The sense of wonder I feel about Oregon and its flagship university is as potent now as on my first day — the character of the people, the quality of the institution, the geography, the colors, the perfect temperatures and the fun peculiarities of this community. Only a great place can claim Wayne Morse and Bill Bowerman among its heroes, have a statue of Ken Kesey in its civic square and crown a Slug Queen each year. Eugene exudes innovation, originality and extraordinary excellence.

Do you see what he did there? Lariviere invoked all of Eugene’s major cultural touchstones: old hippies, track and field and endemic celebrations of our own counter-culture. Well played, sir.

In the rest of the guest commentary, Lariviere touts the University, its faculty and its mad research skills:

In 2008-09 fiscal year, our sponsored research programs brought in more than $100 million in grants and contracts, much of it directly related to research discoveries and commercial applications. External funding has consistently increased for the past decade. The University of Oregon is now among the top universities in the United States in terms of its return on research through licensing of technologies.

Beyond a passion for teaching and research that is second to none, there is a drive for innovation, collaboration and interdisciplinary exploration that I have not experienced on any other campus. A new academic plan, called “Big Ideas,” brings faculty and students together in new ways to answer broad questions about society and our world. This is another example of how the UO is on the leading edge in higher education.

Over at UO Matters, the author is nonplussed:

[N]ice words, but we got those from Frohnmayer all the time – prestigious AAU membership, extraordinary faculty, opportunity for students – yada yada. Reads like Frohnmayer’s speechwriter wrote it. (Yup, same guy.) This is just cheap talk. Lariviere needs to make some changes very soon or we really will have a union.

UO economics professor Tim Duy, who monitors the state economy very closely, said that in addition to drops in higher ed funding, state revenue forecasts for the coming year are “trending down below expectations.”

Duy said the fundamental problem is the initial forecasts were too optimistic in how fast the labor market will rebound. But even then, “very rapid growth wouldn’t fix the gap between expenditures and revenue,” he said.

Sorry to rain a little more on everyone’s parade.

“If these companies are forced to harvest when prices are low, or default on contracts, we will lose mills and jobs,”

DeFazio said Thursday. “This legislation could make or break some of the family owned Oregn companies that are already holding on by a thread.”
This legislation will provide short-term assistance to the timber industry, in hopes to give workers a push in a better direction financially.

To see OLCV’s complete scorecard, follow the link.

“I am extremely excited to launch this blog as part of our Social Media initiative,”

Brown said in the first posting on the blog. “I believe that social networking and media present a tremendous opportunity for government and the public to have a truly interactive discussion about the state and how it is run.”

The blog will provide updates on the agency’s four divisions, an area for public comments and feedback, as well as links to state twitter and facebook accounts.

The Secretary of State website, while still considered a work in progress, will also host updated links to social media portals.

The three were named by the Lane County Commission Monday, and will be questioned Sept. 22.

Hoyle has chaired the county Democratic Party and served on the staff of State Sen. Floyd Prozanski. Dennis has also served in a high capacity in the party and been director of the Lord Leebrick theater. Orton is a mental health counselor for the county.

Edwards left to take Vicki Walker’s Senate seat, into which he was sworn in earlier this month. Here’s the R-G’s story about this.

Kitzhaber, formerly a physician , currently serves as the Director for the Center for Evidence Based Policy at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. In additions, Kitzhaber launched The Archimedes Movement, a program “committed to building a meaningful opportunity for engagement through which the growing concern over our health care system can be channeled into effective action”.

In his Sept. 2 letter, Kitzhaber highlighted the areas in which he aims to focus on as governor, including the increase of in-state jobs and employment, the improvement of state health care, and  a development in pre-school to graduate school education.

“I believe Oregon’s best days still lie ahead. But to shape that future will require a new civility and a willingness to move beyond partisanship and stakeholder politics”

he wrote this morning.

Along with Kitzhaber, Democrat Brian Clem and Republican Allen Alley have also officially announced their intent to run in next year’s gubernatorial race. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio is also expected to run.

“The most fundamental thing that I have learned from my terms as governor and over the last six years is that what we are doing now simply is not working: it’s not working for our kids; it is not working for our families; it is not working for Oregon”

wrote Kitzhaber.

“This November would have marked a quarter century for me in the Oregon Legislature. Today, however, I am saying farewell to an institution that I love deeply and respectfully. I am fortunate, though, to carry forward into my new career my passion for ensuring that our most vulnerable citizens receive the services they need to thrive and prosper.”

She said that it will be tough to leave her 25-year stint in the legislature, but is ready to start the next chapter in her life, especially when the Department of Human Services is serving a record number of people. “Margaret Carter is a legislative giant. Someone will be named to succeed her, but no one will ever replace her,” Senate President Peter Courtney said.

In the usual legislative seat-filling form, the Democratic Precinct committee is responsible for choosing 3-5 nominees to fill her seat. The Multnomah County Commission will then select a predecessor from the group for her Northeast Portland district. Carter plans to officially resign and accept the new position on Aug. 31.

Plans of his veto were announced last month, prior to the state’s Board of Higher Education’s meeting to discussion tuition hikes.

“I am deeply concerned that this provision would force the University system to raise tuition, which … will operate to make higher education less accessible for,many low-income and middle-income Oregonians.”

Kulongoski said Aug. 6, in a letter explaining his veto. Expected tuition increased for the upcoming fall terms range from 3.5 percent to 15.4 percent from fall 2008, with University of Oregon at the highest end. Higher education is “in a much more dire situation than many state agencies,” said Anna Richter Taylor, a spokeswoman for the governor. “It’s not unlikely they’ll have to make even bigger cuts.”

“Statewide, kids are going to be healthier and smarter, and we are all going to benefit from it.”

Kulongoski said this morning.

This new influx of young patients may come as a relief to families across the state, but leaves pediatricians  searching for increased staff, supply, and general care funding. The health plan’s payments do not cover doctor’s cost in the Portland area, forcing many doctors to turn away new patients included in the new plan. This means that some of the newly added children may have to travel father distances to receive health care, although this time with the additional insurance plan bonus.

The plan will be set into action on Oct. 1.