politics

In the final debate of a vigorous fall gubernatorial campaign, the three major-party candidates clung to their platforms, trying to win over undecided voters in what looks to be a suspenseful election.

The lead-off question in the Minnesota Public Radio debate Sunday night asked the candidates to identify the one issue they are most eager to tackle during the four-year gubernatorial term.

Independence Party candidate Peter Hutchinson said, "I'd like to dedicate the first four years and maybe even the second four years to health care."

GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty said he would focus on education accountability, improvement and reform. "We need to get our schools more money," he said.

DFL Attorney General Mike Hatch said he wants to try to "maintain some semblance of a middle class" by attacking health-care costs, lowering college tuition and improving K-12 education.

The candidates struck familiar themes in the one-hour event at St. Paul's Fitzgerald Theater hosted by Gary Eichten of MPR. While the candidates had some spirited exchanges, no obvious missteps were made, and the mood was relatively subdued. A Star Tribune Minnesota Poll showed the race deadlocked between Hatch (42 percent) and Pawlenty (40 percent). It showed Hutchinson with 8 percent of the vote.

Eichten asked the three for "one big idea" to improve education.

Hatch said reducing college tuition.

Hutchinson said "zero and zero," meaning he wants children ready for kindergarten upon arrival and high school graduates who don't need remedial work in college.

Pawlenty said students who do well in high school or on the ACT should get two years for free at a Minnesota college.

Property taxes

When the talk turned to property taxes, Pawlenty said he wants a cap on increases.

But Hatch opposes a cap because he said Minnesota needs to return to the formal role of "uniform, quality education." He chastised Pawlenty for signing a bill that allowed a sales-tax increase in Hennepin County for a new Minnesota Twins ballpark without a voter referendum.

Hutchinson said he wants to hold down taxes by reducing health-care costs in government by 20 percent. He said property-tax increases have been caused by "phony baloney budgeting."

Pawlenty, however, said he rejects the premise that if you hold down costs at the state level, local governments have no choice but to raise taxes. He took credit for getting the state out of a $4.5 billion deficit and into the black. "The situation we're in financially in the state of Minnesota is very good," he said.

But Hutchinson said the governor is using the budget shortfall that was in effect when he took office as an excuse -- even though he helped create the deficit as a legislator.

Eichten asked Hatch and Hutchinson whether they would have increased taxes had they taken office during the deficit.

Hatch said "probably inevitably," and Hutchinson said yes.