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 Making
Oregon Better …
Oregon's
Economy
Citizens
of Oregon have been suffering financially from the recent recession.
Now that our nation’s economy is improving, we must make sure
that Oregon is in position to bounce back too. Instead of putting
up more barriers to success, Oregon’s government must reduce
those barriers and become more “customer friendly” to
our citizens and to their employers. “Let's get government
off the backs of our businesses. Let's deregulate to stimulate business
and create new jobs.” We must work to downsize government,
balance the budget, and eliminate waste. It is an economic fact
that thriving businesses hire more people. Deregulation will allow
businesses to concentrate on production, thereby creating more jobs.
It is said by many who leave Oregon that Oregon’s Government
is living Fat while the private sector is living poor. If elected
as your Governor I will do all in my power to change this. It is
said by those who have left Oregon that Government interferes with
business decisions is extreme and inhibiting to their business.
As your governor I will Change that! It is said that the people
and the businesses all too often have to provide for the non producer.
Even in government we have too many pigs at the State trough...
This is also something that needs to be changed to make this state
more efficient.
Business
When businesses flourish, Oregon flourishes. The bottom line is
that government must be here to serve without payment. We must keep
in mind that businesses hire people. People pay taxes when they
are employed. We must reduce government regulation to help stimulate
our economy.
I
am the only Republican candidate who is neither a lawyer nor a politician.
Lawyers and politicians make laws and regulations. Businessmen make
money by improving efficiencies and increasing production. Oregon
needs a CEO to act as a problem solver, not a problem maker.
Less
Government and Fewer Taxes
If our citizens must cut back, our government should do so as well.
When we cut waste, we have money to spend on more worthy programs.
I do not believe that taxes need to be raised to improve essential
services. Instead, we must focus our spending only on essential
services and eliminate those programs that do nothing but keep bureaucrats
on the State payroll.
Those
agencies that abuse administrative rules will be corrected. Those
agencies that overspend to justify their next year’s budget
will be brought into compliance. We will work to be efficient with
the money that has been entrusted to government by its citizens.
Government
Pension (PERS)
The excessive PERS payments for retirees are the result of the unions
negotiating sweetheart deals with the governors’ representatives
over the last 20 years. In addition to negotiating taxpayer dollars
away to the public employee unions, the domination of the PERS Board
by union members has been like the fox guarding the hen house. As
with other state benefit plans, our public retirement system should
not be better than the private sector. Instead, benefits should
be less than or equal to the private sector.
The private sector has cut back and uses the 401 K retirement program.
I suggest each employee have his own 401K and PERS be phased out
through attrition.
Capital
Gains Tax
For Oregon to prosper, Oregon’s tax structure must not punish
those who are responsible for its economic vitality. Our current
capital gains tax is one of the highest in the nation and it is
one of the main reasons businesses do not call Oregon their home.
We must eliminate the capital gains tax with the knowledge that
the increased investment by Oregon businesses will create more wealth
for all Oregonians and thereby increase our tax revenue.
State
Tax for Corporations. Businesses are the life blood of Oregon. More
tech business are coming to Oregon many are leaving Oregon because
of our tax structure. When corporations thrive they hire people
who pay taxes. For Oregon to prosper we will need businesses who
want to stay here. Enterprise zones are not enough. I would propose
to the Legislature and initiate an Oregon Destiny program. It would
simply state that all businesses that exceed two million dollars
in gross sales and employ more than ten employees which are US citizen
be considered to be a part of the Enterprise zone no mater where
they are would be free from state taxes. Business coming to Oregon
would be more than enough to offset any projected tax revenue deficit.
Estate
Tax
Simply put, Oregonians have already had their income taxed at the
time they earned it and the Oregon estate tax just taxes whatever
income has been left over when a person passes away. It is not fair
and it hurts Oregon’s families. The estate tax must be eliminated
to allow Oregonians the opportunity to use those dollars as they
see fit.
Kicker
The Kicker was placed in Oregon’s Constitution by a vote of
the people because they did not trust our government to spend only
what was necessary… AND THEY WERE RIGHT! This is the only
mechanism that works for Oregon taxpayers that forces government
to live within its means and not overspend. I will fight vigorously
to defend both the personal and the corporate Kicker.
Oregon’s
Compassion
Senior
Citizens
We must strive to help our senior citizens in every way. We must
be sure our agencies serve and not hinder… care and not hurt.
I support the reorganization of the DHS at the community level,
to make them as open as possible. Seniors want to maintain their
independence and freedom and they want to stay in their homes. I
will fight to ensure adequate cost of living adjustments in their
reimbursements.
Mental
Health
We cannot seek to improve our lives without having compassion for
those who cannot help themselves. Of the many State-funded health
services, we need to focus our energies on the mental heath treatment
needs of our citizens. This focus should include adults and children,
our State Hospital and our prison population to assure that our
citizens can be as productive as possible in a positive, caring
environment.
Oregon Health Plan
Although there are good intentions with providing tailored Medicare
and Medicaid benefits to the working poor of our state, the reality
of the Oregon Health Plan is that it was “Shanghaied”
by the liberal politicians and bureaucrats to become a universal
health care plan without regard for need or eligibility. As with
any business model that does not perform as expected and becomes
too costly and unmanageable, this program must be completely dismantled
and then start over from the ground up.
Benefits
to Illegal Immigrants
When our State provides benefits at taxpayer expense it has the
obligation to provide those benefits only to the citizens of our
State. We should not be responsible for the costs of illegal immigration
beyond what it takes to enforce our immigration laws and to remove
from Oregon those who are violating those laws.
Oregon’s
Natural Resources
Forests
and the Environment
CONSERVATION will be a top priority for my administration. As a
qualified bush pilot, I have explored Oregon thoroughly and have
seen first-hand how our natural resources have been damaged and
depleted due to improper government oversight. We must maintain
our forest resources, work to increase Oregon's watersheds, phase
out clear-cutting on state and federal forestlands, and restore
our fish populations
 Logging
is a necessary way of nurturing and thinning our forests. But clear
cutting on state lands must stop. Re-thinking our practices and
restoring our forests is necessary. We must have sustained logging
on both federal and state lands. We have to continue to look at
alternative methods such as helicopter logging. We must protect
and nurture our forests.
Click
on the above picture for more information on clear cutting.
Global
Warming
As a scientist and a conservative republican, I expect to attack
this issue in the strongest possible terms. We must acknowledge
the damage to our state resulting from global warming and we must
make the effort to find natural alternatives that will reduce global
warming.
I
am totally convinced that global warming is caused by Primary Global
Deforestation. I believe that the carbon dioxide build up creating
global warming is because of this deforestation. Our world has about
50% fewer trees and forest growth occurring than we had a hundred
years ago. If our forest were replenished properly worldwide then
this tragedy might be adverted. Because of this we will have bigger
storms and greater extremes in weather. Because of this thousand
will die because there are fewer trees to process the massive amounts
of Carbon Dioxide we are producing. Florida and New Orleans might
be just the tip of the Iceberg.
As
your Governor, I will work with our nation’s leaders to solve
this major problem.
Farming
and Agriculture
The farmers are hurt by the very agencies that should be helping
them. I support tariffs on all foreign imports and substantial help
for farmers on NAFTA and GATT issues. We must restrict the flow
of goods coming from other countries that drive farmers out of our
own market. Our farmers are overburdened with regulation, repetitive
laws and government. Oregon needs to simplify its laws and regulations.
I
have seen the hurt and betrayal these restrictions have caused.
We must remind people when the farmers are gone there will be no
more food. The farmer is the lifeblood of this country. This is
my promise to the farmers
Property
Rights / Land Use
Our land use laws are unnecessarily restrictive to those who are
attempting to find the best and most profitable use of their land.
Although it is important to support Oregon farming, we must recognize
that the non-productive farm land may have a better use and those
property owners need a more flexible land use system to assist with
their prosperity.
 
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