Kitzhaber talks jobs, budget
From our weekly issue dated January 27, 2010
Former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber, who is seeking his former job, appeared on the Wednesday, Jan. 20 talk show on Grants Passbased KAJO Radio.
Kitzhaber is pursuing the Democratic nomination for that position, as is former secretary of state Bill Bradbury. The primary election is set for May 18.
Prior to serving as governor from 1995 to 2003, Kitzhaber was a state senator and representative from Douglas County. He also was an emergency room physician at Douglas Community Hospital and Mercy Hospital.
When Kitzhaber left office, he famously declared the state ?ungovernable.? He said that at the time the state was facing a revenue crisis. Democrats were unwilling to raise taxes and Republicans were reluctant to cut the budget, he added, which led to a ?stalemate.?
?I was frustrated,? Kitzhaber said. ?It was a very frustrating period during that last recession.? He said that his comment was based on the concern that bitter partisanship in Salem would continue, with citizens suffering as a result.
However, Kitzhaber said that his experience with budgeting during a recession could help pull the state out of its current economic malaise.
The state has long operated on a two-year budget, Kitzhaber said, which prohibits constructive long-term planning. Most businesses don?t operate on a two-year plan, he said.
The former governor decried the erosion of Oregonians? per capita income in recent years, as well as the state?s high hunger and poverty rates. In response, he said that the state government should focus priorities on education and workforce development programs.
Bradbury and Kitzhaber have a long personal history and have worked together for many years. As such, Kitzhaber said that the primary campaign will be devoid of any personal attacks.
?Bill is a dear friend,? he said. ?We share many of the same philosophies.?
Kitzhaber said that the most significant difference between the two men is the fact that the former governor Kitzhaber talks jobs, budget has adopted eight separate state budgets and has a better understanding of health care issues. On health care, Kitzhaber said that the Oregon Health Plan was expanded during his stint as governor. More than two million residents received primary care because of that program, he claimed.
Kitzhaber pointed out that in January 2011, approximately 78 million ?baby boomers? are set to join Medicare. He said that federal program currently is being funded by borrowing money from China.
?The fact is, we have a system that?s going to bankrupt the country,? he said.
Oregon should take the lead on its own efforts to reform health care, and should not rely on Congress to do so, he said. He added that the inability to pay medical bills is the second-leading cause of bankruptcies at the state and national levels.
?It just crushes families,? Kitzhaber said. For economic development, he said that an emphasis should be placed on forest thinning projects, and production of biomass for renewable
energy.
If elected, Kitzhaber pledged to open a central job creation center in his office and staff it with representatives from the private and public sectors. There also would be five regional offices, he said.
Kitzhaber said that he would like to ?jettison? the state?s current budgetary process in favor of the establishment of eight- to 10-year plans.
?The budget is not transparent,? Kitzhaber said. ?It?s very difficult to set priorities.? Instead, he said, budgetary dollars should be linked to performance and outcomes.
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