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Question 1: Drugs and drug-related crimes, affordable health care, education quality and funding, taxes and the economy, and regulation of state spending -- these are five major issues on voters' minds. Pick one of these and give us, briefly, your ideas for implementing positive change.
  
Question 2: How can individual citizens in your district make it a better place to live?

House District 20
Vicki Berger (Republican).
Home: Salem.
Occupation: Retired small business owner, state representative.
Elected office experience: Oregon House 2003-2006, Salem-Keizer School Board 1989-1992.
More information: www.vickiberger.net.

Answer 1: School funding has been the single most contentious issue during my two terms at the Legislature. With a unique state tax structure which is dominated by a single source of funds -- the income tax -- our schools have had to ride a roller coaster of economic conditions.
My work at the Legislature has been directed to address this issue two ways:
(1) Building our job base. We can compete in a global marketplace if we are smart in maximizing our unique assets. This means using our expertise in lean manufacturing, clean energy, food processing, and forest management.
(2) Planning for the bad times by building a reserve (rainy day fund) for the good times. The 2001 session created the Education Stability Fund. This effort needs to be broadened and further defined so our schools are not left devastated by the next bad turn in the inevitable economic cycle.

Answer 2: Vote. When defining our country's democracy, our forefathers envisioned a system of self-governance where civic participation was expected. We, the citizens, were entrusted with the authority to maintain a representative government.
That responsibility is passed to each generation to practice. The local level -- in our neighborhoods, schools, cities, and counties -- is where we can make the most individual impact. Many elections are decided by just a handful of votes; every vote counts.