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Updates: December 3, 2007
December 3, 2007 The 6th annual Oregon Business Plan summit took place on Monday December 3, 2007 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. John attended that summit along with about 25 other business leaders from Southern Oregon. While getting to Portland was something of a challenge due to the terrible weather blowing through the region, the summit proved to be very informative, as always. John has attended every one of these summits to learn and share information on what is happening in Oregon. A continental breakfast sponsored by the Medford/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and AVISTA started the conference for the group from Southern Oregon. United States Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) welcomed the group to the meeting and complimented Southern Oregon for the great turnout. State Representative Bruce Hanna (R-Roseburg) also spoke to the group about his priorities and preferred outcomes for the upcoming short session of the Oregon Legislature in February 2008. Priorities that have been identified by Republicans for the 2008 short session include, but are not limited to, providing 24 hour State Police coverage, protection of Oregon Project Independence for senior citizens, increasing security for Oregon drivers licenses and ID documents, training Oregon’s teachers for excellence, holding state government spending accountable, and expanding water resources for Eastern Oregon agriculture. The Leadership Summit itself began at 9:00 a.m. with a welcome from United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Smith. They both complimented participants on their dedication to furthering Oregon’s economy. Senator Wyden spent some time talking about his determination to providing universal health care for all Americans. Senator Smith spoke of his desire to see mental health insurance coverage become as available as physical health insurance coverage. The agenda was packed with discussion of initiatives on a wide range of subjects crucial to the state. The topics included: Moving Forward A continuation of the plan to move Oregon’s economy forward in 2008; Public Finance A plan to provide stable funding for critical public services and to create strong incentives for economic growth; Education & Workforce For Oregon to succeed in the 21st century, all Oregonians must be educated at higher levels than ever before; Health Care In order to lower health care costs, improve quality and expand access to care, Oregon businesses must take more of a leadership role; Economic Innovation Identify key areas to facilitate the commercialization of great discoveries, launch new business, hone new talent and cultivate next generation firms, industries and jobs for Oregonians; and Transportation Oregon depends greatly on a transportation system that has served us well in the past but is not keeping pace with current and evolving needs driven by growth in our population, economy, freight and commuter demands and environmental goals. The keynote speaker for the day was Governor Ted Kulongoski. While he spoke of the successes of the Oregon Business Plan, the main topic of his speech was his priority of securing a transportation funding package from the legislature to keep Oregon’s transportation infrastructure intact. The existing system is in a “sad state that would surprise most citizens”, he said. He went on to say, “the public does not understand the billions of dollars in backlog of bridge and highway maintenance.” Kulongoski has begun meetings with stakeholders and policy makers to craft legislation for the 2009 Legislative Session to create a long term strategy for maintaining and growing Oregon’s transportation system. He has named three committees: vision, governance and public communication to begin discussions in these vital areas. John was very pleased to hear the Governor’s remarks and his dedication to working towards solutions for the problem. Hopefully, with his leadership and the partnership with the business community, we will be able to solve this issue before tremendous economic impact occurs if the system’s problems are left unchecked. We look forward to representing your views on these important business issues. If you have specific suggestions, comments or questions, we hope you will contact us.
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