Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber rushed into the audience to provide medical assistance to an elderly man who appeared to be having a seizure at Wednesday night’s Democratic gubernatorial debate.
At about 7:30 p.m., a man near the back of 182 Lillis showed signs of a seizure. A police officer asked the audience if anyone had medical experience, and Kitzhaber, a former emergency room doctor, moved to help the man. Paramedics arrived about 10 minutes later, and the debate resumed around 8 p.m.
Education was the most-discussed issue of the night, and both Kitzhaber and Bill Bradbury agreed education is essential to improving Oregon’s economy.
ASUO President Emma Kallaway, who served as one of the panelists, asked the candidates about their plans and suggestions for restructuring the Oregon University System.
Kitzhaber, who was elected as governor of Oregon in 1994 and 1998, cited his recent talks about restructuring the system with the presidents of the University, Oregon State University and Portland State University.
“One of our challenges is to provide less micromanagement from the state,” he said, “and fit the circumstances of three major universities in one frame.”
Bradbury, a former secretary of state, posed a slightly different view.
“I get concerned when public universities start to talk like private corporations, because the state has dropped the ball on adequate funding for education,” he said to applause from several audience members.
Jack Wilson, the editorial page editor of The Register-Guard and second panelist, asked the candidates what they would do to reverse tuition increase in Oregon.
Kitzhaber proposed a model of “shared responsibility to provide access to at least two years of post-secondary education for motivated students, to put Oregon back to work.”
Bradbury said the state should find a new source of revenue.
The College Democrats, who organized the event, asked University students to record questions on YouTube for the candidates before the debate.
University senior Braden Wolf asked the candidates what they would do to reduce the number of students leaving Oregon to attend college in other states. Kitzhaber said he wants to create a program that would link post-secondary training to jobs in the Oregon economy, as well as create an employment-related education program. Bradbury agreed, citing a “need to make sure jobs in the private sector are available” for students.
Members of the University’s Climate Justice League asked the candidates their opinions on the use of liquefied natural gas.
“I am proud to stand before you as first the elected official to announce opposition to LNG,” Bradbury said. “There are obviously safety issues to it, and I feel very strongly that’s not a direction we should go.”
Kitzhaber agreed natural gas is cleaner but said the issue is larger than LNG. “I don’t want to slam the door on LNG without making sure there are low-carbon alternatives. I don’t see a role for it in the next 10 to 15 years.”
Bradbury emphasized the need for Oregon to “invest in sustainable industries to grow the economy and protect the environment and get Oregon rolling again,” clearly referring to the Segway he uses because of his multiple sclerosis.
The Tony Kaminski Memorial Debate honored former College Democrats president Kaminski, who died in a car accident in January. He graduated from the University in 2009 and enlisted in the military.
“Tony impacted the group very deeply. He was very active in the political community, and he was probably the smartest person I’ve ever met, in terms of politics,” Ellen Macomson, vice president of the College Democrats, said.
About 150 people crowded the lecture hall. John Davidson, political science instructor and distinguished faculty adviser, moderated the debate.
“This is the biggest event the College Democrats have single-handedly put on,” Macomson said.
The debate was not without its quirks. Partway through, Kitzhaber jabbed at the University’s athletic department. “I saw so much green, I thought I’d ended up in Oz; I hoped I could ask the wizard for $2 billion.”
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