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In this Oct. 10, 2014 file photo, Republican Oregon gubernatorial candidate Dennis Richardson speaks during a debate with Oregon Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber in Portland, Ore.
(The Associated Press)
By Dennis Richardson
As a former six-term Oregon state representative, speaker pro tem of the House and co-chair of the Ways and Means Committee, I'm keenly aware of the duties and limitations of each state agency. Recently, The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board opined that I should be cautious about overselling the role of secretary of state ("Richardson's campaign for secretary of state gets Avakianized," July 5).
I wholeheartedly agree. In fact, I've been running a solution-oriented campaign, ensuring that my commitments to voters are well within the purview of the office of secretary of state.
Constitutional and statutory authority of the secretary of state's office is limited to a handful of core and important managerial functions of government that include overseeing the Elections, Audits, Archives, and the Corporation divisions, as well as voting on the State Land Board. In addition, once every 10 years, the responsibilities could include redrawing election maps should the Legislature fail to complete this task. Lastly, should something happen to the governor, the secretary of state would be appointed to fulfill those duties. In Oregon, that happens with about the same frequency as a Halley's Comet sighting.
The editorial board cited why the issues I've addressed, such as graduation rates and air quality in Portland, might best be left to the Department of Education and Department of Environmental Quality. However, when an agency like DEQ fails to release public records or provide accountability to the public, then the secretary of state should use the Audits and Archives offices to independently make determinations about whether agencies are doing their jobs.
As secretary of state, I will use my position to advocate for stronger public records laws that reduce time delays and put an end to the outrageous fees being charged to Oregon citizens and the media. Portlanders deserved to know the results of toxic air quality testing immediately. Better public records management would ensure disclosure of critical information in a timely manner.
The Audits Division has the responsibility to "follow the money" in our public schools. When a district like Portland Public Schools fails to graduate 38 percent of students at Roosevelt High School, the public has a right to know where our state tax dollars are going and why these students are falling through the cracks.
Recently, it was discovered that for years, Portland Public Schools knew district buildings were riddled with lead and toxic chemical exposures. Why didn't the 2012 school bond, nearly a half-billion dollars, go towards cleaning up lead in the water system? By following the money and including environmental and occupational test results in performance audits, parents and teachers will have information about the safety of their school buildings. The Legislature and the governor will also be apprised so they can make decisions to address the matter of public safety.
Having good data leads to action that helps citizens. Performance audits are just as important as financial audits. If the Department of Human Services had been independently monitored by previous secretaries of state, we might have caught abuses in our foster care system sooner, preventing children from being starved, drugged and abused.
As secretary of state, I'll prioritize using performance and budget audits to make recommendations so the Legislature can take action on our most pressing problems. I'll assign a state auditor to do "alongside auditing" of large projects from the outset so we break the cycle of Cover Oregon and Business Energy Tax Credit-type mistakes that cost taxpayers hundreds of millions in wasted money. Those dollars could have been better spent on education, transportation and front-line human services, such as foster care.
In his effort to secure votes, Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian has used this race to campaign on everything from auditing private businesses to women's reproductive health issues. Democratic leaders, such as Gov. Barbara Roberts, have publicly chastised Avakian for trying to encroach on the roles of other elected offices. As secretary of state, neither of us can do anything about abortion, climate change or the implementation of new taxes. In fact, the duties of secretary of state demand a nonpartisan leader. As such, I've not sought endorsements of partisan organizations.
As we move toward November, my solutions campaign will continue to be based on a platform of things I can do as secretary of state. Oregonians deserve accountability, transparency and integrity from their state and local government.
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Dennis Richardson, a Republican from Central Point, is running for Oregon secretary of state.