Jesse Ventura on Abortion

• Keep abortion legal on privacy grounds. (Jul 2000)
• Doesn’t support abortion, but leave them legal. (Jan 1999)
• Abortion decision belongs with the woman and who she chooses. (Nov 1998)

Jesse Ventura on Budget & Economy

• Government is no bottomless pit of money-it’s from you & me. (Jul 2000)
• End pork-barrel spending; return surplus to the people. (Jan 1999)
• Return any budget surpluses to the taxpayers automatically. (Jan 1999)
• Government policy should facilitate business. (Jan 1999)
• Let state meat inspection suffice for interstate shipments. (Jul 2000)
• Bankruptcy reform: limit Chapter 7; protect states' role. (Feb 2001)
• Uphold commitments to states before other spending. (Sep 2001)
• Foster dairy production that is market driven. (Feb 1998)

Jesse Ventura on Civil Rights

• Respect diversity, both cultural and lifestyle. (Dec 2000)
• Equal opportunity for women; but equal responsibility too. (Jul 2000)
• Gay domestic partnership OK; not gay marriage. (Jul 2000)
• As football commentator, found name “Redskins” offensive. (Jul 2000)
• Against funding National Endowment for the Arts. (Jul 2000)
• Prosecution and sentencing should be colorblind. (Aug 1998)
• Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment. (Feb 2001)

Jesse Ventura on Corporations

Jesse Ventura on Crime

• Opposes “Three Strikes”; leave discretion to judges. (Jul 2000)
• Crime statistics are distorted to encourage racism. (Jul 2000)
• No role for governor in crime; it’s for local police. (Jan 1999)
• Put up with death penalty until life sentences mean life. (Jan 1999)
• Supported death penalty, but now as Governor opposes it. (Nov 1998)
• Find compromise between rehabilitation and punishment. (Aug 1998)
• Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs. (Sep 2001)

Jesse Ventura on Drugs

• Drug addiction is a health problem, not a crime. (Jul 2000)
• Drug War fails like Prohibition did. (Jul 2000)
• Stopped taking steroids & made FDA posters against them. (Jan 1999)
• Tougher drunk-driving laws for repeat offenders. (Jan 1999)
• Stop being so afraid of marijuana; some uses are OK. (Jan 1999)
• The war on drugs has failed; look for other solutions. (Jan 1999)
• Rethink approach to drugs; “more of the same” fails. (Oct 1998)
• Jail won’t work when we can’t even keep drugs out of prisons. (Oct 1998)
• More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War. (Aug 2000)

Jesse Ventura on Education

• Focus on results and standards. (Dec 2000)
• Lifelong learning; college & training for work & life. (Dec 2000)
• More money for class size reduction. (Jul 2000)
• Public schools can’t advocate religion; private prayer OK. (Jul 2000)
• Teach “creation science” in church, not schools. (Jul 2000)
• Fund schools at state level instead of via property taxes. (Jul 2000)
• Mainstrean special-ed kids, like his daughter did. (Jan 1999)
• Reducing class size solves many educational problems. (Jan 1999)
• Mainstream disabled students. (Jan 1999)
• Commonsense steps to improve public education. (Jan 1999)
• No government money for higher education. (Jan 1999)

  School Choice

• Erase the word voucher from the vocabulary. (Dec 2000)
• Public dollars belong to public schools. (Jul 2000)
• Loosen federal control; leave more to state & locals. (Jan 1999)
• Neighborhoods shouldn’t abandon their public schools. (Jan 1999)
• Public schools are inefficient; but fix them, don’t end them. (Nov 1998)
• Choosing private school includes responsility to pay. (Feb 1998)

Jesse Ventura on Energy & Oil

• Develop light rail tranist for Minnesota. (Dec 2000)
• Competitive electricity pricing; include alternative energy. (Dec 2000)
• Overcome dependency on foreign oil. (Jul 2000)
• Voluntary partnerships reduce greenhouse gases economically. (Aug 2000)
• Kyoto Treaty must include reductions by all countries. (Aug 2000)

Jesse Ventura on Environment

• Smart Growth with greenways and mass transit. (Dec 2000)
• Recycling conserve our limited resources. (Nov 1998)
• Teach environment in grade schools. (Oct 1998)
• Too risky to have large feedlots near homes. (Oct 1998)
• Replace MTBE in gasoline with cleaner ethanol. (May 2000)
• More state autonomy on brownfields & Superfund cleanups. (Aug 2001)
• Support State Revolving Loan Fund for flexible Clean Water. (Aug 2001)
• More EPA flexibility on interstate ozone. (May 1998)

Jesse Ventura on Families & Children

• No more tax subsidy for child care; parents’ responsibilty. (Jan 1999)
• Community regulates behavior better than government. (Jan 1999)
• Encourage fathers' participation in child-raising. (Sep 2001)
• Federal funds & state involvement in fatherhood initiatives. (Aug 2001)

Jesse Ventura on Foreign Policy

• Global cooperation OK; world government not. (Jul 2000)
• Buchanan is an unrealistic isolationist. (Feb 2000)

Jesse Ventura on Free Trade

• Trade creates jobs & productivity. (Sep 2000)

  China

• Trading with China is a no-brainer. (Jul 2000)
• Opening markets will cause China’s downfall. (Jul 2000)
• Ease Canadian border-crossing rules. (May 1998)
• Grant fast-track authority to the President. (Nov 1999)

Jesse Ventura on Government Reform

• Will not actively fund-raise for re-election: “No strings”. (Feb 2001)
• Open up, simplify, & demystify government. (Dec 2000)
• Single House Legislature returns power to people. (Dec 2000)
• Constitution is designed to be interpreted. (Jul 2000)
• Feds leach away states’ rights. (Jul 2000)
• Ban campaigning while earning a public paycheck. (Jul 2000)
• Ban PAC funding; limit soft money; limit free air time. (Jul 2000)
• Government should get out of the way and let people live. (Jan 1999)
• Government service should be temporary; not a career. (Jan 1999)
• Fought and lost on removing stupid milk regulations. (Jan 1999)
• Spend every 4th year removing obsolete laws. (Jan 1999)
• Put political process on TV; exposure beats incumbency. (Jan 1999)
• To change system, private citizens must get involved. (Jan 1999)
• Supports a Unicameral Legislature. (Nov 1998)
• Reforms must respect state's rights to select electors. (Aug 2001)

Jesse Ventura on Gun Control

• Gun responsibility goes with gun rights. (Jul 2000)
• Guns are designed to kill; respect them. (Jan 1999)
• If you’re going to own a gun, know what you’re doing. (Jan 1999)
• Concealed weapons OK if you can pass safety exam. (Nov 1998)

Jesse Ventura on Health Care

• Individual responsibility for unhealthy lifestyle choices. (Dec 2000)
• Focus on prevention, children, and results. (Dec 2000)
• Supports “Minnesota Care”; tax to pay for uninsured. (Jul 2000)
• No national care, but pure capitalism can’t work. (Jul 2000)
• Comment “suicides are weak” meant “don’t encourage them”. (Jan 1999)
• Government interference should be kept to a minimum. (Nov 1998)
• Premise of the tobacco lawsuit wrong; it punishes victims. (Aug 1998)
• No federal pre-emption of employee health plan regulation. (Oct 2001)
• Maintain Medicare funding of HMO benefits. (Oct 1999)
• Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure. (Apr 1999)

Jesse Ventura on Homeland Security

• War isn’t civilized; don’t expect warriors to be. (Jan 1999)
• Military is stronger if all-volunteer. (Jan 1999)
• Against the draft; for including women except in combat. (Jan 1999)

Jesse Ventura on Immigration

• Immigration is an integral part of who we are. (Jul 2000)
• Official English leads to Official Christianity. (Jul 2000)
• Emergency medical, but no other services, for illegal imms. (Nov 1998)
• Grant legal immigrants all benefits of citizens. (Nov 1998)
• Share costs of legal immigration between states & federal. (Feb 2001)
• Federal government should deal with criminal repatriation. (Feb 2001)
• Ease Canadian border-crossing rules. (Oct 1999)

Jesse Ventura on Jobs

• Improve the Competitive Position of Rural Minnesota. (Dec 2000)
• Make Agriculture Competitive Anywhere in the World. (Dec 2000)
• Training and retraining to resolve workforce shortage. (Dec 2000)
• Subsidize ethanol like we subsidize oil. (Jul 2000)
• Unions support Democrats even when interests are elsewhere. (Jul 2000)
• Supports prevailing wages but not living wages. (Jan 1999)
• Strongly pro-union; and a union member. (Jan 1999)
• State instead of federal rules for animal operations. (Nov 1999)

Jesse Ventura on Local Issues

Jesse Ventura on Principles & Values

• Political “horse races” ignore the issues. (Jul 2000)
• Parties need ideological base as well as grassroots. (Jul 2000)
• Religious Right & extreme left are both “morality brokers”. (Jul 2000)
• Considers himself a moderate libertarian. (Jul 2000)
• Independent Party, not Reform Party. (Feb 2000)
• I didn’t need this job (as governor). (Jan 1999)
• Voters want honesty; he provides it. (Jan 1999)
• Fiscally conservative and socially liberal. (Jan 1999)
• Two traditional parties are out-of-control monsters. (Jan 1999)
• Does not plan to run for president; but won’t rule it out. (Jan 1999)
• Problem is with fundamentalist fanatics, not religion. (Jan 1999)
• Big Plan: smart government and self-sufficiency. (Jan 1999)
• Wanted to be mayor & governor; doesn’t want to be president. (Jan 1999)
• Member of Midwestern Governors' Association. (Sep 2001)
• Member, National Governors Association/Economic Development. (Jan 2001)

Jesse Ventura on Social Security

• Maintain long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare. (Aug 2001)

Jesse Ventura on Tax Reform

• Modernize, simplify, & clarify tax system. (Dec 2000)
• Repeal the 16th Amendment. (Jul 2000)
• Replace income with national sales tax. (Jul 2000)
• Let people keep as much of their money as possible. (Jan 1999)
• $600 “Jesse Checks” tax rebate to every taxpayer. (Jan 1999)
• Replace income tax with 15% national sales tax. (Jan 1999)
• Supports national consumption tax to equalize tax burden. (Nov 1998)
• Reform outdated property tax system. (Oct 1998)
• No national sales tax or VAT. (Feb 2000)
• Let states independently determine estate taxes. (May 2001)

Jesse Ventura on War & Peace

• We need Saddam as the bad guy in oil disputes. (Jan 1999)
• Deal with terrorism as a joint federal-state responsibility. (Feb 2001)
• Include states in anti-terrorism planning. (Sep 2001)

Jesse Ventura on Welfare & Poverty

• Transition from Welfare to Self-Sufficiency. (Dec 2000)
• Social programs should be a safety net, not a hammock. (Jul 2000)
• Focus welfare on jobs & training. (Jul 2000)
• Believes in private charity, not government charity. (Jan 1999)
• Support LIHEAP, low-income heating assistance. (May 2000)
• Maintain federal Social Services Block Grant funding. (Sep 2001)
• Maintain flexibility & funding levels for TANF block grants. (Sep 2001)