Richardson for Oregon governor

Published 12:52 pm Wednesday, October 8, 2014

John Kitzhaber’s second stint as Oregon governor has not gone well.

Two of the signature projects during his third term, which started in 2011, were debacles.

Kitzhaber advocated for building a new bridge across the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver, Washington. The plan died when Washington lawmakers balked, but by then Oregon had spent at least $93 million in federal money.

The feds, not surprisingly, want their money back.

Oregon has spent even more on the botched Cover Oregon website – an estimated $250 million. And we continue to amass legal bills, with the state and its website contractor, Oracle, filing suits and countersuits.

Kitzhaber wants Oregon voters to reward him for these failures in oversight with an unprecedented fourth term in Salem.

We urge residents to cast their votes instead for Dennis Richardson.

The Republican challenger brings an impressive legislative resumandeacute; to the campaign.

Richardson, from Central Point near Medford, has served as a state lawmaker since 2003. His leadership positions include House Speaker pro tem and co-chair of the budget-writing Joint House-Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Richardson also understands how decisions in Salem affect cities, counties and school districts across the state. He served on the Central Point City Council and as chairman of the budget committee for his local school district.

We like Richardson’s no-nonsense stance on the ongoing drain on local government budgets that is Oregon’s Public Employees Retirement System (PERS).

Having served on a PERS reform committee during his first term as a state representative, Richardson advocates for the state to pass a full slate of reforms and let the state Supreme Court decide which are legally defensible.

Kitzhaber’s approach is much more tepid.

He touts the PERS reforms he shepherded in 2013 – aspects of which have also gone to court – but the PERS problem, despite improvements due to stock market gains, will inevitably return without more changes to the system. And when that happens cities, counties and school districts will have to divert more money from public services to satisfy PERS’ insatiable appetite.

Richardson’s critics cite his stance on social issues such as his opposition to abortion, but their case is a weak one.

Richardson has emphasized that whatever his personal feelings, as governor he would uphold the law.

Kitzhaber can’t make the same claim.

He already has flouted the will of Oregon voters. In November 2011 he announced that he would not allow any inmates on Oregon’s death row to be executed, including those who voluntarily waived their appeal rights.

Then in 2013 Kitzhaber signed into law a bill allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to open.

This despite Oregon voters twice rejecting that idea.

With the Columbia River bridge project canceled and the Cover Oregon fiasco in legal limbo, another four years under Kitzhaber’s leadership might be a more tranquil, and less costly, period for Oregon.

But we’re not content to back Kitzhaber and hope that’s the case.

We think voters should elect Dennis Richardson and let him bring the effective, undramatic leadership style he has demonstrated as a state representative to all of Oregon.