I Can Only Assume

Someone from the state must want me to put this on my blog seeing how they've sent it to me 3 times in the last 24 hours (never happened before). Ok... here it is. Now stop sending it to me!

OFFICE OF THE SENATE PRESIDENT 
 
900 Court St., N.E., Room S‐203
Salem OR  97301
www.leg.state.or.us/senate/senpres 
NEWS RELEASE
Contact:    Robin Maxey      November 17, 2008
                   (503) 986‐1605    
                   robin.maxey@state.or.us 
 
RISING UNEMPLOYMENT SHOWS NEED FOR LEGISLATURE TO CREATE JOBS, PROTECT SAFETY NET 
 
Statement by Senate President Peter Courtney

“The release today of the October unemployment figures is the first of two sobering announcements I expect this week. The second will come in the form of Wednesday's quarterly revenue forecast. I expect it to be bad. I can handle bad. I just need to know how bad it’s going to be.

“The jump in unemployment in our state to 7.3 percent tells me two things. It is critical that the Legislature do all it can to protect the human services safety net on which more and more Oregonians will need to depend – things like food stamps, aid to needy families and health care for children. Plus, we must create jobs by making long overdue investments in our infrastructure.

“All of the experts – including the State Treasurer and the state economist – say the best thing the Legislature can do to help turn the economy around is to create jobs.

“As the most veteran member of the Oregon Legislature I have been through severe economic crisis in the past – in the early 80s as a freshman in the House and six years ago when it took five painful special sessions before we were able to stop the bleeding. Trying times like those teach you something. It is my goal for the Legislature to approach this recession with the wisdom learned from the pain Oregonians endured in 2002.

“We are already gathering information so that we can approach the 2009 session and the cuts that are going to be necessary in a way that will keep the criminals from running wild, protect education, protect the human services safety net and give us the ability to invest in jobs-creating infrastructure projects.”