‘I wouldn’t give up on Oregon’: John Kitzhaber talks with KOIN 6 nearly a decade after resignation

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — For a man who spent more than 12 years in the Oregon governor’s office, John Kitzhaber spends much of his time these days removed from the public spotlight.

Considering the partisanship gripping much of the country, including state politics, that suits him just fine.

“If you can’t develop those personal relationships and see beyond politics to the person, it’s very difficult,” said Kitzhaber. “Back then, we certainly had our political differences but people were able to separate personality from politics. I don’t know what the change is. I think 24-hour news, and the internet is part of it.”

The now 77-year-old much prefers white-water rafting, fly fishing, policy discussions and the occasional speech, instead of the tug-of-war of daily politics that dominated his life for so long.

But when he recently sat down with KOIN 6 for his first extended interview in years, Kitzhaber admitted he does miss at least one part of the job.

“The thing I miss the most is convening authority. I think the greatest power a governor has is to bring people of different views together,” he said. “You have economic issues in Roseburg and St. Helens and in Portland. The root causes may be somewhat different but the impact on people is the same.”

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He counts the larger success and progress of the Oregon Health Plan, and the environmentally praised Salmon Watersheds Program, as two of his biggest accomplishments while in Salem as a legislator and then governor.

The one-time emergency room doctor also remains passionate about healthcare and says the country’s larger healthcare issues are only getting worse.

“I think it’s absolutely a ticking time bomb,” he said.

It’s one of the reasons why this past legislative session, he returned to the Oregon State Capitol for the first time in nine years to advocate for a bill that targeted major health insurance and private equity players moving into Oregon’s backyard.

“They’re buying up physician practices in the state of Oregon, buying up nursing homes and healthcare infrastructure,” the former governor said. “When you take the control over the practice of medicine, and send it to a corporation in Minneapolis or St. Louis, it doesn’t work out well for the individual seeking care.”

While he was elected a record four times, in two separate stints, much of the public remembers how Kitzhaber suddenly left office only weeks into a fourth term.

The role of his partner, Cylvia Hayes, and her business dealings and background became a major issue that prompted his resignation in February 2015.

“Ya’ know, it was a set of circumstances that caught up with me. I don’t have any regrets about that,” Kitzhaber said during his interview.

Although there were both state and federal investigations, neither led to charges or prosecutions.

As for his relationships with the current generation of state and city leaders?

“If they wanted my advice, they’d call me and they haven’t,” he said with a laugh. “I keep in touch with a couple of friends in the legislature.”

The former governor wouldn’t comment on some current political situations, including how current Gov. Tina Kotek has come under scrutiny for the role of her wife in state government.

He also was reluctant to weigh in on how state leaders have handled the pro-Palestine protests in Oregon, including the occupation that heavily vandalized Portland State University’s library, only saying they’re in a “tough spot.”

Kitzhaber did stress that despite some perception problems when it comes to its business climate or drug issues, Oregon is set for a strong future.

“A few years ago, that’s all you see on TV, pieces of Portland burning. It’s a tiny part of Portland. It’s still a great city with great potential that has great people. Clearly, we’ve got to do a lot more to address housing and addiction,” he said. “I wouldn’t give up on Oregon ever. I wouldn’t give up on Portland. We just have to roll up our sleeves and figure out how to move forward together.”

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