OR-GOV: Steve Shields: All business

Carla Axtman

When met in a somewhat noisy SW Portland coffee shop, Oregon gubernatorial candidate Steve Shields fidgeted with his beverage before we sat down to chat. His campaign manager Betsy Henning had scored us three comfy chairs in the back where we hoped it will be a little quieter.

As I joined them, Shields flashed me a big grin and thanked me for sitting down with him. Henning took out a notepad and pen and what must be a ubiquitous cell phone. Time to get down to the business of being interviewed.

That was my first impression of Shields: he's all business. His demeanor during our interview was generally warm and very friendly. But when he talks about his vision for Oregon, the problems facing the state and the experience he brings to the job his vibe is stone-cold serious. He sees big problems that need overcoming and he believes sincerely that he's the man to lead the way in getting them fixed.

Shields understands what it's like to tackle big stuff. He used to be the guy at Hewlett-Packard that made sure all the ink-jet cartridges made it to their rightful place in the world. Yeah... the entire WORLD. It was Shields' job to manage the supply chain. His job was the equivalent of being a company vice president today. As part of that, Shields says he was in charge of about 600 workers.

"I think management and leadership go hand-in-hand", Shields said. "If you have responsibility for such scope, listening and making well-reasoned decisions while not losing track of what's important: that's leadership."

He believes those skills will translate well into governing Oregon: "When you're trying to plan a complex technical product, the planning parameters in the manufacturing process need to be standardized", Shields said. "As we were developing this, people had different views as to what was critical. I had to carefully listen to people and sort out what would serve the process. It wasn't just about somebody's idea. I had to reconcile what would serve us best."

Shields said that it was his job at HP to provide the kind of leadership that allowed for that collaborative spirit but still moved things forward in a good direction. "People were really vested in their view. What was really important was to agree on what we were going to accomplish and why. We had to understand the 'shared purpose'". Shields noted that when people don't buy in to that 'shared purpose', conversations happen, but the outcome is dysfunctional.

Speaking of outcomes, Shields says there are two overarching problems facing Oregon: Economic viability/development and education.

In Shields' view, economic viability is about Oregon creating sustainable jobs that don't cycle out when the economy takes a downturn. "Even in good times, Oregon is generally below average," Shields said. "This is a structural and endemic problem. It's very important to get a handle on this."

For Shields, education is where the idea of 'shared purpose' really comes into focus. He said that we're doing a "terrible disservice" to our state, and we have to figure out how to have a common goal to move toward. "I know for a fact that businesses are reticent to invest if education is not a priority," Shields said. "Our current economy can't be blamed on education. But the future will. We are at a tipping point. We can face a future that's worse than the present."

Shields starts the discussion of the erosion of education in Oregon with Measure 5. "That started a long-term trend of less money going toward education. We've systematically continued to disinvest. There's no sense in looking back and placing blame at this point. But it needs to turn around. That's one of the shared purposes."

He says there are three ways to start adding money to the system:

1. Save money somewhere else
2. Reprioritize current revenues
3. Generate new revenue

Shields says that #3 isn't always just about taxes, either. More economic development in the state will improve things. Shields says he wouldn't rule out a sales tax, but that's not where we need to start. What we need is revenue stability. That would include eliminating both the corporate and personal kicker which Shields said was "a seductive idea that just hasn't worked".

Shields went on to say that he is the only candidate that brings lifelong business experience to the race. He believes that experience is especially valuable. "When you spend a lifetime trying to create an economic value, you bring a different view in solving problems--a different lens", he said. "I think we need somebody who brings a different view."

That doesn't mean that Shields has different values than the other Democrats in the race. On the contrary, Shields believes he and Bradbury and Kitzhaber share a common ethos. Shields says he understands that the politics of the various solutions matter, but he will look at it differently than the other two. "I have different credibility with constituents", he said. "I'll be a governor who understands what a small business person really goes through".

Shields says that he once tried to start his own business but it required too much capital. So he started a consulting business helping small companies with strategic problem solving. Shields says that he's worked with a lot of start-up companies as well.

But Shields doesn't want voters to think he's just some "corporate guy", either. He spent time in the Forest Service as a civil servant (1979-1983). "I worked for Gifford Pinchot National Forest (correction--CA) while with the Forest Service", he said. In 1980 he spent six weeks on an assignment at Spirit Lake at Mt. St. Helens doing campground upgrades. After the volcano blew, Shields says he became the volcano facilities engineer.

He also spent time talking about his years growing up in Marcola, Oregon--a little burg tucked away in Lane County. Shields says his folks still live there. "I started out picking beans when I was nine. I wanted a bike so I saved up my money to buy one." Shields did ag work from hauling hay to shearing sheep at the Downing Cattle and Sheep Ranch.

Given Shields' newness on the political scene, it seemed like a good idea to query him about some of the issues that have crossed the table in Oregon. I started with one of the projects near to my own heart: the protections for the Metolius. "I was predisposed to believe that the Metolius is a special place--and protecting those places is part of LCDC's charge", he said. "I think we clearly made the right decision. We probably should have started sooner and maybe kept out some of the bad feelings. It was particularly compelling to me that Tom McCall sent a letter to the legislature years ago imploring to have this done. I don't think he was wrong."

He sees land use in Oregon as a "complex critter". Shields believes that Oregon has been ahead of many states on managing land and its made a huge difference for our state. He went on to say that the Big Look Task Force did a credible job and that he'd like to build on their work as governor. "The state should tie land use and transportation together", he said. "This goes to the heart of economic development."

We also talked about the controversial Columbia River Crossing. "I don't have an informed opinion on that one", Shields said. "But I think transportation for the future looks different than the past. I want to make sure that this investment thinks hard about the future. I'm not sure it's there yet."

Shields has mentioned in speeches that he's the only candidate in the race to have created jobs. When questioned about that job creation, Shields balked a bit. He said that it wasn't him creating jobs by himself, but that he was part of a great team. "I was integral to getting the jobs created. I came to the table with critical information and leadership to make us successful, but I can't take personal credit for the creation of those jobs." Shields also said this experience would be invaluable if he's governor.

I asked Shields about taking background and business experience to governing and working with the Oregon Legislature. "I'm going to be in the conversation all the time," Shields said. "If I come to a conclusion that we are agreeing, I will delegate. But controversial issues that need to be discussed-I'm there- on the phone, in meetings, responding to circumstances."

Shields believes that Oregon needs a governor that's hands-on with the legislature. "Smart people disagree--but I will not lose track of what I'm focused on for this state."

As our interview winds down, Shields leans forward in his chair as if to emphasize this final point. "We will face tough decisions and you will see my ability to work with both sides." He laughs. "Sometimes that means Dems vs. Dems". He emphasized that we must maintain a dialogue--and that, he says, will be the main difference.

By Carla Axtman Nov. 18, 2009