One-on-One with Gov. Ted Kulongoski

By: State: Oregon

Ted Kulongoski (D) is currently serving his second term as Oregon's governor. He is the only governor in Oregon history to have served in all three branches of state government—previously as a state representative and senator as well as the state's attorney general and Oregon Supreme Court justice. A former marine, he holds his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri.

Q: What has/can Oregon do to best weather the national financial crisis affecting the state's economy?

A: Oregon is not insulated from national economic trends. Because we established a rainy day fund and recruited new businesses, Oregon is better positioned to recover faster than in the past. And even though our revenues are limited, we must continue to push forward—being aggressive in recruiting companies that provide living wage jobs, and investing in the key areas that make us stronger as a state.

Q: What are your top priorities heading into 2009?

A: They're the same during tough times as prosperous ones: education, health care, climate change and creating living wage jobs.

We must continue to invest in education—from pre-kindergarten through post-secondary, including workforce training—so Oregonians can compete and succeed in a global economy. We must expand access to health care, starting with kids. It's the right thing to do, and they do better in school, parents miss less work, and emergency room visits are reduced, cutting overall health care costs.

We must also continue to charge forward on climate change. Oregon is positioned to be a global leader in an emerging green energy industry. Doing so will create economic opportunities and provide clean air and water for future generations.

Lastly, we must strengthen our economy through a multi-year investment in transportation (roads and bridges, seaports, airports, and railways, including light rail) that can move products, people and goods safely and efficiently across the state. These projects create thousands of highly-paid jobs. And alternative forms of transportation can reduce our emissions and dependence on foreign oil.

Q: As Oregon's 50+ and 65+ demographics shift dramatically, how will you address the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly aging population?

A: The increased number of older Oregonians will have a profound impact on the social and economic fabric of our state, bringing both an opportunity and a challenge. People retiring now are looking for new ways to contribute to their communities either through a second career or volunteering. We need to tap into that expertise. We also must ensure that when people start facing physical challenges there are services available to keep them independent and in their homes. That's better for them and better for the state.

Q: What are your thoughts on the Oregon Health Fund Board's plan to fix the state's health care system and what can be implemented to address rising costs and decreasing coverage?

A: The Board was asked to develop a plan that ensures affordable health coverage for all Oregonians. This is an ambitious task, and one that will not be accomplished in one legislative session. We agree that successful health care reform is taking the following two steps simultaneously: controlling costs and increasing coverage. Doing both will address the two central problems with our health care system: it costs too much and covers too few.

I know the Board and I agree on Oregon's responsibility to provide affordable health care to children, to control costs, and to improve health through tools like prevention, coordination for chronic conditions, usage of electronic medical records and increasing transparency of costs and outcomes.

(To learn more about Gov. Kulongoski, visit governor.oregon.gov.)
 
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• Governor's 2009-2011 Recommended Budget
• Governor's Speech Regarding 2009–2011 Budget Priorties

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