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Governor Dave Heineman, (R-Neb.), explains how the state has managed to keep its unemployment rate less than half of the national average during the r...
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-- -- all that coming up a right now to talk about how to grow -- State's economy you know the national unemployment rate is at nine point 2%.
But -- -- the -- is that managed to keep its own rate.
At less than half the national average throughout the recession right now and -- To four point 1% so could Nebraska strategies work on a national level the governor Dave -- joins us now from Lincoln he's that He chaired by the way the national government.
Well -- thank you very much for coming -- we appreciate it.
I'm delighted to be with you if you had to pick out one or two policies does or try to see this is it this is good news that you've been able to do better than.
Of many states around the country if you had just pick out one or -- policies that could go national what with a big.
That they would simply be this focus on job creation you do that by making your state -- the nation more business friendly.
We've controlled our spending we've lowered taxes and at the end of the day we've invested in the two most important priorities education and jobs.
Give your kids the best education you can give them and then create job to keep them in your state.
That's exactly what we've done from agriculture to ensure it's in finance from technology to transportation.
And again think -- America's unemployment rate were the same as Nebraska we'd be generating more revenues for the federal government because we have an expanding economy.
Tell me this where did you cut you -- talked about what you invested -- and sometimes we get.
And Bob Bennett was kind of making references sometimes Republicans say cut cut cut and don't want it.
You know don't wanna spend any money said there's no money there to be spent so you had to cut enough to leave yourself money -- -- cut what to still spend on education and other things.
What we cut lower priority programs for example I made the difficult decision in the legislature back mean.
To eliminate local government aid to cities counties and natural resource districts it was less than 1% of their budget it was -- -- I used to serve a local government we never ask about it and we took that money and put it in state aid to education.
Those are the kinds of decisions you have to make and again in most cases it's slowing the rate of government spending.
You know I get a kick out of Washington DC I used to work there in the mid eighties if the baseline supposed to go up 8% but it only goes up 5%.
They call that a 3% cut most Americans call that a 5% increase.
Get the numbers out -- in the numbers are absolute joke we get our show from there on.
On Friday and everybody's got their own set of numbers basically coming back to the same place saying the same thing in five different ways you can make.
Give -- any sense out of what anybody is saying but at the same time they are gonna cut spending down there.
But some that's I mean everybody agrees on out just a matter of how much they're gonna cut it.
Will that hurt you as as a governor of the state that there's less federal spending coming your way are now.
What we fully expect that -- if they're fair and equitable and reasonable about that.
I'm perfectly willing to deal with that.
My farmers and ranchers -- said they'll take it cut their agriculture subsidies if they're fair and reasonable.
Our ethanol plants again they phase out these tax credits they're prepared to deal with that.
The American people do this every day with their family budget -- business budget.
And again at the federal level I would suggest they need like 44 other states have a constitutional amendment to balance the budget.
Now the federal level you need a -- solutions for.
You know all of war time a national emergency.
But if they had that that would force the priority decisions that they ought to make the governors make every day throughout the country does look like the votes are there in the senate.
Right now for that and not pass the house -- governor Heineman thank you very much for coming on today we preach.
