Dear friends,

Happy autumn! As the rain begins to fall, the leaves begin to color, and the 2007 legislative session begins to fade into memory, my hand turns again to my regular job, school teaching, with spare moments filled by legislative work and my growing family. More on the personal dimension of being a citizen-legislator below.

But first, I want to announce my second post-session Town Hall, this time co-hosted by Representative Jackie Dingfelder and Sen. Avel Gordly on October 20th at 10:00am at Parkrose High School. Ask your questions and share your input as we review the 2007 session and plan for 2008 and beyond. The 40 or so folks who turned out to our July town hall engaged in a spirited discussion on issues ranging from senior services to the environment. Please click here for more information.

Now, the personal. From time to time, friends and acquaintances wonder about life as a legislator. "How, exactly, does it work?" So, at risk of self-indulgence, here's a glimpse:

It may come as a surprise to some that Oregon's state legislators serve part time. Our $18,400 annual salary -- plus $99 per day during legislative sessions -- seems to presume that legislators hold another job, are comfortably well-off, or are retired with pensions. Not finding myself in either of the latter categories, I have maintained my career as a teacher of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at the Arbor School of Arts and Sciences in Tualatin, with leaves of absence during legislative sessions.

The tradition of a part-time legislature derives at least partly from the longstanding notion that Oregon's lawmakers ought to be drawn from the ranks of its regular citizenry, not a professional political class. And while many have argued that the size and complexity of state government demands full-time legislative attention, the concept of a citizen-legislature retains tremendous richness.

I cherish my teaching job. My 61 students are a deep source of energy and inspiration, my school a continuous experiment in living the values that ought to imbue our state capitol and, indeed, all of our communities (e.g. "play fairly," "be inclusive," "look out for others"). I have the good fortune this fall to be teaching US history and government, where the connections to my legislative work are especially plentiful. A recent class conversation about the Constitution's Framers turned to their views of human nature and of politicians in particular. "From the nature of man, we may be sure that those who have power in their hands ... will always, when they can ... increase it," wrote George Mason in 1787. "What do you think?" I asked the students.

While I spend the bulk of my days in the classroom, legislative responsibilities do not disappear during the interim. I maintain a legislative office in Portland, and my assistant, Christy Splitt, works full time answering the phone, mail, and e-mail, addressing constituent issues, and refining our legislative agenda for the upcoming session. I leave school early on Tuesday and Friday afternoons to meet with constituents, other legislators, and advocates. I regularly attend evening meetings both in and out of the district. Last Friday, I joined other members of the House Interim Committee on Energy and the Environment for a tour of the Bull Run watershed (see photo); next Tuesday, the House Interim Committee on Health Care, of which I am also a member, will hold daylong hearings in the Capitol that focus on oversight of the state's health licensing boards. I am planning a full-time leave of absence from school this February during the one-month supplementary legislative session; if I am re-elected in 2008, I will be working with my colleagues at school to cover my absence during the regular session in 2009.

It's another matter entirely to find words for my newest career. My best hope is to the appeal to the feelings and memories of parents everywhere -- could we have known that we would love with such abandon? Evelyn Margaret Cannon (see photo) is nearly four months old and an incredible source of delight. Her smiles make elections and sessions and committees seem very far away, indeed. Liz, Evie, and I were able to spend two wonderful days at the beach last weekend. No cell phones, no e-mail, no newspapers -- just big, loud raindrops and, through the window, great fine flocks of pelicans soaring towards shelter up the bay.

And with that warm thought, I encourage you, as always, to be in touch.

Yours sincerely,

PS: It is not too late to take part in my end-of-session survey and I would love to hear from even more of you. Please click here to participate in the online dialogue reviewing the 2007 session. To review accomplishments of the 2007 Legislative session, click here.

State Representative Ben Cannon
1125 SE Madison, Suite 100B
Portland, OR 97214
rep.bencannon@state.or.us
http://www.repbencannon.com
(503) 236-3351