By Heather Hintze

EUGENE, Ore. -- Gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber met with residents and students at Lane Community College Tuesday morning to discuss his plans for financing education and bringing jobs back to Oregon.

The former governor says the most important issue facing Oregon is breaking out of the "boom and bust" pattern which makes the state oversensative to national and global problems.

Kitzhaber says short-term jobs are one way to help, but the state needs to look at the bigger picture.

"We definitely have to help out of work Oregonians now but we also need to make sure we don't go though the economic downturn in the future. So our strategy that we laid out really talks about short term job creation but also how do we create a different economic future in the next 10 years," said Kitzhaber.

Kitzhaber also has a four-part plan to help Oregon establish a place in the global economy.

For more information on his plan, click here.