Midday; James Oberstar

Climbing there are forty six degrees this afternoon. Public cloudy tonight in the Twin Cities lows in the upper 20s. And then tomorrow increasing clouds continued warm with highs in the Twin Cities to moral forty five to fifty two currently around the region sunny skies prevailing in Duluth 31 degrees Rochester 36 degrees International Falls 34 St. Cloud thirty eight in the Fargo Morehead area 39 degrees in the Sioux Falls area 40 degrees in the Twin Cities a southwest wind at 17 sunny skies and already it's 40 degrees in the Twin Cities. Bob Potter what in heaven's name are we doing inside. I don't know Mark I can't wait to get outdoors. Sounds like a nice weekend although I have to warn you they're talking about some colder temperatures and some rain and maybe some snow for Sunday. Yeah well of course we have the Sunday excuse me Monday. We have all the high school tournaments to go. That's right we do need some bad weather don't we just hardly ever get through a year I think last year is the first one we've gotten through without a good snowstorm Greenly high school tournaments so we'll see what happens. All right. We are going to have the opportunity visit today with Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar from the 8th District.

And what I'd like to do in view of the fact that the FM network every single one of the FM stations has to break away at about half past the hour for a live Metropolitan Opera broadcast is open up the phone lines right away particularly for those of you in the congressman's district up in the 8th District if you have a question or comment that you'd like to get an observation from him and you can call us on our toll free number which is 1 800 6 5 2 9 7 0 0 1 800 6 5 to ninety seven hundred and we'll get all of you folks as many of you on the air first as we possibly can before you have to break away at half past in the Twin Cities area. Our phone number is 2 2 7 six thousand two to 7 6000 in the Twin Cities. Well so you're back from an exciting week in Congress you had to vote on the Contra aid and now you get back to the state of Minnesota you find some interesting things going on Northwest Airlines.

Yes indeed thank you very much Bob it's a pleasure to join you and all your many devoted listeners and day and all throughout the state you know extraordinary network and a very loyal following and I compliment them on being so civic minded and interested in the time that I have had the privilege of joining you on KGO and I have received letters from all over the state indicates that people really do care about the issues that you bring to their attention through this medium. Well they certainly do listen no question about that and they call in we'll be hearing from them in just a minute. But what about the situation in northwest with a report coming out this week that the there have been some Lyall ations apparently safety and maintenance problems and I know that the subcommittee that you chair has been holding extensive hearings into this. What do you see as the as the next step here from all of this. Well this inquiry into an inspection of Northwest operations is one of many that the FAA conducts periodically. This is what is known

as a white gloves inspection a very intensive look at all aspects 13 major. Operational aspects of Northwest said flying operations summer white gloves inspection was done of American Several years ago. One of the Eastern Airlines just about three years ago that resulted in a very substantial penalties on Easter and four short comings and failures and failure to take corrective action in this situation because of the merger of republic in northwest and continuing labor difficulties at Northwest. The FAA put the airline on a special watch when they found a rising number of minimum equipment list items not being repaired any ells as they're referred to and labor difficulties of the watch was intensified as it is for any airline that may have these problems. What do you think is the fundamental problem in northwest and this report now 110 pages very intensive

31 day numbers of people involved in all aspects of their operations domestic and overseas. One of the central themes that comes through the report and I've read it cover to cover is that they're still operating two airlines. They have two maintenance. Handbooks they have two sets of operational instructions and they need to integrate those two airlines Republican northwest into one single airline and that is being done. The work is under way by Northwest in their new computer system called scepter. They would have been better off. And this is not just hindsight because it was discussed at the time of the merger. To have continued to operate two separate airlines and do the integration and when you've got all the computer systems in place and the maintenance program all. Narrowed down to one handbook and one maintenance book then operated

as Northwest Airlines. That is water of the damn Northwest is now committed to doing so. There was an important observation in the FAA inquiry into northwest and that is that the airline fully cooperated with the inspection team in all aspects and in fact FAA called it a model for the industry. And that will have an important bearing on what happens next what happens next is Northwest has until March 2015 respond to this inspection report following which FAA and Northwest will sit down reconcile differences agree upon. Steps to be taken and the FAA will then promulgated for Northwest what is called a get well plan. This is done for American in the past it was done for Eastern it will be done for Northwest that get well planned then will be monitored by FAA to assure that there is compliance with the get well plan that all the steps are taken to improve operations and bring them up to FAA standards and the

attitude of industry their willingness to cooperate their participation in the in the compliance with the get well plan will determine whether there is any punitive action taken toward the airline. So it's much too early to talk about the level of fines and penalties to be assessed. That is a long ways off but I'm more interested in is how well how quickly and how effectively they take corrective action on the shortcomings found in the inspection report. Congressman Jim Oberstar is with us from the 8th District and if you have a question for him from his district the toll free number is 1 800 6 5 to ninety seven hundred we have the Twin Cities lines pretty much filled up. Right now let's take your call first of all there. Yes. Your question please for the congressman. Mr. over sir. Hello. Yes can you hear me. I sure can go right ahead. I'm a property owner in your district. And my question is concerning the land title claims in Lake Indian Reservation I discovered yesterday that you have. Past work and possible resolutions of this problem. And I was wondering if you could give me you know

what general overview of the situation estates and you know present opinion on any equitable solution of these title claims can you help me with that. Yes indeed I have had discussions several years ago with the representatives of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation and Cass County Commissioners who are most directly concerned with the problem and individual landowners. I would like to see the two sides work out and resolve differences in as much as possible among the parties rather than resorting to legislation and where resolution is not possible by negotiation and may require legislation. I am willing to introduce such legislation but only when we have a consensus among the parties most directly involved. And the reason I say this and I being specific about what type of legislation what type of resolution is that.

These land claims issues are so complex they go back into the 1880s when the Dawes Act was passed in the Congress to sign or attempt to assign title to parcels of land within Indian reservations to individual members of a band or tribe that was designed to break up the tribal system and then a commission was established following an act ment of the Dawes Act called appropriately The Dawes commission after Congressman Dawes of Massachusetts the Dawes commission operated for some 20 years distributing land attempting to assign titles many of which were done fraudulently carpetbaggers came in and just hoaxed Indians out of their property. And now we have an incredible patchwork quilt of illegal land titles and claims. And in it to tangle this mess requires a great deal of careful

legal work. You know attention to the rights of individuals and respect for the treaties under which land was assigned to the various Indian tribes throughout the United States and particularly here in Minnesota and I don't I think we have to respect the treaties and the great respect court decisions that have been made in persons of those treaties and I think we also have to equitably attempt to resolve conflicting claims so that we we can which achieve an amicable resolution. All right we'll move on to another question for Congressman Oberstar Havel there you're on the air with him. Yes I'm calling from a district and I have a question regarding it legalization program. There has been that was passed by Congress last year. There have been almost no ok for the public at northern Minnesota as to how to get help but what I'm qualified for the basin program. I'd like to come with a comment. On

what should be done about. How people can get help and what they ought to do. So I think I have. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate your comment. The Congress recognizing that the legislation was very complex and needed explanation. I did pass authorization and funding for an education program an outreach effort by the Immigration and Naturalization Service ads have been run on radio stations and television stations throughout the United States. I however have not heard any such ads in northeastern Minnesota on radio stations in the Duluth or Iron Range communities or in the Brainerd area. They have been running elsewhere and informing persons who may have. Naturalization problems how to go about resolving their difficulties well to get to the point of your question. The best way

is to contact the Immigration and Naturalization Service if you don't know how to get there. Call one of my district offices in Brainerd jism or Duluth or just to call the Immigration and Naturalization Service either in Duluth in the federal building or the INS service in St. Paul. Any one of my staff will be happy to put you in touch with the appropriate people in the INS. All right moving on to another question for Congressman Oberstar. Lol he's listening for your question Congressman Oberstar. I'm calling from Duluth. Yes I'd like to know what the possibilities are going to be in the very near future. Short of having some kind of national health insurance. For the Congress to take care of those families people have to be placed in. Nobody because of terminal illness.

Thank you. They. First point of your question that dealt with national health insurance and second with the persons who may have long term illness may be confined to a nursing home. Congress has in the past considered national health insurance legislation as much as 25 years ago and the so-called friend Bill Wilbur Mills later introduced legislation and held hearings as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee that legislation over it was watered down to what we know today as Medicare and Medicare was limited to the elderly. We still have bills pending in Congress and I've authored such legislation in each Congress. My service in the House to establish a National Health Insurance Program the bill that I have authored would provide a one third system one third of the premium paid by the federal government one third by employers and one third by employees

and a system mandated health care cost containment would be put in place under this program to provide a means of controlling escalation in hospital and medical costs. Frankly under today's budget deficit and they the extent of the problem we're facing in that area the federal government I just don't see Congress an acting comprehensive national health insurance legislation in the near future. We have however dealt with another aspect of the health care problem that you addressed by passing in the House and in the Senate. Catastrophic health care coverage that will put limits on the amount that an individual must pay to cover and a very extensive and prolonged and costly medical problem or procedure. The cost will be more exposure for the individual be limited

to just under $2000. You won't have to be impoverished to receive the medical care in treatment that you need in order to deal with such a very costly. Problem such as a you know major bypass surgery for a person who was in advancing years and has has to live on a fixed income. The third aspect of the question you raised is that of long long term health care costs. With America's population aging some 15 percent of Americans are now 65 and older. That number will grow by the year 2000. We'll have well over 35 million Americans 65 and older by that time and then you have the baby boomers coming along right after that age group the age group that is now moving toward 62. And we we need to do to face the fact that that more people are living longer in perhaps more precarious health than in earlier

years and have prolonged health care costs in nursing homes are wiping out. Families putting great stress on the extended family. Congressman Claude Pepper chairman of the Rules Committee Mr. senior citizen in the Congress has introduced legislation which I am a co-sponsor to provide payment system and an insurance program to cover long term health care costs that would extend the Medicare tax to the upper income brackets above $45000 income. And through that mechanism provide coverage of the cost of long term health care. And I would again as I have discussed with the catastrophic health care insurance prevent a family from just simply having to liquidate everything in order to go on Medicaid and receive the nursing nursing home care they need. Odds are that getting through probably will be considered in the house not in the

Senate not in acted in this session of Congress. All right. We have about a couple minutes left here before the NPR FM network stations break away for a live Metropolitan Opera broadcast will continue with Congressman Oberstar in the Twin Cities area on K S Jan. 13 30 a.m. So if you're in the Twin Cities and listening to ninety one point one want to continue on with this conversation you might start hunting around now for 13 30 on the AM dial in the Twin Cities. OK your question please. I might write a comment. No it's not the last day and we tell the flight attendant a lot of us feel we are very concerned about all the white blokes affection is complete and that there will continue to be checks and balances placed on Northwest to make sure that the enemy knows that the for repairs continue to be made because especially after the crash last August a lot of us are very concerned about that we don't have any control over that aspect of maintenance so I just had a question about

that. Thank you very much as a result of the white gloves inspection the FAA surveillance of Northwest will continue to operate at a higher level then than for other airlines who are not in the same condition. There will be intensive in more frequent inspections and more careful surveillance of maintenance operations and the supervision of the get well plan to assure that Northwest is complying with that get well plan. I. Detect from the FAA inspectors who went through the entire process with the white gloves inspection that Northwest management personnel are very sensitive to the need to take decisive action and show that they are cleaning up their act. To put it in the vernacular that they are going to be in compliance with FAA regulations with the federal air regulations with minimum equipment lists with other directives of the Federal Aviation Administration and that management attitude

will largely to determine have a big impact on determining the extent of fines that might be imposed on the airline. So I think that that the supervision that you're concerned about is going to be in place. You're going to be there for a long time. And I saw a Congressman Jim Oberstar is with us now. We'll continue with him in the Twin Cities area on K SJ end 13:30 a.m. as the rest of the Minnesota public radio system breaks away for live coverage of the Metropolitan Opera coming up here in just a moment. The time now is exactly 29 minutes past the hour of 11 o'clock. And the FM folks are off to the opera. I hope they got a good seat and are going to have a good time. What are they hearing today. Something by Wagner. I don't know exactly what but any time it's this long it's always Wagner. Well yes yes of Bach Wagnerian opera three four hours. Oh yes. You know I just got to sit in that chair too. No fair getting up. All right. The telephone number is two to seven six thousand in the Twin Cities area if you want to put a

question to the congressman 6:58 6000. I want to follow up on just one thing on the Northwest business before I move on to the listener question. I believe that something like 80 percent of the flights into and out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area are Northwest flights with the information that came out this week about the safety defects and the Minas problem so on. Do you think that we ought to be as air travelers seriously concerned about getting on those Northwest planes. Or do you think that basically things are being taken care of and that their attention has been called to it and it's getting better. I think that Northwest is on a path now to being a much better airline than they were prior to this inspection to being a much better airline than they were before the merger and they were a good airline before the merger they had one of the best safety records and best maintenance records as did republic when the merger occurred something happened. Attention was distracted. You had labor problems but Northwest cannot.

I blame all of its difficulties on his labor problems because the labor problems reflect even some of their own management shortcomings. So I think that the result of this inspection will mean that people can fly in the future at Northwest with assurance that it is aren't going to be operated in the best safety condition possible. And I want to underscore something. Regardless of what the response may be made by company officials to the FAA inspection it's all there in black and white. It's been spelled out. You cannot dismiss for example as may be may be done as and as eastern dead. Well these are only paperwork violations paperwork reflects engine work and structural work. The paperwork is an important part of the honor system in aviation. But the few acts of Congress contain grains of eternal wisdom. The aviation act of 1050 8

however was one such piece of legislation and it imposed on the airlines a requirement to operate at the highest possible level of safety. It didn't say at the minimum level of safety. It didn't say operate at the margin. That law says operate at the highest possible level of safety. That means build redundancy into all of your operational systems. And so when an airline says well yes we we didn't have a thrust reverser operating but we have two others operating well. You know the point is to have the redundancy so that under all conditions you will have all the possible protection you need to assure safety. And when they say that I we we didn't perhaps we didn't need that emergency escape hatch when it blew off the aircraft in flight over Seattle. Well if it wasn't

needed it wouldn't have been required in the federal air regulations. It wouldn't have been necessary to wish to insist that the 747s have 10 exits it would have said 9. The point is it's there for a purpose. Operate according to those regulations and that is what I think Northwest is going to be doing now as a result of this inspection. They have really shown a good corporate attitude throughout the inspection. All right let's pick up some more questions from callers here. Jim Oberstar listening to your question hello there. Oh yeah I'm calling from the range that I got hung up on the end of it September 1 here the congressman's answer. Oh yes you can we'll hold you on. We'll keep you on the line so you'll be able to hear him. The point is that I will be coming up to retirement fairly soon. And I understand from our corporation that there's a federal law that states that I must decide whether or not I want my pension read. The corporate part of my pension reduced so that my wife may get part of it

or I take it off and if something should happen to me within a month she gets nothing not a. And according to federal law and I want to know why my representatives a lot of that just happened. I don't understand the provision you're referring to there. That just doesn't make sense to me. There are provisions of course covering federal retirees who choose to retire early and may not provide in their retirement for a benefit for their spouse. They want a higher level of recovery in their retirement years they figure they're in good health. Nothing's going to happen to me. We ought to have the full amount we're entitle to and don't take a reduced benefit and don't provide for spouse coverage and then. At age 62 in three months drop dead of a heart attack and the

spouse gets little or no benefit. That is really unfortunate. You know I don't know the situation that you're referring to because I don't know the company or which which would mean give me a clue to that. The type of employment or the category of employment that you're into that would give me an idea of how federal law would affect it. I would appreciate it if you would be reduced to writing and sending me a twenty three fifty one Rayburn Building Washington D.C. your specific situation. I will look into it and find out what we can do to respond to your particular problem. All right move on now to I believe the Twin Cities callers have been patiently waiting as we took care of those from the congressman's home district before they were unable to hear the rest of the program Go ahead please you're on the air with Jim Oberstar. Oh yes first of all I'd like to see it appreciate the congressman's comments by going to be safe in Haiti. I think it was an effort of one just kind. It

was at that time that seeking lacking from the official spokesman from the administration. I have two questions for him the first one is Why do you think should you with only two of the many get me situation at this point and the second one which is a long term question. It's been rumored in Haitian political circles that the US government want to be placed a Cuban base in Guantanamo Bay want to located in the northwest of Haiti. If they knew something and if so do you see any mutual benefits for that move for the U.S. in Haiti. Mr. Beaton was yeah yeah yeah ok. Well that was for those of you don't speak Creole I was just saying thank you very much my friend. I lived in Haiti for three and a half years I taught in French and later Creole to Americans and

English to Haitians. Many of the members of the interim government in Haiti were former students of mine. I insist however that I only taught them English not government. Especially in the wake of the tragedy of last November 29 to respond to the question what first to what will be the attitude of the of the U.S. government the Reagan administration toward the money guy government. For those who may not know. My gut is the less the money is the person elected to be president of Haiti in charade election organized by the military leadership in Haiti following the assassination of the real elections that took place in November and would've taken place Nov. 29 as the money guys a man of great academic distinction. I knew him in my years in Haiti but sadly I think he as you know naively or knowingly. Compromised himself by

making himself in effect the candidate of the military. My feeling is that the US government should not recognize the money government should continue in place the prohibition on US assistance to the government of Haiti which was my amendment to the appropriation bill. Now no federal law and also administrative action by the Reagan administration that we should provide only humanitarian assistance through non governmental organizations private voluntary organizations that provide him help directly to the poor and the needy in that country. And watch watch what happens. Let's watch behavior of the money government. We ought to look for structural reforms. We had a we had a look to see whether there is going to be continued freedom of expression in that country through the six or seven radio stations that sprang up in the wake of the ouster of Vivendi where the television stations will continue to operate openly and freely. Whether the seven

print media will continue to operate without interference and. Censorship by the government. We have to see whether money God can make some structural reforms within the army whether he will take decisive actions to prevent corruption and to interdict the drug trade and get control over Colonel Paul who is the commander of the Dessalines barracks that controls the capital. Those are all steps that I think we ought to watch and in the interim we are not to give any appearance of approval of the government because that will in effect destroy the hopes of people who believe in democracy in that country. It will it will destroy those people who gave their lives. Whose who have family members who gave their lives for freedom in Haiti who sacrificed so much for the opportunity to vote. And I don't want to see that happen. I don't want to see that the spirit of democracy snuffed out by

anything the United States might do. So the government is our governors followed. I think that the right course up until now. I want to see them continue to do so to hasten the task force on Haiti that I am a member of along with several other members of Congress have asked to meet with the secretary of state to discuss directly with Mr. Shultz our concerns and urge upon him a firm. Course of action that will insist that this election was not a legal election by the Haitian constitution not by our standards but by their own standards. Second question about Guantanamo. There has long been discussion of the United States possibly opening a military base a naval base and an air base at which is a community in the northwest corner a very dry arid section of the country that has had a long history of drought for many reasons that has never been done. I

don't expect it to be done. I don't think Cuba is going to close Guantanamo. I don't think they're going to terminate the lease with the United States. Guantanamo provides a lot of jobs a lot of income dollars that Castro needs. I don't think that he's going to cut off his nose to spite his face. I don't believe that we will establish a naval base in Mosul and you go to Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar is with us as we continue taking questions from folks in your neck still there. Oh yes you have. This is one of the cities sent to the computer map X-ray micro chronic product and in fact I would say it has something like the three largest computer malpractise in this country. A number of the public us you know lefties have been given direct federal funding for micro products we shipped. But none of the representatives of the

state make any effort to help. But you know best when I don't have respect in this way I would like to know whether the congressman would consider helping with your WHERE statement. Oh I think you're quite mistaken sir the Minnesota congressional delegation has joined forces on a bipartisan basis to support funding for microelectronics research and for computer research and in fact our two representatives sit on the Appropriations Committee. Congress and Martin Say bo of the Minneapolis and Vin Weber of the 2nd Congressional District both worked rigorously to assure that adequate funding is put into the federal programs that will support this type of activity. We will continue to support did research. And federally funded support for research in that area

we realize Minnesota's Twin City economy is largely computer based it's dependent upon upon keeping ahead of the state of the art and electronics and we want to say we want to assure that all possible support is given in that direction. Seventeen minutes before 12 noon with Congressman Oberstar with us send your next Thanks for waiting Hello. Well our look at the national government. I'm wondering if you have time for which committees and subcommittees. Jim Oberstar is part of that I have a question that regards sex. I know Minnesota Well he's on the public works and Transportation Committee and chairs subcommittee which has oversight over fisheries and pipelines in airlines and bridges and clean water toxic sites. When else Superfund Superfund bridges bridges the locks and

dam the St. Lawrence Seaway the Clean Water Act. We have a broad jurisdiction. All right what's your question then relates to the brain matter part of it. It made several of us are not happy with the proposal. Let's some one from Illinois wants to swap some land and then build a condominium resort on the north Burnside like. And having attended meetings camp would you walk in and that same area. I'm wondering what the current possibility. People like that part of our state could prevent this abomination from taking place. All right sir there is underway a proposal with pending with the U.S. Forest Service for a land exchange that would

permit the development. I believe it's a land exchange that would permit the development of a condominium structure as the gentleman explained on Burnside Lake which is just outside of Uli. It is a project that has a great deal of local support. It has passed a number of review levels I think the Forest Service is about to make a decision in favor of the development. My understanding that it has been modified considerably to comport with local concerns and environs and keep environmentally compatible with the area. It has been thoroughly reviewed by the US Forest Service to comply with their environmental requirements and it seems to me to make good sense I think it's in the public interest and I will support the development. All right a listener who is obviously able to combine opera and Public Affairs. Yes that's terrific let's move on to your question next for Jim Oberstar Hello.

Yeah I have a question regards to the three local channel 11 Channel 5 and Channel 4 News broadcast and particularly in light of the Northwest white glove inspection. NPR did a more accurate story and essentially saying that the report that came out was generally favorable and in a relative sense to most white glove inspections North-West came out quite well. If you watch the local news. It's you know they attempt to I guess strike paranoiac into the general traveling public. And typically Channel 4 reemphasized. Their names soar. Who is predicting a potential record fine when it actuality. You know it's not going to be anywhere near that. I was wondering what your reaction is to the local news and how they seem to get away with it. You know anywhere from a newspaper

tabloid at a supermarket to just your kind of general light delays reporting. Well thank you. I was asked that very question in the course of the interview channel 4 Thursday night of my arrival in the Twin Cities about the fines and I had to state very candidly this is too early to comment about fines and penalties to be assessed. There is a procedure to be followed in this matter and I'm not it. We're not at a point yet where we can discuss whether fines will be assessed and how much. As I explained earlier in the program there there is a several step process in the making right now. Northwest has until March 2015 to comment on the report by the FAA and after that date the FAA and Northwest will sit down and reconcile differences over the report.

In northwest comments following which enforcement actions will be set forth by the FAA that is steps that must be taken by Northwest to comply with federal air regulations and other advisories and guidance is issued by the FAA. And where Northwest practice has done diverge from FAA rules and regulations Northwest must come into compliance. After that point there there may be. Discussion of fines to be assessed and assessment of fines will depend on to some extent on corporate attitudes. For each violation there is a maximum $1000 penalty in federal law. I don't want to you know I'm not interested in in the penalties as much as I am in compliance in the airline improving its operations to be fully in compliance with federal air regulations so that they do not just the minimum but that they comply with the highest

possible level of safety as federal law requires them to do. Any observations on the TV reports that our caller was specifically seeking your reaction to. I respect the news person who says he has a source that has information and says this is what our source has told me. I think that news person has a responsibility to truth and they have a responsibility to protect sources. So I will not comment or be critical of that I just think it's too early to be saying anything about fines and penalties because we have a few steps to go yet. OK 10 minutes before twelve o'clock and we'll take some more folks with questions for Jim Oberstar including you next of all there. Yes please your question. Yes Congressman Oberstar I appreciate your record's very much. But I think the president you know. So don't we deserve to be impeached. Just one. I'm wondering if you think you are being.

Well I don't agree with Ronald Reagan's policies procedures in about 99 percent of the case and I think he has made some tragic mistakes I think his conduct in the Iran-Contra affair is probably a low point of his presidency and one of the low points of. Any presidency post-World War Two with the exception of Richard Nixon and Watergate. However I have not seen an impeachable action. That is an action that would warrant the high constitutional action that is assumed in the impeachment process. He may not have been alert. He may not have been attentive. He may not have been paying attention to the duties and carrying them out as he should be as president. But I don't think that ignorance of the facts and of the actions is an impeachable crime. You're next what's your question for Jim Oberstar this morning.

Hello there. My question concerning healthcare for senior citizens who are not citizens of this country. I'm an immigrant. And my fear. Say immigrants and over 65. Oh yeah I have health care through my employer but I don't seem to be able to get any kind of health care for them yet to be able to buy insurance after these numbers are great. Oh and I was wondering where I could go for some health care for them. I would suggest that you start with your county welfare agency and discuss the matter with them. There is a wide range of state and federal law that can provide assistance under certain conditions for persons who are not U.S. citizens especially if they have a guardian who is a US citizen or someone can be responsible for them. So I think my suggestion would be to start at that level of government closest to you county government

with that issue. OK good luck to you and move on to your question no huddle there Jim Oberstar is listening. Yes I'm calling to say I inquired about two questions Congressman Oberstar first position on a yes 25 28 at the Kennedy Hatch bill which but provides for increased funding and research on AIDS and civil rights protections for HIV positive to persons also its position on the crippling amendments Helms Surinder Helms to far. Food service worker increase criminal penalties for transmitting the virus to ridiculous extremes. I would urge them to support the bill and oppose harems amendments and the other question I would urge him to do if he hasn't already to sign on as a close sponsor a bill that gays and lesbians to come to a crisis at a protected federal civil rights legislation. And I would

inquire on his position on that. Thank you very much for your call. I serve on the Budget Committee as I mentioned a bit ago and just this week we begin the process of developing our fiscal 89 budget. One one aspect of which will be increased funding for AIDS research education and treatment. The Reagan administration has responded to the crisis because it is a health care crisis and has increased in their budget submission to the Congress funding for AIDS. We will undoubtedly add additional monies bringing the total for AIDS well over one billion dollars for fiscal 89. So I think the Congress will be taking a very decisive steps in funding to deal with this important issue. Since I don't serve in the Senate I won't have an opportunity to vote on any amendments offered by Senator Helms. But in this

instance I am familiar with the proposals he has advocated dealing with food workers and others and I think that they're outrageous. We know that I mean that kind of amendment offering is. I don't like to use the word demagoguery and I won't I won't characterize it that way. But it it adds to public hysteria about this issue. We know that AIDS is transmitted two ways through birth from a mother that that is AIDS infected and passes the virus on to the infant and through sexual contact. Now Mr. Helms Senator Helms in offering such amendments is just OB's curing medical facts and doing a disservice to the public and asked for federal civil rights legislation have in the past voted for federal civil rights legislation to provide or to assure protection of civil rights of gays and lesbians

and I shall continue to do so. We have less than 5 minutes left but I think we can get a couple more people on the air go ahead please your next Congressman Oberstar good to speak with you. Can you tell me. You know as much as United States consider me a threat really to peace around the world because of its opposition to democracy and equality around the world what can you do. What can I what can we do here in the United States to make the federal government more responsive to democracy. But around the world. I'm not sure that I understand your thesis that the United States is the main threat to peace. But let me deal with your concern that the United States

if I may rephrase it is is not supporting democracy and inventing the cause of democracy adequately throughout the world. I think in this hemisphere the United States has a very spotty record on supporting democracy when in the in the last century and in the early part of this century we supported right wing dictatorships in Central and South America and in the Caribbean simply because they were non communist where the United States adopts a policy that repression by the right wing is preferable to repression by the left wing. We're making a terrible mistake we're not encouraging progress toward democracy where the United States deals with the causes of political unrest poverty hunger illiteracy lack of housing lack of healthcare lack of adequate. Supplies of safe drinking water we are advancing the cause of democracy where as in Haiti we will

support progress toward real elections and not recognize governments that result from illegitimate elections or charades. We are advancing the cause of democracy where America stands for human rights and not the suppression of those rights by the dictatorships of the right simply because they are noncommunist. We stand for the cause of democracy. That is the kind of government that I want to see. Those are the kinds of policies that I have supported and voted for during my service in the House House just this past week neurally turned on a so-called humanitarian aid for the Contras. So what do you see as the next step in this process. Are they not going to get anything more from us or the next step will be in another two months or three months when we get an appropriation bill on the floor such as the Foreign Operations appropriation bill of the Defense Department appropriations bill when the Reagan administration will have an opportunity to offer an amendment to provide funding for military assistance to the Contras the defeat of the bill this past week was

unfortunate from the standpoint that. It offered just a very narrow limited kind of assistance to the Contras and it would foreclose the political argument the president is now making that this is Congress turned down all kinds of assistance he's going to come back now and ask for military aid to keep the Contras alive as a viable force to bring pressure upon the peace process. Well that policy is wrong. But to forestall that policy to forestall success of that policy in the Congress we needed to have some sort of alternative this alternative was nonlethal nonviolent. And one that would have been effective. Regrettably it opens the door now for conservatives on the Democratic side to vote with the Republicans in the House in support of the president's call for more military aid to the Contras with less than half a minute left Congressman a guess on the outcome of Super Tuesday for the Democratic side. I think Jesse Jackson will be the winner in the south that is he will

win the greatest number of delegates I think likely Dick Gephardt will be the second caucus third and we are headed off to the Democratic National Convention with no one in a commanding lead. And the winner the nominee of the party will be decided at the convention not before the convention so the convention will be interesting for once. It certainly will be. Thank you sir for coming in it's been very interesting. Congressman Jim Oberstar for Minnesota's eighth district. Weekend is made possible by Ecolab incorporated and its camel subsidiary This is K S J end 13:30 Minneapolis St. Paul 12 noon. Well now Bob you get to go outside and play. That's right what a deal for you. You bet. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy hacer at that's well play around for me a little bit in the sunshine right. 12 noon is the time let's update you on the headlines here then we'll move into sports folio with Gigi Preston the political focus today is on South Carolina where the Republican primary is underway. George Bush says the outcome of today's voting could

shape the results of the primaries and caucuses in 20 states three days from now on Super Tuesday. President Reagan says there would have been no U.S. soviet agreement on intermediate range nuclear missiles if not for the strength of NATO's in his weekly radio address the president said he and other NATO's leaders agreed this week in Brussels that the alliance must keep a strong defense because the only way to negotiate with the Soviet Union is from a position of strength. After a round of meetings in the Middle East Secretary of State George Shultz is back in Washington and he's waiting for a response from leaders of four countries to a U.S. proposal aimed at.