Ventura gets German-style welcome

Touts tax relief during New Ulm visit

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

NEW ULM -- Gov. Jesse Ventura got a big taste of New Ulm cooking, music and gemuetlichkeit Thursday night, as his 2001 tour came to New Ulm after a day of traveling through the Minnesota River Valley.

At a German-themed community banquet hosted by the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce, Ventura was treated to bratwurst and landjaegers, red cabbage, sauerkraut and German potato salad.

After an apple strudel dessert, he was seranaded by New Ulm's Concord Singers, while the Heritagefest Narren masked dancers led the crowd in swaying, handclapping and snake dancing through the hall at the Holiday Inn.

When he finally got a chance to speak, the governor said, "I now understand, it's very clear to me, why the Schell's Brewery has been around so long.

"And I also know where that phrase on 'The Man Show' comes from,"

said Ventura, after the Concord Singers led the crowd in a spirited toast with the German chant, "Zicke Zacke, Zicke Zacke, Heu, Heu, Heu!"

Ventura was welcomed by Mayor Arnold Koelpin, who read a proclamation declaring Friday, Sept. 7, as Gov. Jesse Ventura Day in New Ulm.

In his remarks to the crowd, Ventura listed the billions of dollars in tax relief that the state has provided. Ventura estimated it would total $4.48 billion by the year 2003, and he gave his administration the credit for delivering it to the people.

Now, he said, the job of maintaining tax relief goes to the people.

Ventura challenged local governments to be efficient with the taxpayers' money, and urged people to hold local governments accountable when they seek extra levy referendums.

"If government is to be efficient with every tax dollar it gets, so should schools, and that was my challenge to our state's education system," said Ventura.

Ventura said the state is providing $383 million more next year for schools than last year, and asked why there should be school cuts when schools are asked to do the same job as last year with more money.

Ventura said citizens should get accountability from their school districts and city councils that seek more taxes.

"Make sure you are completely informed," said Ventura. "If you agree with what the local government wants to do, then support it."

"If you don't want your property taxes to be out of control, then take control now," said Ventura.

He urged citizens to become government watchdogs, to "continue the revolution that we started."

Mark Wiger, a member of the District 88 School Board, questioned the governor about his statement on schools. He pointed to the inflationary raises paid to workers in private sector, and asked whether school districts shouldn't also be able to give pay increases. When Ventura said yes, Wiger said, "That's good to hear, I hope the citizens will support that."

Ventura was asked whether he would run in 2002. "I think campaigns are too long and too expensive as it is. I was elected for four sessions, and the third one is coming up, the state bonding session. After I get through that, then I'll think about whether to run again."

Ventura was introduced to the issue of the lions on the Hermann Monument. City Councilor Clark Tuttle mentioned how the city bought four cast-iron lions, forged in China, to complete the design of the Hermann Monument, rather than copper sheathed lions mentioned in the 1998 state bonding bill that approved $400,000 to the city for the restoration of the Hermann Monument.

Since some officials in the state finance department consider the cast iron lions contrary to the legislation, the city may lose out on the funding. Tuttle asked if Ventura would support the city's Chinese lions.

"I don't know anything about that. Why would Hermann want Chinese lions?" said Ventura.

The governor will be touring New Ulm this morning, and doing his radio show, "Lunch with the Governor," from German Park at 11 a.m.