Governor says he'd veto any attempt at budget revision

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM--If school districts and municipalities are hoping for revisions in state funding during the 2002 Legislature, Gov. Jesse Ventura has a message for them.

"We have our biennial budget in place," Ventura said. "Next year's session is the capital bonding session. I won't be the one to open the budget unless there's a deficit, and I don't think there will be.

"If the legislature reopens the budget, I'll tell you this. I'll veto every one of them. And they have to have a two-thirds majority to override, and I don't think they can do it."

Ventura delivered the message during a "one-on-one" editorial session with the editorial staff of The Journal Friday morning.

Reacting to concerns raised by New Ulm city and District 88 officials about property tax cuts, Ventura said he's "baffled when I see a third of our budget goes to education, K-though-12, right now. What is enough?"

Ventura said school officials should be aiming their concerns at the federal government.

"Why aren't they screaming at the federal government to pay their share of special education?" Ventura asked. "How do you mandate something, and then not put it in the budget?

"Staff tells me, right now the feds owe us $2.8 billion in special education funds for Minnesota," Ventura explained. "Do we hear one thing out of the media about it? No!"

Ventura also lashed out at U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone.

"How dare he come back here and criticize my budget," Ventura said. "He's had 12 years there and hasn't done anything about it. We could build our schools if they would fund their mandate."

"We're seeing 20-25 percent increases in per-pupil payments," said John Wodele, Ventura's director of communications. "On average, payments have been rising at a greater rate than inflation."

The governor noted that are a number of factors at work in causing financial woes for schools.

"Even open enrollment leads to increased costs," Ventura said. "I say close down open enrollment. I've never been in favor of it anyway. It leads to the type of situation that New Ulm and other districts with declining enrollment are facing where students are being lured to other districts to increase their numbers. But then you have the busing problems and everything else."

"What the governor is saying is that you should be running schools as a business, and if you can't make it, then go to the taxpayers," Wodele said.

"If you're happy with what you see, then vote yes," the governor added.

Both the governor and Revenue Department Commissioner Matthew Smith said lifting the tax burden on farm land and cabins actually will help the school districts.

"Previously, farmers were being hit the hardest by taxation because they were paying the full rate across the board," Smith explained. "With the change, farmers will be likely to vote yes (on referendums) because only the land on which the house sits is affected."

"For many farmers and cabin owners, their land is in districts in which they can't vote, and that's taxation without representation," Ventura said.

But Ventura said there's another possibility for school districts.

Ventura said Minnesota cities have almost $1 billion in undesignated funds in bank accounts. There are unreserved fund balances ranging from 42 to 52 percent of budget.

Wodele noted, however, that New Ulm's unreserved fund balance, at 33 percent, was at the low end.

"Cities shouldn't have savings accounts," Ventura said. "Why shouldn't the city transfer money over to the schools if they need it?"

Turning to rural Minnesota development, Ventura said he wanted to see rural Minnesota stay vital.

"Not one thing will do it," Ventura said, "but one thing that we do need is telecommunications reform. Then we can develop rural Minnesota. You have to make it so a company can come out here and deal with countries all around the world right from their computer. We need to be hooked up."

Ventura said that his administration was prepared to do just that "but the legislature stone-walled us on it."

Another factor in rural development, Ventura said, is better transportation.

"We had a transportation plan for a 10-year program, fully funded," he explained, but it didn't pass the legislature. He said his plan would have dealt with U.S. Highway 14.

The governor also voiced his support for a second phase of the conservation reserve enhancement program for the Minnesota River valley. The current CREP project expires next year.

"It if ends up with 100 percent participation, and we can get federal help, absolutely, I would support it," Ventura said. "When I saw (on his current trip) what is being done, I wouldn't have any reservations about supporting it. The CREP program is great."

Finally, Wodele had a jab for state House Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty who announced his candidacy for governor by saying Ventura lacked vision.

"Basically, the governor has accomplished in two years what the Republicans have been trying to accomplish for 10 years."