Jesse Ventura in Governor's State of the State speeches, early 2000s


On Budget & Economy: Concentrate on what's necessary, not what's nice

We build and maintain roads, bridges, prisons and schools. We educate our children, we care for our elderly and we protect the public's safety. Unfortunately every year that we do more it will cost you more in taxes. It is my belief that when we are facing a two billion dollar budget deficit we should concentrate on what is necessary and not necessarily what's nice.
Source: State of the State address to 2002 Minnesota legislature Jan 3, 2002

On Tax Reform: Need balance between tax relief, services expected

I have continued my effort to find an appropriate balance between the amount of money the state collects and the high level of services that Minnesota citizens have come to expect. This is always a dilemma. My administration has carefully managed to bring down your property taxes, your income taxes, many business taxes and the cost of your car license tabs. However, in addition to lowering taxes, we have also worked hard to make sure that the taxes you do pay bring the most value possible.
Source: State of the State address to 2002 Minnesota legislature Jan 3, 2002

On Tax Reform: Tax increases may be necessary, but use every dollar well

Every legitimate option should be on the table and therefore we should talk about taxes that could be raised to avoid even bigger spending cuts. Some people have suggested increasing the gas tax. Others have suggested raising the tax on cigarettes, extending the sales tax to clothing or re-visiting my proposal to lower the sales tax but extend it to some services. We will work with you, not only to find every dollar, but also to ensure that every dollar we find is used to its greatest value.
Source: State of the State address to 2002 Minnesota legislature Jan 3, 2002

The above quotations are from Early 2000s Governor's State of the State speeches.
Click here for other excerpts from Early 2000s Governor's State of the State speeches.
Click here for other excerpts by Jesse Ventura.
Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Mar 14, 2021