Ventura: budget would help farmers

NEW ULM -- Gov. Jesse Ventura said his proposed budget will strengthen the rural economy, help farmers and improve the Minnesota River.

Ventura held his weekly radio show, "Lunch with the Governor" at a farm in Nicollet County, 20 miles northeast of New Ulm.

Before a crowd of about 70 area residents and statewide media, Ventura and his agriculture commissioner, Gene Hugoson, explained how farmers would obtain deep property tax cuts under the governor's plan.

Hugoson said the budget would return $62 million in property taxes to farmers.

"We're talking about this being permanent," Hugoson said. "It's an investment, going into the rural communities."

Ventura, dressed in blue jeans and a gray sweater, said the economy has been good to most Minnesotans, but farmers have struggled.

"Let's face it, farmers have taken a hit," Ventura said. "Farmers have not been in as good of a (fiscal) shape."

Farm homesteads would receive a 23 percent property tax cut, while farm non-homesteads would see taxes drop by 18 percent, according to Hugoson.

The average farmer would keep about $700 more dollars a year in property tax cuts alone, Hugoson said. An average farmer, as defined by Hugoson, owns 195 acres and rents another 397 acres.

Ventura said the cuts will be akin to a salary raise for farmers.

"We can't control corn prices, but we can attempt to control the price of doing business," Ventura said.

In the governor's bonding proposal is a $43 million package for Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to clean the Minnesota River.

CREP, which is administered by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, pays farmers for taking marginal agriculture land out of production.

In return for a cash payment from the state, landowners sign easements guaranteeing that the land will not be cropped and that they manage it under a conservation plan. Key benefits are improved water quality and wildlife habitat.

The state's $43 million would be coupled with $98 million in federal funding, which is money Minnesota should grab, Ventura said.

"We send far more money to Washington than what we get back," he said. "If they offer us money, we should always take it."

Willis Anthony, a Nicollet County farmer and past economics professor, hosted the radio show on his farm in Lake Prairie Township. Anthony praised the governor's proposed budget.

"It's an overall tax plan, and that's something we've sorely needed," Anthony said.

Judy Hanson, Nicollet County Commissioner, also spoke highly of the budget's effects on farming.

"It will be a good package for farmers, and thus it's a good package for Nicollet County," Hanson said.

Ventura's tax plan has come under some criticism because it reduces the proposed spending increases for education. The proposal also would cut the income tax by half a percent, and decrease the sales tax to 6 percent, while expanding it to include services such as haircuts or car repairs.

"There's no sacred cow," Ventura said. "If people disagree with me, that's fine. But they have to respect that I'm willing to challenge anything."

Ventura said that state government has grown by 13 percent in his two years in office, and is projected to grow by 25 percent for his entire four-year term.

"That is unacceptable to me," he said. "I made two promises: to give back the surplus and to hold the growth of government."

He added, "I believe this is a very responsible budget. Government should not outgrow the economy."

Ventura closed his stay by taking shots at the Legislature for working on minor bills, such as a proposal to remove pop machines from schools.

"Don't they have more important issues to deal with?," Ventura said, appearing irked by the measure. "No wonder the session goes so long."

Ventura stopped short of saying he would veto a bill that calls for felony penalties for repeat drinking-and-driving offenders, but said people should consider the high prison costs to enforce those laws.

Ventura spent Thursday and Friday in St. Peter, pushing his tax plan, greeting residents, signing autographs and posing for pictures.

"It's been teriffic," he said of the tour. "These trips are always fun."

The governor's weekend work as an XFL commentator was rarely discussed by the public or the media. When one reporter asked a question about last weekend's ratings, Ventura quickly replied, "That's my private life."