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Barbara Beel: Five, four, three, two, one. Good morning, everybody. I'm Barbara Beel and this is the WKEN Open Mike program. This morning's guest is Lieutenant Governor, Governor-Elect Mike Castle. Welcome to the program, Governor Castle.

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Governor Mike Castle: Thank you, I'm glad to be here. And I apologize for my cold if my voice sounds funny to everybody. BB: That's quite all right. Governor, let's begin with your transition team.

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What is the status? MC: Okay. The transition team which is headed by Don Sallivitch and Chuck Walsh who are two extraordinary individuals. And it's made up of about thirteen or fourteen people from across the State

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and various walks of life. And they have been looking at a lot of people in two categories. One if for Cabinet Secretaries and the other is for people to man the Governor's staff. They have also been looking at some goals-- [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Bobbi Satterfield: What do you think? Male voice 1: Well, a few things

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different than I anticipated. I'm going to have to really take a very close look at over the next couple of weeks

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until we get into the Joint Finance hearing. A couple of things I personally feel that he is premature on especially with the tax cuts.

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I was hoping that he would say, "We will wait and see" and then I might propose a tax cut because I am very concerned. Are we going to have enough revenues

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to handle the federal cuts? Why do we discontinue many positive services we're receiving when we have money to give tax cuts.

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I think we should try to keep up our services that we are presently giving. The one thing that I keep hearing downstate, I gotta believe it's still

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upstate that he did not. I think that the money could very easily gone into the ten-million dollars and we could dump in a hundred million

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is our road projects. I'm not proud of our roads in the State of Delaware. And before I would

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want to give another tax cut of a such a small amount that nobody would even hardly see it in their paycheck, I would just love to see that money

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going into the road projects. I could use every bit of that in one senatorial district and we need it. Bobbi Satterfield: How about the raise for State employees?

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Too much? Not enough? Male voice 1: I think. I have to question the teachers' pay raise as to how you're giving a

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starting teacher two-thousand and an ongoing teacher that's been here teaching our kids for some time one-thousand. For two reasons.

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Number one, I believe in rewarding the people that's been working with us, not the someone who's coming. Although I know

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we need to raise the base. But also, I don't know how you raise a starting teacher by two-thousand and raise a teacher

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who was here last year by one-thousand. They're gonna overlap. I gotta see how he's gonna do this. Because if you raise the bottom salary

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for the first-year teacher by two-thousand dollars and only raise the second teacher by one-thousand, the first-year teacher is going to be

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making more than the second-year teacher. I don't know how he's doing this. Maybe he's got a magic bunny I don't know about.

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Bobbi Satterfield: How about the rest of the State employees? Male voice 1: State employees. It's more like, I'd love to see them get more. Four-and-a-half percent more likely, does fall in the range,

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or maybe even a hair higher than what most unions are settling for at the present time. It certainly falls in line

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with the cost of living. I would've been very content to see possibly a little bit higher, but I'm going to take a very close look.

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We're looking at an awful lot of figures at the present time. What is a fair raise for State employees? We don't want to go

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higher than private industry, but we don't want to fall behind that private industry. I think that's a main thing that

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we gotta be careful of when we give pay increases, that we stay along with the people that are paying the taxes

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to us that we don't go making our salary schedules are higher than theirs due to the fact, we're taking their tax dollars

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to put them out of business and that's not our intention. [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Governor Mike Castle: A hundred-and-eighty dollars, and the car dealer couldn't figure out

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this bill and he really hit the ceiling, and he called the farmer to demand an explanation. So the farmer gave him an itemized bill as follows.

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The basic cow was two-hundred dollars. Two-tone exterior, fifty dollars. Extra stomach, fifty dollars. Dual horns, fifty dollars. [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment]

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Bobbi Satterfield: What do you think about the Governor's comments as to the agriculture budget? William Chandler: Well, from what I could derive from what was said,

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I think it sounds like it could very well be a plus. I know the Governor is dedicated to agriculture and he's helped

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in every way he could last year. And I'm sure the same thing will happen in this year's budget. Female voice 2: What's the latest with avian flu in Delaware?

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William Chandler: Well, at the present time, as you're probably aware, there are five flocks within the State of Delaware

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who do not have avian flu. We do not have a bona fide case of avian flu. However, those farms, trucks visited those farms that it was proven

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had been in the Pennsylvania area. So the industry itself took it on itself. The integrators who own these birds collectively agreed to foot

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the bill for having those farms depopulated, even though they don't have the flu, they just don't feel that they can afford

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even gamble, to take a chance that they might get it later on. So they're depopulating those farms, just as a precautionary measure

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to be extremely careful. Male voice 3: What are you doing with the position in the budget for somebody who has worked with avian flu? How much is that person making? William Chandler: The proposal that was made by us in the budget.

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I've not seen the budget yet as to know what the Governor's recommended budget is. But the proposal that was made was for an employee to be available who

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could do extra work in checking flocks. Checking particularly small farm flocks, which is the thing you have the hardest thing to keep a control on.

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All the businesses, people that are in the actual poultry business is fairly easy. But if a fella's got fifty birds

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out on a little farm some place that nobody really has any control over, they can develop a problem, the same as something else can,

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and spread it to a commercial flock. Male voice 3: Do you have a dollar figure for that? William Chandler: Not really. Male voice 3: How soon will you hire that person?

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William Chandler: I'm not sure of that-- [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Male voice 4: Produces more baby llamas than Delaware. And-- [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Female voice 3: What do you think? Overall? Male voice 5: Generally, I liked it.

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He had touched on some priorities that the Joint Finance Committee and some of us have been working on the last two or three years.

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He recognized them and funded them in the budget. I'm talking about evaluation of our public school teachers,

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a fair open training program, additional in-service, tying that it. I liked the recognition of the Human Services areas

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where he's recognizing there are needs out there for our children in the State. The emphasis he had on public education and

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higher education is is very appropriate at these times. And overall, I like the Governor's budget. I'd like the percentage

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of the growth. It was modest, but yet it recognized that there is an inflation factor out there. And above all, I did like the tax cut proposals.

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I think they may change a little here and there, depending on the revenues. But I think Delaware is

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in a good enough state right now that we can afford those cuts. And I wholly support them. Female voice 3: You don't think it's premature?

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Male voice 5: Well, probably not as far as the talking stage. We have nothing before us other than what he said today.

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And we'll certainly look very hard at the May and even in April, [Gavel bangs. People talking in background] DEFAC numbers before any decision is made. It could go up a little.

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I'm hearing rumblings that mean it may have another ten-million dollars in growth out there, between now and June 30.

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Female voice 3: What about the State employees' pay raise? Too much? Too little? Male voice 5: Well, the four-and-a-half percent. I expected him to come in much lower. Quite honestly. I was looking at three-and-a-half to four.

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As you know, nationally, a lot of the recent agreements had been for much less than that. So I think it's a reasonable salary increase.

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He recognized those that were underpaid in the in the Hay report. He's going to bring them up to the level. I think the question is still out

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about adopting the Hay report. We have not had an opportunity to fully evaluate that. But overall, I think it's

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a reasonable personnel package. Female voice 3: Thank you. [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Governor Mike Castle: Whether they be second wage earners, are those who are without the special training and skills

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many jobs require today. Clearly then-- [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Female voice 3: Overall what do you think? Male voice 6: I think the Governor came in here today and offered

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a veritable smorgasbord to the public and to the members of the Legislature. And I do think you have

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to give the Governor credit. He has come in, he's talked about programs for children. He's talking about reducing

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our embarrassingly high infant mortality rate. He's talked about beefing up our Environmental Protection Program,

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clean air, clean water. He's talked about more money for our hospitals. A pay raise, a tax cut for individuals,

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a tax cut for businesses. It's a well-rounded program. It's a program that's worthy of serious debate and discussion.

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Female voice 3: The pay raise for State employees? Too much? Too little? Male voice 6: I think. My feeling is he's talking four-and-a-half. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Legislature go maybe to five.

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I'm not sure how much more they can go, but that's just one person's opinion. I think the teacher raise though of a thousand dollars for veteran teachers is too little.

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He's talked about raising the level for the beginning teacher, providing incentives for young people to go into teaching.

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But what about all those teachers? Those thousands of teachers who have hung in over the years, have done

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a fine job by our children. And what are we saying to them? And I think we need to say more to them. And I think

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we have to consider their morale and their service to the people of this State. And I think you do that with more than a thousand dollars. Female voice 3: Is the tax cut premature?

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Male voice 6: I had said yesterday that I thought the Governor could afford a three percent tax cut, but I didn't think he would propose it

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because it just wasn't substantive enough, three percent. So he came in with a four percent tax cut. I am sure that people will take

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any tax cut they can get. I don't think it's premature to put it on the table. I think the conventional wisdom

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right now is that revenues as estimated by DEFAC will probably, if anything, go up

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over the next four months. Female voice 3: Thank you. Male voice 6: You're welcome. [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Governor Mike Castle: And I suspect they still don't have a very good appreciation

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of all the issues surrounding American agriculture. That's why I was eager to join Ag focus to help

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people understand those issues. By and large, as our way of life in this country has changed over the last generation or so, The ties between the agricultural

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and non-agricultural segments of the population have been reduced. [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Bobbi Satterfield: What's the latest in the oil situation? Male voice 7: No. Bobbi Satterfield: Yes.

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Male voice 7: No, I've got a cold. Bobbie Satterfield: Go on. Male voice 7: I can't speak. Bobbi Satterfield: You creep, Gary. I'll call you. Male voice 8: 734-7455. Bobbi Satterfield: 734-7455. Gary Patterson. Between 8:30 and 9:15, are you serious? [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment]

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Bobbi Satterfield: For a minute. Overall, what do you think? Female voice 2: Well, I don't think there were any real surprises. I think the Governor had given us a slight review in his State of the State

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of many of the proposals that he put before us today. In a lot of areas and particularly the area

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of education and health and social services, the Sixty Month idea. These aren't new ideas. These are ideas and projects that

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the Joint Finance Committee has examined and struggled with over the years. And I guess I would like to say we welcome his support now.

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Because Senator Holloway has been a leader in many of the programs that he mentions to fund for the year, the early years of children.

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Bobbi Satterfield: Is it too early to talk about a tax break? Female voice 2: I think if you read between the lines, he isn't expecting a bill to fly through here today.

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I think what he really has done is earmarked fifteen-point-seven million dollars and set it aside. And in June, when we

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know what our real revenues are and we know, and perhaps we won't even know them, but we have a better knowledge of what the effects

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of the Gramm-Rudman bill will do to the State. I think that's important that the money has been set aside and that it is there.

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And then I think those judgments will have to be made later in the year. Bobbi Satterfield: What about teachers' salaries? Do you agree with his proposal?

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Female voice 2: Do I agree with his proposal? I would just like to say that his proposal does represent less than what

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the General Assembly did last year. Bobbi Satterfield: [Laughs] Would you care to follow? Female voice 2: Well, I think, the two-eighty-five was

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a General Assembly proposal and particularly a Senate Democrat Caucus proposal. The whole package for teachers

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and State employees last year. The Joint Finance Committee struggled with the issue. And I think basically they all recognize that

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base salary for teachers was a problem. There is a shortage coming up and it is a problem. Base salary is a problem.

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The Executive branch chose to tie a portion of that salary increase to a career ladder, passage of a bill, which did not happen.

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And now when he endorses the two-eighty-five, it's something that this Senate did and passed to the House last year. And if he wants to support it now,

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I certainly appreciate his support, but it's not a new idea and it's something that we recognized and

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as a committee we recognize. But because of their position supporting the Executive branch, they weren't able to put

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their votes on it last year. Some of the House members. Bobbi Satterfield: Thank you, ma'am. [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Governor Mike Castle: Many areas of agriculture,

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we fail to look beyond the narrow commodity business, and see agribusiness in its most diverse sense.

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That is a multifaceted enterprise where labor and technology come into play, where quality can make a difference. [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Bobbi Satterfield: What's the latest with the, golly what's it called?

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The John E. Morris Correctional Center? Male voice 8: What do you mean "what's the latest"? Bobbi Satterfield: Well, what are you doing now? What's the status of you're moving

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prisoners out, or soon will be, and moving drunk drivers in? Male voice 8: That's correct. We're already putting ourselves in

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the posture of operating John Morris and the pretrial annex as a minimum security facilities which will take place officially on the

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1st of April and we're, as I said we're getting prepared to put the right kind of people there to effectuate that kind

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of operation as of one April. And that will be what was the task, Bobbi Satterfield: And that will be? Has the task force decided on the amount of time? I know the seven days was thrown out.

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Not thrown out, but... Male voice 8: Now, that's my understanding that's been agreed to and that's what we're prepared

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to put into place. What it means is, what we're really talking about is making sure that everybody gets

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the same treatment in this issue. You have to realize that under current circumstances sixty percent of the DUIs

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come to us on a street sentence, and the other forty percent are sentenced for weekends and the strong feeling

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on the part of all of us, or a lot of us, is that that people ought to be treated with a sense

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of certainty that they're going to get to go to jail. And under the process that we're talking about,

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everybody will go to jail beginning in April as we arranged it with the courts. And we'll see to it that they

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stay there for a reasonable length of time at least. And then we'll also work with them and try and establish programs.

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Now that, as far as I'm concerned, the issue of John Morris Center, I'm not certain that the people in the community really know who

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is in that Center right now, that the kind of people are there. But it is a medium security facility. When I looked at the population

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of fifty-four that were there the other day, which I'm prepared to discuss with anybody, I noticed that twenty-three of that population had release dates

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very close in 1986 and could be considered in other release programs as really not necessarily

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in that facility being held in that facility. And there are some others there that could not be placed out in the community at all

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under our current restrictions. And so we're really not talking about a very large segment of the population down there, Bobbi.

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The inmate population. We're talking about a small segment of it. But what we're doing is putting

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the DUI in that community close to the community instead of some of the other types that are in there. And we'll continue to support

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the community service actions that have been going on there as well. No disrespect to the efficacy of the interests of the warden there.

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His program is a good one, but his is not the only program that provides a community service up and down this State in this department.

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I would certainly intend to provide the Senate Corrections Committee with a full list of what we really are doing because

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apparently it would at least appear to me that they're not quite aware of, some of them are not aware of just what we are doing.

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And to the extent that we're helping in the communities with the inmates up and down the State. And it is a, I have concern

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over the fact that I have to move people around in order to provide what we consider a more cost-effective service for the public.

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But I've had to do a lot of things over the last six years I don't particularly like and particularly

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in the last year when I've built a lot of extra facilities without the, and expected the other institutions to carry a greater part

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of the burden than they've ever carried before and not been able to do much about the smaller institutions until now. Bobbi Satterfield: You got your money though-- [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment]

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Governor Mike Castle: Farmland preservation. I believe Delaware's experiences in agriculture can be applied successfully in other States.

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And that in their application can benefit American agriculture as a whole. Not only what we have done already, but what we are doing.

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Smart marketing, intelligent government involvement, and a proper respect for the importance of adequate farmland

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have made a difference here. They can make a difference elsewhere. And I thank you very much. [Audience applauses] Male voice 9: Dr. Dix, would you bestow

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a membership to our Kellogg Institute? Thank you. Are there any-- [Sound of chair scraping on floor] Governor Mike Castle: That's what professors always said, that if you don't have questions,

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then you've answered everything. And I know that isn't correct. [Long pause] No questions? Male voice 9: No questions. Well, that shows you what a great speech you did.

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Well, we have there's one thing I'd like to ask you to do. We have placed cards on each seat and we will be able to send you

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a transcript of the Governor's address if you give us your name and address, and organization to which you belong. We again thank you

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for coming out this evening and we look forward to seeing you again this spring at our fourth Kellogg Conference.

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Thank you very much. [Audience applauses and sound of chairs scraping on the floor] [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Governor Mike Castle: Just follow along with Pete du Pont He said, sort of a clone. Which acts as a compliment I might add, because Pete du Pont is a pretty effective governor. But in reality, you start making decisions, maybe a hundred decisions during a day you make.

00:21:01.040 - 00:21:16.090

You make them differently, so your own personal stamp is put on an administration at once. I think my emphasis will be a little bit different. His was one of recovery, his first four years, of some severe financial problems. Mine is one more of expansion of some services that we have, of the job opportunities for people in Delaware,

00:21:16.090 - 00:21:34.770

an opportunity to do even better than we are. We don't have to worry about balancing the budget. Crowd chanting: We want a overpass. We need a overpass. We need a overpass. Male voice 10: See you later. Crowd chanting: We need a overpass.

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Female voice 3: Good night, Bill. Crowd chanting: We need a overpass. [End current audio segment, begin new audio segment] Governor Mike Castle: The social service areas to make sure that people who can't care for themselves are taken care of, as well.

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I think those things are important too. I think of some of the young people, and some of the psychiatric problems that we've seen recently that we've not been able to care for. Those things are expensive, but I believe that we have to address them.

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So I'll be looking at those functions as well. But I would hope actually there would be a continuation of the good things that happened in Pete du Pont's administration. I'm not one of those people who wants to have something set aside as the Castle administration, per se. I'm willing to be a continuation

00:22:14.660 - 00:22:26.790

of something that's been good, and we've proven that something has been good. And I think that's just fine. And that's what we intend to do. To make darn sure that every decision we make is sound, and will benefit the people of the State of Delaware. And there are going to be some tough ones to be made out there.

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And some people might not like some of them. But we're going to make them, and we're going to continue the State moving forward as best we possibly can. Barbara Beel: I have one last question. You will taking over the reins of the State on January 15th. Will you be living in Dover?

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Governor Mike Castle: Yes, I intend to live in Woodburn. I will keep my house in Wilmington, and hopefully my house in Rehoboth. I guess I'll be the first three-county Governor. I don't know. But I intend to live in Dover, and to probably be using the Dover office a lot more. I think it's important for symbolic reasons. I think it's important for the reasons of making sure that

00:23:03.310 - 00:23:19.490

the government is here where it should be in the capital, so that certainly will be something that's done. Barbara Beel: We've been talking today with Lieutenant Governor and Governor-Elect Mike Castle. Governor Castle, thank you very much. I'm Barbara Beel and this has been

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the WKEN Open Mike program.