OPB asked all 34 candidates seeking the Republican or Democratic nomination for governor to answer some basic questions on the issues. Below are responses from Wilson Bright, a Democrat. These answers have not been edited.
To start, please give us your name and basic biographical details, including your current position or job, any elected offices you have held and any key facts you would like voters to know about you.
Wilson Bright
Started and owned Rose City Textiles for 25 years
Retired
Life-Long Democratic Voter
Why should you be Oregon’s next governor?
I feel the homeless issue is a huge issue facing Oregonians. I will end homelessness in Oregon in a good way. I will create three centers, two in Willamette valley and one in Deschutes County. They will be located in the countryside keeping distance from temptation from the drug dealers. They will be safe from hard drugs and guns and everyone will be offered a private space, free meals sanitary conditions including showers toilets, and garbage control. You can come and go as you wish on daily shuttles. I am unique amongst the candidates that I don’t believe in offering shelter and not expecting sobriety. In fact, I go as far as I believe it is morally wrong to enable the use of a drug that destroys the brain eventually killing people. We offer drug rehab, counseling, job training, job placement, and more. Guaranteed a job working at the center or as a roadside cleaner or tree planter.
There will no longer be any camping on the street in any town in Oregon. Period.
What do you think is the most pressing challenge facing Oregon today?
Education
What is your proposed solution to that problem? Please be specific.
On my first day I will instruct the head of education that schools will be open 52 weeks a year. We will be open from 7:30 to 6:30. We will start to accept children from the ages of 3 months. Areas of the schools will be renovated to be able to accept and care for the younger children. Child care will now become free.
We also create an artificial intelligence teachers assistance program that follows every student in the state and allows us to test and enhance their performance. Kids first
Do you believe human beings are playing a part in rising temperatures?
YES
Do you think Oregon should take additional steps to address climate change? If so, what are some specific efforts you’d undertake or push for as governor?
If you see my plan to end homelessness you will see I offer all people living in our treatment facilities a guaranteed job. I think planting trees is a great way to get them working and start the carbon reduction trees that will be with us for the next 100 years. I will also increase the charging stations up and down the interstate and parking lots for the immense influx of electric cars to meet the goal of mostly electric on the streets by 2030
Oregon has experienced a high number of severe wildfires in recent years. What role should state government play in wildfire response?
If you see my plan to end homelessness you will see I offer all people living in our treatment facilities a guaranteed job. I think planting trees is a great way to get them working and start the carbon reduction trees that will be with us for the next 100 years. I will also increase the charging stations up and down the interstate and parking lots for the immense influx of electric cars to meet the goal of mostly electric on the streets by 2030
Parts of Oregon now routinely face drought conditions. What role should state government play in preventing and responding to droughts?
I wish I was more than a mortal man, if so I could do more to save our forests. Nobody cares more about them than do I. We must accept the that the fact weather is changing due to global warming, and we need to adapt as we try to reverse the carbon problem. I say this with tears in my eyes, we may need to do a checkered board pattern throughout our entire forest. We create a sort of full-proof fire-safe protection strip/zone, so we know any particular wildfire can’t burn any greater space than X. The experts can determine the width of the protection. We must stay proactive and save our forests in any way we can. They are Oregon.
Do you support the use of body cameras by police officers to record their interactions with the public? Please explain why or why not.
Yes
I think it is in our best interest to see what our public officials are doing. I think we should have better transparency in all of the government. I want to know how many people we bring off the streets into productive lives. i want to see how well our students are doing 5 years after graduation. I believe we should have cameras that are public viewable at all times of our new facilities in the county side that house the homeless. I think we should always observe and always try to be better.
President Joe Biden signaled in his State of the Union address that he wants to increase funding for police. Do you agree or disagree?
Agree
In surveys, Oregonians on both the right and the left described political extremism as one of the biggest challenges facing the state. Do you agree with them? If yes, please describe the type of extremism that concerns you and what you would do as governor to address it.
I hope to make the left-right divide less extreme. I grew up in McMinnville. I understand the people in the country. They struggle with the common theories of our current cities. They drive in and see garbage everywhere and people living on the streets and the roads. If the left has a credibility problem maybe we should look in the mirror.
In surveys, Oregonians consistently rate homelessness and high housing costs as a major problem facing the state. What role do you believe state government should play in addressing these interconnected problems?
Homelessness is a huge problem facing our state. We need to move away from subsidizing people’s addiction habits and get aggressive healing them. My plan on setting up homelessness centers in the countryside is the only way to have a good chance of success. We need to support in in getting them out of the issues that got them on the street. Its tough love but I really care for these people.
Would you support requiring people experiencing homelessness to stay in shelters if adequate shelter space exists?
Yes
Oregon’s high school graduation rate continues to lag behind other states. What are specific actions you would take as governor to improve student performance?
If you see my plan on education you will see we change everything. By the time I am done, we will have not only the best testing of students in the country we will have a new national model on how to modernize our education system to fit the needs of each individual student.
Oregon is third to the last in the nation in graduating our students. If we don’t change our system of teaching now when would we?
Oregon, like much of the rest of the nation, has a child care crisis. What role should the governor play in this situation, and what are specific steps you would take as governor?
You will see that I open up our school infrastructure to all children over 3 months old. It is a terrible waste of Governments assets our school buildings, to close our schools for summer and not be open to all students. We will help so many people out of poverty if we relieve them from the costly burden of child care. We already know children that are well prepared do better when they get to grade school. Why shouldn’t we help children get to the place they need. Think about it. We also guarantee them two nutritious meals and healthy snacks a day. This will help the families that are food insecure.
Do public employee unions have too much influence in Oregon? If you answer yes, please tell us which unions in particular concern you.
Yes The Teachers Union
As governor, would you support the creation of campaign finance limits in Oregon? If no, please explain why not. If yes, please can us specifics on what limits you would endorse.
No I think from the experience I am having in this election being heard, I think we should really look at new ways to decide who runs. I am running. but the press refuses to really publish my ideas because I haven’t raised money. Maybe we should rethink the process. I believe the press is part of the problem not just money.
Do you believe Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election?
Yes
Would you support creation of a sales tax in Oregon?
No
Do you support the use of tolls to help pay for infrastructure constructions in the Portland region, including a replacement for the Interstate 5 bridge?
No. We should be patient. The car is changing fast. The future may look how Elon Musk’s sees us boring the next toll roads underground where you can travel at 100 – 200 miles an hour or more with automated driving vehicles.
If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, would you as governor push for new abortion restrictions in Oregon? If yes, please specify what type of restriction you would propose.
No I think from the experience I am having in this election being heard, I think we should really look at new ways to decide who runs. I am running. but the press refuses to really publish my ideas because I haven’t raised money. Maybe we should rethink the process. I believe the press is part of the problem not just money.
How would you describe the relationship between rural and urban Oregon today?
I would show them that a common-sense Governor is good for all Oregonians.
What’s one thing you would do as governor to bring rural and urban Oregon together?
It’s a must you go to www.WilsonBright.org and see my Business Plan. In this part of my platform, I tie the manufacturing power of the rural area with the intellectual ingenuity of software engineering of the city to make the rural part of Oregon and the City part of Oregon interdependent on an economic model.
What’s the best thing Kate Brown has done as Oregon governor?
Ms. Brown has not had an easy last term. No one can predict or be prepared for a Pandemic. She is a good lady and I wish her well. It is time we move on. It’s time we change.
What’s the worst thing Kate Brown has done as Oregon governor?
We are a collective thinking body. It’s important we all look within ourselves and say what did I do. What can we do better?
