State of Oregon secondary Archives: on Welfare & Poverty

John Kitzhaber: Beware uneven, unequal "recovery" without rural & minorities

We cannot settle for an uneven, unequal & hesitant "recovery." The word "recovery" loses any useful meaning if it describes a state where the Portland metro area returns to pre-recession employment levels, while much of rural Oregon continues to suffer the economic and social consequences of double-digit unemployment, outdated infrastructure and an aging workforce. The word "recovery" is warped if it is used at a time when the unemployment rate for white Oregonians is falling, but for African Americans & Latino Oregonians it continues to rise. We still have much work to do. Oregon will not be a great place for any of us to live until it is a great place for all of us to live.