-- nga meeting? agenda iseveryone's creating jobs. montana is better than the rest of the country on some, but we stopped & unemployment. -- still have 10% unemployment. we need to create higher paying jobs and get things moving. we are a natural resource state and during a 30%; in america. -- we have a 30% of the cold in america. we have the biggest platinum, palaadium, copper, wheat. we need to get the rest of the country going as well. host: you have all those resources in montana. right now you have a budget surplus. what do you tell the governors to do not have those natural resources and they're having to deal with budget deficits? how'd you get them to follow your lead and get them back on the surplus train? guest: i am not a very popular governor around these parts. the reason we have a surplus is because when the times were good, unlike other states we've saved the money. we built the largest savings account. i vetoed for the bills even worm -- even when times were good. during the last couple of years, we just the third down

we never do anything in the nga without exhaustive conversations and negotiations. there will be an opportunity to do that in the spring. if the governors to take no action at all, the policies would sunset. i ask is that there is a motion -- i asked if there is a motion could >> governor o'malley, -- i ask if there is a motion? >> governor o'malley, i move. >> a second. i want to thank you all. this concludes our procedures. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [unintelligible] [unintelligible] [unintelligible] >> they also heard from an education secretary arne duncan and education leaders about providing education per graham's to prepare workers for competing in a global market. this is one hour and 25 minutes. >> i want to thank everyone for joining us this afternoon. the vice chair person cannot be here this afternoon. we appreciate the willingness to step in and work with us today. gov. mcdonnell is completing his legislative session. the chance to be there to end the session -- we are

she is the chair of nga. states cut $75 billion from the budget in two years and collectively face a $175 billion gap in the next two years. live coverage of the winter eting next on underway -- that got underway yesterday. one person for the president to meet with. what is your advice? caller: i would like to be me, actually. host: what would you tell them? caller i do think he is surrounded by politicians and a think tank persons, i believe he needs to hear from someone who is an average, ordinary person who has a variety of life experiences. i grew up in a coalminer's daughter. i became an award winning teacher through adverse circumstances. then i became ill and has dealt with a very serious illness. i know what it is like to deal with the health care system and all of the intricacies of that. i would also like to know if c- span could pluck out a deal with the president where he could come on maybe quarterly and allow us to call him and or ask hime him questions. as you have guessed that are on the sunda

to all of us who have known ray, he served as national director for the nga for 28 years. he has seen us through amazing times. this is his last meeting. please take the time, if you would, to thank ray for all that he has done on behalf of all of us over the 28-year span. join olla said the reception following to honor ray and all that he has done for our nation and the governor. [applause] [applause] for those of you who do not know where he is headed, he is moving to higher education to inspire a generation to join us in the public service and to lead the nation of tomorrow. let me begin today by saying that we certainly live in interesting times. the times are downright challenging for all of us. from conflicts abroad to fiscal challenges on the home front to families needing to save and build for their futures, these times are testing all of us. as americans, we always face up to our challenges and our job as governors is to leave those solutions to find a path for root for a competitive america. we're now just beginning to regain our footing from the severest economi

i want to thank nga and our panelists were being here today.plause] we will now move to the consideration of our policy positions. the committees will consider amendments to three existing policy positions. you can find those in the binders in front of you. the policy process began this last fall with the staff advisory committee. they make proposals for amendments, discusses them, and the niches consensus on the changes and has prepared them for your consideration today. given the large class of new governors, all three policies were reviewed with a light touch. states were encouraged to make only technical edits to the policies. all the policies can be reviewed again at the annual meeting. if you are interested in making additional edits, inform me or joan. >> on the vote of these amendments, there is a symbolic measure. i talked about getting our iga funding. i am going to vote against any increase in any federal programs until we get that. >> i appreciate democracy. >> i suggest we vote on the policies in block. is there a motion for that?

to all of us who have known ray, he served as natnal director for the nga for 28 years. he has seen us through amazing times. this is his last meeting. please take the time, if you would, to thank ray for all that he has done on behalf of all of us over the 28-year span. join olla said the reception following to honor ray and all that he has done for our nation and the governor. [applause] [applause] for those of you who do not know where he is headed, he is moving to higher education to inspire a generation to join us in the public service and to lead the nation of tomorrow. let me begin today by saying that we certainly live in interesting times. the times are downright challenging for all of us. from conflicts abroad to fiscal challenges on the home front to families needing to save and build for their futures, these times are testing all of us. as americans, we always face up to our challenges and our job as governors is to leave those solutions to find a path for root for a competitive america. we're now just beginning to regain our footingrom the severest economic

-- nga meeting? agenda iseveryone's creating jobs. montana is better than the rest of the country on some, but we stopped & unemployment. -- still have 10% unemployment. we need to create higher paying jobs and get things moving. we are a natural resource state and during a 30%; in america. -- we have a 30% of the cold in america. we have the biggest platinum, palaadium, copper, wheat. we need to get the rest of the country going as well. host: you have all those resources in montana. right now you have a budget surplus. what do you tell the governors to do not have those natural resources and they're having to deal with budget deficits? how'd you get them to follow your lead and get them back on the surplus train? guest: i am not a very popular governor around these parts. the reason we have a surplus is because when the times were good, unlike other states we've saved the money. we built the largest savings account. i vetoed for the bills even worm -- even when times were good. during the last couple of years, we just the third down

she is the chair of nga. states cut $75 billion from the budget in two years and collectively face a $175 billion gap in the next two years. live coverage of the winter meeting next on underway -- that got underway yesterday. one person for the president to meet with. what is your advice? caller: i would like to be me, actually. host: what would you tell them? caller: i do think he is surrounded by politicians and a think tank persons, i believe he needs to hear from someone who is an average, ordinary person who has a variety of life experiences. i grew up in a coalminer's daughter. i became an award winning teacher through adverse circumstances. then i became ill and has dealt with a very serious illness. i know what it is like to deal with the health care system and all of the intricacies of that. i would also like to know if c- span could pluck out a deal with the president where he could come on maybe quarterly and allow us to call him and or ask hime him questions. as you have guessed that are on the su

this is the nga. >> do we know which countries are participating? >> we will have to see if we can get that. i don't know we have that. on tuesday the president will attend meetings at the white house. on wednesday the president will award the 2010 national medal of arts and national humanities in a ceremony at the white house. the first lady will also attend. on thursday the president will meet with his national security team for his monthly meeting on afghanistan and pakistan are collated a president will welcome present calderon of mexico to the white house to discuss our important bilateral relationship and key global issues. on friday the president will travel to miami, florida to discuss his plan for winning the future while in miami the present will also attend a dscc fund-raiser. and that is the week ahead. thanks, guys. [inaudible conversations] that was press secretary jay carney taking last-minute questions on the federal budget. he also announced the u.s. will start sanctions against libya and he briefed reporters who had a number of que

he has been nga's executive director for 20 years, and this is his final meeting. thank you. [applause] so i hope everyone had fun last night. i know that you had a wonderful time listening to michelle and jill. jill's main function is to provide a buffer between us. they're really good in care deeply about what is happening with military families. i hope today all of you feel free to make yourself at home. for those of you with a particular interest in the next election, i do not mean that literally. [laughter] we meet at a moment when all of us, democrats and republicans come up leaders at the national and state levels, face some very big challenges. our country has come through a long recession, and as we recover, the question we will have to answer is, where will the new jobs come from? what will the new resources of economic growth be? and how can we make sure the american dream remains a reality into the 21st century? on the short-term, we came together here in washington and enacted tax cuts that are already american -- making americans' paychecks bigger and allowing b