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POLL: OREGON GOVERNOR’S RACE EVEN
A new poll done by a Portland polling firm finds the governor’s race a dead heat. Democrat John Kitzhaber leads Republican Chris Dudley, 38% to 37%—-but the undecideds are leaning more to Dudley right now. In other Oregon political and economic news, Governor Kulongoski has ordered state agencies to implement 9% across the board cuts to make up a predicted 577 million dollar revenue shortfall. The Governor says, though, that he will ask the Legislative Emergency Board to exhaust almost all its emergency funds to keep open three minimum security prisons set to close under the mandated 9% cuts. And, locally, unemployment continues sky-high. May figures show Linn County at 13.2%, and Lane County at 10.7%. The jobless rate was down in Benton county to one of the state’s lowest—7 percent.