Oregon Public Broadcasting

Governor Ted Kulongoski was in Central Oregon Friday. The Governor visited the Rooster Rock Fire camp and later addressed the City Club of Central Oregon. 

The Governor used his speech at the City Club to outline proposals stemming from his Reset Cabinet. That panel convened last year to come up with ways to overhaul state government spending.

With the candor of an outgoing politician, Kulongoski hit on number of areas outlined in the report.

But he zeroed in on three big ones:Controlling the cost of the Public Employees Retirement System, controlling the cost of health care and implementing what he calls a total compensation budget. 

That means the state sets a total cost of compensation, rather than negotiating separatly over health care, retirement and the like.

Kulongoski said these three changes are needed avoid a decade of deficits.

Gov. Kulongoski: "Because what happens every two years, this compounds itself.  If you don't do it this next session it just rolls over and increases in 13/15.  That's why the reset is so important right now."

The Governor will travel across the state in the coming months to discuss the proposed reset with Oregonians.