End of Session Press Conference

Good afternoon.

This may be one of the most productive legislative sessions ever. I compliment Senate President Peter Courtney and Speaker of the House Karen Minnis and the members of those great institutions for their dedication, tenacity and courage. It is their willingness to work in a bipartisan fashion over the past nine months that has brought real benefits to the people of Oregon.

There is no state in this country where the legislature has taken on so many significant issues and successfully found bipartisan solutions. Oregon did not use accounting tricks to give the appearance of a balanced budget, nor did we disinvest from critical programs. We have made tough, smart and responsible choices to invest in the future.

We have proven that our system works, and that people with differing views can debate as respected opponents without being enemies. And when the debate is through, we can arrive at solutions that win the support of people in both parties.

I said in January, when you welcomed me here, that I would be guided by several principles. First, I said that especially in tough economic times like these, children must go to the head of the line. That is why I insisted kids in Oregon must have a full school year, with reasonable class sizes and adequate programs. Together with the legislature, we have made that a reality.

I also said that we must grow the economy and create jobs. We have done exactly that, by passing the largest public works project since the 1950s. The transportation package will ensure 5000 family-wage jobs per year for the next decade. This kind of infrastructure investment is also critical for promoting commerce and encouraging businesses to grow in Oregon.

Similarly, passage of the baseball bill - assuming Portland comes up with their share of the financing - will create 1500 well-paying construction jobs for three years.

We can also look forward new jobs in eastern and central Oregon - with the expansion of Cardinal Glass in Hood River, T-Mobile in Redmond and Treasure Valley Renewable Resources in Ontario.

Tourism, our third-largest industry, will get a major boost because of the creation of a new statewide hotel/motel tax, aimed at promoting Oregon as a great tourist destination..

Even in tough economic times, it is important to remember that the arts and culture are crucial to Oregon's economy. That's why, in an effort to save both money and the arts in Oregon, I merged the Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission, assuring the survival of both. In addition, we established the state's first incentive plan to lure major film productions to Oregon.

Third, I said that state government would be accountable and efficient. Many people said that the unsustainable PERS system could not be fixed. We fixed it. The taxpayers Oregon can now look forward to savings because of what we accomplished this year. At the same time, public employees can be assured of a reliable retirement system that they and their families can count on long into the future.

Here I want to take a moment to offer my appreciation to the men and women who work in government, providing the programs and services that are so critical to Oregonians. These are challenging times and a great deal has been asked of you as we work through them. You are very important to this state, and I appreciate your significant contributions.

We demanded that government be more efficient. Regulations were streamlined. Permits are now easier to obtain, and businesses can now put less money into getting permits and more money into creating jobs. We have recruited private sector leaders to help us implement best business practices and deliver services in the most efficient manner possible. We have found other efficiencies in our government, by limiting travel for state employees and renegotiating our long-distance telephone services. This is an ongoing process - I intend to seek out more efficiencies over the course of the next three years.

We also addressed many issues which make Oregon a quality place to live. We reached agreement with the legislature on the structure of the Oregon Health Plan, to ensure that Oregonians have access to basic care. I am proud that my bulk purchasing plan for prescription drugs will provide cheaper prescriptions medicines for our seniors. In addition, we have worked assure them of assisted living facilities, so that they can have dignity in their twilight years.

We have long-established land use laws, which we upheld during this legislation. Similarly, we are committed to sound forestry practices, because we know that the health of our environment is integral to the health of our economy. We have charted a course on sustainability that embeds sustainable development into the fabric of Oregon's economic, social and environmental policies.

Public safety has been high on our agenda for this legislative session. We have filled the gaps in homeland security to make our communities safer. We cracked down on identity crimes, credit card fraud and improper use of Social Security numbers.
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We had a very good year - but the work is not done. Over the course of the coming year, we must look at the way our state funds public education, the effectiveness of our public safety laws, and ways to strengthen the economy and create more jobs. I look forward to this challenge.