An Independent Spirit:An Independent Spirit:Oregon, Her People, and Her LegacyOregon, Her People, and Her Legacy

By Brianne KennedyBy Brianne KennedyPolitics 303Politics 303

Professor BasuProfessor BasuWillamette UniversityWillamette University

Spring 2004Spring 2004

Overview of PresentationOverview of Presentation

1. Service-Learning Experience

2. Why Oregon Matters

3. A Maverick State from the Beginning

4. Oregon: Things Look Different Here

5. Looking Back and Working Ahead

“She flies with her own wings.” State Motto

Service-Learning ExperienceService-Learning ExperienceJackie Winters for CongressJackie Winters for Congress

http://www.jackiewinters.comhttp://www.jackiewinters.com

• The Good • The Bad

Why Oregon MattersWhy Oregon MattersHealth CareHealth Care

• The Oregon Health Plan stands out as an “innovative, trail-blazing formula for achieving universal health care .” (Source: Oregon Health Care Forum , December 2000)

• “I do not know of any more thorough and better-intended effort to ration health care than [Oregon’s].” (Peter Ubel, MD in Pricing Life, page 150)

• In Pricing Life, Ubel uses the Oregon Health Plan as a case study for his discussions of, among other things:-Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA)-Defining “health care rationing”(11)

-Ranking the importance of health care services (56-57)

-The role of physicians in rationing (107), and-Methods for rationing (149)

Why Oregon MattersWhy Oregon MattersAssisted SuicideAssisted Suicide

• Oregon is the only state which currently allows assisted suicide. • “One in 1,000 people in Oregon chose to end their lives in 2003.”

(Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/special/assisted_suicide/)

• “Opponents can no longer afford the luxury of assuming that ‘it can never happen here.’”

(Wesley Smith in Forced Exit, page 140)

• In Forced Exit, Smith spends roughly 40 pages discussing Oregon.

• Since assisted suicide has been legalized in Oregon, at least 14

other states have “considered measures to legalize assisted suicide and/or euthanasia.” (Source http://www.mfc.org/resources/backgrounders/assistedsuicide.htm)

Why Oregon MattersWhy Oregon MattersThe Death PenaltyThe Death Penalty

• “Oregon is going to play a special role in [ending the death penalty] nationally.” Sister Helen Prejean, November 2001 (Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer 11/9/04)

• “LIFE FOR A LIFE” INITIATIVE (failed)

-Would have replaced the death penalty with mandatory life imprisonment.

-Chief backers were Sen. Hatfield, OR Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.

-Appeared in 2001 to be the only drive in any of the 38 states with the death penalty to repeal it. (Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer 11/9/04)

University of Oregon Conference

Debacle

See: "Reasons Not to Oppose Death Penalty“

Oregonian 3/3/02

A Maverick State from the BeginningA Maverick State from the BeginningOregon’s “Pioneer Roots”Oregon’s “Pioneer Roots”

Key Dates in Oregon’s Founding-1542: Spain discovers Oregon’s coast

-1805: Lewis and Clark explore Oregon

-1843: The first pioneers arrive on Oregon Trail

-1848: The Oregon Territory is created

-1859: Oregon becomes the 33rd state(Source: http://www.thingstodo.com/states/OR/history.htm)

“Oregonians have a strong streak of individualism. It’s been an element in Oregon character since

pioneer days.” E. Kimbark MacColl, Historian

A Maverick State from the BeginningA Maverick State from the BeginningPioneering Progressiveness Pioneering Progressiveness

Oregon was the first state to:-Directly elect its U.S. Senators-Pass a strong minimum-wage law-Ban non-returnable bottles and cans-Mandate that all beaches remain public-Address GM food labeling on ballot

Manzanita Beach

• A Citizen Legislature

• Oregonians once seriously considered creating a separate

country.

• “We are votin’, gloatin’ pioneers, controlling our destiny, protecting our

space.” Steve Duin, Journalist (Oregonian 11/9/97)

• Oregon legalized abortions before Roe vs. Wade.

Oregon: Things Look Different HereOregon: Things Look Different HereMajor Demographic DivisionsMajor Demographic Divisions

Rich vs. Poor

• Oregon ranks fifth among the 50 states in terms of income inequality between the rich and poor.

• 11.6% of Oregonians currently live under the poverty line, including 21.1% of children under 5.

Urban vs. Rural

• Urban and rural areas of Oregon are so different that they are sometimes referred to as “the Two Oregons”.

• About 45% of Oregonians live in the 5 counties the federal government has termed “the Portland-

Vancouver Metropolitan Statistical Area”. The other 55% live in Oregon’s 31 other counties.

"Myths and Realities of the Two Oregons"

(Sources: http://www.skidmore.edu/~j_gottli/socioeconomic.html; http://www.impresaconsulting.com/2Oregons.htm; “Poor slip further while the rich get richer”, The Register Guard 1/18/00)

Oregon: Things Look Different HereOregon: Things Look Different HereA Snapshot of Oregon PoliticsA Snapshot of Oregon Politics

Election 2000

•Bush lost in Oregon by fewer than 6,800 votes.

Oregon is going to be vital in the 2004

presidential election.

Party Registration

• 21 percent of Oregon’s voters are registered as independents, more than any other state in the country.

• There are only 44,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans in Oregon.

The State Legislature

• The Senate is evenly split with 15 Republicans and 15 Democrats.

• There is a Republican majority in the House, although only by 5 of 60 total seats.

(Sources: “Bush Campaign Targets Oregon, Washington”, Oregonian 6/14/03; http://www.leg.state.or.us/)

Looking Back and Working AheadLooking Back and Working AheadA Few Final ThoughtsA Few Final Thoughts

• The Good • The Bad