say that the united states and here, asnforcement well as national officials, are very focused. again, this is individuals from the rest that have taken up arms along the ice and the concern is that they could return to the u.s. and carry out acts of violence here. we're working closely on our international -- with our international partners and interpol to track the movements of these individuals. this is an inter-agency response to a significant threat that we are watching closely. >>-twisting is a term used on capitol hill, but when it comes to the sisal coalition, are there some nations that still need to be cajoled, pushed along, encouraged to join this coalition to do more, to do their part, to do something at all?

>> we are pleased by the response we've gotten and that the president and other senior members of the administration have gotten. the broader community recognizes the threat posed by isil and the danger that could ensue if isolate is able to establish a safe haven in syria. the threat they pose is not just although the iraqi political in -- leadership has indicated they are very concerned about isil using syria as a base of operations to launch attacks and violate a sovereignty and territorial sovereignty of their company. one of seeing government in the regions, understandably, muslim-led governments indicate they are concerned about the instability and violence that isil is wreaking in that area of that world. this is on the doorstep of these country.

terrible acts of violence. individuals being recruited and radicalized in the -- in ways that are not in the best interest of the countries. because of the threat posed by are seeinghters, we countries around the world approach conversations with the united states and broader international community wanting to know what they can do to help degrade and ultimately destroy isil. the president will be having a number of conversations with world leaders at the u.n. and he will be discussing a wide range of issues while he is there. everything from climate change to good evidence issues. certainly, when he talks about issues related to foreign terrorist fighters and other efforts to build a national coalition, we are optimistic that he will continue to get the

kind of feedback we have gotten already as it relates to individual willingness to degrade and ultimately destroy isil. i appreciated. >> talking about the lead role that the u.s. played in climate change. the hundreds of thousands of demonstrators all over the u.s. and the world, how does the white house see those demonstrations and there are some signs critical of the administration saying not much is being done. ,eople do not seem to view this people do not seem to be conscious of this. >> let me say couple things. first off, as you know, the president will be addressing the climate summit tomorrow. he will talk about the tremendous progress the u.s. has

made to partner with the private sector to remote energy -- heency, deploy energy will call on other leaders to work on a strong global framework. in addition, he will commit to redoubling our efforts to help other countries around the world. planned tours of that will harness the technological abilities of the united states to help others around the world strengthen their climate rezoning is. out aesident has laid pretty aggressive agenda to take the kind of steps that are so critical to protecting the public health and safety of the american people, to reduce the causes of climate change, and try to mitigate the impact of climate change in our population and particularly in some

populations that are more vulnerable to some of the more common impacts of climate change. the president has played a leading role in this and the president does hope the steps he is already taken in the united states will serve as a model for other countries to take similarly important steps to confront the challenge of climate change. the demonstrators are a sign that people are getting involved, and something has to be done. >> i do think the demonstrations in new york over the weekend showed there was support at the grassroots level all of the country for important steps that can reduce the causes of global climate change and the president is pleased to see that there are citizens in this country who are willing to give voice to the concerns that they have about he is pleased and

to have their support for some of the changes he is already announced for reducing the problem of climate change. >> last question. i will make it a good one. costked you what was the of the war, and you did not challenge the word more. so -- >> we talked about this a little bit over the course of the last 10 days. >> i have not heard you use the >> it is theco view of this administration, and of the united states, that isil on thelared war international community. the president is doing what is expected of the american president. leading aning in the

international coalition to take the fight to isil. that means the international community and the united states is at war with isil in the same way it is -- -- a war?rist counter-terrorism strategy that will apply to the situation as it has applied to other situations. the strategy the president is talking about is different than the strategy that was pursued in the previous conflict in iraq. they are not talking about the deployment of 140,000 american troops to roll tanks across the desert and secure and occupy a large swath of desert land in iraq. that is not what we're contemplating her. what we're contemplating is a counterterrorism predicated to take the fight to isil, backing

them up with american and power to take the fight to isil, to rub them out of iraq in a way that will allow the iraqi people to stabilize the security situation in their country and -- not allow them to have a safe haven in syria. the president is concerned that if isolate were to develop a safe haven in syria, it could be dangerous to the u.s. homeland. senator leahy told the new york times that michael ballack does not have the votes in the committee, and should be dropped. >> as we have discussed a couple times, the president believes -- a has the

qualifications to serve that is why he nominated him. in terms of senator leahy's garments to the united states, -- to the new york times, -- >> president obama will lead wednesday's council meeting. washington journal, we will talk to jay solomon of the wall street journal about that you read meeting. discussion on jason it grew maize handbook and later university president looks at higher education costs and

concerns. washington journal is live every morning at 7:00 eastern on c-span. >> the 2015 c-span student cam competition is underway. over 20 high school students to create a documentary under the theme "the three branches and "the three branches and you." for the list of words and how to get started, go to c-span.com. christie andchris then the texas governor's debate.

then, the pennsylvania governor's debate. here is a portion of the texas governor's debate. >> senator davis, do you regret voting for senator obama. >> i am working on running for governor and bringing policies forward that will benefit the state. sure thatng to make every hard-working texan, no matter where they start, has an opportunity to go as far as they dream up. 13 years ago, i could not have imagined that i would have the privilege. i was a struggling mother sitting on the stage and having to ask texas for its vote. where we create a 21st century future economy that works for

all hard-working texans or just some? i believe we need a governor who will fight for all hard-working texans every single day because their future depends up on it. i believe we need a governor who's going to make sure that our children receive a world-class education because our world depends on it. rabbit -- a judge has recently ruled against you in favor of the schoolchildren of texas willing our schools are unconstitutionally underfunded. the only thing right now come in between our children and appropriate funding of their schools today is you. on behalf of the 5 million children of the state, where you agree tonight that you will drop your appeals and allow our schools to be appropriately

funded? >> there is actually another thing coming between me and settling that lawsuit, and that is a liability and voted on and helped pass in 2011 at removed from the attorney general the ability to settle lawsuits just like this. it is important to understand that what i want to do is focus on creating, as governor, a better education system in the state. it is time that we put our partisan differences aside when it comes to building a better future for the next >> for the third time this year, governor chris christie traveled to campaign. he is currently the chair of the

republican governors association, and while in the state he also attended a scott around for u.s. senate rally. [indiscernible] >> good to me. you.uld to need to

high, how are you. good to see you again. >> thank you, sir. you.od to see >> thank you for coming. >> how are you? >> good to see you again. good to see you. high, dan. mind if i get a signature? how are you, man?

>> all right. you?w are >> hello. >> absolutely, thank you sir. >> didn't mean to -- >> [laughter] >> thank you. >> governor, how are you? [applause] >> we have been appear for two years. >> thank you for representing. >> my friend wants me to get a picture with you. >> all right. >> yes. >> they will not believe it.

>> could to see you. >> good to see you. >> love you. >> how are you? >> i am fine. let me get out of your way. >> thank you so much. how are you? he has been here one hour and a half. let us take a picture here. >> can i get a picture? >> nice to meet you. >> thank you for being here to support us. >> nice to be back. >> i have seen you before. >> yes. but to be here again. i am all for the gingerbread.

>> there are a few donuts waiting as well. >> you are welcome. i get your autograph for the kids? >> great. special?s the >> thank you. it is a pleasure. >> you bet. great to see you. >> thank you. >> i will see you again, i am sure. you are like an old ship mate. >> thank you. >> excellent, thank you sir. >> absolutely, thank you.

>> oh yes. >> s. >> it was great. you gave a great presentation tonight. >> though thank you very much. >> in you made me a believer. >> we are going to do it again. we're going to do it again. >> how do you feel about the airplanes? >> yes. >> governor, it nice to see you. >> thank you. >> we're going to sneak in here. >> were you impressed back there? >> governor, good to see you.

>> counselor good to see you again. thank you for coming out. >> thank you for coming. good to see you. >> are things ok? >> so, you have to go. yes. >> get in there. >> we do not need to sign, that is all right. >> they are going to give us spatulas or something.

>> we certainly glad to have governor christie back in the great state of new hampshire helping republicans, helping me spread the mission -- the message. a critical aspect of the upcoming election is the welcome back to new hampshire. to let you know this is the breakdown. it is a dead heat. it is exactly what i thought the race would become the middle of september. we are going to work as hard as we can to organize together. i will be up your plenty. role.l play a large i am absolutely convinced he will be the next governor of new

hampshire and i am thrilled to be back here. in the end, it is his campaign and he is done a great job tonight the party. we not only have republicans, we're reaching out to independents and democrats and getting the votes on november 4. i am happy to be here and i'm sure rural take questions. >> this is your fourth visit. soyou feel that you spent much time here, and some a year on the line here and maybe your future political aspirations online in this race? >> i come here to help. no one is going to see my name on the ballot in new hampshire 2014, everyone is voting for him. good for them, they will be voting for him. he is the guy who is dedicated so much of his life here and has offered himself up. i came here to help.

it is about the candidate. everybody who comes to help is a little bit of income mental help, -- incremental help. but it is about him. in the end. guy and we see as an investment. looking to invest in his campaign as our donors contribute. this is a competitive race. i can sense it to. the objective indicators are there for it. we have a good candidate. that is why i supported him in the primary, and that is why i am supporting him it now. saw that the democrats did to the economy in new jersey, it needed cleaning up for five years. the mess they created a decade

before i got there. i am not looking to take the advice of democrats who screwed up my state and now are trying to blame me for it. i do not think so. fraser question differently and you might get an answer. [laughter] >> it let me try a different route. you have been brushing up against foreign policy. view on isis? >> i have not been brushing up, but i did take a trade visit to mexico. first and foremost, i am running my state and secondly, friends i am not in walt, new hampshire to talk about isis. i'm here to talk about what i want will be a great governor in new hampshire.

--] will be a great -- why will be a great governor in new hampshire. i am putting my money where my mouth is, we are also fighting hard in pennsylvania. [indiscernible] >> whatever one thinks is best in terms of what to do, i will do. first, do no harm. when graft asks me to come up, i will come up. -- when walt asks

me to come up, i will come up. [indiscernible] i know he is bright, hard-working, and has a plan for new hampshire. tose are the elements needed be credible in new hampshire. that is what i saw. i also saw the previous governor's record, and it was not great. when you combine an incumbent who has underperformed and a guy who has the smarts, integrity, and vision for a better future, i said this is going to be a race. swing state. is a they voted for the person, not for the party. waltis why i thought

would be a great candidate. people are smart a prn they asked good questions. i love being challenged. , i loveet challenged coming up. and campaigning in front of people who really understand politics and believe it is part of their civic responsibility and it is palpable in new hampshire. so i love coming appear. that.ess you for saying i will be back a lot. i will come back as often as he asks me to come back, we're going to win. rca will be behind him all the time. he is a good man, a good candidate, and i look forward to working with him. [applause] >> take care.

>> thank you. >> any time, anything i can do for the republican party just give me a call. >> i appreciated. >> thank you. >> nice to meet you. that was great. >> you got it. >> see you. >> i know where i am parked. let us take a walk. i appreciated.

>> i am going to give you time. [cameras clicking] all right, let>> us do it. >> i have to turn it around. >> meet the mayor? >> sir.

>> i got you. >> all right. >> how're you doing? >> perfect. i will send it to you. >> it was a great game when you're the father of a girl who is going to notre dame. it was actually my birthday. it was fun to be there for my birthday with my oldest aughter. oh, my gosh. hang on.

>> showing off his south carolina roots. >> i'm a new jersey man. had to say hello. >> good to meet you. i know you're here for new hampshire but are you running for president? >> i won't make a decision until next year. >> ok thank you. >> thanks.

>> thank you again. welcome to new hampshire. do you know that song "freehold" by bruce springsteen? >> of course i do. >> thanks for your hard work. >> we have an opportunity right ow but it can't be done alone. >> how are you? >> good.

>> we have an opportunity right now. it can't be done alone. working out here, each and every one of you, you give me three or four hours a day for the next 48 days and i guarantee you we're going to win. so thank you, god bless and let's go get 'em. [applause] [indiscernible conversations]

[indiscernible conversations]

indiscernible conversations] >> i want to make sure everyone is set. first of all, i want to thank all of you for taking the time. obviously this is an important election. a very critical part of making ure we take back the senate.

we have a long and strong relationship. i look forward to getting his support to help make a difference. thank you. >> i'm just going to continue to take my messages to people and businesses. we have 48 days. >> so you must be encouraged? >> things are moving in the right direction. we are going to continue that. that's why you're seeing the constant berauge of negativity because they are desperate, we're talking about the issues, talking about isis, we're talking about energy, we're talking about obamacare. she's voting with the president 99% of the time. if she was right on the issues, she would be talking about them and she is not.

indiscernible] > i'm sure the people of new hampshire want to see i can't find anybody i agree with 99% of the time. i don't agree with myself 99% of the time. this is -- i can't find anybody i agree with 99% of the time. i don't get agree with mist 99% of the time. we need somebody who is going to go down there and consider these issues on the merits and keeping the people of new hampshire in mind. >> great. thanks, guys. >> thank you.

[indiscernible conversations]

>> the next president of the united states. >> thank you for being here. thank you for being here and helping scott. >> one of the other campaigns we're following is the race for iowa's governor. governor terry branstad is facing jack hatch. they debated over the weekend. here is a portion of that debate. >> i'm only repeating, not

accusations but lawsuits, investigations, even the state auditor said that the governor mishandled the investigation of the secret settlements, that there were more secret settlements even after the governor and his staff said there weren't. if you're going to be a leader, you need to be a governor who is going to be open and transparent and it is just unacceptable that the governor stands in front of us and says that he is open, transparent and has nothing to all he has t is been doing. not only just an attack from a candidate but these accusations come from legitimate sources of the legislature, the state auditor's office, from the courts and from individuals who have taken the time to sue him personally and his office. these are not the actions of a governor who can lead. >> governor?

would you care for 30 seconds? >> this is iowa, not illinois. most of the former governors in illinois are in prison. i'm back in office because the people in iowa trust me. they know me. [applause] i have been totally open and transparent. and i have a press conference every week and i take the tough questions from the press and anybody can file a lawsuit, but i can tell you we work with the auditor. there was one agreement that was agreed upon before i signed the executive order and was signed later and when it was discovered that was the case, it was changed. they eliminated the confidentiality clause in that. that has been enforced and i will continue to enforce it but we wanted to extend it to local governments and the legislature and the house passed it with an overwhelming bipartisan vote and my opponent and his friends in the senate killed it because

they don't want the public to know the truth about what is in those confidential files on employee personnel. i think people of iowa deserve to know that because it is their tax money that is paying it. >> iowa governor terry branstad developing his democratic challenger jack hatch. you can watch that entire debate t our website, c-span.org. >> c-span campaign 2014 campaign debate coverage continues. nebraska debate between litery and state senator brad ashford and sunday, u.s. congressman bruce braley. more than 100 debates for the control of congress. >> in texas, democrat wendy davis is running against

republican greg abbott for governor. last week they held their first debate. wendy davis is a state senator whose district includes fort worth. greg abbott is the attorney general. the current governor rick perry s not running for re-election. this is an hour. >> good evening. >> people are watching this across the state of texas on tv, online and across the nation on -span.

thank you for being here. for people watching at home, you can be a part of this debate. we would love to hear your response the what the candidates are saying and also keep score tonight. right now, some words to our spanish language viewers. >> thank you. [speaking spanish]

>> carlos now with a review of the debate rules. >> the debate sponsored by doctors hospital and renaissance will last one hour. each candidate will have one minute to respond to questions and the opposing candidate, 45 seconds to rebut. the questions have only been seen by the panelists. there will be no opening statements but the candidates will have two minutes to close at the end of the debate. a coin toss determined that senator wendy davis will take the first question. senator davis, mayors have expressed concern over the reputation of the region in height of security and militia members. what would you do to join security and economic development? >> i am so happy to be here with everyone in the rio grande valley. i would start by listening to local law enforcement officials

here who know what is best for their community. folks who felt like we needed some boots on the ground and had they have deputies on the ground to assist with law enforcement. detention and arrest authority. the surge that the governor supported was one that i supported as well because if the federal government will not act to protect our borders, texas must and will. at the same time, we must be sensitive to the reputation of this community. comments from my opponents calling this area third-world are inappropriate and as governor, i will work with this community through our tourism fund to help repair the tarnished image that has occurred as a consequence. >> your response? >> i want to extend my gratitude for being able to participate in this historic debate. here in the rio grande valley,

which raises the issue that you touched upon. that is whether it is in the rio grande valley are anywhere in the state of texas. secure communities promote economic development. we want to ensure that the community here in the rio grande valley, as well as any community in the state of texas is going to be safe and secure. that was the purpose of ensuring that we have additional d.p.s. officers on the ground. it is important to point out that after those law enforcement officials came here that spacex announced it was opening operations for an entire new world for business and space exploration right here in the rio grande valley. >> recently, a federal judge ruled that the school funding system was unconstitutional. hould the robin hood system be defended or dismantled?

>> it is clear that one thing that needs to be done is to get beyond the school structure we had in the past. the school structure that was litigated in this case was based in part on systems that were created in the last century. what i want to do is to reinvent educations and school in the state. my goal is to ensure that texas has the number one-ranked high school and lower school education systems in the entire united states of america and we do that by focusing on the fundamental building blocks of education. i want to ensure that education begins with a strong foundation, all the way through third grade, and ensuring that the children ave the ability to read and do math at grade level by the time they finish the third grade. that is what i want to put the trust with the teacher. it gets rid of a one size fits all mandate. >> in stark contrast, i was in

protest to $5.4 billion of cuts to our public schools. mr. abbott has been defending them in court ever since and each ruling goes in favor of our children and against mr. abbott. mr. abbott, these cuts and the cuts that you are defending that have left our classrooms overcrowded, that have left her teachers laid off, that is not liberal. that is not conservative. it is just dumb. it is shortchanging our children and selling out their future. as governor, i will make the education of our children a priority and i will fight to make sure that our schools have more resources, not less. >> senator davis, you recently released a book in which you discuss your personal plight with abortion. what do you see as fair regulation on abortion? >> i have always believed that

women should be able to make this most personal and difficult of decisions themselves. guided by their faith and their family and with their doctor. i stood on the senate floor for 13 hours to assure that this most private of decisions could be made by women. my opponent, on the other hand, has paid women in his office less than he is paid man. he has campaigned with a known sexual predator who has bragged about having sex with underage girls. he has shown that he is not favorable even for women to make decisions on their own in cases f brutal rape or incest. that is not protecting texas women. on behalf of texas women, i say, no thank you. >> i am pro-life and i'm catholic. like most texans, i believe all ife is sacred.

as governor, i will develop a culture of life in the state so we can do even more to protect women and children. to directly answer your question, texas is ensuring that we protect more life and do a better job of protecting the health care of women by providing that women still have five months to make a very difficult decision. after that time, the state has an interest in protecting innocent life. >> general abbott, in a speech in dallas you compared corruption in the valley to third world country practices. what was your motivation behind that comparison and do you regret that many people were offended by that statement? >> as you point out i made that statement in dallas and i made the statement about corruption across the state of texas, not targeting the rio grande valley. i have fought to root out and prosecute corruption across the

state of texas. i have prosecuted or than 100 instances of public corruption. it does not matter if you are in the rio grande valley or in dallas, texas. we need to have a state that eliminates corruption. as governor i will continue to ensure that we root out challenges like this, which is why i have proposed ethics reform so that we can prevent a situation like legislators who were profiteering, but it really does not matter if you are in the rgv or in the panhandle. we want to ensure that your public officials are abiding by the law. as your attorney general and as your governor, i will ensure hat is done. >> these comments mean something. they label a community. mr. abbott says he has worked on

corruption in other parts of the state. he has never refer to other parts of this state as third world. words matter. we embrace this area of our state as a part of our state and an incredible part of the diversity of who we are. as governor, my focus will be on investing and making sure that everyone understands what i understand about the rio grande valley -- that it is filled with parents who want opportunities for their children. that it is filled with hard-working people who want jobs that will pay them well and as their next governor, it is my intention to provide that. >> senator davis, do you support giving driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants? why or why not? >> i believe that everyone who was on the road should have a drivers license and should be insured. other states have found a way to make this happen, even for

undocumented immigrantin their community. ar too often as a public servant i have been told about incidents where people have been in an accident with an uninsured driver. as arizona does, texas, i believe, should issue driver certificates for people who pass a drivers test and prove they have insurance. that is the safest way we can ensure that people who are driving on our roads are driving the right authority and with the right insurance. >> there are problems with regard to the conflict that these laws would have with the federal real id act. we saw that come into play when we had another state that tried to create these drivers licenses in the form of california. the u.s. department of justice rejected california's attempt to create these licenses. i think it is simply unworkable because of the conflict with federal law.

>> general abbott, a recent report ranks the rgv as worst when it comes to wait times for veterans care. what would you do to increase the timeliness and quality of care veterans receive? >> it is offensive that the men and women who have fought for our country are having to wait. it has been documented, sometimes losing their lives ecause of the inadequate care of the veteran administration. my family looks a lot like texas. it is filled with veterans. my brother served in the united states navy for 20 years. my wife's family served in the army, navy, air force, and marines. she had an uncle who served in the army during world war ii. the men and women who serve on the front line should not have to be pushed to the back of the line when it comes to their health care needs. it is offensive that during his

campaign, barack obama came down here to the rio grande valley and said that he would establish a veterans health care hospital right here. we are still waiting for the president to make true on his promise. i will work with federal authorities to ensure that we get the health care that we need for veterans. >> it is unacceptable that anyone who serves our country should find themselves here without the medical care that they have earned and that they so deserve. i will work with this community to ensure that we do bring a veterans hospital here to serve our service members who have served us so well. right now they're are having to drive as far as san antonio. we have a great opportunity for this with the new medical school. i would like to see us work with the ut rgv medical school to provide a hospital specifically

or veterans. >> texas has left millions of dollars on the table that would have come to the state if we had extended medicaid. ould you go after that money and explain that? >> greg abbott's plan is that we will spend $100 billion of our tax money on california and new york in the next 10 years. there is a reason that republican governors around this country have found a way that is right for their states to bring this money down. there is a reason that the hambers of commerce have taken -- begged us to do the right thing and bring this money back to texas to go to work for us and create a 300,000 estimated jobs per year that it will bring. r. abbot -- california project

-- best friend in texas because he wants to continue sending our tax dollars to them. of course, mr. abbott, california already has one governor. they do not need two. >> i would provide more access to more health care to more texans. i have laid out a plan that would ensure that if we increase funding for women, and increased funding for veterans, we increase funding for the disabled, and we increase funding for mental health needs. what i will not do is what will senator davis will you heard obamacare in texas and is last thing that we need. obama care is an abject failure. it is bad for patients. it is bad for doctors, is for taxpayers. you seen the future of obama care with v.a. care.

doctors are fleeing medicaid and obamacare is coming up. >> the you support a raise of the minimum wage in texas? why or why not? >> we do not need those obama-style mandates telling businesses how to run their businesses. the one thing we know is that government does not know how to run business and proof of that is looking at the state of texas itself. i know senator davis thinks that we need to have an increase in minimum wage here. here is the lost fact -- 94% of the hourly wage jobs in texas are paid at the above minimum wage already. there is a reason for that and that is because texas model works. what we need to do is get the government off the backs of businesses and let the free market do this. if you look at the wage growth we have seen in the state of

texas, the federal reserve says the greatest increases we have seen are in the top two quartiles in the category. we have top-paying jobs in texas because we do not let the federal government tell us how to run our business. >> i know what it is like to work as hard as you can and yet stand at the grocery stand check out and have to put food back because you do not have enough money to pay for it. raising the minimum wage is not only good for texas families, it is good for our economy. at $7.25 an hour, that is only 15,000 a year. that is not enough to support a family. it is good for texas for us to raise the minimal wage and to provide an opportunity for families to provide for themselves as they so desperately want to do. once again, my opponent is looking out for his insider friends, not for texas families who would benefit if they have worked a hard day's work. they deserve a fair pay.

>> austin is beginning to resemble washington, d.c. more and more with a lack of decision-making. as governor, what would you do to prevent legislative gridlock? >> i started on the fort worth city council where i served for nine words and i did not serve with a partisan affiliation and i did not learn how to function with one. i am proud that as a member of the texas senate, i have worked across the aisle to pass, co-author, and support legislation across the aisle. as governor, i believe we need a leader who will bring people together, who will stop the partisan division that we have seen in austin and it is creeping more and more into our everyday affairs. the people in texas deserve us to put them, not partisan politics, first.

as the next governor, i can ensure that i will demonstrate respect for both parties, bring them together for common solutions, particularly making sure that we fund our public schools. >> i will be very effective in working with members of both parties to pass legislation even though i am working from the capacity as the attorney general. i have worked with senator hin hossa. i have worked with senator rodney ellis and passing criminal justice reform. i've worked with senator kirk watson in testing reforms to open government laws. i think the most important thing is i'm going to be focused on issues that i think affect all texas families. i will work on the fact that texas remains number one in job creation. bill focused on building the roads that we need for the next generation. i will be focused on transforming education to become number one in the nation i will make sure that we have access to the water supplies that we need so communities can continue to row.

>> there have been a number of cases nationally with the death penalty opponents that have been proven innocent when they were accused. how would you ensure that an innocent person is not put to death in texas? >> i'm in favor of the death penalty. we want to ensure the death penalty is going to be enforced effectively. we have several ways that we ensure that no innocent person is put to death. one is we have multiple layers of the appellate process. you go through the state system, the federal system, and back to the state and federal system again. you will have literally dozens of judges who are able to look at these matters before a person is put to death. i think it is important that texas continue to take a national leadership role in ensuring the accuracy and certainty of the death penalty.

that is why i worked with senator rodney ellis this last legislative session on advanced dna testing system to ensure that every person accused of a crime that faces the death penalty, we have the right person. >> i support the death penalty. as governor, i will be prepared to enforce it. this week, general abbott and i were both at an occasion, a sad, but a tribute occasion to someone who died serving a prison sentence for a crime that he did not commit. it reminds us all of the importance of making sure that before we meet out that ultimate of punishments, we make sure that we are meteing it out for a guilty person. d.n.a. evidence is important not only for victims of crime but also for those who are accused. that is why i am proud to have helped to clear a backlog of over 18,000 rape kits in our state, making sure that victims have justice that they deserve

and that no guilty person is sitting in jail. >> governor perry called out the national guard. what actions would you better secure the border? >> if the federal government will not act to secure the border, texas must and i will. i supported the surge of dps troops to the border. i also asked the governor, and what i would do had i been governor at the time. i asked him to convene us in a special session so we could hear from local community members what their needs were here. not only in law enforcement, where we would have been told by the sheriff that they need deputies with arrests and detention authority. they want the right boots on the ground. we also should have asked those who have been serving the needs of folks who have been coming

across the border, the humanitarian side of this issue. catholic charities and other faith-based and nonprofit organizations need our help and unless the federal government took into account assure that assistance, texas midwest. when i'm governor, we will. > the federal government has failed to solve this problem but texas will not stand idly by. i'm the only candidate on the stage tonight who has outlined a plan to deal with border security. my plan ensures that we have 500 dps officers to help secure the border as well as internally in the state of texas. i had 20 texas rangers. i had efforts to ensure public integrity, plus i provide the tools, resources, and technologies we need to better address the problem. i go after the gang-related problem is a result of the cross-border activity and i came

out with a new anti-smuggling law which will allow us to crack down on those who are harming victims the most. >> this has been a summer of immigration concerns. that has spurred anti-hispanic rhetoric. as governor, do you feel there is a responsibly to diminish antehispanic rhetoric? >> i absolutely do and i feel that in part because of my family. i have been married into a hispanic family for 33 years. my wife and i celebrated our 33rd anniversary last month. if the people of texas elect me to be the governor, my wife will be the first hispanic first lady in the history of the state and i think that is setting a new tone in our ability to connect with voters across the state. it is essential that everyone in every geographic region, everyone of every type of background know that greg abbott is going to be a governor for them and their culture. what i have found in my marriage

is that even though we come from different cultural backgrounds, we unite on common principles of faith, freedom, and the free enterprise principles that will allow anyone to start and grow a usiness. those values permeate across the state of texas and our core for the future of the state. >> greg abbott has shown his disrespect for this community by referring to it as a third world. what we need to do is continue to provide opportunities for every single hard-working texan. everyone in our state wants their children to have opportunities and a better future than they had. making sure that we are providing that for every child, no matter who they are, no matter where they are from, no matter how rich or poor, no matter their race is our job. i will consider it my most important job.

mr. abbott has been working very hard to silence the voices of members of the hispanic community. he leads a party that is calling for the repeal -- >> for closing statements, you can add on to that. this seems like a perfect spot for us to take a quick break for this historic texas gubernatorial debate from the rio grande valley and we want to remind people that you get to make the decision when you hit the polls in november. there are important dates to keep in mind. the last day to register's october 6 and early voting starts on october 20. the big day is on november 4. coming up next here, we want to remind you it is a big part of the debate. the candidate to candidate question. based on what we have seen so far, the potential for the gloves to come off. it could be there. for folks watching at home, use the #rgvdebate and be part of

what's happening here tonight. let us know who is winning. what you want to hear out of this debate? it is your time to chime in. > [speaking spanish] >> a reminder -- the first gubernatorial debate in texas held in the rio grande valley will continue right here. be sure to stay right there. we will be back right after his. >> welcome back to the very first texas gubernatorial debate life here at the edinburgh conference room in renaissance in the rio grande valley. e kick it off at the candidate to candidate question. >> senator davis, do you regret voting for barack obama?

>> mr. abbott, what i am working on right now is running for governor of this incredible state. bringing policies forward that will benefit the state. i'm working to make sure that every hard-working texan, the matter where they start, as far as they dream. 30 years ago i could not have imagined that i would have the privilege. when i was a young, single, struggling mother, sitting on this stage and having the opportunity to ask texas for his vote. texas is at a turning point and that is what is important in the leg. -- election. will we create a 21st century future economy that works for all hard-working texans were just some? i believe that we need a governor who will fight for all hard-working texans every single day because their future depends on it. i believe we need a governor who

is going to make sure that our children will receive a world class education because our future depends on it. >> thank you, senator davis. >> mr. abbott, a judge has recently ruled against you and in favor of the schoolchildren of texas. ruling that our schools are unconstitutionally underfunded. the only thing right now coming between our children and appropriate funding of their schools today is you. on behalf of the 5 million children of this state, will you agree tonight that you will drop your appeals and allow our schools to be appropriately funded? >> there is actually another thing coming between and settling that lawsuit and that is a law that you voted on and helped pass in 2011 that removes from the attorney general the ability to settle lawsuits just

like this. it is important to understand that what i want to do is focus on creating, as governor, a better education system in this state. it is time we put our partisan differences aside when it comes to building a better future for the next generation what i'm focused on is not a school system that was constructed in part in the last century. what i'm focused on is building a better education system for the next generation. my goal as governor is to work towards elevating the texas education system to be ranked umber one in the nation. >> attorney general -- >> senator davis, at the end of the program -- senator davis, we agreed to the rules before hand. i appreciate you want to interject. we know it is a lively discussion. at the end, we have closing statements and i encourage you

to use that statement to continue the discussion. these are rules that we agreed upon together. >> senator davis, if elected would you push for individuals receiving and if it's like food tamps to be drug tested? >> i supported a bill that would put in place a mechanism like that last session. we also need to make sure we put in place a mechanism that would not force people off food stamps. i am very sensitive to the fact that children should not be punished by virtue of the fact that they may have a parent who is drug-addicted and therefore worked with the author of that bill to include a provision, if it was the case that a positive drug test was found for that person to continue to receive their assistance, if they would agree to go into a drug treatment program and to receive the help that they need.

>> i do support that law. we want to do all we can in the state of texas to help those in need. part of what we can do to help those in need is help them improve their lives. one way to help them improve their lives if they are relying upon government benefits, we can try to help them deal with and overcome challenges they may have because of drug addiction or other challenges that may have shown up in the tests. we look for this to be a win-win situation, helping those dependent on government benefits to find a pathway beyond so they can begin to be a contributing to the fabric of the state of texas. >> san antonio recently voted to raise taxes to create a universal pre-k program. did you support a statewide pre-k program? if so, how will you fund it?

>> i support improving pre-k. i view pre-k as the starting point in our education and what i have rolled out in the strategy i have is to have the premier pre-k program in the entire country. i know if we can continue educating our students at the very beginning, we will have that solid foundation that students need to build on. my education system does begin with pre-k four. more importantly, it builds on that to make sure that what they learn in pre-k is going to continue all the way through. it is essential that what we ave in pre-k is not just throwing more money at it, but instead that we structure the most effective programs so that students really do have literacy and numeracy skills that they can begin to build on. >> i strongly support quality, full day pre-k for every eligible child in this state.

unlike my opponent who would pick and choose which children are able to get off to a strong start, i would provide that strong start to every four-year-old in our state. my opponent has proposed a standardized tests for four-year-olds to demonstrate that they deserve to have pre-k support, picking and choosing those who would receive it and those which would not. under mr. abbott, four-year-olds in the state can be assured they would be subject to standardized tests. the only way they would get around that is if they hire a lobbyist, form a pac, and donate to the great abbott campaign because that is how he works. >> governor rick perry was indicted for abuse of power. do you agree with the decision to indict? please explain. >> i cannot presuppose whether i agree with the decision to indict because i do not know what the grand jury has before them.

i do believe these are serious charges and deserve serious consideration. i won't second-guess the justice system. i will trust it to do its work and will abide by whatever decision is and respect it. >> i was not a part of the grand jury and so i do not have the facts grand jury may have have. what i can tell you it is bizarre that a governor would be indicted for exercising a veto of a spending master. the veto authority is a constitutional authority and i want to make sure it remains so robustly so that when i am governor, i am able to exercise that veto for what i consider inappropriate spending. one of the key roles i will play is that making sure the state of texas lives in the confines of a budget. part of being able to fulfill that role is being able to exercise the constitutional veto power. >> general abbott, a mayor says

hat at the in the mayor, she expects to spend $500,000 -- $500,000 in taxpayer funds for the humanitarian relief efforts related to the influx of immigrants this summer. what would you do to ensure voter cities are reimbursed? >> as we speak, my office is working on a potential lawsuit against the obama administration where we are putting together all of the expenses incurred by the state of texas. one proposal that i am pondering is the possibility of being able to roll into that potential litigation, the expenses that have been incurred by the rio grande valley because these are expenses that should not come out of the pockets of taxpayers in the state of texas. the reason is because it was not mckellen or the rio grande valley that caused this. the reason why this happened is because when the president stood in the rose garden in 2012 and cast a message basically telling people they would be able to come here without any type of enforcement.

what we need to do is hold the president and his administration responsible for paying this bill. as we speak, i am working on getting that done. >> as i said earlier, had i been governor at that time, and when i am elected governor, if i have the privilege of serving there, i will call all of our local communities before the legislature and ask them what it is that they need. i sent a letter to governor perry asking him to convene us in a special session and to bring forward not only local law enforcement from our border communities to hear what they needed, but also to hear from our faith-based and charitable organizations to see what it was we could do for them. it is the case that it is ultimately the federal government's responsibility to secure our border and to pay the cost of the consequence of not securing it.

as a governor, i do believe that the state should step in and help communities such as this one. >> what would you do to combat the influence of drug cartels in texas? >> i believe that we must focus our efforts where they belong, on drug trafficking and human trafficking. that is why i supported the the urge of dps officers, officers who have detention and arrest authority here. we need to be just as focused on the economic relationship between mexico and texas. when to invest more and not less in the infrastructure that will help accelerate efficiently the movement of goods to help mexico and texas. our economy is dependent on our relationship with mexico and as governor, i will make sure that we work across the border, not

only on security, but in continuing to keep that economic relationship strong and vibrant. >> i'm the only candidate for governor who has a plan to go fter the drug cartels. i was in visiting with a young latina, about college age. she pleaded with me to fill my promise to secure the border and go after the cartels because as she explained, her brother was playing a pickup soccer game here in the rio grande valley and had to play with the son of a cartel member. children should not be forced to have to make those types of play date decisions. as governor, i will secure our border and go after any drug cartel that tries to harm our texans. >> leaders blame drought conditions and mexico's noncompliance with a treaty for a water shortage that has forced some regions to come back on

farming. if elected, how would you make sure the mexico repays the water debt? >> i have started to work on this process. i met with an ambassador to visit about it. we talked about a number of economic-based issues. he was the ambassador from mexico to the united states. the we talked about the need for mexico to fulfill its obligation, to provide water to texas that texas deserves. you can tell he understood because you can see were mexico is today. they are growing economically and they know that part of their economic future is tied to the economic future of the state of texas. i think mexico wants to be a good partner. i think they want to see economic development flourish on both sides of the border and just like we worked with the president in 2004 to ensure that

we got our access to the water from mexico, i think we can do it again. >> drought conditions have cost the rio grande valley millions of dollars. last year farmers had to turn hundreds of millions of dollars of crops as a consequence of that. ensuring enforcement of a 1944 water treaty with mexico is essential and as governor, i will create the relationship with mexico that fosters the kind of partnership that will foster that. as a state senator, i supported and was proud that voters supported a $2 billion water revolving fund that will help communities to create and grow water resources and conservation efforts to ensure that drought does not have the devastating economic impact it has. >> senator davis, the texas city of -- was rocked by a terrible explosion caused by chemicals

that were stored there that many residentses did not know were stored there. what you believe the state should do in regards to informing residents of cities if dangerous chemicals are in their midst? >> let's be clear -- right now the only thing that is coming between texas families knowing whether dangerous chemicals are being stored near their homes or near their school or where they work is greg abbott. greg abbott, who has shown time and again who'll favor the interest of his insider friends over those of hard-working texans when he rules that texas families no longer have a right to know whether these dangerous chemicals are being stored close to them. this came with him almost simultaneously with him excepting a $100,000 plus donation from his buddies in the chemistry industry, koch industries. when i'm governor, i will put hard-working texans first.

>> there is a law in texas called the community right to know law and people in the state of texas have the right to gain information whether or not chemicals are stored in the neighborhood. there is another law competing with it. that is the texas homeland security act. i applied the texas homeland security act to make sure that information involving certain chemicals is not disclosed to potential terrorists, terrorists like timothy mcveigh who used a fertilizing element to blow up a courthouse in oklahoma city. i have been involved in prosecuting a terrorist member of isis. we need to be cautious about the information provided to terrorists in texas. >> do you think texas is tough enough on capital punishment?

>> are we tough enough on capital punishment? we have probably the toughest capital punishment laws in the nation and our job in criminal justice is to ensure those who commit the most heinous crimes get the capital punishment they richly deserve and they deserve it because when you think about what has happened to the victims and the way the victims have been harmed and sometimes struggle before losing their live, we need to ensure that those who commit the worst of crimes will be punished accordingly. it is essential that we carry out the ultimate punishment in a way that is fair and just and certain. >> last session as a state senator, i voted to expand the enforcement of capital punishment to include other

crimes. i do support and will carry out as governor the death penalty. we also in texas have the highest number of exonerations of any state because we have not appropriately been using dna evidence. as governor, i will make sure that we do not have guilty people meeting the ultimate -- non-guilty people, i am sorry, meeting the ultimate punishment. only those were we are sure that this is the person who has committed a heinous crime in those instances should the death penalty be carried out. >> dps troopers along with 1000 national guard troops to protect the border is estimated to cost $20 million a month in texas. is it worth the cost? >> it is important that we put money into areas that will grow our economy. investing in education, making

sure that every four-year-old in the state has access to quality pre-k to get off to a strong start, making sure that high school students have access to college and we make it affordable to them. and that we make it affordable to them. money -- when we spend money on something not requested by the local community and we put boots on the ground that do not have the arrest authority, costing $12 million per month, we are shortchanging our ability to do what will make a smart investment in the future of this state, an investment in our children. mr. abbott? an expenditures that was necessary. it was necessary because the federal government failed to do its job. the federal government has the fundamental responsibility to secure and protect our border.

it fails in its fundamental responsibility. but texas will not stand idly by. we will step up and do what the federal government has failed to. this is one reason we are demanding from the federal government reimbursement for the expenditures that we had to pay out to secure the border. remember also, the last one, secure communities promote economic development. this is a way of empowering the economy in south texas. christi, there is trouble going on with regarding voter identification laws. explain that. >> i am in favor of voter identification laws. i will tell you why. voter fraud israel. it must be stopped -- voter fraud is real. it must be stopped. i am the only candidate running

for governor who stands for election integrity, who stands for insuring that we root out any kind of corruption that may take place in the voting process. i almost hesitate to bring this up, but you know one of the challenges going on as we speak is the fact that the fbi is involved in an investigation about people in the rio grande toley who are using cocaine buy a vote. we cannot tolerate this lack of integrity in the election process. the supreme court has ruled that voter identification is one of the tools the states have the right to use to maintain integrity in the election process. i am the only candidate willing to fight for that principle. senator davis, your response? >> as a senator, i fought for the principle of making sure that people with valid opportunities and identifications to vote were provided the ability to do that. whosebott has a party

platform calls for the repeal of the voting rights act. this is about suppressing minority votes. right now mr. abbott is defending in court a voter id law that has as its intended purpose that outcome. .ust as he defended in my district, that i represent, the ability to suppress votes by tearing communities apart from each other, tearing minority voters apart from each other to suppress their voices at the ballot box. >> thank you so much. that includes the question-and-answer portion of this historic texas gubernatorial debate. now it is time for closing statements. you will each have two minutes. senator davis, you will be up first. >> a dear friend of mine has a governor that has a grandmother who gave her the advice -- when someone shows you who they are, believe them. ns who i am. texa

billion inainst $5.4 cuts to our public schools because that is not just bad for our children, it is bad for our future. i have shown it by fighting for every four-year-old to have access to full-day pre-k to get off to a strong start in every high school student to have affordable access to college. i have shown it by fighting to make sure that people are paid fairly for a hard days work because an increase in the minimum wage is good, not bad, for our economy. aning 2.8 million texans increase in their spending power and the ability to provide for their families is terribly important. i have also shown i will fight for equal pay for equal work and that i will fight to close outdated tax loopholes that benefit giant corporations and fundout money instead to

our public schools. my opponent has shown that he will not support equal pay for equal work for women, that he thinks we should pick and choose which of our children should get off to a good start, and that time and again he will favor his insider friends over the every day texas families. voters will have to ask themselves this in the ballot box -- who will fight for me? who will fight for my family? i am asking for your vote tonight, and if i have the privilege of serving as your next governor, you will not need a high paid lobbyist in the texas capital to represent you because your voice will be there. because i am you. because i have never forgotten who i am or where i come from, and i will fight for you every single day. >> general abbott? >> thank you all for posting this debate opportunity in the

rio grande valley. as your attorney general, i have been fighting for your liberty against an overreaching federal government. have fought to defend the 10 commandments monument on the texas capitol grounds and we won. now i want to fight for the future of texas as your next governor. great, but i am running for governor to make it even better. texas is number one in the nation for creating jobs, and i will keep it that way by keeping government small. and waterhe roads projects we need to keep texas growing. i will keep our communities safe , from the rio grande valley all the way to the red river. what i will also work to build a brighter future for the next generation. the way i see it, texas is

number one in the nation for jobs. we are also number one for farms, exports, energy production for so many different things. the time has come to set a new aspiration. texas should be number one in the nation for educating our children. as your governor, i will work to fulfill that aspiration. as your governor, i will keep texas the land of opportunity. the place where hopes and dreams can still be realized. the place where more freedom and less government still matters. i am running for governor and i am asking for your vote to make texas even better. thank you. >> that concludes the first texas gubernatorial debate, live from the rio grande valley. what a great our. we appreciate both candidates coming up. senator wendy davis, thank you for your time and insight. general greg abbott, thank you so much as well.

you both coming here tonight. this is about arming our viewers with the information they need to make an informed decision when they hit the polls. it is worth three and rating the important dates, the last day to register to vote is october 6. early voting begins october 20, and the big day where we will decide a new governor in texas will be on november 4. carlos, theing in editor of "the monitor" newspaper. your thoughts on this historic debate? >> thank you for your participation. as the postdebate debate begins on who wins, the real winners are the voters of the rio grande valley. on behalf of them, we appreciate your willingness to come here and subject yourselves to questioning him and with your candor in the answers. >> your final thoughts to our spanish-language viewers? spanish] ng

>> we all want -- we also want to thank doctors hospital at renaissance for this beautiful venue tonight. and the crew that worked on the set designs. iq so much for helping with that. -- thank you so much for helping with that. generalwendy davis, greg abbott, thank you. for everyone watching at home, have a great night. c-span campaign 2014 campaign debate coverage continues. the nebraska congressional andte between lee terry state senator brad ashford. sunday, the iowa u.s. senate bruce braley and

-- more than 100 debate for the control of congress in 2014. >> president obama will brief the united nations talking about climate change and greenhouse global gas emissions. live coverage from the u.n. at 12:50 eastern on c-span2. then the president will speak at the clinton global initiative meeting. .lso on c-span2 governor tom corbett and his democratic challenger, tom wolfe, debated on monday. polls show mr. wolf ahead in the race. the forum in hershey, pennsylvania, was hosted by the pennsylvania cable network. >> the gubernatorial candidates debate -- dennis owens.

>> good evening, ladies and gentlemen. good evening. i would like to welcome you to hershey for the first of three debates between the two editorial candidates. the election is six weeks from tomorrow. these put your hands together and welcome the two candidates. we have tom corbett, the republican incumbent governor. [applause] welcome, governor. we also have the challenger from secretary tom wolfe. -- secretary tom wolf. foster alike to conversation where the candidates talk to us at not at us. and to each other, for that

matter. a couple of the ground rules, they will each have a one minute open and a two-minute close. alternate directing questions. if you are a person who gets the question you will have two minutes, and the other person will have one minute for rebuttal. the candidates have not seen the questions in advance. they have been chosen by me and representatives from the chamber. this is a chamber audience, so many if not all the questions will be of interest to the business community. ado, as arranged by a coin flip among the camps, tom corbett will have the first open, tom wolf will have the last close. governor corbett, the floor is yours. >> good evening, everyone. good evening, everyone. there we go. andthank you to the chamber thank you for inviting me here. i do appreciate the opportunity to be here today. and to talk with

tom about the future of pennsylvania. i also want to thank the voters who have given me a opportunity to serve not only as governor but as attorney general across pennsylvania. really,o tell you, i really appreciate that opportunity because i have to tell you, i believe in pennsylvania. today i had the opportunity to go to the northeast, and i would ask you each, as dennis asked you, to think about the two troopers, the one who was killed and the one who is in the hospital. to also think about the men and women out there today, tonight, of these lawl enforcement officers searching for this individual who would kill our troopers in pennsylvania. that is part of being governor, though. what is really part of being already -- and i have -- >> we will hear from you in a moment. >> ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here. >> mr. wolf, one minute.

the floor is yours. >> thank you. i would like to thank you, dennis, for moderating, and i would like to thank you in the chamber for sponsoring this. i am an unconventional candidate, i understand that. candidates youke have probably seen before, but these are unconventional times for our commonwealth. is what we are supposed to do if we want to see a change, and i think we can do a better job when it comes to education. i think we can do a better job -- as a business person and a member of the board, we can build a stronger economy in pennsylvania. we need a fresh start. i love the state and i think we can do better. thank you very much. [applause] i should point out, ladies and gentlemen, and feel free to talk to each other. i will feel free to change topics if we need to move it along or if we do not get an

answer, i will try to get an answer out of view. the first topic goes to mr. wolf and it is education. one of the most important topics for pennsylvania. years, democrats, and for several months, you, you have criticized that governor corbett has slashed money from education. governor corbett responded saying that he has been more money on education than any governor in history. what is going on? >> my point is that we have actually seen real cutbacks in education. under this administration, we can talk about whatever we want in terms of statistics. i am a graduate of m.i.t., so that would be fine with me. look at what we see all around us, at least in my area. we see educators who have been laid off, 27,000 educators who lost their jobs. class sizes have increased. property taxes have gone through

the roof. have services that have been cut. money, are having to pay fees so that their children can participate in extracurricular sports. we can talk about statistics all we want, but education has been cut. we are not doing a good job of following through on the promise constitution to deliver a thorough and efficient system of public education. we need to do that. we can do a better job than we are doing. you cannot throw money at any problem and expect a good outcome, but you cannot keep this investing -- you cannot investing either. mrs. for the public good of all of us. it is not just a constitutional issue but a practical economic problem. we need to do everything we can to make sure our education system is working fully in every part of the commonwealth. >> governor corbett, one-minute

rebuttal. >> it says 29 seconds. i would agree. we need to do better. we should always be looking to do better. we need to present a better pennsylvania than what i inherited, to my successor four years from now, and he or she should be doing the same thing. the question is funding. it is clear that he does not want to talk about statistics. the cut to education occurred in the administration before me rebut mr. wolf's supporters in the public-sector unions, particularly the teachers union, has spent millions out -- has spent millions of dollars adding up the lie that i cut education. i did not. and now even "the philadelphia inquirer" has admitted i did not. how do you reform it? education is such a big part of this. we have already begun that

reform by two little steps. first step, a better teacher evaluation system, better than the old satisfactory or unsatisfactory. as a result of that, a better education, a better report on administrators. now we are able to, with the profiles we created for schools in pennsylvania, be able to tell whether those schools are performing and how they are performing. once you have metrics, you can determine how you can spend the money, and that is what we are doing. >> a follow-up for you, governor. if more than state money than ever is going to school districts, then why over the last several years school district have cut programs, people, or raised property taxes , or a combination of all three? >> the answer to that is very simple. first off, putting federal stimulus money into their budgets, into operating budgets. should not have done that. everybody knows that now. secondly, the cost of pensions. you are going to hear me talk a

great deal about the cost of pensions. what does that do? it has driven up the cost of property taxes across pennsylvania. one hundred 63 school district in pennsylvania have asked to be exempted from the requirement to to increaseendum their property taxes. and the cost of health care, and it is going to get much worse. many of you in this room are dealing with the cost of health care and obamacare and what is coming in. that will cause it to go up even higher. number ofses the 27,000 educators. that is a false number. those are people who worked in the system that were part of the administration. they were not all teachers. the point is how much are we going to spend? and more importantly, how are we going to invest? it has to be an investment, not just how much can we spend. >> mr. wolf? [applause]

again, the proof is in the pudding. we have to do a good job of providing education. this is not just something that is an elective. if we want a strong economy, strong communities come if we want strong families, we have to make sure our schools are working properly. it is not enough to say this did not work or that is not working the way i wanted it to. we have to make this work. this is an obligation we have as a community. the education -- that is why it is a shared responsibility. my life will be made better if the children in elk county get an education. the probability is i will not have as good a life if they do not. i need to make sure we follow through and deliver on the promise of a good education. we need accountability and all the other things the governor talked about.

end,e need, in the everything the system will deliver on the promise of a good education. >> mr. wolf, next question for you. not want toou do talk statistics. but the fact is, over $10 billion of the current $29 billion state audit directed at education, between 30% and 40%, all in with property taxes, that is 27 billion dollars spent on public education. the state budget is $29 -- the state budget is $29 billion, the number on education is $27 billion. what accountability would you like to offer so that we are not just shoveling money, that we are getting what we are getting for the money we are spending? >> that is a great question. [applause] that was not applause for me, it was applause for the question.

[laughter] have totand that we have accountability. we have to know how we are doing. right now we are not producing that most of us feel we can employ. in some places we are doing a wonderful job. we need to do a good job across the commonwealth to make sure we have people with the skills that are relevant to a 21st-century economy. how much money will that take? i don't know. but it is not enough to say we will spendmore, we less. we need to have a public education system that delivers on the promise, that delivers on the skills and talents we all need to make the economy grow. that is something we expect our government to do. we cannot hide behind false statistics that we are spending too much or we are not spending enough. i get that. what we have to embrace the idea that it is a responsibility we have. we cannot say ideological he we

are predisposed -- we cannot say ideologically we are predisposed to this or that solution. we have to to have an educated workforce and citizenry in pennsylvania. whatever it takes, we need leadership that will follow through on that and invest, whatever it takes to invest and make sure we get what we need. >> i am glad you point at me when you say leadership, but give me the numbers. it is $27 billion now. does thewolf, what number need to be? >> i think the 27 billion number needs to be -- it is a good number. some of that comes from the federal government, some comes from the state. too much of it comes from local taxes. we need to reduce the local property tax burden for funding public education. that would eliminate some of the conflicts we have. but how much is it? i don't know.

can we redeploy that? to reset ourble priorities. in my company, whenever i had to do something to improve my company, i would go first to my employees. i did not demonize them and say let's come out with some experts from out-of-town who will tell us how to do this. that's sit -- let's sit down and figure out a reasonable solution. ison't know if $27 billion enough. i would sit with the educators and say let's make sure we are delivering fully on this promise. >> governor corbett, a rebuttal? >> we are not that far apart. we agree we have to make it better, but we are not hearing any answers as to how we would get there. we have already started that process. [applause] thank you. the number one question is, what's fair? what is a fair funding formula echo as you know, we have recently passed --

what is a fair funding formula? we have already created a fair funding commission. -- is it a backpack method? how much is the education within an individual child worth? we have never had that discussion. that is how we start to decide how much is enough. we could really spend a lot of money. $27 billion is a lot of money. but part of the idea of the metrics -- is it being well spent? is it being invested wisely? when i come back, i will talk you up -- i will talk to you about the school profile to talk about where it is being used wisely. >> you are going to come back because i have a question for you. let's give it for a moment -- let's pivot for a moment to taxes. everybody will perk up now.

you have taken a no tax pledge, but you are not going to take that this time. is that correct? no tax pledge? >> everybody knows my record. we kept taxes down. we did not raise taxes. but we know where mr. wolf is going to go. if you start adding up all his taxes, what we know is that everybody above six $2000 is going to be taxed more. but frankly, and we are trying to glean this from his report, will thathow much affect people down below? if you have a sales tax increase, everybody pays that. if you have an energy tax increase, and electricity tax increase, everybody pays that. i am committed to work to keep government efficient. when iran four years ago -- when ago, i said irs would run on three principles -- it's a bold discipline, limited

government, and free enterprise. -- principled discipline, limited government, and free enterprise. i have kept that promise. [applause] i have done what you and your companies have done. we made tough decisions. we were almost $29 billion in spending in my first year. including spending federal one-time stimulus money. we had to go down. the first time the budget went 40 years.ieve in we reduced state government to its lowest level in 50 years. why? because we did not have the money. i promised we were not going to tax the tax payers i believe my job as governor -- when i was a candidate and now as governor --is to be a steward of your money. i mean everybody.

from the person working a job making millions of dollars to the people who are working in $5,000, $10,000, $20,000 jobs. i am going to keep that promise. >> the no tax pledge -- you have not taken that for the four-year term. is that off the table? >> i think my record speaks for itself. that is my answer. he keeps trying to do this to me all the time. do you think the no tax pledge was a mistake? >> no, because it helped me keep everybody focused. many in the legislature agreed with me on that. keep the focus because we had to quit looking at the option of saying we just and to tax taxpayers more spend more of their money.

>> what do you say to conservative critics who say the transportation bill was a breaking of that, that they were in fact tax increases and you broke the pledge? >> the transportation bill was not increase in taxes, it was the removal of a false cap. now we are getting rid of the tax at the pump that was solid, static. we are seeing revenue come up. -- many are you buying gas how many of you are buying gas cheaper than a month ago? it was my responsibility as when 1.5 million children get on 30,000 school buses every day, when 1.5 million people get on transit and travel our roads and highways, it is a public duty for us to make those roads better. >> mr. wolf, would you like to rebut the tax pledge conversation? >> no, but i would like to rebut

what we see around us. that is, for whatever reason, things are not working. i built a business and went back to my business in 2009. it was flat on its back and i turned it around. i had ways of looking at whether i was doing a good job. to ultimately make that company successful. that is what we have to do here in pennsylvania. you can measure success in a lot of different ways. but i look at job creation. we used to be at the top of the charts. we are now at the bottom of the charts. i see a bureau of economic analysis saying that we are being beaten by west virginia, ohio, new jersey in terms of economic growth. property taxes have gone up. we are not doing as well as we should do, and i think we need to look at that and say this is what we need from our state government, to set the table for robust economic growth.