Kitzhaber talks jobs, economy with KATU.com
PORTLAND, Ore. - These are challenging times for Oregon.
As the state tries to pick up the pieces of its shattered economy and work to lower its stubbornly high unemployment rate, two men say they are ready to lead the state to better times.
KATU.com invited both Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates, John Kitzhaber and Chris Dudley, to discuss their ideas to get Oregon back on track with KATU News anchor Steve Dunn. Both accepted.
Today we post Kitzhaber’s interview. On Friday we plan to post Dudley’s. (Now posted here.)
Kitzhaber was Oregon’s governor from 1995 to 2003 and is seeking an unprecedented third term. He was interviewed at KATU on Wednesday, Sept. 1. At the time of Kitzhaber’s interview, the candidates were in a bitter argument over a time and place to square off in a live, televised debate. That has since been settled. So far, the two have agreed to a single televised debate at the end of September.
To watch the full 15-minute interview, please click here or the above video tab.
Part of Kitzhaber’s plan to get Oregonians back to work involves employing people to retrofit the state’s schools to be more energy efficient. He says the project will be funded by bonding against anticipated savings that energy efficiency would bring to the schools.
The idea is to “put people to work in every community of Oregon as early as next summer retrofitting these schools,” he says. And he says those jobs will be good middle-income, trade jobs.
Kitzhaber has talked about the “boom-bust” economic cycles of Oregon often during this campaign, and he says he aims to keep Oregon more recession-proof by using “local supply chains.” In other words, by using more local goods and services, Oregon can be better protected from the influences of national and international economic swings.
He says one of the big challenges for small- and medium-sized businesses is getting access to capital. He wants to increase the use of in-state money managers to find good investment opportunities in Oregon. Also, he says he’ll work with the treasurer to loosen collateralization requirements for community banks to free up capital for businesses.
He disputed the notion that it’s the job of government to create jobs.
“I don’t think the government creates jobs. I do think the public sector can create an environment which can encourage private-sector job growth,” he says.
Kitzhaber says it’s time for Oregon to deal with its volatile tax structure which depends so much on personal and corporate income taxes.
“We do need to look at how we can diversify and reduce our reliance on it,” he says. A sales tax is one way, but “the question, though, is not really a sales tax. The question is do we think it’s prudent in Oregon to continue to rely exclusively on personal and corporate income taxes to finance public services?”
Other questions: Should state workers shoulder more of the burden of benefits and health care? What about all those 90 or so state agencies? Are they all needed? What does Kitzhaber say to those who don’t want to see a third Kitzhaber term?
He touches on all these questions in the full interview.
Read more about Kitzhaber's plans:
- A Plan to Rebuild and Reinvest in Oregon (pdf) - Released September 2010
- Jobs for Today. Jobs for Tomorrow (pdf) - Released January 2010
On the Web:
