National Public Radio’s All Things Considered had a piece Monday about Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a second-term Democrat whose passions for fishing and the environment have made made him a central figure in Western environmental policy.
Oregon has sunk hundreds of millions of dollars and countless man hours promoting renewable energy projects as part of Kulongoski’s vision of a long-term solution to environmental and economic issues. The projects are intended to improve the state’s natural resources and bring green jobs to the state, which has an unemployment rate of nearly 12 percent.
Kulongoski suggests that he fishes for the same reasons most of us do: the escape from the hassle and hustle of our daily lives. It’s easy to see the link between his passions: if the water is contaminated or the rivers are dry, there’s no place to retreat.