Basin Business - June 2015

JUNE 2015

Basin Business

Thurs day, June 25, 2015, Herald and News

KLAMATH BASIN

Business

Leadership Klamath enrollment opens — Page 5

Klamath Chamber director talks about new workforce investment board — Page 5 Work toward your own ‘financial Independence Day’ —Page 6

Fairgrounds Klamath County

A center for events / page 2

A publication of the Herald & News

www.klamath.org

Klamath Union’s Vanessa Sanchez wins 3 medals at DECA competition —Page 7

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Thurs day, June 25, 2015, Herald and News

Basin Business

Even t s cen t r a l Fairgrounds plays large role in bringing folks to town

By GERRY O’BRIEN

H&N Editor

T

he Klamath County Fairgrounds is rarely quiet. There are only three weeks out of the year that the 56-acre facility is not booked for some event.

“We do about 450 to 460 events a year,” said Todd Hoggarth, fairgrounds manager. “This year, we plan to surpass that.”

“Most of our events are two or three days and on weekends,” Hoggarth said. “Tuesdays through Thursdays are transition days, where we break down one event and set up for the next. Sometimes it can get pretty hectic.”

For example, the center on South Sixth Street held a week-long bull sale this spring and had to tear down and set up right after it for the annual home and garden show.

The center employs eight fulltime workers and hires teens for 12 part-time summer jobs, said office manager Dawn McLing.

“The teens help with the landscaping and getting ready for the summer fair,” she said.

The facility is its own taxing district and not funded by any county taxpayer dollars, McLing said. It is funded by the transient room tax (or hotel bed tax), facility rental fees and about $56,000 from the state Oregon fairs group. It is governed by a seven-member board which is appointed by the county commissioners.

If the center brings in more visitors, the transient room tax goes up and more funding goes to the fairgrounds.

“You could safely say that 40 percent of the traffic through the fairgrounds for the year is from out-of-town visitors,” Hoggarth said. “We are a rental facility first,” he said, “but we are going to do a lot more with being the promoter of events

H&N photos by Gerry O’Brien

Todd Hoggarth was named manager of the Klamath County Fairgrounds last spring. There are steady and substantive improvements being made to the facility that has been part of the community since 1920s. At left, an eagle logo adorns one of the fairgrounds buildings.

rather than lending our building to somebody else.”

The fairgrounds for a long time has focused on promoting events staged by local people.

“We help them get established as an event and hope it grows into something bigger,” Hoggarth said.

One event that is growing is the annual county fair, Aug. 13-15. This year, for the first time in many years, the center will hold a CountryWestern concert, featuring Dustin Lynch on

Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Just prior to the fair is the 4-H horse fair, Aug 5-8.

“We plan to see a lot more people coming through the gate this year, because the fairs are taking place at the same time as the Babe Ruth World Series, next door at Kiger Stadium,” Hoggarth said.

The grounds will be open to the public on July 4th too, as it is hosting the evening fireworks show there.

More FAIRGROUNDS, Page 3

Basin Business

Thurs day, June 25, 2015, Herald and News

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Fairgrounds/from page 2 Improvements ongoing Improvements are slow and steady at the 10-building site, too.

Efficient LED lighting has been installed in the indoor arena and soon in the events center. The payback should be about a $26,000 savings in three years.

“We try to install LED lights wherever we About the Fairgrounds can,” he said. “It really brightens things up The Klamath County Fairand helps the judges judging livestock.” grounds sits on 56-acres The outdoors arena will eventually get a It has 10 buildings on the facelift, as will most of the buildings. There grounds are plans to build a centralized restroom The Event Center is 93,000 area, complete with showers and changing square feet rooms, which will improve the looks of the The Exhibit Hall is 11,400 grounds. square feet “We really want the fairgrounds to have a The indoor arena is 30,000 common look to it, or theme, throughout the square feet property,” Hoggarth said.

For more, go to www.kcfair“We’re also trying to play a larger role in grounds.org the community,” said McLing. “Sometimes, because of where we’re located people take us for granted. We want to become more involved in the community and part of the business community and people get to know who we are.” gobrien@heraldandnews.com

The sign at the Klamath County Fairgrounds, above, advertises upcoming events.

On the cover: Teagan Whisler is one of the 12 full-time summer helpers at the Klamath County Fairgrounds.

Fairgrounds office manager Dawn McLing, left, says the center employs eight full-time workers and hires teens for 12 parttime summer jobs.

H&N photos

by Gerry O’Brien

Contact us: Klamath County Chamber of Commerce 205 Riverside Drive, Suite A Klamath Falls, OR 97603 Office: 541-884-5193 Fax: 541-884-5195 Charles “Chip” Massie: Executive Director cmassie@klamath.org

Heather Tramp: Marketingand Program Coordinator

Do you own or manage rental properties?

• Ever had a tenant pay the rent late or not at all?

• Has your property been damaged by a tenant?

• Do you need rental forms?

• Are you looking to save money when upgrading or repairing your property?

• Are you aware of the Fair Housing regulations?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, find out how the Klamath Rental Owners Association can help you.

JOIN TODAY!

Email: heathert@klamath.org www.klamath.org www.facebook.com/Klamath Chamber twitter.com/AccessKlamath

4509 South 6th St. #314 www.KlamathROA.com

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Thurs day, June 25, 2015, Herald and News

Basin Business

NEW BUSINESS PROFILE

Krysta Chavez Agency American Family Insurance marketing strategies.

Phone contact:

Office 541-273-9850 weekdays

Business contact: 2650 Washburn Way Unit 104, Klamath Falls, OR 97603 www.krystachavezagency.com

Krysta Chavez

What was your motivation in opening this business?

I loved the American Family Insurance values, the key word being “family.” I wanted to do something that gave me the flexibility to attend my children’s functions and spend time with them. I also still wanted to be able to offer the customer service side, that I loved doing. I love to be able to build new relationships and maintain old ones. This agency gives me the opportunity to do all of these things plus represent a company who has great values.

Tell us about your goals and

Our agency value statement says it all. At the Krysta Chavez Agency, we strive to live by the American Family Insurance mission to maximize customer values through industry leading service, exceptional claims experiences and products that build long term relationships. We want to know what your dreams are, so we can help you protect them.

Tell us briefly about any special features of your product or service.

What makes your business unique or different? How does your business fit in Klamath’s marketplace?

We are all about education. Unfortunately, people have insurance and do not really know what they have. The first thing I like to do is educate them on what they have and how that will cover them in the event they need it. We also offer and encourage a yearly personal insurance review. We feel like this is important, lives are constantly

changing, your insurance agent is not always the first person you think of to notify. It gives us the opportunity to catch up and make sure we still have correct coverage.

Give a brief statement about your background and previous experience.

I have been in the Klamath Basin for over 25 years. Before stepping in as an agent with American Family Insurance, I was in banking for four years. The majority of my adult life was spend with Budget Car and Truck Rental for 13 years, as a station manager first then as an agent operator. Customer service has always been the focus for me.

Any other information you’d like to share?

Our Vision: To be the most trusted and valued customer-driven insurance company. Our Mission: Inspire, protect and restore dreams. Our Values: Innovative, caring, agile, trustworthy, transparent and passionate.

A better way to light your business A typical retail establishment operates its lighting more than 5,000 hours a year. With that many hours of operation, there’s ample opportunity to realize savings from energy-efficient lighting improvements.

Besides saving money each month on your electric bill, upgrading to high-efficiency lighting can make your workplace safer and reduce maintenance costs. It can also make your workforce more comfortable and productive.

The right lighting can improve the appeal and color of displayed merchandise and help drive sales.

Pacific Power and Energy Trust of Oregon team up to connect you with contractors, cash incentives and ways to make your business more profitable by making it more energy efficient.

To learn more about incentives for efficient lighting and other equipment, visit bewattsmart.com.

— Pacific Power and Energy Trust of Oregon

May hiring higher than expected in Klamath County; down from year ago Hiring in May was stronger than expected in Klamath County. However, employment levels remain down from the year-ago level. Unemployment levels ticked down, but some of these improvements continue to be driven by the declining labor force.

Klamath County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was essentially unchanged in May at 7.4 percent. The unemployment rate is down significantly from this time last year when it was 9.8 percent.

Seasonal hiring picked up in May with Klamath County adding 480 jobs, which was more than the typical gain of 420 jobs this time of year. As was expected, leisure and hospitality accounted for the bulk of the county’s job growth in May (+220).

Employment levels remain down slightly over the past year (-70 jobs), but the county is slowly making up ground. There were strong gains in health, tourism, and wholesale over the past year, while the bulk of job losses were concentrated in the professional sector and construction.

Lake County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 7.4 percent in May from 7.7 percent last month. Lake County’s rate was 10.1 percent at this time last year. Lake County added 70 jobs in May, typical

hiring for this time of year. The majority of those gains were split between federal and local government. Employment levels remain essentially unchanged from this time last year (+10 jobs). There were some minor job losses in the private sector (-40), while government posted a gain of 50 jobs.

Basin Business

Thurs day, June 25, 2015, Herald and News

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Chamber board Leadership Klamath focuses on business enrollment opens needs in workforce

By Chip Massie Klamath County Chamber Executive Director

Klamath County Chamber of Commerce members view workforce development as a priority that is much needed to sustain economic growth. Having an available, readyto-work, and skilled workforce that meets the needs, now and in the future, of regional businesses is one of the focuses of the new East Cascades Workforce Investment Board (ECWIB).

I am lucky to be helping transition the Massie ECWIB to an active, business driven and responsive board. The newly formed board has members from private business, higher education, community groups, labor, state agencies and economic development organizations, and is chartered to create a strategic vision for workforce training across a 10 county region that runs the length of HWY 97 in Oregon.

Funding for the board comes from Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds. The state of Oregon passes those funds (and some others) to the local boards to provide contracted services to employers and job seekers.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act signed by President Obama on July 22, 2014, is designed to improve the coordination of employment and training services across federal agencies, strengthen collaboration with state and local partners, and provide Americans with increased access to training, education and other support to succeed in the job market and in their careers.

The Act emphasizes the role of boards in coordinating and aligning workforce programs and adds functions to develop strategies to meet worker and employer needs.

While the devil is in the details, and programs serve a variety of displaced or under-skilled workers, the ultimate goal is to create a system that aligns local business needs with grass roots training programs that ensure job creators and job seekers are heard and ... the ultimate needs are being addressed. goal is to create a system that In recent aligns local busi- economic development indusness needs with grass roots train- trial recruitment meetings it has ing programs become clear that ensure job that a priority creators and for those comjob seekers panies considerare heard and ing building or needs are being expanding faciliaddressed. ties is the pipeline of available local workers and how communities are addressing the educational needs of the local workforce.

In the past, companies asked about the available workforce at the point of start-up but now there is a concern about the availability of workers in the future as part of growth strategy and profitability.

This focus on a sustainable workforce, over longer lengths of time, brings a variety of partners together to address how a community supports and creates a “work ready” talent pool. It means communities must focus on promoting workforce skills at all levels of education, have in place the means to understand the needs of job creators, and a plan for bring all those resources together.

The ECWIB is a step in the right direction and it will need to be regularly fed information that aids plan development and truly addresses community needs.

The Chamber is committed to providing the access and support our community needs, and we are ready to share your concerns and ideas with the new board.

The Klamath County Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for Leadership Klamath 2015-2016.

Leadership Klamath was developed by the Chamber in response to the ongoing need for leadership in all areas of public service.

For participants, the program creates a comprehensive and objective awareness of the Klamath community in action. The program consists of 10 one-day sessions over the course of a 10-month period. Each meeting encompasses a specific topic or industry such as: tourism, emergency services, education, legal systems and economic development.

The program fosters commitment to our region and develops leaders to meet the demands of the future.

Since its inception, more than 325 people have graduated from this distinguished and popular program. Beth Sanders of the Klamath County Museum is part of the 2014-2015 class.

Sanders said, “Leadership Klamath has not only introduced me to many of the opportunities, programs, and initiatives currently occurring in Klamath County, but has also allowed me to meet other current and future leaders within our community, both those in the program and those presenting, who have inspired me to think about how we can collaborate more effectively in Klamath to improve our individual and community capacities.”

Leadership Klamath identifies and motivates emerging leaders and develops their potential for community leadership by exposing them to the realities, opportunities and challenges facing of our area.

For 10 months, participants attend seminars, tours, lectures and briefings. The program challenges class participants to become more involved in the decision-making process of Klamath County in political, social and business arenas.

Anyone interested in learning more about the program may contact the Chamber at 541-884-5193 or register online.

Registrants who sign up before Aug. 15 will receive a $50 discount.

Deadline for registration is Aug. 29. The first session will begin Sept. 16 and continues every third Thursday through June 2016. For more information on how you or your company can become involved, or to register for the program please call the Chamber office.

Mark Fay, M.D. Scott Stevens, M.D. Physician/ Surgeon of the Eye Physician/ Surgeon of the Eye

Edwin Tuhy, O.D. Optometrist

Jennifer Sparks, O.D. Optometrist

New Patients Welcome

2640 Biehn St. • 541.884.3148 • www.klamatheyecenter.com

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Thurs day, June 25, 2015, Herald and News

Basin Business

Work toward your ‘financial Independence Day’ It’s almost the Fourth of July — time for fireworks, picnics and a reflection on all the liberties we possess in this country. But if you’re going to enjoy the freedom to do the things you want, especially during your retirement years, you’ll want to take the steps necessary to achieve your own “Financial Independence Day.” Here are a few suggestions for helping your reach that goal: ■ Liberate yourself from debt. For most of us, a certain amount of debt is unavoidable. But the greater control you can gain over your debts, the better off you will be, because any dollars not spent in paying debts can be used to save and invest for your future. So look for ways to cut down on your spending and think about postponing some purchases until you can pay for them in cash. It may not be easy, but it’s possible. And by putting this “found money” to work immediately in quality investments, you may motivate yourself to keep a lid on your debt level.

■ Unlock the power of time. Albert Einstein once said, “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” Einstein, who knew a thing or two about the nature of time, clearly recognized its importance in investing. In fact,

as an investor, time may be your greatest ally.

The more years in which you invest, the more dollars you’ll put in, and the longer you’ll have for your investments to potentially grow. Even if you’re just starting out in your career and can only invest a small amount each month, you’ll be starting to accumulate the amount you’ll eventually need to enjoy the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned.

■ Release your investments’ growth potential.

To attain financial freedom during your retirement years, you will need to invest for growth – it’s that simple. So include an appropriate amount of growth-oriented vehicles in your overall investment mix. Ultimately, this mix should be based on your risk tolerance, time horizon and specific long-term goals.

■ Free your investments from “clustering.” In the investment world, as in many other arenas of life, you can have “too much of a good thing.” For example, if you own a particular investment, such as a stock, that has done well, you might think that it’s a good idea to own more of the same type of stock. But when investing, duplication can be dangerous, because if a market downturn affects one asset class particularly hard, and much of

your portfolio is tied up in that asset class, you could take a big hit. Instead of “clustering” your dollars around a single asset or two, you could diversify your holdings by owning a mix of stocks, bonds, government securities and other vehicles.

While diversification can potentially help you reduce the impact of volatility on your holdings, a diversified portfolio can’t guarantee a profit or protect you from loss.

Achieving any type of freedom, in any kind of endeavor, takes time and effort. That’s certainly the case with financial freedom — you will need to consistently make the right moves, over a period of many years, before you can finally declare your fiscal independence.

But once you reach that point, you will likely conclude that your diligence and dedication were well worth it.

MEREDITH HOFFMAN Financial Advisor, Edward Jones 1307 S Alameda Avenue, Suite B Klamath Falls, OR 97603-3601 Phone: 541-273-2483 Fax: 877-452-1831

Cha mber g ol f t ou r n ey The annual “Swing into Summer Golf Tournament” raised about $5,000 for the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce programs and efforts. The tournament was held Friday at Reames Golf Course. Below is the winning team — Bryce Wortman, Angie Wortman, Ginny Monroe and Lexi Crawford. At left is a group from one of the tournament sponsors, Seasons Change Energy Solutions.

K a

Basin Business

Thurs day, June 25, 2015, Herald and News

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Sanchez earns three medals

KU junior goes back-to-back at DECA international competition Long study sessions, practicing role-plays and inspiring creativity paid off for Klamath Union High School junior Vanessa Sanchez as she earned three medals at the 2015 International DECA Career Development Conference and a place in KU DECA history.

Sanchez competed in the Quick Serve Restaurant Management event at the International competition, placing in the Top 10 out of nearly 200 competitors. She earned a role play medal and a finalist medal before placing top 10 in the finals.

“I was really nervous waiting for my event. I know the competition is really tough and I just wanted a chance to make it to finals again,” Sanchez said.

Last year, she placed in the top 20 and also earned a role-play medal in the same event.

“This year my role plays where challenging, but I studied most of the information that was covered in the role plays. The role play I won the medal for was about a small restaurant that had a dress code for all employees and a policy of no tattoos showing during work hours.

“Employees complained about the temperature of the restaurant and not being able to roll up their sleeves because of tattoos. I created a plan that would work for both the employees and the company. Apparently my judge liked my plan because they awarded me first out of all the people in my group,” she said.

“Hearing my name called during the first award session was so exciting. I was one of the last ones called and wanted one more chance to compete in finals. While I was on the stage, I heard my name for the roleplay award, but was anxious to make

“I can’t describe how I felt hearing my name called. The run to the stage was so cool. Most of my chapter came to the edge of the stage to support me. I was hoping to earn a top 3 trophy, but just being on the Top 10 stage was unbelievable enough.”

Vanessa Sanchez finals too. Then I heard my name and was relieved and excited for another trip back to finals and competing with the top 20 participants.”

The final competition includes one role-play and an exam score. Her final role play focused on setting pricing strategies for a quick serve restaurant near an event facility.

Participants were asked to create variable pricing strategies based on the different events scheduled.

“I thought I nailed this role play. I created a strategy for the company to maximize profits for select events. It was exciting to have a role play that was challenging, but that I also was prepared for.”

“During the final award ceremony I had to wait for over two hours for my event,” Sanchez said.

While waiting, she was able to see other Oregon DECA members earn trophies and Top 10 awards. The suspense was short for her event,

Courtesy photo

Vanessa Sanchez, a junior at Klamath Union High School, is pictured with her medals at the 2015 International DECA Career Development Conference in Orlanda, Fla.

because she was the first person called of the 10 finalists.

“I can’t describe how I felt hearing my name called. The run to the stage was so cool. Most of my chapter came to the edge of the stage to support me. I was hoping to earn a top 3 trophy, but just being on the Top 10 stage was unbelievable enough.”

Sanchez joins unique company as one of the few students to be a twotime International DECA finalist.

Next year she can join Jeff Barker as the only person in school history to be a three-time finalist.

“I am looking forward to next year. I plan to recruit more members and show them how the DECA experience can make a difference in your life. DECA is such a cool environment and I enjoy all the amazing things I have been able experience.”

While in Orlando, KU DECA members where able to spend a day on Cocoa Beach, enjoy time in Universal Studios Park, and hang out at the hotel pool.

Along with Sanchez the following students attended the conference: • Brin Rey — Food Service Marketing • Gray Prescott — Automotive Services Marketing • Jaedyn DeForrest — Business Services Marketing • Savannah Peterson & Sarah Zacharias — Hospitality Services Team Decision • Anna Poznanskaya — ASPIRE leadership institute KU DECA advisor is Nat Ellis.

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Basin Business

Thurs day, June 25, 2015, Herald and News

Paid Advertisement

June 2015 Newsletter for Oregon State Senator Doug Whitsett, District 28 Senator Doug Whitsett

Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-311 Salem, OR 97301 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1728

R-Klamath Falls - District 28 I represent the citizens of Senate District 28, which includes Klamath, Lake and Crook, as well as parts of Jackson and Deschutes Counties.

As Senator of one of the largest Senate districts in the state, it is extremely important that my constituents remain in contact with me about the issues and concerns that affect their lives. You and I must work together to protect the common interests of rural Oregonians.

I encourage you to contact my office by either email or telephone so that I can know how to best serve you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best Regards, Senator Doug Whitsett

Newsletters: www.leg.state.or.us/whitsett Email Senator Doug Whitsett: sen.dougwhitsett@state.or.us

HERE’S THE KICKER: A HEALTHY OREGON BUDGET RELIES ON SPENDING RESTRAINT Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan famously used the phrase “irrational exuberance” in 1996 to describe conditions in which the stock market becomes overvalued. His comments came a few years before the crash of the dot-com bubble that had inspired much of the undue confidence in the market throughout the late 1990s.

Oregon’s most recent revenue forecast was released on Thursday, May 14. “Irrational exuberance” could certainly be accurately used to describe the reaction of Democratic leaders to that estimate of future state income.

The forecast predicted significantly more revenue than had previously been expected. It was immediately hailed as Oregon’s “happy end” to the Great Recession that began, following the near collapse of the entire national economy, in 2008.

However, history has shown that the prediction for significantly more revenue is always to be expected in the May economic forecast issued in an odd-numbered year.

That’s because the Legislature is in session, and extra revenue is always needed when budgets are being written and new programs are being proposed.

It is widely believed that political pressure is routinely applied to ensure that those revenue estimates are as rosy as possible in order to warrant increased spending. Democratic leaders consistently ignore the very low levels of statistical confidence in the forecast that makes additional spending illadvised.

Despite the overwhelming optimism surrounding the forecast, the state economist was unable to maintain his enthusiasm when presenting the forecast to Legislators. He began by stating that “there is a lot of new money in it” and a “significant amount of more available resources” compared to last year and the March forecast.

He followed this opening by cautioning that his predictions were aggressive and optimistic, no less than three times, during his presentation. He said that “the trouble is, we don’t know if any of these additional resources are real yet.” The economist did make mention of “downside risk” and “uncertainty,” and warned Legislators that there are “no dollars in the door yet” and to keep any spending “feeding frenzy at bay.” He cautioned that carrying some of those projected dollars through to an ending balance of reserve funds would be “prudent.”

Perhaps even more concerning, he described signs of “fault lines” at the national level and other numbers “that are troubling.” They include a “softening” in manufacturing, retail sales and overall spending. The economist also cautioned that Oregon’s labor force participation rate remains lower than it should be in healthy economic conditions.

Nevertheless, Democratic leaders were quick to make plans to spend the newfound wealth on needful things. More than $100 million of the “new found” money was immediately dedicated to K-12 school funding.

I agree with our economist that prudence should be exercised by the legislative body. Experience has taught me that we should anticipate the next economic forecast, to be issued in September, will predict a sharp, and “unexpected downturn” in projected revenue.

There are other reasons why we should refrain from “irrational exuberance.”

Also released this month, but to much less fanfare, was the Secretary of State’s 2014 Financial Condition Report.

Unfortunately, it tells a much different story regarding the state’s overall financial condition.

The Oregon Legislature’s engagement in heavy borrowing during the past decade has led to substantial debt payments that divert taxpayer dollars away from critical services.

Transportation funding in the state has been augmented, since 2002, by borrowing money for highway construction projects.

Payment of principle and interest due on that enormous debt will significantly compound the State’s inability to pay for highway maintenance and preservation.

Oregon’s health and human services spending has more than doubled since 2007. Its continued growth comes at the expense of education, public safety and other programs.

We were lucky enough to have created a Rainy Day fund to help carry state government through the worst times of the Great Recession. That reserve account helped to fund critical services during the period of reduced revenue. But the Legislature has yet to make any meaningful efforts to replenish that fund, leaving us even more vulnerable in the event of the next economic downturn.

One solution that has been offered involves suspending “kicker” rebates to Oregon taxpayers and redirecting those funds towards education and the Rainy Day Fund. Such a proposal will be adamantly opposed by myself and other Legislators. That is because we wish to uphold the wishes of voters who approved a measure to place the “kicker” in the Oregon Constitution as the state government’s only mechanism for a realistic spending limitation.

The audit report goes on to state that Oregon has experienced virtually no growth in new businesses since the 2008 onset of the Great Recession. Our unemployment rate has exceeded the national average, every year, since 1996.

Oregonians’ per capita income is 11 percent below the national average, and continues to decline.

There are other troubling signs for the state’s economy as it relates to other states and the nation as a whole.

The state’s property crime rate is 12th highest in the nation and climbing. We also rank third-highest in the rate of identity theft.

The number of Oregonians on varying forms of government dependence further serves to erode any sense of “irrational exuberance” and proclamations of an impressive economic recovery. Nearly one million Oregonians are on Medicaid, 800,000 are on food stamps, and our rate of people living in poverty has increased 30 percent during the past dozen years.

It’s true that there has been growth in some economic sectors. But most of the growth in employment has been in the education and health care sectors, and have largely resulted from the hiring of more government employees.

The cure to Oregon’s budget problems is based on spending restraint and increased revenue from private sector job creation. We must return to our natural resources based free-market economy if Oregon is to once again be a prosperous place to live and raise a family Regardless of the overly optimistic predictions from our state economist, our Secretary of State’s audit makes clear that “happy days” are not quite here again. It is important that our policy makers set aside the feel-good “irrational exuberance” that could lead to very bad policy and spending decisions.

We should instead exercise the kind of prudence in spending that has been sorely lacking in Oregon government for so long. And we must stop throttling our State’s free market economy with myriad restrictions and regulations.

Perhaps most importantly, we should never stop reminding Oregon’s political leaders that healthy Oregon budgets are entirely dependent upon a healthy private sector economy.

Please remember—if we do not stand up for rural Oregon, no one will.

Best regards, Doug Follow the link below to subscribe to an electronic version of my weekly legislative newsletter updates: https://public.govdelivery. com/accounts/ORLEG/subscriber/new?topic_id=ORLEG_30.