Hello friends,

Happy New Year! The 2009 legislative session began yesterday with tradition, ceremony, and celebration: color guards, school musical groups, the election of presiding officers, and a parade of current and former elected officials.

Yesterday's pomp and circumstance could not mask the challenges that Oregon faces in its 150th anniversary year. The state faces a worsening budget shortfall, and Oregonians are hard-hit by what has become the deepest recession in at least a generation. The Legislature will have tough decisions to make in the weeks and months ahead.

Yet things don't need to go from bad to worse. Working with federal and local partners, state government has unique tools it can use to help lift Oregonians. In hard times, Oregonians have a history of coming together.

In his State of the State address today, Governor Kulongoski called on legislators to get to work. "Do not use this legislative session to surrender to fear," he told us. "Use it to redeem hope and to fulfill the highest calling of public service: to pass to our children - and their children - a healthier, better prepared and more resilient Oregon than was passed to us."

I would like your help in meeting this challenge.

I hope you can take a few minutes right now to share your thoughts with me through this online dialogue.

Click here to open the dialogue in a new window.

In upcoming dialogues, I'll seek your opinion on specific policies, programs, and legislation. But today, I want your thoughts about the big picture.

What's the proper role of state government in alleviating the economic crisis? Should legislators seek consensus and avoid conflict, even if it means compromising on strongly held positions?

These are some of the questions weighing on my mind today - questions on which I would greatly value your input and guidance. Of course, if you prefer, you can always email us, call us, visit us in Salem, or share your thoughts at one of our upcoming town hall meetings and coffee shop conversations.

Hollywood Town Hall Meeting
(with our State Senator Jackie Dingfelder and Representative Michael Dembrow)
Saturday, January 24th from 10 - 11 am at the Hollywood Senior Center
(1820 NE 40th Avenue)

I-205/Montavilla Tree Planting Day of Service
(with Friends of Trees and Oregon Department of Transportation)
Saturday, January 31st, from 9 am - 1 pm
(SE Salmon Street and SE 94th Avenue)

Foster Powell Coffee Shop Conversation
Monday, February 2nd from 7 - 8 pm at Sweetness Café
(3524 SE 52nd Avenue)

Best wishes for the New Year, and we'll be in touch again soon.

P.S. Your insights will help inform my approach to lawmaking - but only if you share them with me! I'm looking forward to hearing from you in our online dialog.

State Representative Ben Cannon
900 Court St NE
Salem, OR 97301
rep.bencannon@state.or.us
http://www.repbencannon.com
(503)986-1446

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