Governor John Kitzhaber

State of the State
January 21, 2000

Today I want to talk to you about Oregon’s future.  In particular, I want to talk about two of the most central challenges facing our state as we enter the new century: improving our system of public education and increasing the number of Oregonians with access to healthcare.

Beyond that, however, I want to discuss a larger and perhaps more fundamental issue as a way of providing some context for these specific challenges. Because I have deep concerns about Oregon’s future -- fostered, ironically, by the very prosperity and quality of life with which we begin the 21stCentury.

To quote Dickens -- “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”   To my mind, this opening line from “A Tale of Two Cities” describes Oregon in the year 2000.

It is the best