As the Democratic National Convention opens in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday the top Democrat in Oregon says he’s looking forward to a serious discussion about the nation's challenges.
Michael Clapp / OPB
At a Labor Day rally, Governor John Kitzhaber told OPB he wants Democrats to take on several policy issues. The first, Kitzhaber says is the thorny question of how to manage taxes, entitlement programs and the national debt.
He also wants to hear the economy put in the context of environmental protection and public education.
“We’re going to need to really ramp up our investment in public education– it’s very, very hard to get ahold of a good job without some education today. And we spend just a tiny fraction of the federal budget on education today compared to most of our major competitors. And I think the other one is dispelling this false myth between a sound environment and a healthy economy,” said Kitzhaber.
Kitzhaber says he’s anxious to hear policy debates guide the presidential contest in the months to come. He called for a “real dialogue” about the future of the country, once the nomination process is over.
