- A CLOSER LOOK NOW AT THE GOVERNOR'S RACE IN OUR SERIES OF
INTERVIEWS WITH DEMOCRATS RUNNING IN THE PRIMARY.
TONIGHT WE SPEAK WITH PAUL SOGLIN, WHO HAS SERVED AS MAYOR
OF MADISON SINCE HIS FIRST TERM IN 1973.
HE HAD AN UNSUCCESSFUL RUN FOR THE U.S. HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES IN 1996.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
- THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
- SO WHY CAN YOU BEAT SCOTT WALKER OVER THE CANDIDATES
RUNNING IN THIS PRIMARY?
- I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THE SITUATION IS IS WITH THE OTHER
CANDIDATES, BUT WE DID A POLL.
IN FACT, IT WAS A REQUIREMENT, SO TO SPEAK.
I ASKED SARAH WHAT SHE THOUGHT OF MY RUNNING.
SHE SAID YOU CAN ONLY RUN IF YOU WIN.
SO WE DID A POLL TO SEE HOW I WOULD DO HEAD TO HEAD AGAINST
SCOTT WALKER.
THERE'S BEEN OTHER POLLS.
BUT THE POINT IS YOU HAVE TO CREATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
ARE GOING TO EXIST AS YOU APPROACH ELECTION DAY.
AND THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE
NEGATIVES OF THE CANDIDATE.
GENERIC CANDIDATE DOESN'T HAVE NEGATIVES BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS
WHO THAT PERSON IS.
SO WE KIND OF FORECASTED WHAT WE THOUGHT THEY'D SAY ABOUT ME.
FOUR THINGS: MY AGE, THE FACT THAT I WAS VERY ACTIVE IN
DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE WAR IN VIETNAM WHEN I WAS A STUDENT
AT THE UNIVERSITY, THAT I'M, QUOTE, A TAX AND SPEND LIBERAL,
AND THAT I GAVE THE KEY TO THE CITY OF MADISON TO FIDEL CASTRO.
WELL, TURNS OUT MY NUMBERS IN TERMS OF DEFEATING WALKER
ACTUALLY GET BETTER WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THAT.
PROBABLY IT'S A GENERATIONAL THING.
BUT IN ANY CASE, I'M THE ONLY CANDIDATE WITH A REALLY ROBUST
POLL THAT SHOWS ON THE ISSUES THAT I'LL DEFEAT SCOTT WALKER.
- WHAT DO YOU SAY TO VOTERS WHO THINK YOU'RE NOT TRYING HARD
ENOUGH BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING THIS SUPPER CLUB CAMPAIGN, WHERE YOU
MOSTLY TALK WITH PEOPLE AS YOU'RE OUT AND ABOUT?
- WELL, I'M AT A CONSIDERABLE DISADVANTAGE COMPARED TO MOST OF
THE REST OF THE CANDIDATES.
I'VE GOT A JOB THAT CONSUMES BETWEEN 40 AND 60 HOURS A WEEK.
AND SO AS MUCH AS I WANT TO DEFEAT SCOTT WALKER AND I INTEND
TO, I'VE GOT THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES.
I JUST THIS MORNING TURNED DOWN A CAMPAIGN APPEARANCE BECAUSE I
HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING THAT NIGHT.
- LET'S RUN THROUGH THE ISSUES.
ON THE ECONOMY, YOU SAY THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS FIRST.
WHY?
- WELL, AS WE'VE KNOWN FROM THE STUDIES, WHETHER YOU HAVE A JOB,
ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL
FOR A ROBUST FAMILY, IF THERE IS NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE
EFFORTS IN THESE OTHER AREAS GENERALLY FAIL.
AND SO SEVERAL STATES, ARIZONA, UTAH, MINNESOTA, THEY HAVE
ROBUST HOUSING PROGRAMS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOLKS WITH VERY LITTLE INCOME TO WORKING
FAMILIES WHERE YOU MAY HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD
BRINGING IN $30,000 A YEAR.
BUT IF YOU'RE SPENDING 35%, 40% OF YOUR INCOME ON HOUSING,
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF FOOD, YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET INTERNET SERVICES SO THE KIDS CAN DO
THEIR HOMEWORK.
HOUSING IS THE FIRST AND MOST ESSENTIAL THING FOR A ROBUST
FAMILY, SO THAT EVERYONE CAN THEN PARTICIPATE IN THE JOB
CREATION IN ALL THE OTHER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
- ON ACT 10 YOU SAY WE NEED TO RESTORE FULL COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING RIGHTS FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EMPLOYERS.
HOW DO YOU TRY TO DO THAT?
- WELL, KEY IS TO GET THE LEGISLATURE TO ADOPT A NEW BILL
WHICH RECOGNIZES THE ROLE OF WORKERS IN OUR STATE
HISTORICALLY, MAKING WISCONSIN A PLACE WITH HIGHER INCOMES, SAFER
WORKING CONDITIONS, ALL THE THINGS THAT RAISE THE LEVEL, THE
STANDARD OF LIVING, WHETHER YOU'RE IN ORGANIZED -- AN
ORGANIZED BARGAINING UNIT OR NOT.
- NOW, ON EDUCATION YOU CALL FOR CREET INCREASING THE INCOMEX
FOR HIGH-INCOME EARNERS AND POSSIBLY THE SALES TAX TO FUND
SCHOOLS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE APPETITE IS FOR TAX HIKES?
- WELL, FROM THE WORK WE'VE DONE, FROM THE FEEDBACK I'M
GETTING FROM THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE, THEY RECOGNIZE AND THEY
ARE PREPARED TO PAY HIGHER TAXES FOR BETTER EDUCATION.
AND LET'S POINT OUT THAT THE QUESTION OF GOOD SCHOOLS GOES
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.
WE'RE TALKING HERE ABOUT -- WELL, THERE WAS A NEW YORK TIMES
ARTICLE THIS PAST WEEK.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A SCHOOL?
SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THEIR 60s, THEY'RE SAYING, YOU
KNOW, MY SON OR DAUGHTER HAVE NO INTENTION OF RAISING MY
GRANDCHILD IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE RECORD NUMBERS OF YOUNG WISCONSINITES WHO ARE LEAVING
OUR TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
GO AND LOOK AT THE COUNTY POPULATION STATISTICS FOR
VIRTUALLY EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE.
NORMALLY IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE SAME NUMBER
OF PEOPLE IN THE 58 AGE GROUP AS IN THE 20s.
IN SOME WISCONSIN COUNTIES YOU DON'T HAVE HALF AS MANY.
- YOU BELIEVE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ARE ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAINING THE
POPULATION.
BRIEFLY, WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR
RESPONSE TO HEALTH CARE POLICY IN WISCONSIN?
- WELL, WE'VE GOT TO UNDO SO MUCH OF WHAT SCOTT WALKER HAS
DONE IN TERMS OF REJECTING FEDERAL PROGRAMS.
WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF A ROBUST MEDICAID
PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF NUTRITION CHALLENGES, BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
JUST NOW SOME POLITICIANS ARE CATCHING ON TO THE OPIOID
CRISIS.
- SO YOU WOULD GO FOR THE EX PASEXPANDED MEDICAID.
- CERTAINLY.
- PAUL SOGLIN, THANKS VERY MUCH.
- THANK YOU.