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Issues:
Protecting
Our Families:
We must support the Oregon State Police. our Crime
Labs, and our Prisons by putting Public Safety first on the agenda, not last. Politicians shouldn't play games when the safety of our
families and communities is at stake. I believe that together we can make
Oregon the safest state in the nation.
- Click here to see how
I worked to
pass
Jessica's Law to Protect our children.
- We need to fund the crime labs to help
prosecute our criminals; elevate our State Police force to get more officers
out in our communities; enforce our laws; and increase protection for our
correction officers.
- 66% of the inmates in Marion County do not
have a high school degree. We need to make sure more of our kids are
graduating, and re-educate our prison population so they can be productive
members of society after they serve their time.
Improving
Quality of Education:
We need to demand accountability from our
administrators to make sure resources get to the classroom so that our kids can
have the tools they need to compete globally.
- I will push for legislation to require at
least 65% of the education budget must go to the classroom. Not as
raises, but as training, teacher aides, and classroom resources.
- I like the plan to put the Education
Budget first instead of last. Right now our children and schools are
held hostage to the system, Requiring the budget to pass within the first 81
days of session, or the salaries for legislators is suspended until the
budget is passed, is a great way to get action and reduce the politics.
- Our children are graduating High School
unable to secure jobs in the private sector. I am for small business
mentoring programs that will help teach real skills to our children.
- I'm calling for the elimination of the
English as a Second Language program and in favor of returning to total
emersion as other states have successfully done. I remember in the
late 70's when we had an influx of refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia, and
being asked as a student to work with them and help them learn
English. It only took them a few months to be able to communicate and
by year's end, they could speak fluently. It's how I learned to speak
Japanese, and my wife and her family learned to speak English when they came
here. The savings alone to our schools is just under a half- a-
billion dollars, and it would allow our teachers to build up skills, not
teach down to the lowest common denominator.
Responsibility
in Government:
Oregonians deserve to have reliable services devoid of wasteful
spending and excessive taxes.
- The Legislature must stop spending money
before the State receives 'projected' revenues. We must create a Rainy
Day Fund out of our budget, not by stealing the Kicker from the pockets of
hard working Oregonians.
- Tax revenues are a public trust and must be
managed prudently and with respect. I support more competitive bidding
for State goods, services, and projects, which will reduce costs and
strengthen our economy.
- I will push for more aggressive audits of
our State agencies. It was just revealed that the Aviation Department
lost $1.2 Million dollars in contracts, and they have no idea who they paid
or for what. That is unacceptable.
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