NEWS RELEASE

Posted: Nov. 15, 2002

MINNER: NATIONAL GOVERNORS MEETING

Gov. Ruth Ann Minner departed Thursday for Austin, Texas, to participate in a meeting of the National Governors Association and to help orient newly-elected governors. The costs of the trip were paid for by NGA or by Gov. Minner personally and she took no staff besides security.

Gov. Minner said it is critical for governors to discuss and present a united front to Congress and the President in the wake of last week’s elections.

“States are suffering financially – most worse than Delaware – and we need the federal government to either provide help or at least not do any more harm,” Gov. Minner said.

“While our budget situation makes it a tough time for me to travel out of state, the other governors and I need to work together to make sure that decisions in Washington don’t make things harder. That’s why I have decided to go, but I am always budget conscious and there will be no taxpayer money spent on this trip.”

Minner noted that the last federal tax cut cost Delawareans tens of millions of dollars in revenue.

 “At a time when we are already slashing our budgets, another tax cut would be devastating,” she said. “We are also concerned about costs to the states for health care and natural resource initiatives. The other governors and I need to make sure that message is heard in Washington.”

While in Texas, Gov. Minner will participate in a meeting of the NGA Executive Committee, the organization’s leadership group that she joins in January.

Gov. Minner will, along with outgoing Michigan Gov. John Engler, lead a seminar for new governors on making the transition into office. NGA assigns each new governor an experienced governor as a mentor. Gov. Minner will be a mentor to Gov.-Elect Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas. She returns Monday.

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