John Kitzhaber’s resignation elevates to the governor’s office Kate Brown, and this raises the possibility and the hope that the executive part of the state government will actually get things done.
John Kitzhaber’s resignation elevates to the governor’s office Kate Brown, and this raises the possibility and the hope that the executive part of the state government will actually get things done.
The election has shown that in Oregon failure is an option after all. The majority of Oregon voters does not care that through lax management and poor judgment, the state government under John Kitzhaber has wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on failed health-care and bridge planning projects.
Oregon has not elected a Republican governor since Vic Atiyeh won his second term in 1982. Dennis Richardson hopes to end the GOP drought this year. In Albany Wednesday night, he spoke and answered questions. And from what I heard, I’d say he has a shot.
Gov. John Kitzhaber will seek another term in 2014, his second consecutive term and fourth overall. The way Oregon votes lately, he’ll probably get what he wants — but maybe not if enough voters look at what he’s actually done.
The answer: Openness and candor
The Kitzhaber affair would not have cascaded into a debacle if he had been forthcoming from the start. So the lesson for public officials once again is this: Complete and utter openness is the only thing that offers any hope of repairing serious mistakes.
Tags: Cylvia Hayes, John Kitzhaber, Oregon Public Records Law