Carlson criticized for lack of sympathy over flooding
By John Sundvor
The Forum
ST. PAUL – Some Minnesota government leaders are saying Gov. Arne Carlson may have ravaged northwestern Minnesota almost as much as the flood-gorged Red River of the North.

Carlson, known for his sharp tongue and chilly demeanor, has been under mounting criticism for what some are calling his apparent indifference to the well-being of Red River Valley flood victims.

On Monday, he made his first visit to the Red River Valley to view a flood that had started about three weeks earlier. While there, he met with President Clinton, other government officials and flood victims. His trip to East Grand Forks, Crookston and Grand Forks, N.D., was vintage Carlson.

U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., said he had called Carlson’s office early Monday to urge Morrie Anderson to get the governor up to East Grand Forks. Peterson told the governor’s chief of staff he had "been hearing so much flak" about the governor that someone needed to intervene and convince Carlson to visit the flooded areas.

Carlson made his displeasure clear. The governor told Peterson he couldn’t understand why everybody was getting so excited.

According to Peterson, Carlson pointed to the state’s 1993 flood and said that as far as he could tell everything "had worked out swell." It would work out this time, as well, he quoted the governor as saying.

Peterson said the governor seemed to lack sympathy.

"As near as I can tell, what he did in the ensuing time he was in Crookston, Grand Forks and East Grand Forks was manage to alienate everybody he came in contact with," Peterson said. "Maybe that’s why they didn’t want to send him up there."

Peterson said Carlson told State Sen. LeRoy Stumpf, DFL-Thief River Falls, that his help might be contingent on the senator helping the administration restore wetlands in northwestern Minnesota.

He made a comment about State Sen. Doug Johnson, DFL-Tower, chairman of the Senate Tax Committee. Peterson quoted Carlson as saying that if Johnson would give the Twin Cities more property tax relief he could send more money to northern Minnesota.

"That was not in direct context with the flood, but it was kind of in that," Peterson said. "He was just kind of grumbling."

Stumpf acknowledged the governor’s comments, but said he did not want to discuss them. "I can’t risk having any kind of retaliation," he said.

The area will require "major help in the form of state resources; that’s first in my mind," Stumpf said.

"I don’t want to get into personalities. Politics and political rifts should be set aside."

Johnson, meanwhile, said he would never link aid for flooded areas to more property tax relief for the Twin Cities. He said he would help flood victims any way he could – even if it meant diverting money from the state’s $2.3 billion surplus for flood aid.

"Our commitment should be to the people who have been ravaged by this flood, and the governor should know that," he said.

But at least one mayor says Carlson has really never shown much of a commitment to northwestern Minnesota.

Moorhead Mayor Morris Lanning said he had no contact with the governor when the river was cresting at Moorhead. There were no offers of help, he said.

"He hasn’t been here. He hasn’t asked how we are doing. He hasn’t done anything except try to screw up what we are doing," Lanning said.

What irked Lanning almost as much as the governor’s indifference was his highly publicized proposal to create a Red River Management Authority with North Dakota and a task force to work on preventing – or at least containing – floods in the future. He said the proposal made little sense.

Lanning and about 300 local officials from North Dakota, Minnesota and Manitoba had been working on that very proposal for months. After meeting in November, they developed articles of incorporation and by-laws for the group and were preparing to hold their April organizational meeting when the floods hit.

Local officials had already asked North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer, Carlson and the premier of Manitoba to appoint representatives to the Red River Basin board of directors. He said Schafer embraced the idea and appointed his state water commissioner to the board.

Lanning said he confronted Schafer while he was in Grand Forks for his meeting with the president. He said Schafer assured him that he had not forgotten about the organization, that he still embraced it.

But Schafer also told Lanning that he was pressured into accepting Carlson’s water management proposal. Lanning said Schafer told him Carlson wanted no part of the organization.

Lanning then confronted Carlson, telling him it made no sense to form a second, duplicative water-management authority for the Red River Valley.

Carlson finally relented, he said. Since then, Lanning said he has been assured by an aide to Sen. Rod Grams, R-Minn., that the governor is now committed to working with the new board.

"The Red River Basin is so chopped up politically, that if we don’t reach a (political) consensus, we will never solve any problems," Lanning said. "If Carlson would bother to talk to some of us out here, he would know what we’re doing. We’re mounting a major counteroffensive. We’re not going to let the governor screw up what we have started."

The governor seems to show more interest in the "Timberwolves, Twins and Gophers than anything else," Lanning said. "It is very disappointing. He has shown no interest or care whatsoever. It has been very disappointing."

A spokesman for the governor said the affair was a misunderstanding.

Brian Dietz, the governor’s press secretary, said the flood management authority and wetlands restoration are simply issues Carlson has raised before. He said Carlson, who may not have been aware of the local flood management program, wants water management looked at from a state and federal perspective.

"With this type of tragedy, emotions are running high and people are understandably very anguished over the situation," Dietz said. "It is easy to point fingers and blame people. But we are just trying to provide whatever necessary assistance that we can and rally all our state agencies around to help out wherever possible."

He said the administration has put a lot of steps in place already. A group organized in 1993 to assist with flood recovery is still in place and is available to help this year, as well, he said.

"The governor just wanted to assure people that state government is there for them and that our agencies are working on their behalf to get the flood relief they need," he said.