taxes would go up more than 67 cents for every $1 reduction. the fiscal integrity of the relationship between the state and local governments is absolutely essential to enable people to live in greater minnesota and to afford is not have the property taxes soar. >> mr. horner? >> absolutely there is an inequity, but i would say senator dayton, the way to address it is not to raise the income tax to that same level of problem. you cannot add more taxes to businesses. when you kill the job creators, there's no jobs. and that is what your proposal would do. texas' the small businesses that are creating jobs.

-- it taxes the small businesses that are creating jobs. i think we do need to equalize the taxes for businesses in rural and metro minnesota, between commercial and other properties. we also need to look at agriculture in property-tax as an understand that in many landnities we now have being taxed for its speculative value. we need to allow farmers to stay on their land. >> mr. emmer? >> i believe it is. again, the only plan that is detailed and does not have a 2.5 billion hole, which provided tax reductions of $100 million over two years. i also need to address the local

government aid fallacies. in the state of minnesota, we have only -- over 800 cities. it's only 20 cities that get over 50% of lga dollars. only 5 of those get 40%. the suggestion that you did border to border property-tax increases with reductions in lga is a fallacy. i would suggest that if the state government is not spending a dollar, the local government, if it is 67 cents, i do not know why the attack -- the governor would be opposed to the citizens saving 33 cents on every dollar appeared >> four of five minnesotans believe it is important to pursue alternative energy. what will you do to pursue alternative energy resources? >> arkansas proposed an energy

savings fund, modeled after the war -- i propose an energy savings fund. the retrofitted a building it for more efficient use that provides jobs. they retrofitted the heating and cooling system. they provided corn stalks from local farms that put money into the local economy. scenario.-win i would create a revolving loan fund and start with public colleges and universities. make those same investments. with the savings and lower energy costs, a successful project will pay for itself and five-seven years. we will loan that money out of school districts and in a decade, we could transform the public sectors use of

renewable, clean energy. by demonstrating to those businesses that we have all long-term commitment to doing so, that we could then attract those businesses to minnesota. one of those wind turbines uses 800 tons of steel. i would rather those be manufactured in minnesota in be using jaconite to turn into a steel from northeastern minnesota. solar energy is an area where we could demonstrate a long-term commitment. i learned as commissioner of economic development, when you demonstrate a long-term commitment that you become attractive for them as a place to locate and expand. i would follow up on that commitment to alternative energy with going anywhere in this state or nation or world worth it -- were there is a job to be gained from minnesota. >> what would you do to encourage development of alternative energy resources? >> i think, respectfully,

senator didn't, you show what i believe is the problem. people in government -- senate showed whatnotyou i believe is wrong with government. all different types of energy should be explored. we should streamline regulations. a log in to start to invest, not having people in government debt -- allow them to start to invest not having people in government, have people that are doing it every day and understand what risk is. we should lift the moratorium on nuclear. we should look all options when it comes to energy. too much government has been the problem. >> mr. horner , what would you do? >> you have both shown it what is the problem with your policies.

this senator is promising more dollars that we do not have. it will run more businesses out of the state and cause you to push income taxes to a lower level. there is no two ways about it. but i also disagree with representative emmer. i do not believe that we should ignore the role of the public sector to advance innovation. i do think we should move away from subsidies. i have been the one he said that at farm fests, the only one. we have a role in promoting research. look at the great research that is going on at center and lakes college or what morris is doing. what mankato is doing in ethanol. but i think we have to go beyond that. the standards that were set to drive utilities to more renewable energy are good. and they are producing results.

and we ought to hold up the utilities to that, not as a regulatory, punitive burdens, but as incentives to develop these new and is it too is in the private marketplace. we also need to be sensitive to cross. one of the great advantages and businesses have in minnesota over companies on the east or west coast is we have to lower electricity prices. thirdly, we needed to keep remembering that as we develop alternative fuels, even as we develop other sources, the most efficient energy is the energy we do not use. we also need to promote conservation as the throughtful part of our energy program. >> next question. mr. dayton, first, greater minnesota needs a skilled work force to attract new jobs. given the budget problems, how would you find at state colleges and universities to provide the skilled workers, and how would

to link their academic programs to the needs of employers? two minutes. mr. dayton? >> well, the commitment to a higher education has flattened in the last decade. there were cutbacks in funding positions. that is sacrificing the future of our state. we have the third highest tuition at r 22-year public colleges of any state. we are in the top -- we have the third highest wish ituition in our two year public colleges. when you go to the technical college, 20 years ago, they have a capital equipment budget of $1 million. now it is $20,000 this last year. without the ability to make investments in the technology necessary to give students to beat -- the skills to be

competitive, we are start changing the future of our state. the next governor will inherit an almost $6 billion projected deficit. to square that will be an absolute requirement under the minnesota constitution. as the national economy improves, as we have more revenues, when number-one priority is education. and to balance the needs from higher education to k-12 to early childhood education. all those are important, but education itself, have the state budget, is a top priority because we do need to restore the investments we made in the past that have proven most successful to the future of minnesota. we need to give the students the education they need. it has also been predicted that more of the jobs in minnesota than almost any other state in the future will require college education. the good news is those are higher paying jobs. we need to give everyone access to our public colleges and

universities so that they can realize and achieve the american dream that will benefit them and benefit all of us in minnesota. >> mr. emmer, adequately funding higher education and connecting it to jobs appeared >> i think the second part of their questioned -- connecting it to job is the most significant. before you can tell people what your commitment is, whether it is higher education, k-12, early putd , you have to forth a detailed balanced budget. the state of minnesota only has a deficit if we are committed to spending more than we have. if we are committed to spending more than a 7% to 8% new revenue, then we have a deficit. unless you are willing to provide a balanced budget, you can promise all kinds of things but you cannot deliver. here is our promise. we put out a detailed budget that tells you exactly what we will do with funding for higher education.

it is less in the next biennium. we will challenge them to provide better education. as a parent of seven, will be working until we are about 120 at this rate. i am tired of hearing the leaders and our college system tell us that we have to raise tuition. is anybody aware that the retirement program at the university of minnesota provides an employee contributes to% in the universe it will match it with 13% for retirement? why is it that we are asking these young people to pay more and more tuition so that we can pay the professor's paya 13% mah on retirement. that is absolutely wrong. the commitment should be to challenge our higher education institutions to get their costs under control and provide an affordable education and that we all expect our kids to have. [applause] >> i would ask the audience to

refrain from clapping. no clapping. >> listen to the answers from senator dayton and mr. emmer, they are all about the past. this is to be an election about the future. how will we end of it, how will we be different? we have to stop asking the question of how much and start asking the question of what for? what do we need to achieve for prosperity, job growth, for opportunity for all the people in this audience? next year, look at the opportunity we have secured a new president of the university, a new chancellor of minnesota state colleges and endued governor. there is our opportunity, with the right leadership to really ask ourselves what as minnesota and need? what are the outcomes we have to

achieve and higher education? how will we get to 7% of the adult population that has some post-high school -- how will we get to 70% of the adult population that has some posters high school education? are we funding two-year schools are appropriately? what about for your schools? it should would be offering 300 majors or should be looked as centers of excellence? those are the kind of critical, mission, strategic central questions that we have to ask ourselves. and how do we get to a world- class research university on the campus of the university of minnesota? when we talk about jobs, one of the great job creators of the future will be the biomedical discoveries center on the campus of the university of minnesota. that is what is going to create the jobs for the future, not just science and medical jobs, but all the jobs that new

industries create. we only get there if we are willing to challenge the status quo, and to be innovative. you do not get there if you have your feet firmly planted in the past. >> thank you, mr. horner. switch gears a little bit. earlier, we as members of the audience to submit questions to us. lillian posed a question which is frequently asked. she will try it again tonight. or state has a huge deficit which she says will only continue to grow. without cutting spending on programs or areas that you think are underfunded, and what you see needs the largest cuts? we will start with representative emmer. >> please go to our website emmerforgovernor.com. a shameless plug.

we have put out the only balanced budget that tells you right away where we believe we should be spending this 7% to 8% in additional revenue. we have maintained our commitment to k-12 education which is $13.30 billion and we added a half a billion dollars. why? because we believe it is about throwing more k-12 education at the system? no. because we are committed to asking for the reforms. health and human services is the area that we must start to -- >> and the next four years. my friends tell me that i -- health and human services is the area that we must start to tackle in the next four years. in health and human services, we added $600 million. that is the area where we must

start to address how we deliver the social safety net services, health care, housing, or food. we need to start talking about how we do that at a state level. >> in this segment, would you try to hold your answers to one minute? mr. horner, what areas are targets for large cuts? >> very quickly. quietly only one who put out a budget that has structural reform -- quickly, i am the only one who put on a budget that has a structural reform. it is not how much we are spending or tax in right now. it is about how we do it better in future. i do agree that health and human services is the way that we will change the way we spend. i put out a proposal to change the way we pay for those services. one example, social service workers in counties spent 40% of

their time of filling out paperwork for the state. we have to change that. about 40% of the property tax in many counties go to unfunded mandates. that's wasted money. the only way we will change that is if we tie more of the delivery to the accountability, put it at the county level, and get the state government of the business of unnecessary mandate. >> senator dayton, where would you make large budget cuts? >> my proposal is on www.markdayton.com. the basic difference is that i would protect low-income minnesotans from protecting -- from paying higher taxes. i would raise the income tax 4% of income earners, that's a

department -- that same department says the wealthiest 2/3 of taxes. i consider what my opponents are during would increase the tax burden on middle income taxpayer. so i believe i will make taxes fairer, and their proposals will increase the tax burden on middle income minnesotans. >> no clapping, please. this is a question from andrew. and i think this is one that resonates with small school districts. one minute. mr. horner, go first. how he planned to address the many sculptors are to have been

forced to -- many school districts that have been forced to eliminate classes? >> the first thing you do not do -- on protecting school districts, we have to stop the bad kinds of policies that came out of this past legislative session where they took $3 billion, bombarded and kick a problem down the road. i do believe -- borrowed it and kick the problem down the road. i would move away from no child left behind. let the teachers teach the way they know how. unshackle their hands and let them teach. we need to look at consolidations. we can consolidate districts,

reduce administrative overhead, put money into classrooms. while i cannot pay back the deferral, i would pay the interest on any operating loans they would have to take up. we need to get them to 5 day weeks at least. >> mr. dayton, your turn. >> the overcrowded classrooms, the four-day weeks is a result of the state reducing aid. and that money has caused cut -- a cut in funding has caused an increase in property taxes to route minnesota. so my budget calls for an increase of $1 billion in state funding for k-12 education in the next by any appeared it recognizes that any other increase would be necessary because they expect 14,000 more students in our public schools over those two years. that money would enable us to lower class sizes, and to apply the kind of individual diagnostic testing that has been

proven esuccessful. we can help the students in the early grades to identify difficulties. that is life transforming. they are poised to become successful learners and successful adults. >> mr. emmer, one minute. >> senator, it sounds good, but when you do not present a detailed budget, when you have $1 billion hole, you cannot make good on those promises. our pupil funding has gone up in the last decade. you need to make sure that any decisions we are making are in the best interests of the students and not in the interests of the union cause that is interrupting all -- [applause] >> refrain from clapping. >> measure, report, and reward. it is about measuring outcomes,

reporting those appearance so that they can make educated decisions, and it is about rewarding good schools and teachers by paying them more. >> next question. >> ed from mankato. minnesota's prevailing wage law increases the cost of state construction projects. would you advocate repeal of this law? >> no. i think there is a way in which to provide income -- you want people to receive income commensurate with their skills and talents. they spend those dollars in local businesses and boost the economy. there are ways in which we can make those minnesota companies more competitive. we should look at what wisconsin has done, which is the bidding preferences for in-state businesses. a contractor said that if he got

a contract in a south dakota, he has to pay an excise tax. so we do need to look at ways to recognize the way that it -- the competition that the minnesota businesses are in. >> would you repealed the prevailing wage law? >> that is not up to the governor. that will be up to the legislature. the idea was to make sure that people that are working on certain projects are getting a livable wage, competitive wage. i do not think it is working. i think it is adding to costs of projects and pricing people out of the marketplace, but i think, again, that is up to the legislature. if the legislature addresses prevailing

>> there are a lot of areas of the state where prevailing wage is not working the way it was intended. i understand you're down there today. they will tell you that when they have to pay wages equivalent to the southern metro area, that does not work in minnesota. can we have a prevailing wage that works, that is effective, that is fair, that will work in the way it was intended? absolutely. but only if we had the courage and leadership to look to the future and turn your back to special interests. >> thank you, mr. horner. another question on wages goes to mr. emmer. >> i cannot hear you, i am sorry. >> which you support a pay

freeze for all government employees to help solve the budget deficit? >> i think we have already done that. i think it is time to look at redesigning government itself. i have to address this with senator date in because he keeps making the statements that what we are proposing will raise property taxes. i am the only one up here that has set -- sat on a city council. some other decisions are based upon how they will fund certain services that citizens expect, but living within our means has to happen at the state level, county level, and the federal level. we have to actually redesigned government to make it smaller and more efficient. we have to start growing jobs again in the state of minnesota. new jobs in the private sector help to pay for the services people expect from government. >> mr. horner, your turn.

>> if a pay cut for public employees is one of those great bumper sticker issues, but it is not the real issue. public employees have already taken a pay cut. what we ought to do is freeze all hiring and look at where we have too many people. one of the things we will find is that matters -- minnesota has a very top-heavy government. we have a lot of supervisors. we need to make some efficiencies there. we need to look at public pensions. i am the only candidate who has had the courage to do that. that is the long-term challenge. when detailed unions that will protect retirees and older workers, but we do need to ask our workers to pay a little bit more. maybe it is not a higher contribution. maybe it is extending the retirement age. we need to tell the taxpayers that we need to transition workers.

taxpayers will have to pay a little bit more right now so that they do not get crushed in the future. >> most state employees have already endured wage freezes and layoffs. the average teacher salary in minnesota is lower than the national average. we have reduced the state work force by 11%. we have cut back 50 positions. the workers have endured wage freezes. everything is going to have to be budgeted within the context of the $5.80 billion deficit. our governor in the '80s called special sections to provide the next governor with a balanced budget. you cannot balance the budget on the back of public employees. that is unfair. >> thank you, mr. dayton.

the next question comes from carol of mankato. people from -- people with disabilities have seen cuts year after year. what can people with disabilities expect under your administration? >> under my administration what people with disabilities can expect is respect. if we will make sure that those people who need assistance from the government that or the hon. will receive that. i think it is appalling that we have cut services for personal care attendants, for example. that is tell a lot of disabled minnesota residents are able to get back into the mainstream of jobs and living. we did a formal lecture at the university of minnesota yesterday. a student asked me that very question. i said that we ought to make sure that things like personal care attendants are funded. he said he was glad that i said

that. he had 12 disabilities. without a personal care attendant, he would not be there yet he will graduate from may -- graduate from the university of minnesota and lead a productive life. >> i agree about the need to revitalize the funding for personal attendants and others. it was distressing a couple of years ago when there was evidence that people were building for their services for more than 24 hours a day. the department of management and budget eliminated 7 internal audit positions that provide that kind of internal oversight. as a state auditor, i learnt that you have to have an audit oversight function. you need to make sure that all of those dollars are going to those services.

medicaid provides a $1.40 billion in federal funding that enables all hospitals across the state of minnesota to receive over $6 million in mankato. they receive the funding necessary to provide quality health care. >> as i have already indicated, you can see our budget. it is a complete budget within the money we have. $2.5 billion hole in his budget. the health and human services area has been increased by $600 million. if you find your priorities and our priorities are children, disabled, seniors, veterans, and nursing homes -- not able-bodied adults. we cannot continue to balance the budget on the backs of public servants. that is just wrong. there are a lot of people who are asked outside of government

to continue to pay for the unrestrained growth of government. we have to remember you cannot continue to grow spending foolishly and without responsibility for the people who are being asked to pay that bill. those are the people we need to be concerned about. >> thank you, mr. emmer. the next question comes from mankato. no one can do everything, but almost everyone can do something. as governor, what would you do to ensure that our human services help each client to become as independent as possible rather than being a long-term burden of the taxpayer? >> there are people who have severe disabilities. back in the 1990's with the congress froze the funding and the employment growth that occurred, there were more

dollars being able to be spent for individual recipients. they found that it provides transportation, counseling, child care that employees need -- people do move into employment and stay in employment. that is what people want. they want a chance to earn a living. the best anti-property program is a job. we need to go back to recognizing that aspiration. everyone can conceivably be a productive member of our society. individual self-esteem helps them to attain that. >> thank you, mr. dixon. mr. ebert, the question to you. >> the answer to the question is growing jobs in the state of minnesota and not allowing too -- not allowing government to

grow at double-digit percentages. at the end of this biennium, from 2001 to 2011, our general fund spending will have grown by $6.50 billion. that is roughly about 20% of our $31 billion general fund budget. the two german believe that our state general fund spending should grow by $8 billion in the next the the zero years. first, it is controlling the growth of government. second, it is creating jobs in the state of minnesota. that will allow you to pay for the services you expect government to provide. >> of course we need to create an economy that provides jobs. we need good tax policy. we need to streamline the regulatory process. we need good education. it is easy for us to sit here and say we ought to have more

jobs. what about that 55-year-old who did everything right in the economy pulled the rug out from under him or her? we tell them we'll have a job when they do not have the skills for a job that is available? we need to look at education as lifelong learning including job training and make sure people have the skills so that they can get a job in the economy that i want to promote. we need to think about health care. so many people are spiraling into bankruptcy because of health care. we need to restructure the system so that all employers can again provide up the courage -- health insurance for their employees. we need to provide supportive services for those families in crisis and we need to provide mortgage counseling some people can keep their homes. >> they do, mr. horner. the next question is from whitney.

currently government-funded programs must send all of their allocated money or risk less funding for next year. do you have a plan to address this in minnesota? we will start which represented emmer. >> we have to have what some people refer to as a zero-based budgeting. it is the same concept as balancing the family checkbook. you do not spend money you do not have. you do not base your budgets of what you want to spend, you base them of what you have to spend. our government seems to think that we are just born to grow government almost 20% in the next two years. health and human services alone scheduled itself for a 32% growth in just two years. think about this, if we do not get to balancing our budget is based on what we have as opposed to what we want to have, if we do not grow new jobs so we have new revenues, health and human

services alone have committed to spending that 32%. if that goes unchecked, that one area of government will eat up the entire budget within a decade. then there will be no money for k-12 education, bridges or roads. >> it goes back to what i said. i would tell might cabinet in that first meeting that we start with outcome. what is it that we need to accomplish as a state to be prosperous, to survive, to create a good marmot for everyone? you start with the outcomes that winds need to achieve. they we measure progress against those outcomes. we do not set budgets against what worked in the past and what did not work in the past. we certainly do not set budgets and guess what special interest tell us to do. we set budgets based on what we need to achieve as a state and then hold those programs accountable. i propose that we ought to be absolutely transparent.

we should create web sites where we have public programs on the website ensure the outcomes we expect from them. here is the measures. here is how they are doing against this measure. everybody can judge and that is heavily engaged minnesota ends up in the process so that we all hold government accountable. >> there is a book in my library called "the death of common sense of." when i was state auditor, we charged fees to the clients local governments. i ask the department of finance, should our proposal not be credited with the revenues that are services brought in it? they said it was not possible. they said it was a separate ledger. again, it defies common sense. i know some who have worked with governors across the

country and spent hundreds of millions of dollars. the state of minnesota in the last number of years has been looking for this cost-saving efficiencies. i will look for them. i will bring outside private- sector consultants >> thank you, mr. dayton. this is from north mankato. is the civil commitment of sex offenders the best solution to protect the public after their prison terms and it? treatment does not seem to be a cure. this goes to you, mr. horner. >> is still commitment the best solution? no, but we have not figured out a better one. what we are talking about are the most heinous of vendors, the worst of the worst. we do need to figure out how to keep them off the streets.

i worry about the constitutional rights that are to be in jeopardy, but i think first and foremost we ought to think about the safety of the public. what we have seen is that in these kind of offenses and these kinds of offenders that we do need to make sure that the public is safe from those offenders. >> thank you, mr. horner. the question goes to you, mr. dayton. >> if public safety needs to be the paramount concern. with the criminal sensing -- criminal sentencing and the possibility of parole, the ability of them to have the civil commitment to follow that and allow for that is indeterminate sentencing. it is possible to the procedure to continue to keep that person incarcerated for a period of

time. a judge said he was not rehabilitated it was not susceptible to rehabilitation. there are inefficiencies. the protection of the public is absolutely paramount. that is why i am happy to have the endorsement of the minnesota police department. >> i already have the record on this. civil commitment should be eliminated and the worst of the worst sex offenders should be sentenced and determinedly, absolutely. >> thank you. next question. this next question comes from mankato. it is for senator dayton. what would you do to keep businesses from migrating out of minnesota? >> as commissioner of economic development, the number-one

reason is well educated, hardworking, productive citizens. the health-care system, state to local government circuses -- state and local government services >> -- we need to focus on all those areas. we need to keep taxes competitive with other states. the experts have said that the best success for minnesota is to continue to have the best education system in the world starting with early childhood. those are the entrepreneurs of the future. those will be the people they will hire to have successful

businesses. >> rep emmer, what would you do today keep businesses from going to lower tax states. >> we would make minnesota competitive. it is true that minnesota does not have to be the cheapest place to do business in the world or the country because we have the best work force. our work force is not only the envy of the united states, it is probably the envy of other countries. we have to reduce the corporate franchise tax. 9.8% when it is combined with the federal tax, it is the highest tax rate in the world. it puts approximately 360 million in the hands of our businesses to start hiring and making capital purchases. the corporations that file personal income taxes over the next few years, that will put $160 million in the hands of small businesses to invest in

their most important resources, which is people. we want to expand the research and development tax credit and reduce the commercial property tax. you do those things along with streamlining government and you will attract new businesses and all al businesses -- and allow businesses to drive. >> we need to be a state that has top talent. what we develop on our own, we also need to be a state that cannot recruit talent into minnesota. if we raise the state income tax 30% or 40%, the businesses that we want to do business in minnesota will not be recruiting the management caliber talent. we need to be a state of innovation. we need to invest in research. we do need a tax structure that works. not a tax system based on the

past, but one that is looking to the future. when that takes less reliance on the income tax and would set a consumption tax. it reduced the corporate tax and create incentives for investment. we need to keep costs under control, including health-care costs. that will take structural reform. we need to be a state that offers the type of amenities that businesses want. >> process, mr. horner. last august question here. you may want to speed up the answer a little bit. as governor, would you do to stop voter fraud? mr. emmer? >> i carried the photo id bill in the house of representatives. eight out of 10 minnesotas believe we should show a photo identification when we get to the polling place. that is number one. there are several other things you could do as well.

i will keep the time short. >> de que. mr. horner? >> the good news is there is not a lot of evidence of voter fraud in minnesota. >> will ask the audience to not laugh. [laughter] thank you, mr. horner. can you continue? >> there is not a lot of evidence that there is a lot of voter fraud in minnesota. we need to continue the education so people understand how the system works. i do agree with photo id. >> thank you, mr. horner. mr. dayton? >> it is a shared minnesota commitment. as part of the week out last time, it was said that the person with the most votes would win the election. the secretary of state and the chief justice of the minnesota supreme court and other

associated justices were appointed in a transparent process. it was uphill. if i am governor, will continue to uphold that. >> before we get to closing statements, we like to a acknowledged that this debate was made possible by support from different corporations. we would like to thank the minnesota state university of mankato and student government for hosting the debate. special thanks to ksmq public television for broadcasting the debate. thank you also to television, radio, and print media. most importantly, thank you for coming. [no audio] >> thank you everybody here.

crosses for having us. thank you for being part of the process. there is a choice to be made on november 2. the choice is very clear. all the one side there is the offer that we are going to grow government last -- but yet again at 10 irresponsible pace. even if you agree with that, what taxes are we going to raise two years from now? it is time to take ownership of our future and our children's future. it is time to tell the government to live within its means. that means the 7% to 8% of new revenue we will have an in the next legislative session. that is the choice to be made on november 2. i hope you agree with the vision we have for the future of the state. we hope you will help us make our vision a reality for the state of minnesota. >> please hold your applause. mr. horner?

>> look what is happening this week alone? representative emmer, senator dayton inviting special-interest groups to come to our state and spend billions of dollars on negative advertising. that is for the special interest groups -- groups to get one more trophy in their trophy case. that is why i rejected tax contributions. i think that a governor ever would move the state to the right. we cannot be a state that this sideways. we need to be a state that news to the future. the question in this election is whether or not you ask voters will have the courage to vote for the best governor, the governor that minnesota newspapers and former governors have said it would be the best governor for minnesota or will you vote out of fear?

i am asking you to vote for your future. thank you very much. >> please hold your applause. senator dayton, you have the last word. >> thank you minnesota state mankato. this election is about your future in the future of our state. it is about the commitment to keeping taxes protected for the middle-class or raising taxes on the middle-class by higher property taxes and higher sales taxes that will increase the burden on middle-class families and small businesses. minnesota state mankato has suffered serious cuts as is the case all over minnesota. you are our future. you will be the future leaders, the future on to producers, the future doctors, scientists, lawyers, nurses -- we depend on

all of you for our success. we need to give you an affordable education. i will restore that commitment. together we will create a better minnesota period. [applause] >> thank you. that ends our debate. thank you and good night. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> thank you for joining us from the campus of minnesota state mankato for election 2010 and the gubernatorial candidate debate. this is a co-production of debate minnesota and pioneer public television. we encourage you exercise your right to vote on election day, tuesday, november 2. >> earlier tonight, an

incumbent senator faced each other in a contentious debate for a louisiana senate seat. that is next on c-span. after that, the candidates to be oklahoma's next governor. there is a three-way governor's race in colorado for an open seat. tomorrow night, there will be a final debate. live coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. with just days until election day, all the key races and candidates on c-span with debates every night and go on like to see archived debates at the c-span a video library. visit our politics page for candidate's twitter feeds,

campaign ads, and other resources. to the weekend we will show lots of campaign events, debates, and interviews, and open our phone lines for your comments about the campaigns. follow c-span's election coverage right to election day. >> now, the final debate between the louisiana senate candidates. this was held at wwl-tv in new orleans and organized by a group of louisiana television stations. this race is rated republican. >> the evening and welcome to

the final televised debate between the two front runners in the race for u.s. senate. over the next hour, the two candidates will tackle some of the most pressing issues facing a louisiana. with us is the challenger and the incumbent. the candidates were invited to appear tonight based on their standings in two independent polls conducted for cbs stations across the state. the questions will come from a panel of reporters from those stations. greg meriwether from baton rouge, louisiana, jeff ferro in shreveport, [inaudible] and this program is also being televised nationally on c-span.

we have divided the hour into four rounds of questions. each can that will have time to answer. the first and will have one minute and 10 seconds. of the second will have 40 seconds to respond our first question goes to mr. vitter 7. questions come from our viewers. you have been a supporter of the tea party movement. be one of the stated goals has been to "take our country back up w." want to ask who he has to take our country back from projects. >> thank you. i am looking to have the

support of the tea party movement in louisiana. i believe the tea party represents mainstream values in america, not the extremism, as my opponent has said. my opponent has denigrated the tea party. he compared it to the far left activist group moveon.org, i believe is a real insult. they were fear mongering. >> what does it mean to say "take our country back?" >> if i could continue. he may, similar to nancy pelosi saying the folks were un- american. what a lot of american citizens mean by that is that in the last few years, we have gone away to the left and policy out of this very liberal administration and carry the full congress.

and not only threatens our fiscal future, it also threatens our values and fundamental freedoms and american. >> david is starting out with the attack. that is ok. i have been endorsed by four newspapers because they say that i am affected, independent, and willing to reach across the aisle. david vitter is one of the least effective members of the senate. nasa, he is not earned a second term -- nationally, he has not earned a second term. it should be a take back to the middle. >> our last question comes from greg amiri weather. mr. melancon, our polls showed

this. is to a 3/4 and the voters believe your most likely to support president obama. you have said you give the president and a. the stand by that? >> what i said if you take the whole text is that i give him an a for effort on their response for the bp disaster. i gave him an actual c for the administration. >> you said be taken in a poor effort. for his policies, you gave congress a lower grade because of getting in his way. it exported the problems that we had with congress is the partisanship. >> you still get him and a? >> i think teachers should do grades. i think he has an average response. >> at the time, i thought that was good.

>> do you feel satisfied with this view that you are close to president obama and his policies? >> if you look at my voting record? i am raided in the right and center of the house. david vitter is always to the far right. i vote with the president regardless of who he is when i think he is right. i voted against several of this very important issues but he did not like and my leadership did not like. that is by independent. >> the key question is do you want a u.s. center that will start with support president obama's policies for are the you think we need real checks and balances to get away from this alert to the left? the differences cannot be clearer. charlie cook melancon a strongly endorsed president obama for president. this year, he gave president obama an "a"

he supported the agenda is in the bail was that president obama support it. he supported a one trillion dollars stimulus. he supported the obama budget. he is against appealing -- repealing obamacare. what i next care comes from mr.. >> you have supported supporting tax cuts for the wealthiest americans the bill with the costing an extra $715, it is going to have to be paid for. what three programs would you cut? >> i disagree with the premise that in order to keep tax rates where they are and not increase them, we have to pay for that. i think that is washington and not louisiana speak. i do not want to raise taxes on anyone right now.

my opponent supports the obama position. i think it would be economically disastrous to be raising taxes on anyone including small businesses. >> what would you cut? >> i am certainly for cutting spending in washington and reducing the debt. i would start to it and spend stimulus funds. the stimulus has been a failure. then i will go to other programs. we have billions of dollars of unused federal property. we can sell and get rid of that federal property for a billion dollars in one year alone. we send checks to dead farmers through government programs. whinnied oversight that could save over $1 billion a year. correct it is a misnomer to say that bush tax cut would not have to be paid for. you would have to pay that $750

billion. it is not an increase. >> i disagree with that to avoid a tax increase we somehow have to pay for it. and is not the government's money. >> it was to pay for, he should have instead of voting against paid go -- he should have voted for that. we passed to the hearth and senate. they keep putting it on hold and not passing. he voted for the prescription drug program that cost them more than the stimulus, the tarp, and the bailout. if you have that, $4 trillion more over the next 10 years. if you repeal what he wants to do, 100 trillion dollars estimated cost to repeal and go back again predicts this next

question goes to mr. melancon >> and recent report said that some of the top criminal investigators were in favor of banning bp from doing any business with the u.s. government because of serious environmental violations. that was before the gulf oil spill. >> we will let them go crazy. to not worry about what is going on. we need to make sure that safety is number one. >> what about banning m.v.p.? >> as far as banning the company? i am not -- i am not make one mistake or demonstrated.

if they have been that bad of a player, maybe we should consider some additional penalties. i want to make sure bp stays as solvent as possible. i want them to pay those fines and penalties. for people have lost so much to make sure they get a whole. i am not ready to shut down somebody that is going to be a bailout for the people of the state prada >> you are saying no to that? >> yes. >> we should make sure bp is held fully accountable for all of the damage it has caused. my opponent has completely misrepresented my actions in this regard. i want to slay that we are clearly. we should apply the same standards to everybody who wants to drill in the gulf or

elsewhere. if they meet those standards, fine. if they do not, anyone who does not meet them should be shut down. >> based on safety violations in the past, should they be banned from doing business? >> not perce. i think remain stringent safety. they have to be able to meet those. >> our final question comes from john and dennis burd. >> one of my viewers roads in and said that she has not been hearing a lot. it is putting people back to work. >> did not spend the remaining .wo and a 32 big be

by the white house estimates, it has saved or created 9000. >> in terms of the jobs come it has created that three and $42,000 per job projects >> ago secreting jobs to stop the spiraling spending. we should be keeping tax rates where they are. they increase taxes on small business even in a recession. >> the amazing part is that he

is a pathological liar. when you delete something because you said it. there are tax breaks. there was a bill several weeks ago that provided tax breaks for small businesses. i have a proposal. i've not only been a business owner that made the cut, i have a small business pose of the cuts taxes. it makes the biggest cuts to education and the history of this country. we need to be investing in these kids whether it is in technical learning or college. everyone can not be a college graduate. we need to invest in america. dave vitter please do nothing.

>> that concludes our first round. in the second round, each can get an individual question with three minutes to respond. we will become a question for mr. melancon. >> the associated press reported that you were one of 10 members of congress who took part in the 2008 trip to antarctica to study climate change. it cost them $150,000. it included a cable car ride through the australian outback. -- the rain forest. the to a visit to the south pole. is this a good use of public funds? >> every session of congress, the committee goes to antarctica. i was on the science committee. mr. vitter did not been invited to what people with open minds.

we are 65 hours flying time from 11 days, 35,000 air miles to get into antarctica -19 degrees. it is not like it is a junket. we spend the most money in science at the south pole. there were two teams that with their physically. the grounds we saw were about the size of what is going on and what is happening with the ice floes that are down there. the research that is being done at antarctica. we looked at the barrier reef. we met with scientists. these are not getting in a buggy and right. we spent hours at every location come up of 5:30 a.m. and on the air plane by 8:00. this was learning so that when we come back and we are asked to take a look at what we are appropriating and where it is

being spent, that we can be informed to make the decision. mr. vitter sticks his had in the sand. but what did you learn? there is also report that you are supporting coastal erosion. it is with you have to go to the south pole. >> it is because of the ice that has fallen off. the ocean rights is going to be a severe problem for a state like ours. >> if you want to pick on one little item -- quite the year before that, you went to paris on the chart that was paid for with public funds. your wife accompanied. >> my wife likes to be with me. >> what you say to people who are struggling right now and they see lawmakers taking these trips and they wonder if this is a good use of public funds but do >> people want is to legislate on informed members.

i went to the energy and economic commission that was part of nato. that is there in paris. that is what we did. we talked about the projections for energy and worldwide for consumption, who was playing with him. we had georgia and russia playing with each other. that was about energy. we are in a war. that is about energy. looking at the entire picture globally, every vote that we make in decisions that have been made in the united states but that all our nato allies. it has an impact on them. going to war without seeking consultation puts them in harm's way. if you look at what happened to us in afghanistan, we are paying

for that by lack of support from our allies. >> by next question goes vitter to mr.. >> we received a number of e- mails, a viewer's question your involvement in the dc prostitution ring. what was your serious issue? >> three years ago when i discuss this directly with citizens, i did say in a sincere way that i committed a very bad mistake in my marriage, a very serious sen. this is going back now about 10- years. there was extensive reporting about it in terms of the phone calls. i said i had fixed that in my marriage several years ago. i had received the loving forgiveness from my wife and for my children. and also from my god. i committed to the citizens of

louisiana to redouble my efforts on their path. i believe louisiana citizens heard me prepare i believe they understood me. they understood what i was saying. i that to overwhelmingly actions after that from the media. i'm talking about citizens. there is an outpouring of swearsupport. it was humbling to me. it is humbling it is interesting how they operate and how washington political acts think and feel. >> >> the second reaction i got it i got this as i held a town hall meetings, i do of these foreign. it means i have done 200.

i do telephone town hall meetings in addition. >> what is your reaction? >> i'm interacting with boats of the time. enter into the concerns, it was enough not about my path. it is about our future. >> you are a former prosecutor. did you violate the law when he committed this sin? but i'm not a prosecutor. >> did you violate this law? >> you can look back and continue to write stories about it. that is your decision. it is a free country. i looked them in the eye. i spoke to them sincerely. i think they understood me. i am looking forward and not back. >> kenya talk to the voters and

tell them if you violate the law. you can look back 10 years. and can save fixated on that. my job is to look forward. question of accountability. i understand. you may not like the answer. >> give us a yes or no. >> i think the people of louisiana have understood exactly what i did prepare a i think they want me to focus on the key challenges we face as a state and a country. that is what they tell me directly predell. >> the next question is for mr. melancon. >> vitter mr. has said you had a

troubling record on immigration reform. he said he voted against stopping taxpayer benefit from going to illegal immigrant and made it harder for police to stop and obtain them. can you clear up your record on immigration reform? >> i should not have to defend it. i have a better record in three of our republican congressman. he voted against an amendment to put 1000 more people on the board. i have been supportive of protecting our borders and making sure illegals are not in here. some want cheap labor. they do not want them voting. as far as my record, i make

sure there is no provisions. i never wavered from that. mr. vitter has a problem with the truth. he will not admit that he lied and broke the law. you can be a policeman it did not broken the law. you can be a teacher. you can be a fire man if you have not broke the law. he can even work for the city of new orleans. if you broke the law, you cannot. but we are going to have the u.s. senator that broke the law. >> we need to do a complete reform. amnesty is not in the cards. >> i support anybody that wants to become a citizen to go through the process of becoming a citizen as allowed by law. not to get in some extraordinary

ability to come in. >> so no to these new ideas? >> go back and start the process. >> if they want to be citizens. >> should they be sent come? >> i do not know how you gather and collected them. that will be a problem. we do not have the money or wherewithal to bring them together. if those employees that are employing and knowingly, that is where we could the enforcement. that is where we start this. allotted them come here.

>> there are immigrants who help us. it is all based upon documentation. >> we do not support a path to citizenship for the 20 million that are here? >> i need to know what the pact is. that has been the problem. no one has been able to give us serious suggestions. >> the number one suggestion is letting then joined the military. >> you have been strongly criticized by a number of groups were a campaign ad criticizing melancon mr. on immigration. some describe it as blake me racist. they called for an apology. you offer them an apology?

>> i stand by the bad. i support illegal immigration process to allow people to pursue the american dream. that is when the great things about our history. i do not support a free and open border, unfettered, open to access with millions of illegals coming across it. that is what we have particularly at the mexican border. we have an illegal immigration problem. that is a fact. 97% of our apprehensions of illegal is that the mexican border. that is a fact. that is not a stereotype. 80% of the 15 million illegals in this country have come through the border from mexico and south american country. that is a fact. that is not a stereotype. there is one thing that is offensive. melancon those are mr.'s votes

that he did those are mr. melancon's that he voted for. they are all documented. let's talk about what they are. one would reses clamping down. there was an effort to clamp down on that. he voted no. a second vote was the same thing with regard to actual welfare checks. there is an effort to clamp down on that and have real enforcement to prevent that from happening. melancon mr. voted no. -- mr. melancon voted no. i think this is a key part did the solution for the i support the arizona law. these three boats are offensive.

i think they really should be the basis for an apology. >> mr. vitter how do you respond to the catholic archdiocese to say this at that into the offensive racial stereotypes? >> what is a stereotype? >> they are talking about the images. >> is it a stereotype that both coming across the border are a problem and a book like that? that is a fact. it is not a stereotype. from thisway ridiculous political correctness and face the problem and solve it. i will tell you the fundamental problem of these groups have. it is that they support amnesty and i do not. it is all of these proved they are talking about they supported the 2007 immigration bill with a big amnesty provision.

i thought that on the floor of the senate predicting gotta be one. >> now we move to the third -- of the senate. thank god we won. chrysler now move onto a the third round. whatever can it done simpers can start the discussion. we begin with a question from john. cracked nothing has galvanized the fears of my area as social security and the fact there'll be no cost-of-living increase next year for the second year in a row. the system is in distress. they are pushing back their retirement age. how would you support limited privatization or raising the retirement age? >> when he ran for office, he talked about walking away trust fund and never touching it again. then he wanted to privatize it

again prepare we know it happened to our investment and ts. >> he has had several opportunities to try and make sure that we protect social security. if he voted for the stimulus package, he would have given everyone a $250 check. this past year, it did not get a cost-of-living increase. mr. vitter says one thing and does another. >> let me be clear. i do not the solution is the stimulus. mr. melancon continue to support the stimulus. we need to come together around real social security reform.

i support voluntary private accounts of people can have a nest egg that they own. leavitt of to the individual. i support call as this year and next year. that is parted the solution for seniors. >> you are going to change the way are done? that was written several administrations ago. >> i will tell you what other thing i would change. i would change this system of automatic pay raise for members of congress. i have that bill in the senate. members of congress are getting automatic pay raises. give me a break. we pass on a bipartisan basis. >> you are living out your campaign fund and supporting your bad habits with the money,

if the go to the court records, for when asked about getting the information, and it was quashed by your friend and former schoolmates. how would you saw it? >> social security did not become a problem last week. dave vitter has been in congress 12 years. they had a chance to fix so security, health care, and immigration. we need to lock away the funds. as vitter mr. -- as mr. vitter originally proposed. we are good for another 75 or 80 years. >> is raising the retirement age an option? >> i do not want to. past congresses have raised the age. is being to the point that some people may not live that long. >> we are out of time.

>> they are bringing it up to higher levels of incompetence by a report says $4 billion is being spent on the campaign this year. because of the recent supreme court decision, corporations and unions can now get involved in campaigns in an unprecedented way. a lot of people are concerned about corporations that can make donations. they do not have to release the donors that are involved. people are saying this is placing our democracy at risk. would you authored legislation that would require full disclosure and transparency for any money spent on any federal election by any entity?

>> it is a disclosure bill. i voted for it. we ought to know every dollar being spent. it is up seen the amount of money and time consuming for members of congress. the other people but are industries deserve to be at the table like we are. they do not have the money. this is america. everybody has an opportunity. david vitter has received over a million dollars from wall street. that is of steam. >> we will fund campaigns. anybody that gives says this has to beat the pros. it had been disclosed, if they need to put their name on the line. >> what i believe in most is

freedom and complete and absolute disclosure and transparency. i do not agree with overregulation. i supported that consistently. >> it says it took them on the funds. they will spend it on their own. you were a against it. >> i did not say that. >> we need to talk about the trial lawyers. he flew to canada. >> they were capping the well. i went to a fund-raiser. keith jones whose son died on the rate was there. to think you is they are trying to get money?

u.s. concerns about the people. >> in the middle of the oil disaster, mr. melancon travel out of the country. how to keep foreign money out of it? >> it should be in the gulf. complete disclosure would be a part of that. we are talking about funding for campaigns. they were literally meeting about how to profit from the victims of the oil disaster. >> how did they keep it from being damaged? >> next question from shreveport. that this campaign has turned very personal.

appointed tax on each of your voting records, where is your opponent crossed the line? what have they said that is untrue about you? >> the list of untruths is awfully long. i will get you one of the big is that i was for limiting bp liability. we will have bp fully liable. >> after you voted to introduce the bill. >> if you would lie as much -- >> he knows i have a bill to hold bp fully accountable without limit. he also knows i clear that on

the other side of the senate. it is being blocked by the leader of the senatorial committee. it was his biggest ally. because of that, for local democrats wrote to mr. melancon june 7. talk to your party leadership. this is wrong. do not obstruct this bill. this is the biggest country. the biggest area where i think he crossed the line is taking in using video of my children in his two-minute are rated attack at. that is clearly crossing the line. if that is part of your melancon family values, i do not want part of that. >> you never had family values. you demonstrated that quite

keenly. the worst member of congress. [unintelligible] >> is a reputation of louisiana if you have damage. it is the people that you have broken faith with and lied to, not just your family. you will against bill clinton. you railed against of clinton. the news said they live in they should resign. you send, you lied, you broke the law, you have embarrassed the state did you have been consistent. do you have not tended one thing you think you should step down. once that you think you should step down.

>> he started doing direct mail pieces. his maligning the first half hour on whatever it is. he is using taxpayer dollars to fly down. correct>> louisiana and has hade very painful reminders justice last week. we lost two soldiers or so. in light of that, what do we do? what is our path to victory? how do you define it? >> what is victory? what do we win? the war the we were brought into was to seek out al qaeda and the taliban. we ended up in a war. it is expanding rather than shrinking. they tend to try and move out of

their are so complicated. at some point in time, we cannot continue as a country to support the war effort for a country that will not bring itself together and govern itself in a democratic way. i do not know the answers. i wrote to the pentagon and those and know all the details of what is actually transpiring. >> do you suggest we leave? >> nobody should trivialize that. i do not think anybody will prepare a we have to remember what brought it there, and 9/11. this was the training ground for the 9/11 terrorist. it has gotten even more serious since then. since then, the government has become a little less stable and

may have nuclear weapons. i do not disagree it is tough. what i do say very clearly is that our national security is terribly involved and we cannot fail. i very strongly support general david petraeus 's effort to stabilize the government and get terrorists out of afghanistan. cracks in next question comes from -- >> a large majority of viewers. -- felt that neither of you has provided a great deal of leadership during the oil disaster where do each of you feel your opponent has shown a lack of leadership on the oil disaster? >> i've never talked about my opponent. for i believe i've shown my leadership in pushing legislation to hold bp accountable. we also pushed the obama administration.

the need to have a much more rigorous response. it is because of that that i won the bipartisan support. there are local leaders that happened to be in the heart of rock charlie melancon's congressional district. he said the support david vitter. they said that specifically because of my performance during the oil disaster as well as hurricane rita and katrina. >> you'll find that david vitter harass them. he started out with a letter saying that he did a good job. when it all ended up, there was an endorsement in there.

you've never seen him stand up on the steps of the court house. i got the military to fly in from around the world. i asked the white house to do i asked for the moratorium to be lifted. of the had to do was go over to the bitter ship. he did not with a hand to do that. i held to a small businesses.

>> thank you. our last question comes from john. it affects the national debt is threatening to make america a second rate international country. perhaps going down the same road as japan and greece. without attacking each other and blaming someone else, tell me specifically what you will do to reduce the national debt? >> i would love to do that. i would immediately go back to 2008 spending levels. we can ask the they do. say that unspent stimulus money. they get rid of this unused federal real-estate. wampum $1 billion.

it can work at the federal level. i will push through something i'm leading co author of, a bipartisan spending? commission. it will be outside of congress. it is an expedited consideration. >> his been a businessman for 20 years. >> did you break the log? >> what would you do to reduce

it? >> we voted against it 15 times. the do not have the money, you have to find it. there is a report that comes out every two years that says these programs are not giving you the baying for the bubuck. >> they ought to be cutting them. >> you know what else i included? a $1.90 trillion increase in the debt limit. that is great. >> use on the appropriations committee and outspent it. it is the biggest beer market in the house. is the biggest in marker in the

senate. it makes it look like child's play. the democrats were in charge. >> now comes our final round of questions. the candidates will respond to each question and each can the will have 30 seconds. we begin this question with sally. it is a good to mr. vitter. >> would you be in favor of abolishing citizenship to children who are born in this country to illegal immigrants? >> i have basically proposed. it is never intended by our founders they did not live for rehab this. it is an incentive for them to do that.

a lot of this are here. >> i believe that if you come here intentionally to have a child to get a citizenship, that it ought not be provided. if you are here in your having a child and are legitimately here -- quite how you know that? >> that can be cleared easily. it is causing a problem. >> the second question goes to mr. melancon first project they are watching openly gay residents who want to serve in the military. what you say to them tonight? >> i think i support them. i broke with many people, friends, relatives that are gay.

they struggle with this coming up. they are hardworking. many went into the military. they are hard fighting people. they want to be in the military. >> you said you'd think that it is a problem? >> the problem i am concerned with is their safety from other people who would attack. >> i think the first consideration on this issue should be the safety and soundness of the military, been able to perform the necessary function of defending us. i would turn to the military service. all of the chiefs have said "do not pass this right now public we." >> what would you say to someone who is openly gay that wants to

serve? >> my first duty is to have an effective military. i'm listening to the military services. >> the term separation of church and state has become an issue. says the u.s. constitution, for a separation of church and state? if it did not come to believe is to be based on christian beliefs? >> as you know, that exact term is not in the constitution. that concept is. the freedom of religion clause and bodies element of that concept. the problem has been in the last 30 years many folks have misinterpreted freedom of religion to be freedom from religion. they have legislated from the bench and tried to shut down religious activity in a way that

i completely disagree with. >> is the united states a christian nation? >> his starkly. that is not mean we do not provide religious freedoms to everyone. >> i completely support prayer in school. i thing clamping against prayer in school has led to very negative trends in our society. >> i believe there prayer were ever, stole our otherwise. our ancestors came here for religious freedom. they also put in that there be a separation of church and state. beck is a reason for that. there is a place for religion and government. unfortunately, several years ago, they voted to start funding religious groups with federal dollars. >> are we a christian nation? >> yes, we are. i hope we will stay christian nation. >> this question deals with climate change and global warming, which could be a major

concern for self louisiana's coast and vulnerability to future hurricanes. do believe global warning is a scientific fact? >> after going to an article in seeing the science, and not told understand all a bit because it is complex, we have a problem with this world. it is not a healthy world. we need to try to fix this problem. i am not a doomsday person. there is a place for us to get green over time. we need to bring the combination of fossil fuels and bring to bear so that this country we leave will be healthy for all of the generations to come. at the rate we are going, i am fearful that we will not need much of a legacy for our children and grandchildren. ? this is another honest

disagreement. i do not think the science clear they support global warming. i will not support any of that sort of cap and tax legislation. mr. melancon said to support a compromise but i think that is wrong. it is bad for the country. it would be disastrous. he also voted against an amendment saying that if china and india do not follow suit, we do away with our cap and tax program. >> next question. >> i hope we can have some really good and honest answers. what do you respected by your opponent. >> his sense of humor. >> could you elaborate? >> i could repeat some of his jokes but i would not tell them as well. >> melancon mr.? >> i expect a great education.

i wish everyone would have that opportunity to get as good as an education or have a system that would provide as good an education. >> short and sweet. >> the people of louisiana have shown their support. mr. vitter offered a bill calling for term limits what you were in the legislature. are you in favor of term limits for congress? >> and not only in favor of it, and author of a leading bill for term limits for congress. we need it in the state legislature. i was an effective passing it there. we need it even more in congress. >> if elected, this would be a last term? >> i did not say that. i said we need term limits. >> this is a very important point. term-limit needs to be for everyone, otherwise you'll penalize some states like

louisiana over others. in need to be a rule applied equally across the board. >> vitter mr. was in the house, he said he is the logger for term limits. he wanted to play by the rules. it is on video. it was on the news. it says he voted against it before he voted for it. >> thank you very much. it is not time for closing statements. it did you will have 45 seconds. we tossed a claim for the order. >> i want to say thank you for the opportunity to be here. what do you want in a u.s. senator? do they want someone that is corrupt, immoral, ineffective? do they want somebody that is

honest or dishonest? do they want the money put louisiana first or that pushed bp first? do they want a person who respects women are disrespect them? had you base your children every morning and say i want you to abide by the law and be honest but i'm going to vote for the guide that lie to us. we in louisiana are smarter. we need to make sure we elect an independent expert louisiana offers that worries about the citizens of the state first and not his own career. i promise i will never embarrass you. >> thank you for tuning out. you listened and heard a lot. i bring those ideas to washington. i will continue to do that. your boats weor

can have real checks and balances against the obama administration. we need to get our country back on the right track. we need to save our fundamental freedoms and our future for our children. i ask for your vote so i can continue to actively to do important work for the louisiana. coastal restoration, hurricane protection, highways, infrastructure. i've looked forward to doing that important work. >> thank you. thank you book. that concludes our program tonight. thank you to park panelists and candid this >> live coverage tomorrow at

8:30 a.m. eastern on c-span to. the r, also on c-span2, a online news association which begins at 12:45 p.m. eastern. >> presidents do not manage crises. they use them. they exploit them to build this emotional bond. lincoln in the early months of his presidency. that is a test of leadership. i'm not sure we have seen that from recent presidents. >> this week, richard norton smith and douglas brinkley on the obama presidency. the midterm elections and president -- politics in america. >> as election day gets closer, oklahoma will elect its first

female governor. mary fallen and [unintelligible] already to replace the governor who is term limited. the debate was organized by the metro chamber of commerce. the race is rated likely republican. >> the tulsa metro chamber in conjunction with cox, the tulsa community college present the oklahoma gubernatorial debate. >> good evening. >> live from tulsa, oklahoma. good evening, ladies and gentlemen. welcome to the second and final 2010 oklahoma gubernatorial debate. i am the founder of the oklahoma website, voicesofoklahoma.com. please welcome our candidates to the stage.

[applause] by way of introduction, congresswoman mary fallin is the candidate for governor of oklahoma with of 19 years in office. she was first elected as a state representative in 1990. if she was legislator of the year for her work in the oklahoma state legislature. she became the first woman lieutenant governor in 1995, a position she held for 12 years. in 2006 she was elected to the united states congress. please welcome congresswoman mary fallin. [applause]

jari askins has been a public servant since the early days of her career after graduating from the university of oklahoma with degrees in journalism and law. she served as a district judge for eight years. she became the first female officer of the oklahoma judicial conference. she served 12 years in the state legislature as state representative for stevens and cotton candy. in 2006 she was elected lieutenant governor of oklahoma. ladies and gentlemen, lt. governor jari askins. [applause] before we began tonight's budget debate, i would like to review the format and the rules. each candidate will make a three minute opening statement. the questions will be asked by our panelists who drew names to determine the order. each candidate has 30 seconds

to ask her questions. panelist cannot ask a follow-up question or as a candidate to qualify their statement. they will have to wait for the next term. each candidate will have 90 seconds to answer the question and will take turns responding first. at the close of the debate, each candidate may get a closing statement not to exceed three minutes. i would like to ask the audience to work with me here. please refrain from applauding during the questioning. you may applaud after the opening and closing remarks. these are our panelists for tonight. let us begin. it was determined by a coin- toss that lt. governor jari askins will make her first opening statement. >> thank you to oklahoma state university in tulsa for hosting this event. thank you also for those in the

audience and those who are watching tonight. for those of you watching from outside the state, welcome to oklahoma. the campaign season has been up long. many of you are ready for it to be over. the process has become so controlled by political pundits and consultants that oftentimes people seem to forget that there is still an election that has to occur, an election where the people of oklahoma will go to the polls and debate the decision as to who will be the next governor of the state of oklahoma. polls and debate the decision as to who will be the next governor of the state of oklahoma. as i travel around the state of oklahoma, i hear over and over again that the people want to make sure that there is leadership, the kind of leadership that its results. when i was in the house of representatives, the former speaker once called me a work horse. he said i was not a show horse.

i were to get results. i am not worry about who gets credit. before i got to the legislature i had a chance to chair a committee of 35 people who were making a decision of whether or not juveniles should be taken away from the department of human services. there were a lot of different opinions. it became the office of juvenile offenders. it is a wonderful organization. it is a wonderful opportunity to show that leadership can occur. when i was in the house, there was an opportunity to serve as a member of the negotiating team for the sale of oklahoma memorial hospital where we were selling a state asset -- met a and the child services center. we need a teaching hospital in this area. i have had the chance to work on tort reform that protected the

opportunity to keep medical doctors in our state. twice the governor signed bills i negotiated on order's compensation. we have worked on bills that have helped to protect prime evidence and crime labs, breaking the standards so evidence would not be thrown out because it was tainted. these are the kind of results i have worked for as a member of the legislature and in the early years i have had in public office. i want the opportunity to do it again for you. i sought advice from members around the state when i was in the legislature, working across the aisle, working east side of the state versus west side. i was able to offer -- i was able to author hundreds of pieces of legislation for the benefit of the people of oklahoma. i ask you for the opportunity to do it again from another office.

i ask for your support and thank you for being here tonight. [applause] >> the next opening statement from congresswoman mary fallin. >> i appreciate the audience and our hosted a at this event. i appreciate the commitment to the state of oklahoma. also hurt care for our future. -- also hurt care for the future. oklahoma city is one of the top cities in our nation. whether it was from the ballpark, the basketball team, i am excited about also's future. i'd want you to note that you have my full commitment as governor to do everything i can to work with your city leaders.

this is a very important time for the state of oklahoma. we are in the midst of a recession. we have faced a budget crisis. many oklahoma residents are looking for jobs. they are very concerned about what their future holds, whether it is the economy or the direction our nation is going. i feel that washington does not listen to the people. it is out of touch. frankly, it is out of control, passing bill after bill i believe will hurt our economy, will hurt jobs, i believe will hurt our family. we need a governor that is willing to understand and stand up against president obama and nancy pelosi. we need a governor who has a plan to move oklahoma board, to bring about the reforms that will bring a more prosperous future to the state of oklahoma. we need to send a signal to the rest of the nation that oklahoma is open for business. i want you to know i have a plan. first of all to create jobs and

better opportunities. keeping our taxes low, adjusting the high cost of workers' compensation and tort reform. i what oklahoma to be the very best place to do business in the nation. secondly, it is a focus on building a stronger more educated work force, to build a quality education system by keeping our money in the classrooms and reducing our administrative costs, to work on our reading skills. also, attracting and rewarding effective good teachers through a fare paid for performance system in our state. thirdly, our plan is to make government more smaller and cost efficient. i would do that through a government task force that will make sure that government is the right size and more efficient. fourth, i am the only candidate in this race for governor that

has stood up to washington when it comes to unfunded mandates, when it comes to challenging the constitutionality of president obama's health care bill, for standing up and fighting against capping trade which will hurt our energy jobs. i had the experience as a businesswoman and as a legislator. i am asking hundley for your support. i am looking forward to a great future for oklahoma. [applause] >> now it is time for the questioning. we go to our panel. the first question, from jim jackson and goes to marry fallin. >> as we all know, oklahoma will have its first female governor. some emphasis has been placed on the relevance of motherhood. one study suggests that a female in the board room to make a positive difference between success and bankruptcy.

given our state budget cuts and psyching your experience -- personal experience as a woman, how would you make a difference at the capitol? >> first of all, for the last year and a half i have a campaign to the state talking about my plan to move oklahoma forward. i just talked about the plan that focuses on creating jobs, making government right side, creating a better stronger work force, and to stand up to washington when it does things that will hurt our jobs and economy. that is my plan. it does not matter if you are a man or a woman. it is about leadership. it is about the person that is prepared and ready to lead the state of oklahoma that has a vision, that understands the challenges of our working families. i have travelled across the state. i actually went out and worked 20 different jobs so i could listen and understand about the challenges, the opportunities,

and the concerns that they have. i believe we have some great opportunities moving forward as a state. if we do the things i have talked about, we will be able to build a stronger economy that will help us have the revenue we need to find it important services for the state of oklahoma like education, like corrections, like law enforcement, like mental health services, and we are going to have a great future ahead of us. >> jari askins? >> thank you. this is one of the areas that sets me apart from congresswoman fallin and that the 12 years i served in the oklahoma legislature, 10 of those i was involved in the appropriations process. eight of those years, two of was vice chair, six i was chairman of the subcommittee. i learned to the process that we can do a better job as far as the process and mechanics of how the state handles the

appropriations process. there have been some changes since 1947, but not a lot. i have proposed and i will continue to propose that we sent a question to the people of oklahoma changing oklahoma's budget cycle from a one year to a two year budget. when we do that, we can set aside every other section of the legislature to be a budget only session. this will allow all wondered when members of the house and 48 members of the oklahoma senate to be involved as members of a subcommittee. we need all the eyes we can get working line by line looking for programs that serve similar constituencies because we had a tough decision to make this next year. we will have about $1 billion less revenue than we have this particular year. being able to change the mechanics of how government works will help us all make smarter decisions as our economy begins to improve.

>> thank you. the next question comes from general kelly and is for gerry askins. >> -- jari askins. >> 755, the law would disallow sure riled lot to be used in oklahoma courts. -- shariah law to be used in oklahoma courts. some call it a phantom threat. do you agree? is shariah lot a phantom threat? >> the 755 -- i support the state question. i understand there is a lot of concerns about whether or not other courts in oklahoma the to be plying oklahoma's all and

oklahoma's constitution. i will be supporting 755. >> i do support 755. i believe it is important for the court system to follow u.s. law and oklahoma law. it is very simple. >> the next question is for mary fallin. >> oklahoma incarcerates women at a higher rate than any state in the union. why? >> that is a great question. i appreciate that. years ago when i was lieutenant governor, i was asked by the commission of women to be the chairwoman of a study on why oklahoma is number one in court course rating when -- is no. 1 in incarcerating women. i listen to experts testified that our panel and issued a report back to the governor during our time. a couple of things we felt was

that over 60% of our inmates do not have a high-school education, do not have a ged. one of the reasons why i make education a top priority is that that is one of the ways we can reduce our incarceration rate by giving our citizens a better education. we also found that there is a higher drug addition rate in the state of oklahoma, which we all know. over 50% of our inmates have some type of conviction related to being on drugs. that is why i support drug force. in the report we said we should put more money into drug force for those who had an addiction problem. that is also the reason why i support reentry programs and programs like "when i and recovery -- "women in recovery."

a lot of children to let parents in the prison system could end up in the prison system themselves. we need to reduce our incarceration rate. >> oklahoma has failed to provide sufficient resources for decades for timidity-based treatment, whether substance abuse, -- for community-based treatment, whether substance abuse or alcohol abuse. you can go back decades and see that the committee investment has been made. we know that oklahoma women in present -- when you have a substance abuse problem and come from a rural county, we do not always have the kinds of counselors that are necessary to understand that there are differences why women become addicted to substances versus white man become addicted to substances. the treatment approach has to be different. i had an opportunity to visit

with women in the corrections association. we talked about oklahoma's issues. when we had the opportunity to provide community-based resources, then we give the chance to intervene on, but for people who were wanted to change their lives. when we do that, we stop at behavior before it leads to the criminal activity that will ultimately land someone in jail. this is a problem in our state because it increases the number of children who are living with grandparents, other family members, or foster parents. we need to do what we can at the community level to keep families hold. >> this is faor jari askins. >> this is about the state teachers retirement fund. we finished third worst. it is underfunded to the tune of

about $10 billion. i can't remember when it was $3 billion. the theory was the stock market was soaring and we would earn our way out of it. we sell it go from $3 billion to $10 billion. in the last 60 days the state treasurer said we would not be able to earn our way out of the situation. my question is, your thoughts about the state teacher's retirement fund and how would you fix it? >> this sends a signal around the country when we are trying to work on bond issues across the state. it affects our bond rating. we need to make sure that our pension system continues to move at an upward manner so that they become more fiscally solvent. a couple of years ago the oklahoma legislature began to make some changes in how they propose money would be deposited into the teacher's retirement system, try to make an effort to

increase participation from the school district as well as what the state of oklahoma should be able to put in. when our revenues increase, we need to figure out a way to periodically make deposits to improve the solvency. if we are going to ask art school district, if we are going to pass a mandate on our school district that they increase their contribution, that we need to figure out a way to help the school districts be able to make those payments. we tend to pass those mandates but we provide new funding mechanism. when we do not provide it, we are taking money out of the classroom to help support the pension system. they cannot be handled one on the back of the other. >> married? >> we need to keep our commitments to those who paid into the pension system in the state of oklahoma. there have been in years when the state of oklahoma has had great financial times and we did not put money back into the retirement systems like we should.

legislatures recently have dedicated some sources to our teacher's retirement system. i am proud of that. you are right. there was a recent report a couple of weeks ago that said the estimates were worse than what we thought. there is a $10 billion shortfall in our teacher's retirement system. that is not right to the people who paid into that. it hurts our financial rating of our state. i also believe it is important that we do what we need to do to continue to grow our economy and the right size of government itself so we will have the money to put tourist important needs. we will not be able to solve some of these financial challenges until we do the things that creates a better, stronger business climate in our state, until we right-size government. that is why i also proposed having a governor's task force

that will bring people from the private sector to look at how we can make more -- how we can make government more effective and more sufficient so we can put towards imported financial needs such as at shoring up our teacher's retirement system. >> the question will go to jerry askiari askins. >> i think it goes to me. >> i reversed it because i wanted everybody to be able to ask a question specifically of the other person. otherwise it would be the same. >> we are good students here. >> i should have told you that i had a time. kemp, your question for mrs. askins. >> we are in the midst of health care reform. here in oklahoma, we are experiencing a shortage of doctors. as a state, oklahoma rates as

one of the most unhealthy states in the nation. how do you feel about fitness as an answer to chronic illness and health issues and how you plan to address the crisis that has been called an epidemic? >> thank you. help is an issue in the state of oklahoma. they-steps have been made in the state capital to work with the kids coalition to the get nutrition in our schools. a few years ago and effort was made to remove some of the soft drinks from the vending machines, at least at the elementary level, and try to work our way up to make short work healthy choices were offered in the vending machines at our schools. wendy to figure out a way not to just get the kids more active, we need to get families involved. i have several friends who have different ideas, but one i really like has an idea that if you want to change the help of a

family, then you need to change the attitude, the knowledge, and the information of the mother or whoever is head of the household. the mother is usually the one in charge of the meals. if we can teach our mothers have to be coaches of our children's help, we could use our county health departments about how we can use them to reach, especially into rural oklahoma, where it seems to be more difficult to get the resources. there are food-to-schools programs that are also combining what happens in agriculture production and getting fresh fruits and vegetables into our schools. i support that effort totally. >> there is no doubt that health care and health care reform and access to health care is one of the hot topics of our nation. that is why i do not support for the the obama's health care bill because i do take it will hurt access to care.

it is always the -- it is already rising health-care costs in our nation, which hurts the health of our citizens and makes health care unacceptable. you are absolutely right that oklahoma has some bad numbers as it relates to the health of our state. we are for the night in the nation as it relates to diabetes, to cardiac -- we are ninth in the nation as it relates to diabetes, to cardiac felt. it hurts the activity of the work force of our state. there are some great programs in the state of oklahoma. there is the healthy oklahoma initiative working on tried to educate oklahoma residents take better care of their help. i support try to get more nutritious food into our school system and into our children, get rid of the deep fryers and

get more fruits and vegetables into our schools. children need to learn at an early age healthy eating habits. some may not be a to afford health insurance. there are some great things going on. >> the next question goes to marry. >> congressman fallin, former alaska governor sir pailin has endorsed her campaign. she is wildly popular with the tea party. will you similarly endorsed her campaign if she runs for president in 2012 and is she presidential material? [laughter] >> i personally admire sarah paili palin. she has my great admiration,

especially which tried to put up with some of the things she had to go through with the national media. i appreciate what she does. she has been a leader talking about how we get america back on track. certainly she has been mentioned as a presidential candidate. she will, i think, one of the top leading candidates for president. but there are a lot of good people considering running for president di. people like mike pence, hayley barbour, mitt romney -- there are a lot of people considering running. whoever receives the nomination will have a big task on their hand. that is to refocus america or what is really important and what has made our nation the

strong nation that it is. to stand up for our state's rights, to get spending under control, one that believes in lower taxes, limited government, the protection of the sanctity of life, personal responsibility, a strong national defense -- those are the characteristics and qualities i think the next nominee for president should have period. >> the wish to comment on this question? >> i have not had the opportunity to meet sara palin. i would love to take her turkey hunting. i think it would be a nice and informal way for us to be able to become acquainted. i have not hunted grizzly bears, but she would invite me up there, i promise you i would go. she is a wonderful communicator. she does a great job of communicating with the people.

i think everybody in the united states realizes that if you have the desire, anybody who says their mind to it can run for president of this country. >> our next question is for jari askins. >> everyone is familiar with state question 744. my question is whether or not the question passes, why or why not and please include a yes or no light in your answer. >> no on state question 744. whether or not the regional averages what oklahoma should strive it is not unusual for the it is not unusual for the