- NOW FOR STATE POLITICS AND THE STILL-CROWDED PRIMARY FIELD
OF DEMOCRATS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.
WE CONTINUE OUR SERIES OF CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS TONIGHT
WITH MASTER PLAN R MAHLON MITCHELL.
-- MAHLON MITCHELL.
HE HAS SERVED AS A FIREFIGHTER FOR 20 YEARS AND IS THE
PRESIDENT OF THE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS OF WISCONSIN.
THIS IS HIS SECOND RUN FOR STATEWIDE OFFICE.
HE RUN UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IN 2012.
MAHLON MITCHELL JOINS US NOW.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
- THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
- I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT ACT 10.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT YOU HAD INITIAL
PRAISE FOR SCOTT WALKER'S BUDGET REPAIR BILL?
- WELL, FIRST MY RESPONSE IS THEY'RE WRONG.
WHAT WE DID WAS THAT BILL CAME OUT ON FRIDAY AND BEFORE WE
ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO READ THE BILL, THE 150-PAGE BUDGET REPAIR
BILL, MYSELF AS WELL AS THE POLICE, MY COLLEAGUE IN THE
POLICE, WE WROTE JUST SAYING THAT WE APPRECIATE THAT SCOTT
WALKER FELT THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS IMPORTANT.
NOW, AFTER I ACTUALLY READ THE BILL, AND ACTUALLY AFTER SEEING
HOW DETRIMENTAL IT WAS TO PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES IN THE STATE,
WE CAME OUT ABOUT IT RIGHT AWAY.
WE WERE AT THE FIRST PROTEST.
LOOK AT THE BODY OF WORK WE DID IN 2011, WHERE WE STOOD WITH OUR
BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
NOW THEY CALL IS SOLIDARITY.
WE CALL IT THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
- WHY DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE THE PROGRESSIVE CHOICE FOR
WISCONSIN?
- BECAUSE I'M PROGRESSIVE, BUT I WANT TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND
PRAGMATIC.
AND BEING PRAGMATIC, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH BOTH SIDES OF THE
AISLE TO GET THINGS DONE AND THEN YOU'RE PRODUCTIVE.
IF YOU'RE NOT PRODUCTIVE, WHO CARES HOW PROGRESSIVE YOU ARE.
I THINK THE STATE IS ONE OF PROGRESS AND THAT IS MOVING
FORWARD, THAT'S LOOKING FORWARD AND MAKING SURE WE GET BACK TO A
GOVERNMENT THAT ACTUALLY TAKES CARE OF PEOPLE.
- WHY DO YOU THINK THAT YOU IN PARTICULAR CAN BEAT SCOTT
WALKER?
- WELL, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE SOMETHING UNIQUELY DIFFERENT TO BEAT
GOVERNOR WALKER THIS TIME.
WE'VE TRIED THE ELDER STATESMAN IN THE PAST WITH TOM BARRETT.
WE TRIED MARY BURKE.
WE ALSO SUPPORTED HER.
BUT IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE US TO GET PEOPLE EXCITED.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO WELL WITH OUR BASE BUT ALSO FIRE
PEOPLE UP IN RURAL AREAS.
I BELIEVE I'M THE BEST CANDIDATE SUITED TO DO THAT.
- THE LATEST POLL HAD YOU AT 4%.
ANOTHER CANDIDATE POLLING AT THAT SAME PLACE HAS DROPPED OUT.
WHAT WILL YOU DO?
- I'M IN IT TO WIN IT.
I'M NOT DROPPING OUT.
I'VE NEVER QUIT ANYTHING.
WE'RE IN IT.
WE BUILT A CAMPAIGN AND A STRUCTURE THAT IN MY OPINION IS
SECOND TO NONE.
POLLS ARE ONE THING.
THEY TAKE A SNAPSHOT AT THAT TIME ON THAT DAY.
THE POLLS I'M LOOKING AT COME AUGUST 14.
THAT'S PEOPLE GOING TO THE POLLS.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF WINNING.
- FOXCONN JUST BROKE GROUND IN WISCONSIN.
YOU OPPOSED THE STATE INCENTIVE PLAN FOR FOXCONN.
BUT NOW THAT IT'S A REALITY, ARE YOU BEHIND IT?
- I'VE ALWAYS SAID FOXCONN'S A BAD DEAL.
THERE'S NO BANK THAT WOULD GIVE YOU A LOAN, $4.5 BILLION, TO GET
A RETURN ON INVESTMENT 25 YEARS LATER.
BUT NOW, LIKE YOU SAID, FOXCONN IS HERE.
THE BILL'S BEEN SIGNED.
THE BILL'S BEEN PASSED.
THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN SIGNED.
WHAT I THINK I KNOW WE HAVE TO DO WITH FOXCONN, WHAT OUR NEXT
GOVERNOR HAS TO DO, IS MAKE THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKE SURE THOSE
13,000 JOBS, THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE UNDER-EMPLOYED AND THAT ARE
UNEMPLOYED ARE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GET TO THOSE JOBS AND GET TO
THOSE POSITIONS.
SO THAT'S SETTING UP A REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY SO PEOPLE IN
MILWAUKEE AND RACINE AND KENOSHA AND IN BETWEEN THAT NEED THOSE
JOBS CAN GET TO THOSE JOBS.
IF WE CAN GIVE $4.5 BILLION TO FOXCONN, WE HAVE TO WORK TO MAKE
SURE WE CAN ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE TO THOSE JOBS.
- ON THE ECONOMY, OF THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU STATE TO
GROW IT AND MAINTAIN IT, WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT?
- I THINK WE GOT TO GIVE THE STATE OF WISCONSIN IS RAISE.
WHEN MIDDLE CLASS AND THOSE THAT LIVE BELOW MIDDLE CLASS WAGES,
WHEN WORKING CLASS FAMILIES HAVE MONEY IN THEIR POCKET, THEY
SPEND IT.
WHEN THEY SPEND MONEY, THEY BOOST OUR ECONOMY.
IEI'VE COME OUT FOR $15 AN HOUR.
I'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR $15 FOR A LONG TIME AND THAT'S GOING TO
BOOST OUR ECONOMY.
WE WILL BE ABLE TO PUMP BILLIONS OF DOLLARS BACK INTO OUR
ECONOMY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, TOGETHER WE RISE.
WHEN EVERYONE HAS MORE MONEY AND WHEN THE ECONOMY IS DOING WELL,
WE ALL WILL BE DOING BETTER IN OUR STATE.
- ON EDUCATION ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SAY YOU WANT TO DO IS
HAVE A COLLEGE LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
- I GOT THE IDEA FROM WATCHING MY SON PLAY VIDEO GAMES FOR 12
HOURS ONE DAY ON A SUNDAY.
I WANTED TO SEE HOW LONG HE WOULD DO IT.
SO I SAID I DON'T BELIEVE HE SHOULD BE ABLE -- HE'S IN 8TH
GRADE.
GOING FROM 8TH GRADE TO HIGH SCHOOL AND WE GIVE HIM FREE
TUITION.
I WOULD HAVE THOSE 5TH AND 6TH GRADERS GET OFF THEIR PHONES AND
DO PUBLIC SERVICE, DO COMMUNITY SERVICE, MEANING THAT THEY GO
BACK IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, THEY'RE GOING TO SHOVEL SNOW AND
RAKE LEAVES FOR A SEEN YORKS SEP THE VETERAN, HELP AT THE LOCAL
SOUP KITCHEN, HOMELESS SHELTER.
ONCE THEY MEET A THRESHOLD OF HOURS THEY'LL HAVE EARNED
TUITION FOR A FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM.
- WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO CHANGE HEALTH CAROL IN WISCONSIN?
- WE HAVE OVER 300,000 IN THE STATE THAT NEED HEALTH CARE.
WE NEED TO SHORE UP THE ACA.
I WILL FIGHT FOR THE FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR THE MEDICAID
EXPANSION TO MAKE SURE WE PUT -- THAT WOULD INSURE ANOTHER 85,000
FOLKS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GOT BADGERCARE FOR ALL.
IF WE CAN GIVE $400 BILLION TO FOXCONN, WE CAN MAKE SURE EVERY
PERSON HAS ADEQUATE HEALTH INSURANCE.
- MAHLON MITCHELL, THANKS VERY MUCH.