North Carolina People; Jimmy/Liston Green/Ramsey, (J G)Lt. Gov, NC(L S)Speaker Of The House, NC

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Our cameras and the legislative building in Raleigh. We are indeed privileged to have the chance to talk a bit with the leaders of the chambers the North Carolina General Assembly. You know when I state we have a great tradition of public service and the governor Greene and Baker left and Ramsey are two I think splendid examples of this tradition and North Carolina. Each of them has committed most of them a tour of the political process in the state and they have emerged as the most powerful man in the to the chambers of the General Assembly. We want you to meet them and hear them this evening and I'll start you on the left. Governor Gray mayor ran

again. Good to have your people again. Like much less good to have you on this network of stations and we congratulate you on your election the speakers. Friday January 14 looms large on the calendar for both of you. What's it going to be like. While our sessions were tough sessions were naturally apprehensive about the budget. I know it will be the toughest but we do hope it won't be that tough. And of course we have a little game call redistricting that will take considerable time. Most everybody in both chambers will be drawing maps from about the fifth. But that's just two of the things of course we will have the usual good

session that's going to work together to move as expeditiously as possible but it makes you live abroad and those are two things going to her list and yours is a much larger chamber before you actually could bring it. Well I'm spending my time now practically trying to find out just what legislative committees are talking about the House or the various members have a desire to serve. I have sent out last week preference charts that's a chart listing the various committee is asking the members to return that to me as soon as possible checking off the committees that wish to serve on. They are beginning to come back I will receive 30 or 40 up to this time. But then when I get them all

back I will start trying to fill out the charts and make up the membership of the various committees that gets to be quite a scrub a little toward the end getting everybody happy. It's quite a struggle at the beginning I'm not getting toward the end. I'm sure that it will get tougher as I go because. Certainly there's a great demand. And please everyone please the majority. I'm sure you will. The question of the North Carolina highway system what do you expect to press about this commission report. I suspect that a

good in-depth look at the expenditures. And then draw a comparison between those figures we have spent what we accomplish with those dollars we spent and just what the problem is and I know there's a lot of conversation about increasing taxation that may be the bottom line that may come out of this. But before that happens individual legislators are going to take a stronger and deeper look at the real long time and really effective road system is a major key to our economic growth. A question about that a great deal over the years all of us have private sort of we've taken a great deal in saying that The Good Road state we have been and we are we have billions of dollars invested and

good judgment and good business sense. We must maintain that investment and not lead to deteriorate. I suspect strongly that we're going to see a slowing down of new projects except in the Primer system and then in the second row the federal government participates to the tune of 70 percent. We have little say so over the years in the federal money and the federal highway administrator has a lot about whether overbuilt and what happened to that apology in North Carolina and I think it's been a good way of saying to industry whether it's expanding or whether it's a new industry coming in and if you come die to provide employment for our people we will try to satisfy your needs of ingress and egress access road you can chime. We've done a beautiful job of that. But I think we're talking today more about the crunch from retiring and then we are talking about new programs of new

person on the way over here. I heard a news item that said they'd opened 240 today up around Nashville with a big ceremony at the strip. Are these problems common in the counties in the West where you come from and welcome. Yes. 2:40 you're talking about is what's commonly referred to as western North Carolina is the book at your mountain cut that has been open Friday for a couple weeks. Today they had the ceremony. I was invited. Could make it here. Jimmy Jimmy Green Head industrial development follows. In my home county of Madison a new road is under construction from Weaver Vale which is bucking to marshal about 9 miles that will replace part of Interstate Highway 70 which isn't terrible shape. Road is

scheduled to be completed in the fall of 81. We will have a major industry announce in a few days. The fact that they are locating in Madison County right near the north and the terminations on that new road without the new road I'm satisfied that industry would not come. Now all of the General Assembly most viewers had a chance question. We've gone now up to annual session and we build up a legislative service. More steps which are done through the efficiency of the process. Are we getting more productivity of the type of presiding officer in the legislative process.

I don't question getting more productive. I came from the capital little second hand. But the work of the general has grown and I don't think the generals and the members are responsible for that. We have some twenty five hundred pieces of separate legislation. That's a lot of work. Less than half of that legislation passed and that should you know one good legislator years ago said to me it's more important to kill ideas. But it takes a lot of dialogue it takes a lot of a lot of work. We have become more efficient. We have grown growth to a certain extent and this particular I don't want to waste money to waste time.

But we do a lot of things were called upon to make hundreds of studies. It's amazing how many people ask you to make the legislators should make those studies or study commissions. It's a study and like we're poets we don't like about it. But that's a political process and we are representative of the people out there. Life goes our people are elected or re-elected every two years and surely they are as close to the people back home as any elected officials whether it be at the local level the state level. But we strive constantly improve our efficiency. It's a big operation. We're doing a good job I'm going to work hard to try to make sure we do well as one who benefits from all that I can certainly improve the process.

Lester You may mention days we used to be up in the state capital are we got the business done in the days but honest question of the constituency. I notice that both of you work very hard to make certain that when schoolchildren come here or groups other groups and communities they get a good chance to really look at the legislative process is this something you work at very deliberately and planning the session and get it worked out. Yes it is docked you know each house uses about 25 pages per week and you rotate. They come out of the state. The various groups come they come by the thousands. While we are in session we furnish a guide to show me around the building and I think that's great. As Luke green mentioned a moment ago the workload of the average legislator has increased ten fold since I've been here. I think the news media

has played a major part in that. By that I mean general public is more in line they know more about what we're doing than they did 20 years ago. Very few people have a television but they know what we're doing and we receive a large volume and I think the news media is contributing to that. I think that's good. My first session in the legislature in 1961 I received two letters. Now I don't know what will get 25 30 40 sometimes 100 but that's good that's democracy at work. And although not for some of the voters anyway. Individually motivated I'm sure a great number of course you know we receive a large amount of mail that from various groups.

Some of the letters postcards identical but average speaking for myself and I think it's true with the average legislator we pay more attention to a personal letter than we do a form letter. We know that it's a form letter. We know if we get one hundred more the next day. Personal letters and magic. Well that sure was true Jimmy. You were talking about changing the nature of the process. Is it a fact I want to reach its conclusion. Well that's 25 years ago we spent a lot of time on court that is the west of Piedmont. But as you have worked very busy with state wide policy matters that these studies cause to be debated and you're really getting to be more of a public policy

decision process is this your experience with. Yes a big change of course. Every individual is always going to be considered jealous of his particular district home county and that's natural. I've been without a doubt about it. I think a good example of that. When the governor out of the state to do what we can do to induce industry to come into North Carolina to talk to people about making investments so that they can provide employment. We don't come to the west or come to the Piedmont. We have natural resources we're grateful because we had little to do with that but it is a beautiful state the great state it is without

doubt. So I just think that every legislator and I think we work together well. Except for a few instances to try to let the regionalism slip and realize it was just one big good state. And then to agree all of us were robbed last week in the great sport about microelectronics coming to the state and just this week another big million dollar coming and all of this adding up to a rather rapid and extensive in this. Are we watching out for the things we ought to be protecting him as we grow an industry meaning our environment and our people. It's my understanding that we are Dr. Friday. Because as you know the legislature we passed a law. We have to

leave it up to the executive branch of government to carry out these laws and I take it for granted that through our various department our department of natural economic resources and because they have help from our universities pollution basically is what we take it for granted that they are doing that and I'm sure they are. They're looking out for the interest of the people. Any time you get a major industry is going to have some effect somewhere other than financially it's a great boost to the state financially. Earth water air I think state officials are doing a great job protecting that. What are both of you real practical professors of political science and you've just gone for a long and hard campaign experiences and you're qualified witnesses to this question. Should we process that we have primaries presidential preference primary and all of us run for what two years before voting. What has this gotten to be too extensive and demanding too much of the public.

I had mixed emotions about a presidential promise when it was first suggested and voted against it. I think it's always to give people never walk life an opportunity to register their profit. Now I know that the recent election leaves a lot to be desired in that people on the west coast know what people have done and long before they get to the polls to do that. Resent that too. And I like that wrong it's got to be changed. That those of us who get involved in state races cringe almost cost of a campaign. I just feel that this so many qualified individuals and who would and could do such a beautiful job in leadership arose out of the long grueling campaign. It

cost a lot of money. I don't know how to stop that. I don't know how we can get around it. You made mention a moment ago about such a small percentage of all the half of our people voting and I have not voting I don't know why you do that I don't know how you go about getting the dissipating to participate. Maybe we need to do a better job of an educational process of saying to these representatives and saying leaders and let's go back home to the local level let's say to these people through the civically and through every media possible. We need your involvement. We need you to register your approval or your disapproval. It gives us a message it tells us whether we're on the right road or the wrong road because none of us in this legislature and the executive branch of government said all across this state so many times and I like to say it. I don't know if some of the greatest people will produce but we

are putting it out. We need advice we need suggestions as we go about carrying out the fiscal affairs. So I don't know what's going to happen and I suspect that there will be a lot of thrashing in the next four years to try to come up with a better system. I don't know what it actually well I don't disagree or I don't agree. I myself Dr want to think long hard before we make any drastic changes in our system. We're talking about a presidential election. I would prefer a primary uniform the same throughout the nation and try to correct the problem with three hours difference between East Coast West Coast federal

if they would pass a law to that effect saying when the polls will open and when the polls will close so that they would all close at the same time. Then we wouldn't have this problem of people on the west coast knowing the outcome before they voted. I would prefer that system and nationwide primary. I would not want to make any drastic changes or go back to the back room where a handful of people selected the candidates for president. That's danger for a system of service where each of you is going to have quite a few new members in your chamber. Would you share with us how you get these people oriented and how do they get started on the first day's work. We will have an orientation for the new legislator or 17th of this month. THREE FOUR HOURS TO GO. Come over and share their problems or try to help them

with their problems. We tell them about our bill Reston Staff Nurse Service staff and things of that nature orientation telling where their offices will be and things of that nature but there is no way to orientate a new member to any extent takes a new member about six weeks to get adjusted and learn to learn the procedure. And there's just nothing we can do about that. But we have some great new people coming in and they will pick it up in about six weeks. Increase in pay and makes a big difference. Change of thought a moment ago when you were talking about our preference here before about about

a fifth. Well you know that's good right if you could do that if spending money somebody's got to raise some taxes. It's difficult to remember where they won't be. I think we give each member substantive A on which I mean you know three or four that's about all they can do with some special committee work because we have so much legislation. I love going to work closely with the ground running Mr. President.

I am a question Bob a lot of people of the country are Abscam and North Carolina and very for you this kind of scandal in the legislative executive process is one of the great credit of the state. And I think it has a lot to do with the public's confidence in the legislative process. It's going back to what you said a moment ago the caliber of the men and women coming out of the process. This is this is really the basic reason we can say these things. The people of North Carolina done a great job of selecting people of integrity to serve them in the lawmaking body. I don't know of any group heard about read about or visited with in a way that has a level of integrity. You found some people in most every walk of life. Generally speaking this legislature has been in the hands of good people

and I think people just have a lot of confidence in a bunch of judicious all of us experienced very election Conservative service all of which are trying to put a label on anything. How do you feel about the attitude people forward. I think the people of this state still want to see their state move forward. Texas I think the people of this state expect us to do a little better job than we have been doing with what money we take in from the people we can do a little better job and not get

into any specifics but that's what they expect. There's no great demand. I haven't heard of any cut taxes of course. People would like to see a tax cut. So with no great demand that they do want to do a little bit better job with what we've been doing. But they certainly don't want their taxes increased either. How you left Biden are just striking a moment ago when you were talking about. Conservatives react to the labels and the press. Conservative moderate. You know I don't know. But I think this living within the span more than one hand. That's what I want

just in resources. We're going to be progressive Don't worry about that. We have that people here are going to progress. We're going to bring in improving their situations we're going to keep on the course of education our time we're going to continue to push for educational programs to give the best educational opportunities possible to every man woman and child in this county commissioner. We just got to work a little harder and we got to be a little smarter. I said that two years ago and writing together we can say of money and we can accomplish things that we can't work if everybody's going off in a different time. So I thank you as well as county executive legislative branch of government and talk about these issues. I think we can and ways of saving some

money and freeing up dollars to do those things and to do to be the leading state in the south in the nation for that not just in the faith and the people and what's going to happen you have for you. Yes do I have great great faith in the people of our state. I have great faith in our education system of course. Even if you were not here Dr. Friday I would say it. I think we have the greatest system of higher education in the nation and I think our system of public education and our partner colleges are catching up fast. You've got we've run out of time but I want to say to both of you how much we appreciate your being here and how confident we are. The legislative session your leadership and for our people. Thank you. Why

this program was produced by the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television.