Baker City Herald - Chris Dudley: Private Sector Jobs Top Task

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By Ed Merriman

Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley outlined his vision of Oregon as a place where Republicans and Democrats "roll up their sleeves and work together."

By listening to people in all parts of the state and working with lawmakers from all parties to change policies that discourage business development, Dudley said he will create jobs and restore a balanced statewide economy.

During a campaign stop Monday afternoon in Baker City, Dudley said his top priority as governor will be private sector jobs.

"We cannot have the quality of life without private sector jobs," Dudley told a small crowd of supporters gathered on the lawn outside the Baker County Courthouse.

Dudley accused his Democrat rival, John Kitzhaber, who served two terms as governor from 1995-2003, of instituting policies that decimated natural resource industries, worsened the rural/urban divide and left Oregon's economy overly dependent on high-tech businesses.

"There's no reason we should be 14 percent below the national per capita income," Dudley said. "There's no reason we should live in a state where 66 percent of high school seniors are not going to graduate on time, where we're 43rd in education funding and 47th in hunger."
"That means 46 other states facing a bad economy are doing better than us," Dudley said. "Who can say the status quo is working?"

"I will make the argument that my opponent's policies set the table we are eating on," Dudley said.

If elected, Dudley said he will work to change regulatory and tax policies to make Oregon a more business-friendly state.

He believes state spending is out of control, with pay raises and pension benefits for state workers exceeding the pace of economic growth.

Part of the problem with the state's spending, Dudley contends, stems from a conflict of interest where the governor, legislators and other elected officials are members and beneficiaries of the Public Employees Retirement System

"The legislators and governor should not be on the same PERS system as state employees," Dudley said.

In traveling across the state, Dudley said he has heard from a lot of people, especially in rural areas, who feel like their voices are not being heard by politicians and regulators in Salem.

"The message I hear loud and clear in rural areas is "we are not Portland's playground,'" Dudley said. "It is my goal to get rural and urban working together."

In response to questions about where he'd cut state spending, Dudley said he would make sure money is allocated to the services most important to Oregonians, and cut spending on agencies of questionable benefit, such as the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

Dudley pointed out that Baker County's unemployment rate rose during Kitzhaber's tenure as governor, from 9.6 percent in 1995 to 12.2 percent in January 2003.

"While John Kitzhaber was governor, he had his chance to create jobs in Baker County, but he failed,' Dudley said.

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