Former Gov. Arne Carlson was in Brainerd Thursday and said he'd both raise taxes and cut spending if he were still governor. And he's glad that he's not.

Carlson was the commencement speaker at the Central Lakes College graduation ceremony, says the Brainerd Dispatch. He said the state has to stop its endless borrowing and use of accounting shifts to balance the budget. And if it were up to him, he would use a combination of reductions and tax increases.

He told WCCO-AM that the state could extend the sales tax to clothing or make a small increase in the income tax with a three-year expiration date.

He was governor from 1991 to 1999 and, at one point, solved a $2 billion deficit in part with tax increases.

Fixing this year's problem will be tough, he said, adding: "I'm so grateful I'm not governor."