Newsmaker; William Waller

Today the news maker is William Waller governor elect of Mississippi questioning the news maker from a daily newspaper. AB all Britain junior bureau chief of the Commercial Appeal in Jackson from a weekly newspaper Paul Pittman editor of the Tylertown times in Tylertown Mississippi from a radio station. Bruce Payne news director of w o k j in Jackson and from a television station program director of WTW the TV in Tupelo Mississippi. Thank you. Make your weekly public affairs presentation of the Mississippi Educational Television Network. The moderator of news maker Wilson golden. Today's guest own newsmaker comes to us a veteran of two party primaries and a heated general election campaign and what many observers regard as Mississippi's most unusual election year in this century. When Bill Waller was inaugurated as Mississippi's fifty fifth governor on January the 18th 172 he enters office under a mandate from the people of the

state that is best summed up in his campaign slogan this time let's make a change. Governor Walker has gained national recognition as a racial moderate and is the newest member of the new breed of Southern governors elected in recent years. Today's panel some of Mississippi's most distinguished newsman will question Mr. Warner about his plans for Mississippi for the next four years. Our first question today from Mr. Robert and Mr. Rather you've expressed an interest in the state becoming involved in national politics specifically how do you plan to United Mississippi delegation to the National Democratic Convention next year. We are in the process of learning the more recent Ru from O gave the National Democratic Party and so there we will confer with the national Democratic from states in determining exactly whether or not we can operate under the

present wall the Mississippi Democratic Party has a delegate selection system which is basically canny. Caucuses followed by a congressional caucuses followed by a statewide caucus where popular aspirants to be delegates or delegates who hope to get the popular approval of the delegation in each of these stages offers candidates. We are now looking into the question of whether or not this proceed you can be used in the future or whether or not we may need new legislation on the subject of delegate selection. Next question for Mr. Pittman Mr. Wyler assuming that you are able to accomplish this and reach some commendation with the National Democratic Party which of the prospect of candidates for the presidency would you favor.

Well that I think I share the sentiment of most Mississippians and that we are not. Ready to pick a candidate are we are not rated to indicate the support of a candidate I think neutrality for our state is really important. We're just an injective since most warmly not committing itself at all about who looks best to you well on course I'm personally going to Wilbur Mills of Arkansas in certainly Maine who's achieved stature in accomplishment in the national political scene in his many years as a congressman I'd say that just to pick a name but I want to emphasize neutrality I think that Mississippi had long been counted in the hip pocket of a candidate a year or two years or three years before the conventions and before the presidential election and I think that we're in a position to join with other southern states and form the Alliance for Progress for the South and not not to be counted as a

pet state in the hip pocket of any candidate. If you talk to the loyalist Democrats in Mississippi about this specific character who have not been here stay off dealt with them has been absolutely no communication on that had to be achieved before and I don't know if we have a popular delegate selection and I think you people decide who the delegates are or not. Political. People who have been active in national politics before then this implies that your staff is considering such a legislation right. I just think that we were looking into the feasibility of the best interest of all the people in Mississippi to whether or not we did not need a popular referendum to select the delegates to the national convention. Is it possible you can support George Wallace for president. I think that remains to be seen. My position needed we will support a candidate who has a serious campaign in all 50 states.

Just while you're on record as favoring reorganization of state government since Governor Williams has announced that he doesn't intend to call a special session I wonder do you anticipate support of something some of that which was proposed by the Blue Ribbon Committee. This past year at the present moment we're studying the play in which Florida has adopted in its reorganization we're studying the one in teeny city. We're looking at South Carolina's innovations in their state. Governor Williams has also been studied closely and we are looking to take the best of that poignant along with the other points that are needed in creating a better form of government in other substrates and. To say that we have appointed the say that we will adopt someone else playing to Mr. Waller.

Does the plan presented to Governor way and differ substantially from those of the other states you name it does in certain limited areas but it basically accomplishes the same thing in areas of consolidation of overlapping state agencies in effects and economy this is our commitment to the people that we want to give the maximum value for the tax dollars would entail a consolidation. View rows in departments and agencies that have overlapping functions to that extent. The blue ribbon Study Committee plane is compatible with these other studies but other states seem to have around 30 departments. We have a hundred in 36 I believe the Blue Ribbon study playing is 33. So we're all in assigning direction on

the concept. Assuming you do come up with a plan do you anticipate proposing it to the next session of the legislature. If we can get the order of prior art be established. I think that it will be presented. Now that is not to say that we've made a definite decision because we have not. Within the next 30 days we will tour Mr Safety for the purpose of having regional legislative seminars. And data conclusion of these discussion meetings I can answer the question more accurately. I want to be a team member with the legislature in formulating the legislative programme to accommodate all the people and I'd rather not say that state government reorganization would fit into the limited session I'll be the

first governor in the history of Mississippi that has in the first year of his administration one hundred twenty five days to complete the order of legislative process so we've got to be sure that we're getting the agenda too crowded to complete and that we can expedite the essential emergencies such as How do in the course of this limited session of the legislature since I was first. Canada had limited session that lacked to see it work. QUESTION Mr. Paine just one of the other possibilities of you and me and she was perhaps working together to uplift the state and help to bring about a better standard of living for all of the people of the state. Well of course in all respects said it I would work for the people of the state in general in the. Administration the State Government for all the people and I'm not

an attitude of lack of cooperation with Mr. Met. He attended a lunch in fair that was sponsored in Clarksdale by the save the club met with. Several of the former candidate for governor and I have no reason to believe that cooperation couldn't be had with every candidate. Most a question for Mr. Bishop. Mr. Waller do you have any plans to open a state office in the nation's capital for the state of Mississippi as some of the other states have done. You have to we've spoken to that proposition earlier this weekend. I just returned from Washington where we investigated the operation of simul state offices in to be sure that no one understands this it is not a definite saging it is a definite playin and a definite hope that we do have

Mississippi represented in the nation's capital it would be a Southern first it'll be a first for all the southern states the NIR states Texas Kentucky there are 15 search protocol law offices operating in wife and I think we could gain some measure of assistance from Mississippi would go in the stabber should hope to be able to do it very very soon. Mr. Pittman the wall or something he said while ago intrigued me a bit you said you were studying the various plants in the States and you used the term and when you say we are you speaking of yourself alone are you speaking of some specific individuals I'm speaking them and they asked they say if you saw them the help of one particular area you know they asked Mississippi state their help in the mean if I'm getting help from we.

Residents of Mississippi. We've been saying a bit reluctant to discuss possible points in state government and I wonder if there's some reason for that. My reluctance to serve and the fact that I have no definite decision is made a move I am now in the process of reviewing the application then frankly seeking qualified people who have their views of trying to find the best for people. You need to take the field the servants and I have tentatively allocated six executive assistants and as of today I have no definite decision only the one of those six one poll the question in that context you mentioned your trip to Washington you know the day and there was a news item in one of the papers to the effect that Jackson attorney Rubel Philips accompanied you there and get your view of the fact that he has been a Republican candidate for governor twice is there any significance here. Well the significance is that most folks and I would love to have a point to your

friendship. Secondly with fellow attorneys in the same town and they have common interest and thirdly he was a supporter of my first second Democratic primary and we just had bitterness and I had been both separate pursuits and we accompanied each other a matter of friendship in the mail. Mr. Olbermann. Just wondering your campaign you advocated several new programs for the state. Most recently you mentioned the highway program hopefully without raising taxes. How can you build new highways without new revenue from new taxes. We had a three hundred million dollar program of meat in this administration is about 200 million dollars of the phones that could be re scheduled prowar it is for extended goodness essentially would take two years. The ability of the highway department to supervise new construction

until we have a major change in the system of function of the Highway Commission itself. They are not able realistically to effectively supervise more than 100 million dollars each year in new construction. Hence we can use the additional revenue that was created by the last tax increase to pay off the bonds and two hundred million dollars in the next two years to shall we say economically and with careful priority to spin is money to solve the emergency problems in certain areas of the state. Then look at our tax base and then determine whether or not we in fact need a tax increase. Do you believe the Highway Commission would buy that proposal to use 200 of the 300 million dollars I think so I don't have that a fish when I say and I have

that very moment but I think that they are. Like most public officials would like to see asshole land tax increases. Just War On October 27 you told students at the University of Mississippi law school that you were open to suggestions in the area of profit perhaps relocating a law school here in Jackson and you would favor it if it was for educational purposes I believe I'm paraphrasing you correctly. What are the chances you will favor such a proposal. Well at the present time out the I don't have a position on it I think the investment in physical play and cost relocation advantages to the whole state and all these things would have to determine and I'm not I'm not going to give them all of the decision that it should or that it should not. I would await the merits of leaving it where it is already located.

Mr. Payne list what I believe would be to follow. First of all Will blacks be involved in the wall administration. And second can expect any consideration of West state jobs. Sir during your administration. Well the debate longstanding debate over whether or not blacks will be hired had been settled by court order. There's now family and permanent. I have no continuing appeal rights in the we're on demand. To give equal employment opportunity just as long been the law and I think it would be food ration food hardly put for any public official to deny qualified people the right of involvement in state gov. Mr. Bishop. Mr Waller you were talking a moment ago about reorganization in the state government of the State Sovereignty Commission has as has been

discussed in the past both pro and con. What are your plans for the State Sovereignty Commission. We feel that a public relations void in Mississippi is so great that we need that budget in the executive branch of government in Haiti as now it would need a major change there. Consolidate the function of this office with the governor's office and to use those funds to effectively sell our young people living in mission safely that this is a great state and good place to live with adequate career opportunities and to employ modern techniques in professional talent the national. Sally and proposition promotion of our state in get and share the tourist dollars our share of the industry and I share the credit for doing a good job as a state and as a people. And I barring an unforeseen problem I think the the Sovereignty Commission would continue

the operation where necessary but it would be an economic tax saving device incorporated in the governor's office. Mr. Pittman while it had been some problems at Lytton West Kona newspapers in quality control and production employees and so forth. In view of the fact that the state of Mississippi placed there gave 130 million dollars in full play to create bonds what view you take as far as your responsibility towards think this shipyard is a success. Well I've had an opportunity to look into some of the facts regarding this proposition and I think that the worst part of the operation. Of the new shipyard is think that it is matter of fact that there have been some the deficiences and some irregularities are. This is a new concept in shipbuilding.

These things happen probably because this is a pioneering type of industry. They have no precedent to foller and no competitors to copy. And this concept of building ships. I'm hoping that Mississippi can get fair treatment from this industry and I believe that it will. I think that some of the employment practices won't fire such as employing engineers from out of state and leaving them out of state to do the job that would be utilized in our study. I think some of the Mississippi residents were not treated fairly when they were not given adequate job opportunities when these nonresident employees of this company were transferred. Ian. Yeah I'm led to believe in here to say optimistically that I believe these problems have been solved and I will the thing into the hill. Not only the letter of the contract with the spirit of the contract that we get

our fair share the employment opportunities in Mississippi. Pretext the most. Sizable investment in U.S. history. Certainly a hundred and thirty million dollars in full faith and credit barn for finding it in the industry gives us the right. To know what's going on and I think through the world we need to keep more people involved in the progress and in basic operation of this initiative. Strong Britain. Well I believe you have expressed an opinion that the governor of Mississippi should be allowed to succeed in self subject of the people. Will you in fact ask the legislature to pass such a law and would it include yourself. I have been told by many members of the legislature many individual services that they feel that our state would be more healthy and more productive in

getting the job done if the government had the right to succeed himself and again thought that the sheriff would do a better job that he could succeed himself and that became law and I think the state treasurer have a right to succeed himself now. At all within the next year we would. Offer that it require constitutional amendment. It would require a popular vote and I'm frankly wanting to know more about public sentiment before I go to the experience of awfulness is a constitutional amendment I would think it does and that it probably should include the present administration. If succession right to green. Just wow you have gone on record over the years in favor of a number of proposals that deal with youth and I think generally recognize that you've got a sizeable support out of that segment of the population and your campaign this year like day three areas where you

have have specifically mentioned programs and one is the governor's Youth Advisory Council of course and you can do this without legislative concurrence and you intend to set up such a council. I'm in a process now selecting 25 young people hopefully representing all sections of the state in how career people to mate with me and environs with the players concerning young people. This is an effort on my part to keep the communication lines open and to show the young mistress if you really are interested in a welfare and state government is for the young as well as the. Middle aged and old people and the perfectly frank way I think more grandmothers and grandfathers and parents are interested in this play and they'd like to see their young people have some medium vehicle by which they can communicate with them and I hope they have my council

meeting not only with me but with legislative committees to discuss such things as absentee voting law with vital effects young people looking forward to reorganize in NABO would have some direct response to the needs of the young me and women in. There are many things in the way of a positive contribution and our youth can make it. I get letters from 8 year olds 12 year olds 16 year olds and you'd be amazed at the interest that the young people in Mississippi would have hoped including a group up to 25. And as young as 18 in this advisory group that we might communicate with. The young people you mention the area of student absentee ballots in light of the apparent opposition of past legislatures to this proposal although we I think they had won it one time. Do you foresee the possibility of such a law being inactive.

I think the law will be per year. Who do you think will be there on the calendar among the early of the old and I think you will definitely some type of absentee voter law passed here. We got off shore whale workers are precluded from voting that have to go out and lose their job. Weve got our students and we have our people who are on the border of the out of state. He flaked in the infirm it cannot get out and vote and I think it is essential that we have in the voting Lao that encourages voting and not discouraged as they turn out in the general election and a lot of people because we proved in that election in many qualified voters in the history of our state Id never voted and I think we had thousands of people had voted in November probably for the first time in the race and this indicates that we need to accommodate

the public to have voting that are convenient in conducive to voting and not restrictive on voting. Finally in the area of the State College Board course I think you have five appointments I believe when you select your appointees with the idea in mind of their possibly supporting student non-voting advisor a member of the board. I have as a matter of fact just today had my first exposure to the board and I would certainly select people who have a future because as a 12 year appointment in under the present law and I'm going to ask not only the new members but old members to accommodate the needed representation in the student body in the conference with the board first. We have less than two minutes question for Mr. Payne. How will you approach the issue of lawyer jobs and industrial development in the city.

They basic claim starts with the modern concept or reorganization of the board such things with pre employment training where in some of the bad press can is it we could cite an industry that we have the vocational technical. So it is here and they can train your workers before your point's open and give them the basic training. Then we hope to have a strong development Mississippi own homegrown industry. So if a so do have spiked the loans for small industries and Baden says in Baghdad. Put press and public relations aspect of what I said earlier as well. Partly I'm so I must interrupt at this time I would like to thank Governor elect Bill wall for being with us on NEWSNIGHT going today like thank the members of our panel and thank you for being with us. Good. This is big news maker weekly public affairs presentation of the Mississippi educational television the. News Makers selected to appear on the series are chosen by an advisory panel composed of the leaders

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