Oregon needs more jobs right now and a more stable, prosperous economy for the future. What can we do to kick start Oregon jobs in the current recession and replace our historic “boom and bust” pattern with a 21st Century economy? View my plan at http://www.johnkitzhaber.com/prosperity and then share your ideas.
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4 votes
Mentoring from the community
Many people not only lack job skills, they lack behavioral skills required for success. Create a mentorship program matching these people with successful members of the community - not "big" success but basic, hold-a-job, care-for-my-family, show-up-on-time basic success.
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3 votes
Forestry as a function of selective harvesting, local processing thru value added end products.
What if reverence and respect for all ecosystem functions was the starting and ending point of forest 'management'? What if we just took the 'interest' the forest could provide without any compromise to ecosystem functions (restoration needs)? What if jobs and communities were the focus over sho... more
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1 votes
Oregon Exchange
Oregon has a proud history of successful companies grounded in the environment and ethos of this state - from Pendleton to Tillamook, Tektronix to Oregon Iron Works, Columbia to Leatherman, Nike to Les Schwab, Resers to Bob's Red Mill, Jeld-Wen to Powell's, Mentor Graphics to Schnitzer Steel.
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48 votes
Hire unemployed workers in the building trades to weatherize schools and other community buildings
As we work to lower unemployment, we need to create a demand for skilled workers who are idle. For example, there are many unemployed workers in the building trades that need no additional training. They can do commercial insulation and other weatherization work immediately.
The next governor ... more
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25 votes
Grow more food with less water
Support farmers to grow more food with less water; enable Oregon farmers to increase food crop yields using less water, especially where water allotments limit crop production, as in the Klamath River basin. Provide Oregon farmers with a unique biodegradable soil amendment produced in Oregon and... more
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4 votes
Put the people receiving benefits from Unemployment and Welfare into jobs rebuilding Oregon
We have some of the highest unemployment and welfare recipient rates around the country. How about we create the jobs that will benefit Oregon (rebuild/clean parks, remove graffiti, clean/rebuild streams, and set up unemployed/welfare staffed daycare for state employee, unemployed/welfare recipie... more
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23 votes
Enforce Our Current Immigration Laws by Attacking the Problem From Both Ends
Specifically, immediately go after this huge problem by cutting off both the supply and the demand ends of this horrendous waste of state resources and free up 1000's of jobs for legal taxpaying non government dependant Oregonians. Actively and aggressively deport illeal aliens and heavily and ag... more
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3 votes
No Foreign State Investments
The recent controversy over the travels of the Oregon Investment Council officials raises the obvious question: Why the heck is Oregon investing its funds outside of OREGON! Oregon trust funds should be mandated to be only invested in Oregon businesses and developments, to benefit Oregon worker... more
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2 votes
the Port of the Columbia River
instead of Ports of Portland & Vancouver, an OR-WA bi-state authority to run ports on both sides of the river. they would share jobs & revenues, not compete. the sum will be larger than the parts. grow jobs & economy on both sides; could help avoid developing West Hayden Island.
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2 votes
Tax reform
Using the 2008-2009 tax reform study commissioned by the state, take the four options outlined there and put them on the ballot along with a fifth. The fifth would be, to remain the same. Let the people vote. It would be non binding.
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1 votes
fair insurance, insurance not based on credit scores
Owning a small business is tough in these times, but to make matters worse when there was a loss of construction and business credit score drops due to lack of income ( jobs), there is no help and when trying to stay in business insurance companies take advantage of rates based on credit scores.... more
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18 votes
Completely Legalize Industrial Hemp
Cannabis prohibition is not really about drugs, cannabis prohibition is about money, power and the further centralization of economic and political control. When cannabis is legal, industrial hemp will begin to transform our economy with ecological alternatiives that enrich our farmers and commun... more
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6 votes
50% tax credits for new businesses
This will allow for the out of state businesses to decide to invest in our State by providing them this substantive tax credit. It would also go a long way to helping fledgling businesses get a kick start.
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1 votes
SBA Guarantee
State would Guarantee the addition 5% on all approved SBA loans of 95%
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3 votes
12 in 6 Job training program
Hire community college teachers and expand community college course offerings to train local workers in six months or less for occupations that matched local employer needs. The classes, which begin in the fall and require six months or less to finish, vary in occupation areas. Nursing, phlebotom... more
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3 votes
3 + 3
Institute a 3 % county and 3 % state sales tax. We have many counties that work in the Red. Many of them juggle rather to perform road works, education, social justice, and governmental jobs with one another. The sales tax collected by the county would take the load off of the state. The sales ta... more
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4 votes
Day corps youth internship program
We need a program to keep the youth busy, out of trouble, and productive. The Day Corps would create and see through the internships of youth with local trades people, the forest service, etc... They could build, restore and maintain trails with the forest service, learn to paint houses with a lo... more
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3 votes
Create a Retail and Franchise Chain Incubator - and become a HQ city/region
We should get our share of the new retail paradigm. LIke it or not, the US and world economies are largely driven by retail and franchise chains. The retail outlets are here, but not the headquarters, nor therefore, the money or high paying jobs. Let's build an incubator and incentives that e... more