November 22, 1999

I understand that that's a cynicism that, were I just a citizen and not involved in this I might have held the same view, but this has been studied and investigated, and the facts are very clear. What's important now is that we're moving forward.

Reporters (in order of appearance):

KEN VERDOIA, KUED
RAY FRIESS, KALL / K-NEWS
CHRIS VANOCUR, KTVX
SCOTT MURPHY, CEDAR CITY DAILY NEWS
DAN HARRIE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
TOM JORDAN, METRO NETWORKS
LUCINDA DILLON, DESERET NEWS

Transcript:

KEN VERDOIA, KUED: Governor, thanks for joining us today as we pre-tape this program in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday. A copyrighted public opinion poll by the Salt Lake Tribune published this past weekend sampled Utah's views on the Olympic bribery scandal one year after the scandal broke. A couple of notable public opinions are expressed there. The poll showed confidence in Utah's ability to stage a successful Olympics under the leadership that's in place, but it also reflects a deep public conviction that elected officials such as yourself and Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini knew about the shady practices that prompted the bribery scandal while those practices were taking place. Could you respond to this expression of public opinion, and is there anything can do to address what might be a lingering suspicion?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: I understand that that's a cynicism that, were I just a citizen and not involved in this I might have held the same view, but this has been studied and investigated, and the facts are very clear. What's important now is that we're moving forward. I do feel very good about the existing leadership of the Olympics, just as the poll reflected, I would fall under that category. Mitt Romney and Frasier Bullock are doing an extraordinary job. The sponsors are not just staying with us, but we're adding new ones, there's a new sense of buoyancy that plans are being shaped and budgets are being trimmed, and we're getting closer and closer to the point that we can say with certainty that we'll be able to live within the available Olympic revenues, which I fully have said and support since the very beginning. So I'm quite optimistic, as are our citizens.

RAY FRIESS, KALL / K-NEWS: Governor, there's some reports out over the weekend and last week that apparently officials of the USOC may have been involved in paying out bribes, if you want to call them that, and that this wasn't known before. Now, you've always said that the scandal didn't start in Utah, but it will stop in Utah. Are you surprised at all at the new reports that indicate that the USOC may have been involved, even before Salt Lake got involved?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: I've ceased being surprised with anything regarding that matter. But I do think my statement that it didn't start in Salt Lake City but it'll end here is turning out to be true. This has been a bruising, difficult time. Frankly, I think under the circumstances we handled it very well. We stepped up, said there are things have happened here and are happening in the movement generally that need to be cleaned up, we're going to tell everything, we're going to do everything we can to put all of the facts on the table, and we have. And I think that one of the pieces of the legacy of the Olympics in Utah will be that we change the direction of the entire Olympic movement.

RAY FRIESS, KALL / K-NEWS: Does it lessen our culpability, though, knowing that the USOC as well as the IOC were involved?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: I don't think that -- I think everyone has to stand on their own. There are things that happened here that shouldn't have. There are probably things that happened other places that shouldn't have. The good news is it stopped in Salt Lake City, and the good news is our Olympic movement now is moving forward. The citizens of the world, obviously, are looking forward to the Olympics in Sydney, as well as in Salt Lake City. The sponsors are seeing it as a positive thing. I think this reiterates one point, and that is that if the Olympics did not have enormous power for good, what happened likely would have not been seen as a big deal. But it was a very big deal. Why? Because we expect more of the Olympics, and there has been a house cleaning, an airing, and as a result, something very positive has been preserved, and I hope enhanced, by our actions, and by our pain. We -- This community suffered enormously. We all went through a bruising, difficult time. But if we can now turn that to something positive, that will serve future generations, not just in this community but around the world, by preserving the sense of integrity that people expect them, some good will have come from it.

CHRIS VANOCUR, KTVX: Governor, according to house speaker Marty Stephens, approximately 60 percent of republican legislators would rather see him than you be governor. I know you're aware of this situation. Could you respond to that?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: The -- We're going to have an election in 2000, and we'll choose a governor. Just like we did in 1996 and 1992. If a person's going to run for governor, be it their first time or their third time, they have to be willing to go face-to-face, to tell their vision of the future, to talk about the way things that they believe should be done and things that should be changed, and anyone who chooses to get into this race ought to feel free. That's the process. It's a great American institution. And if- - There'll be lots of candidates for governor. And I don't in any way begrudge anyone from their right to step up and give this thing a try.

CHRIS VANOCUR, KTVX: Again, according to Speaker Stephens, when you two talked on the phone about this, he seemed to express that you were perhaps not quite so magnanimous about the whole thing.

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: I have to confess that I went through a few hours of what you might refer to as grumpiness. And then I, you know, I came to the realization that--a number of things. One is that I understand what, the dynamics of politics and what, frankly, human ambition does to people. And I have, and I'm quite comfortable with the situation now. Frankly, from Wednesday on, my phone has rung off the hook, in many cases with legislators, I might add, who were summoned into an office by a member of their leadership team saying, do you like Mike or do you like Marty? And it put a lot of people in a very uncomfortable situation. And I just counseled them to not get themselves into a difficult position. This election will play out like every other election. I have -- I'm in the process of, as I told you many other times, finalizing with my family my own plans. But I don't think I've ever been stronger politically. I'm prepared. A year ago I set out a time for, I set out some objectives that I wanted to get to the end of this year, having completed a number of the projects that I set forward to complete, that I wanted to be in a position where my campaign was organized, where I had financing available to run the campaign, and then I would sit down with my family over the holidays and make the decision, which I intend to do. But -- and as I told you many times, I fully expect I will run. But I want to make certain. And if that occurs, as I expect it might, I'll be ready. And I will run a campaign that will take my vision to the people of Utah. People have asked me occasionally, "You've run two terms as governor. People point to you as a person whose leadership has been well accepted. You've been able to build more highways than anyone in the state's history. The economy is at a point where no one can question its strength. It's the strongest we've ever had. Welfare has been cut by 70 percent, crime is down, poverty is down, health care is up, our investment in education is up. What more possibly could you want to accomplish in the time that you're governor?" And I, I've thought about that, but I've also concluded that there are some unfinished things, as well. I want to see the highways finished. I'd like to make certain that the Olympics, in fact, are executed in a way that makes the world proud. I'm very concerned about our economy in the year 2003 and 2004. We need to continue to keep the pressure on crime. Education. Education will never be a higher priority. Those are the things that keep me thinking about this, and those are the things that I'll be presenting in the context of a vision, and I invite everyone else who has a vision to do the same thing, and the people of this state will have a chance to choose.

CHRIS VANOCUR, KTVX: Governor what I hear you saying is, "If you run," it sounds like you're saying to Speaker Stephens, "Go ahead, get in the race, I'll beat you."

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: Well, I've never found bravado redeeming. But I could live with your words.

RAY FRIESS, KALL / K-NEWS: Is it ambition on the speaker's part? You said you understand someone's ambition. Do you see it as ambition on his part, or do you see it as -- he seemed to be saying that he's just responding to people who are saying, "We need somebody. Would you do it?" Like he's being drafted.

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: I'm not in a position to question why, or what's motivating this. I've had -- I mean I'm aware that there are a couple of groups in particular that he has indicated, and those who would like to have guns in schools, and those that would rather see the fight over wilderness than win. And those are issues on which I have strong feeling, and I don't -- I made them well known publicly. And again, I'm aware that there are people who are in those camps that would perhaps be out searching for someone to run. And they, if they don't choose Marty they'll probably find somebody else. And if that's the case, that's, that's the system. I mean this is a campaign that, frankly, I could look forward to. And a way to put my vision in front of the people of the state. I have what I think is a very clear direction where the state ought to be going in the year 2000, and a campaign presents a remarkably powerful opportunity for that vision to be shared, and to be debated, and to be improved, and to be refined, and to be accepted. The great thing about an election is it creates a mandate for change for the future. And I am -- I like the thoughts of that.

KEN VERDOIA, KUED: We are going to turn our attention now to Cedar City, we have a question from Scott Murphy of the Cedar City Daily News. Scott?

SCOTT MURPHY, CEDAR CITY DAILY NEWS: Governor, I was curious if you think that the legislative grumblings that we've heard about the wilderness bill are due, in part, to a legitimate feeling that they have that they were shut out of the process, or whether it's because you've worked a deal with Bruce Babbitt, who they consider the devil incarnate, who is really disliked throughout the west. I was wondering if you could address that, and update on where the wilderness process is, and how you feel about it, and the grumblings.

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: Let me just reference the fact that what we now are dealing with is the Jim Hansen bill. Jim Hansen has embraced this idea as the best opportunity we have had to settle the wilderness dispute in the last 30 years. As a warrior of many, many, wilderness battles, coming from Jim Hansen I think that's a pretty important declaration. We have fought over this issue for a long time. And what I believe rural Utah needs is certainty. We have to find a means of being able to resolve this issue so that we can begin planning 21st century economies in rural Utah. And until we do, we simply won't be able to. Now, granted, there are critics of this. There are critics on both sides of this issue. There are many people who believe that this is too much. There are many people who believe that it is not near enough. It is an aggressive, bold proposal. And I knew at the time when I stepped forward and provided the leadership that I thought was necessary to bring it to resolution, that it would result in a great deal of political angst. But sometimes strong leadership requires that. And I will continue to move forward to try to solve wilderness. There won't be a place in the state that it's easy, but the bill will go to hearing, I believe, sometime in February, and then hopefully on to a full committee and on to the floor. Whether it'll pass, I don't know. But I think it's been an important step forward to be able to bring the administration of one party, the governor of another, and the congressional delegation, all together. Now, the entire congressional delegation supports this. Are there critics? Yes. Will there always be? Yes. If we can resolve this -- five, ten, fifteen years from now -- generations will be looking back and saying that was a very important experience for the west, and for Utah in particular.

DAN HARRIE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Governor, if indeed Speaker Stephens challenges you, doesn't that set up the next legislative session to be gridlocked and grandstanding?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: I have one priority for the legislative session. And that is to fund education in a significant way this year, and to achieve the accountability package that we've talked about, where we're calling upon all Utahns, not just teachers, not just administrators, but all Utahns, parents, students, all of us to hold ourselves to a higher standard of accountability. So as far as I am concerned, the legislature is going to turn on that issue. Can we get adequate new investment in education? And I feel confident that the legislature will share that as a goal and objective.

TOM JORDAN, METRO NETWORKS: The polls are overwhelmingly on your side on the guns in schools and churches and wilderness. Do you see the challenge of Speaker Stephens as something which could ultimately split the party?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: It's not going to do the party any good. I'm confident of that. But there are groups that just flat say they'd like to have guns in schools. And I, I just don't agree with that, and I do think that the vast majority of people in our state are on my side of that issue. I think the people of this state would like to have wilderness resolved for the reasons that I've already articulated. Again, this is a very difficult issue. In the last month and a half I've spent 14 hours on the southeast part of the state in direct questions and answers with citizens, over 2,000 citizens in southeastern Utah, and over 2,000 in southwestern, in 12 hours of questions and answers, just directly, face to face with people in groups. I know how they feel about this. And they're very unhappy with the federal government. They're very unhappy with the way this wilderness debate has gone forward. They're very unhappy with the way the monument plan has developed. The truth is I think they appreciate the fact that I'm doing the best that can be done to try and take the situation where we are, and to move it forward. We came up with a very good management plan that is being, I believe, accepted with the changes that I was able to negotiate with the Interior Department as a very good thing. I've told rural Utah, we're going to stand behind you. The state will defend the 2477 road rights of way. They're very pleased about that. So is there dissent? Yes. Could it, in fact, be fractious? Yes, I think it could. But that's the election process. And it's a big party, and it's a grand tradition, and frankly, the debate starts getting my juices flowing. And I think it could be a very positive experience for the state.

RAY FRIESS, KALL / K-NEWS: Governor, you keep stressing you're trying to work with the Interior Secretary. But it seems like no matter how long you try, or what you try to do, he keeps indicating that he's going his own direction no matter what. There's a report last week that he and President Clinton are prepared, if congress doesn't act before the President leaves office, to unilaterally declare even more places as national monuments.

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: Hey, I'm not Bruce Babbitt's defender. I would tell you there's probably been no one more critical of him at various times and at various junctures. But I've formed what I think to be a very productive, candid working relationship. I can look him in the eye and say, "Bruce, you're absolutely out of your mind," and can he do the same to me, and we can disagree. What we've come to do is to work through our disagreements and determine what they are rapidly. Now, we disagree a lot more than we agree. But we agreed on a historic land swap that brought lands that had been in dispute for 65 years, and created the largest land swap in the history of the continental United States since the Louisiana purchase, to the benefit of Utah school children. Now, again, that was a major accomplishment. Major water agreements on the Virgin River. Now this capacity to bring together a wilderness proposal. Now, is that? -- That's -- those are hard-fought, very difficult negotiations, but they're born out of a sense of respect for each other. He's a very formidable opponent, as I hope he sees me. But I'm not going into this with any kind of naiveté. I think I have a pretty good idea. Now, on the subject of the monuments. I've looked him in the eye and said, "Mr. Secretary, I want to know, do you have in your mind any more monuments in the state of Utah? If you do, you need to tell me." He looked me right back in the eye and said, "We're looking at ten monuments in various places around the country. Governor, none of them are in Utah." Now, I don't question the fact that they may go off and do ill to other places. And they may do things in other areas that I don't like. But with respect to this particular issue, I think I'm moving down the right road. And if not, then we can always retreat and retaliate.

KEN VERDOIA, KUED: Governor we have a question now from Logan, where Lee Austin with KUSU-FM is standing by. Lee?

LEE AUSTIN, KUSU-FM: Thank you. Governor, could I get your view, first, on a proposed amendment to the state welfare law that would allow victims of domestic violence more than the three-year deadline for public assistance? And the comment in a hearing by two state senators that such an exemption might actually encourage women to seek a battery?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: Well, I would not make any commentary on their comments, nor would I like to be associated with them. But I would say that the three-year limit has become a very important tool in the hands of those who actually do case management. I've talked with them, and said, "Is this three-year limit unreasonable?" And they're all saying, "Absolutely not, and we're monitoring, literally on a day-to-day basis as we move toward December 31, each of the cases that could be affected." Are there times and situations where there should be exceptions? There are exceptions. We have the ability to go beyond it in certain situations involving hardship or chronic mental illness or other kinds of things that I think are reasonable.

ROD DECKER, KUTV: Governor, you proposed a plan to get repeat drunk drivers off the roads, perhaps to test them at home so that they couldn't drink any more. Right as we speak, at the capitol they're finalizing DUI proposals, and that, at least in your form, isn't included. Do you intend to pursue it separately?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: Well, I have learned, as I have begun to do legislative research, or research on needed legislation, that we actually have the power to do most of what I had talked about already, under existing law. It's a simple matter of being able to begin use of sanctions and penalties we already have available to us.

ROD DECKER, KUTV: What do you plan to do in the next session with respect to drunk driving?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: Well, I still haven't made any final decisions about it, but I do think you'll see- - I'd like to see some of the tobacco money used, for example, and I'm very high on specialty courts, particularly drug courts. I think drug courts have been a very big success, and that concept could be used for those involved in drunk driving as well.

ROD DECKER, KUTV: So you have power to keep repeat offenders from drinking. Are you actually going to do something, or are you just going to say we have power and that'll be the end of it?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: The power lies in the hands of judges. It's not in the form of the state, it's judges. They have to be -- And I have been to see judges and as a group, and I will go back again, and I'm going to continue to talk about the need for them to use sanctions and use these new tools, and we'll make more and more tools available to them in the form of alternatives.

DAN HARRIE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Governor, speaking of tobacco money, you're going to be releasing your budget in a couple of weeks, here. You're going to be proposing specific spending recommendations for that tobacco money, as I understand it. Is this coalition that wants the money, $16 million of it, for anti-tobacco efforts, are they going to get anywhere near the $16 million they're asking for?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: Well, there will be money that goes into substance abuse, including tobacco, and the amount, I think, will be the subject of a lot of debate.

DAN HARRIE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Close to the 16 million?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: I think it'll be a lot. You and I've debated what substantial and a lot means.

DAN HARRIE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: How did that end up?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: It ended up that I got to define it and you didn't. (laughter)

DAN HARRIE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: How did you define it, Governor?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: But I will be putting as much as -- a substantial amount of my recommendation into it. This debate will likely require some time. I think I will put some specific areas of specific recommendation, and then I'll probably list a number of items that I could feel good about, and then I'll participate in the legislative debate and determine how it'll actually be.

DAN HARRIE, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Does this lawsuit concern you at all?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: I have a substantial amount of background now that I didn't have before on how this settlement actually works, and the whole reliability issue of the money, long-term, is, I think, a serious question. I think we'll get a lot of money, but I don't know that we have any -- there are lots of things that could trigger a reduction in the amount of money.

LUCINDA DILLON, DESERET NEWS: Governor, how are you set up for an election campaign financially? How are your coffers doing?

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: They're doing well enough that I'm confident I'll be able to finance a campaign. We -- we'll report the year with about a million dollars in cash, and we're aggressively raising money during the balance of the year. I intend my campaign to be, any campaign I run in the year 2000, to be the best I've ever run. It's likely to be the last, and it'll be the best.

KEN VERDOIA, KUED: And I'm not certain if that's a proper predicate for what I'm about to introduce next, but Governor, we are meeting on a program that will air on Thanksgiving evening. Your thoughts as this Thanksgiving holiday passes in Utah once again.

GOVERNOR LEAVITT: Well, I would like to extend my warmest greeting for a holiday of great reflection of thanksgiving to the citizens of this state. There may never have been a time when our state has been more prosperous. We have economic prosperity for most of us, but there are many who do not share in the prosperity. And I would call upon Utahns across the state to use this as a time not, just to count their own blessings, but to share them, and to remember that the greatest trials for civilization come in times of prosperity. I'd also like to use it as an opportunity to express appreciation for the blessings that I have, among them is the privilege that the people of this state have given me to wear out a part of my life in their service. I appreciate it, and wish all of you the greatest and happiest of holidays.

KEN VERDOIA, KUED: Thank you very much, Governor. A reminder that a transcript of this news conference and every Governor's Monthly News Conference is available on line on the Utah Education Network, www.uen.org. Until the next time we get together, thanks for joining us and good evening.

Recorded: November 22, 1999, 10:00 a.m. Eccles Broadcast Center
Broadcast: November 25, 1999, 7:00 p.m. KUED-Channel 7

 

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