Governor Ted Kulongoski

Accomplishments:

Governor Kulongoski is focused on raising the bar for education from pre-school right through graduate school and job training. His education initiative includes an increase in k-12 funding for the first time in four years, and establishing fully-funded college grants for low-income students. In addition, the Governor has made critical investments in post-secondary capital improvements, capped college tuition increases at 3 percent per year, and has secured nearly $5 billion in total funding for post-secondary education.

Governor Kulongoski also recognizes the importance of transportation in the state of Oregon. He has dedicated $100 million in non-highway transportation projects which include rail, aviation, marine and transit systems to improve traffic, increase freight capacity and speed of delivery, and expand opportunities for rural and urban communities in the state to import and export.

Governor Kulongoski is interested in the industrial needs of Oregon. He plans to expand the number of “project-ready lands” to about 15 industrial sites, and more than 10 certified sites through $45 million in lottery bonds. This program is designed to create thousands of new jobs, millions of dollars in property and income tax revenues, as well as the potential for dozens of new companies to relocate to Oregon or for existing companies to expand their operations.

The Governor is concerned with the quality of the Willamette River. As a result, he has acted on his plan to secure funding for the purpose of implementing watershed based permitting in the Willametter River. This will serve to reduce the permit backlog to less than 10% by the year 2007. By finalizing and implementing the Total Maximum Daily Loads for the Willamette and its sub-basins, Governor Kulongoski will be improving the water quality, and ensuring compliance with the Clean Water Act requirements.

The tasks of protecting watersheds and recovering salmon are also issues that the Governor is acting on. Governor Kulongoski has increased funding for the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Boards’ (OWEB) capital grants program by 70 percent, to a record $41.3 million specifically for projects that are inclined to achieve the protection of watersheds and salmon recovery. OWEB has also received funding to expedite the recovery planning for salmon and steelhead under the Endangered Species Act.

Preparation to Serve:

After high school, Ted enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in the 11th and 12th Marine Regiments as a forward observer with the artillery. Following a tour of duty overseas, Ted came home to build a life rooted in hard work, public service and family.

Ted knew that education was the road to all he wanted to accomplish. He took jobs as a truck driver and steelworker, saving enough money to put himself through college and law school at the University of Missouri with help from the GI Bill.

Missouri was Ted’s birthplace, but Oregon became his home. As a young lawyer, Ted started his own firm in Eugene and began a long career fighting for working families. He used the law – and his deep personal understanding of what it means to work for wages – to improve worker safety and protect the right of every Oregonian to enjoy a job that pays a living wage.

In 1974, Ted was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives, and four years later to the Oregon Senate. In the Legislature, Ted continued to be a voice for the people and values of Oregon. He used his proven ability to bring people together to strengthen Oregon’s economy, attract new jobs and preserve Oregon’s unique quality of life.

In 1987, in recognition of Ted’s lifelong commitment to fairness and accountability, then-Governor Neil Goldschmidt appointed Ted Oregon Insurance Commissioner. As Insurance Commissioner, Ted helped lead the Oregon Comeback, creating thousands of new jobs and helping Oregon recover from its worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Ted also stood firm against unjustified rate increases; protected seniors and consumers against fraud; and made the Insurance Department more consumer-friendly.

Five years later, the people of Oregon elected Ted Attorney General with the highest vote total for any statewide candidate. As Attorney General, Ted worked to steer kids away from crime and toward the values that had made his own life a success – education, accountability, discipline and hard work. Ted joined children’s advocates and community leaders to rebuild Oregon’s juvenile justice system – a system many thought was broken but that Ted turned into a national model that is both fair and effective. Ted also went after corporate polluters – enforcing laws and regulations, and making sure that the polluters, not the taxpayers, pay the bill for cleaning up our air and water.

In 1996, Ted was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court, where he served with distinction for 4 1/2 years. Ted’s service on the Court made him one of a rare few who have served in all three branches of government. Every challenge Oregon faces, Ted has worked to solve as a legislator, executive and judge.

Link to official site

Copyright & Paid for by The Democratic Governors Association

A Bullseye Project