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Public Comments - Speeches

Marion County DemoForum
May 3, 2006

“Leadership for a Change: A New Vision for Reclaiming the Promise of Eden”

Thank you for the opportunity to be here.
  
A year ago today, I was in Iraq: I didn’t imagine then that I would have this privilege.

But sometimes circumstances call upon us to change our plans. 

After four years of military service at home and abroad – I returned to find Oregon, our Oregon – at risk.   

This election “We the People” have a mission.  We have a mission to reclaim the promise, potential, and possibility that is Oregon.

We must rekindle the spirit of Oregon – for it is Our charge to keep.

For the past several weeks I have tried to find an appropriate way that best describes where we are, where we need to go, what we need to do, and how we do it.

Ultimately, I decided that I could best describe our circumstance through story. 

It is the narrative – story – through which people identify with truths, meaning, and associated realities.

And one of my favorite stories is David and Goliath. 

It is a story that is known to most of us: whatever you believe the Bible to be – it is a cultural well of human drama – a collection of narratives that illustrate and explain the human condition.    

And this story does exactly that.

Most of us know it, but let me briefly summarize.

Long ago, in land far away – two groups faced each other opposite hills. 
  
Atop one hill, the Philistines, led by Goliath – a powerful figure – known and feared throughout the region, waited and watched – seeking an opportunity to vanquish the intruders.  For forty days, each and every morning, the giant would dare his enemies to face him. 

On the other side of the valley were the Israelites.  This army was led by King Saul – a man who accepted the apparent helplessness of the situation – he knew what was needed, but lacked the will.

One day, David – a boy who was too small to actually serve in army – appealed to Saul for the opportunity to champion their cause.

Finally, either because of a genuine belief in David, or more likely, because he was frustrated and didn’t know what else to do, Saul gave David his blessing to meet the giant in the valley below.

David understood his circumstances: he knew full well that he was walking into an unfair fight against a tested, popular warrior.

But he believed in something larger than himself – and he knew someone had to act: David recognized his people were in peril – he made a conscious choice to change their circumstance.

He alone – he alone – remembered that sometimes, faith can transform the equation – even against a giant. 
 David didn’t take a poll.  He didn’t use a focus group – he wasn’t handed a detailed analysis of past behavior or a multi-point plan for victory.

Nope.  He took his sling, a few good stones, and a certainty that only leaders possess.

You see, I don’t know if there was a Philistine press in those days, but I know that if there was – it would favored the giant – the reporters would have known him, some might have liked him.

And I don’t know if there was a Philistine political class, but they too would have been reluctant to support a challenger against a proven champion – change would have been uncomfortable.

Ironically, the giant had the best equipment, the most resources, and quite likely – the highest quality counsel privilege could afford; he was the favorite because all the certified smart people of the time believed it so.

And David slew Goliath.

Whether it was with one stone, or five – whether it was David alone – or some other extraordinary event that we will someday discover – whatever it was, David made a stand, took his best shot, and the giant fell. 

In that instant the world changed: a new chapter was written – a leader was born.

That story has a direct relationship to our Story, to Our Oregon Story.

It illustrates our values: perseverance, courage, personal commitment, faith, and hope. 

These are important values for us because Oregon has overcome difficult challenges before. 

Out of the rugged Pacific Northwest, we built a society – a culture of progress – based upon the willingness of individuals to invest themselves in community and to accept the trials of change – to claim for themselves and their posterity a New Eden.

We must not forget that Oregon was a Progressive leader throughout the last Century. 

We must not forget that the Initiative, Referendum, and Recall were constructed instruments – crafted of, by, and for the people – for the people’s good.

We must not forget our legacy – for our Oregon Story was written through the sacrifice of those that came before us.

Our Story is an amazing tale: full of triumphs, defeats, and unbelievable acts of charity – composed by heroes, rogues, and everyday people that wanted something better for themselves – and something better for their community.

It was this promise – the promise of the Oregon Story that led to what we now regard as the last progressive chapter of our history.

Governor McCall and the Oregon Legislature kept faith with that promise: the bottle bill, the open beaches bill, the Willamette River cleanup, and land use planning are powerful reminders of that era.

And it was a threat to that promise – that compelled a dying, cancer-filled McCall from his sickbed to wage one last crusade for the soul of our community.

He stood up for what he knew to be right – he fought the forces of unchecked development, and he too slew a giant.

My friends, I say that the real enemies we face – are not so different from the enemies we have always faced: selfishness, greed, the corruption of institutional power, and the hollow comfort of others to blame.

Our newest chapter of the Oregon Story – a chapter that began in 1990 – has largely been written by those that have forsaken our promise; it has been drafted by and for people that have forgotten our soul.

Ballot measure after ballot measure after ballot measure has been conceived, funded, and then sold to an unsuspecting public with the solitary purpose of deconstructing our government: the decay, disinvestment, and disarray left in the wake is a sad testament to the lack of Legislative Leadership over much of the past two decades. 

At present, we have a political culture that is upside down.

For too long, we have confused familiarity with our elected leaders with a capacity of those leaders to engage us – and lead.

For too long, we have allowed a culture of corruption to poison our community; in far too many instances, those elected to protect our interests have elected instead to protect themselves.

For too long, we have confused the political power of incumbency with the righteous might of legitimacy. 

And sadly, for too long, we have allowed the few to control the choices of the many; we have established a permanent state of institutional paralysis, and we have voluntarily surrendered our individual power.

Special Interests now sustain a political culture that makes choices upon the assumptions that serve the interests of stability, predictability, and the status quo.

So then, why should we be surprised – why, should we be surprised – when those that profit most from the status quo work hardest to elect incumbents that sustain the status quo?

Einstein once remarked that true insanity was, “doing the same things over and over again, and expecting a different result.”

I have said it before I shall say it again today: this campaign is not about party, it is not about whether the incumbent is or is not a nice person, it is not about winning a specific election – it is about changing the political culture of our community.

That mission: changing our culture – the political dynamics of our community – will not happen, cannot happen, unless we empower new leaders.

We cannot win a 21st Century struggle with 19th Century tactics: we need tested leaders ready, able, and willing to seek out new innovative solutions – leaders courageous enough to risk to gain – leaders that aren’t wed to the status quo.

This election is about a choice: are we willing to stand up for Oregon?  Are we willing to work hard enough to realize its promise?  Are we courageous enough to fight the special interests?  And are we committed enough, committed enough to demand Leadership for a Change?

2006 isn’t about the incumbent. 

Elections should NEVER be about whether the incumbent has done something “bad” enough to warrant change. 

Elections are about the future.

Elections SHOULD ALWAYS be about the candidate and his/her vision for the future; about their capacity to lead people in realizing that future; about which person asks you to hold them accountable for that building that future – about which person you want defending your interests when the party, the pundits, and the press aren’t looking.

I suggest to you today, we know the incumbent’s vision for the future – by definition, the past three decades of service are, for good or ill, the incumbent’s vision.

If you are satisfied with a second rate education for our children, a crumbling infrastructure, a disappearing quality of life, out of control health care costs, and a wildly unbalanced tax program that favors the wealthy – above all else, then stick with the status quo – stick with the status quo.

If you are satisfied with a Legislature that can only function when faced with a power outage, a frustrated electorate, and election year expectations – stick with the status quo.

And if you are satisfied with a growing disparity in wealth between the rich and poor, unfettered development of our farm and forest lands, a continued war on wages, and a shrinking middle class – stick with the status quo. 

But, if you believe we can do better – if you believe Oregon can realize our promise, if you believe that Oregon can and must defeat the Goliaths of selfishness, greed, and institutional corruption, then we need to fight for a new vision – a new relationship between our people and our Government.

I am asking for your help – your individual participation in, and your commitment to, building that new relationship.

Today, I am here to formally propose a new arrangement, a new compact for Oregonians.

Taken together, the four primary elements of the Pioneer Compact provide – a principle-centered approach for making meaningful progress, in our time.

First, Oregon must Guarantee Opportunity for all our citizens. 

This means education, training, health care, and building systems that reward work and emphasize realistic achievement.

This means full funding and implementation of a quality education model that will prepare our students for the 21st Century: smaller class sizes, safer school grounds, and realistic accountability measures.

This means providing system development charge authorities for school districts and educational support districts.

This means expansion of post-secondary apprentice, education, and training opportunities: developing a lifelong continuum of learning.

And this means universal access to quality, affordable health care for all Oregonians: greater transparency in billing, closing loopholes of corporations that evade health care costs, and creation of a public commission with sole authority for rate increases. 

Second, Oregon must provide a Safe Environment.

This means breathable air, healthy lands, and safe water; it means safe streets, it means secure borders. Oregon cannot realize our potential when our citizens feel afraid. 

This means living up to our responsibilities as stewards: finding a new balance between the requirements for progress and the health of our environment, we demand and deserve.   

This means getting serious about public safety: we need more troopers, more firefighters, and more EMS personnel – we cannot afford to continue ignoring the risks.  

This means working with federal partners and developing collaborative training centers: together we can create regional centers of disaster response excellence and strengthen our national defense.

And this means significant investment in essential homeland security functions: we need to build a civil defense infrastructure with communication, pre-deployed equipment, and we need to boost available training for first-responder volunteers.

Third, Oregon must Protect our Basic Rights: to think, to act, and live without fear.

Oregonians should have the right to achieve their dreams – with respect, dignity, and honesty.  We must relearn that we live with each other, not merely nearby – that being a good neighbor strengthens our community.   

This means increasing transparency at all levels of government: it is time for a ban on corporate gifting, and open-ended tax loopholes; we must refill the reservoir of trust for our public institutions.

This means we must insist on periodic review and “sunset” clauses on significant policy initiatives – we cannot allow ourselves to be trapped by programs that inhibit our pursuit of progress.

This means developing policies that encourage and sustain a public service ethic: it is time we require all high school graduates to pass a citizenship test; they are inheritors of the most complex democracy in human history – why do we expect more of our drivers than our voters?   

This means that we need to evaluate our civic responsibilities – we should find ways to encourage public service through our tax policy.   

And this means renewing our collective commitment to protecting individual liberties through access to justice.  We must invest in our judicial capacities – “for justice delayed,” truly is justice denied. 

Fourth, Oregon must Promote the Future, Provide in the Present.

We must find sustainable solutions: we must continue progress through collaboration, open dialogue, and responsible planning.

This means helping every region of our state to collaborate with public/private partners to develop regional planning tools and strategic public investments.

This means beginning a conversation about comprehensive reform and tax fairness: repealing the corporate kicker, reevaluating the corporate minimum tax, making tax cheaters pay, and over the long term – finding an appropriate structure to sustain the functions we need.

This means targeted technology investments: magnet programs that maximize local available renewable energy possibilities and foster commerce.

And this means creating the most dynamic “incubator” for small business opportunity in the nation: Eden has always been an oasis of hope – we must now pool our resources and talent, and together create an oasis of innovation.

Sometime in the future, we will look back upon this election and wonder at the difference between now and then.   

Our children will ask us what we did, what role we played, and how it felt to change history – how it felt to renew the Oregon Story.

2006 is the year of change – this is our moment, this is our time.

It is time for us to cast aside the shackles of mediocrity.

It is time for us to remember that incumbency isn’t an entitlement.

It is time for us to write a new chapter of Our Oregon Story.

It is time for a new generation of leaders to rise.

It is time for Leadership for a Change.