FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Amy Wojcicki, Communications Director
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Once again, Chris Dudley and his campaign team have gotten Oregon history wrong. Today, Dudley has again resorted to negative attacks, releasing a document selectively quoting news stories and attempting to rewrite Governor Kitzhaber’s term in office. This is not the first time Dudley has shown how little he relies on the facts, in May Dudley was also shown to get it wrong when he launches his negative attacks.
While Chris Dudley and his team continue to rewrite Oregon history and duck opportunities to debate the real issues, John Kitzhaber has been travelling the state meeting with Oregonians and discussing the issues that impact them. Dudley and his team should remember that Kitzhaber was beating back the efforts of Dudley’s fellow Republican Bill Sizemore in his attempts to rob Oregon’s education system and public services of millions of dollars in revenues.
“Chris Dudley hasn’t been an Oregonian for long, and it shows in his latest rewrite of Oregon history,” said Trent Lutz, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Oregon. “Leadership is not repeating false attacks and hiding out in your campaign office. Oregonians deserve an honest debate about the important issues that they face each and every day.”
Oregonians remember John Kitzhaber as the governor who fought for the middle class, protected our natural resources, increased healthcare coverage and decreased the welfare rolls.
Kitzhaber “fought the Legislature to the last day” to reduce costs of the Oregon Health Plan. “He formed watershed councils and forest health demonstration projects and community-based health care teams with the idea they would last for many years to come. He fought the Legislature to the last day of its 2001 session to win approval of a medical formulary, a process to assess the effectiveness of drugs and reduce costs of the Oregon Health Plan.” [Oregonian, 12/29/2002]
Kitzhaber warned that Sizemore’s attempts “could precipitate a state budget crisis that could wreck education.” “Gov. John Kitzhaber plans to use his ‘State of the State’ speech Friday to challenge anti-tax crusader Bill Sizemore to a debate over Bill Sizemore’s $1 billion tax income tax-cut plan. The Democratic Governor has warned that Sizemore’s plan, if approved by voters, could precipitate a state budget crisis that could wreck education.” [Associated Press, 1/20/2000]
Kitzhaber led coalition to fight Sizemore. “Three tax and spending limit measures on Tuesday's ballot renewed a battle between the political establishment led by Gov. John Kitzhaber and veteran initiative campaigners who want to rein in government . . . A Kitzhaber-led business-labor coalition raised more than $2.7 million to fight Sizemore's tax measures, which had been favored by a majority of Oregonians in polling in the early fall.” [Associated Press, 11/8/00]
Kitzhaber fought republican leaders to form a more balanced tax system. “It wasn't Kitzhaber, however, who spent the 1990s insisting that every dime of the state's kicker money be returned in the form of Christmas checks to taxpayers, even though it was clear Oregon would one day need a rainy day fund. It wasn't Kitzhaber who shot down every proposal for a more balanced tax system. And it wasn't Kitzhaber who refused to raise revenue for new roads and bridges. Those were positions staked out by Republican leaders such as Gordon Smith, Bev Clarno, Brady Adams, Lynn Snodgrass, Gene Derfler and Mark Simmons, and tax activists such as Bill Sizemore and Don McIntire.” [Oregonian, 12/29/2002]
Oregonian: Kitzhaber has “done more” for Oregon’s natural resources than any other Governor. “He fought long and hard for Columbia River Basin salmon, even daring to publicly support removing four major dams on the Lower Snake River. The dams are still there, of course, but Kitzhaber has done more for fish and wildlife than any Northwest governor ever.” [Oregonian, 12/29/2002]
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