The Bend Venture Conference, the second-oldest angel investor conference in our state, embodies for me the spirit of entrepreneurship that makes Central Oregon such a special place.

We are independent, innovative and hardworking. We have the scenery and culture that naturally attracts high-level talent. At the same time, the economic recession hit us particularly hard, and unemployment in Deschutes County remains too high.

If I am fortunate enough to be chosen by voters to represent Bend in the Oregon House, I will make high-quality job growth a top priority.

As a physician, an inventor and a small-business owner, I know how challenging it can be to build and sustain a business. I am proud to have the support of many Bend business and technology leaders, including Seven Peaks Ventures general partner Dino Vendetti and former BendBroadband CEO Amy Tykeson, who believe I have the right mix of experience and ideas to help make Bend and Oregon a place where companies want to locate and where future generations enjoy ample opportunity. A number of our state’s leading business groups, including the Oregon Business Association and the Oregon Small Business Coalition, have also endorsed my candidacy. In addition, more than 225 people have joined our Beer Lovers for Buehler Coalition focused on protecting local brewers and consumers from unfair taxation and regulation.

Over the past several months, I’ve sought advice from across the political spectrum concerning ways to grow Central Oregon’s economy. I’ve talked to people about what we need to do today to help struggling families and how we can ensure that our children are prepared to fill tomorrow’s jobs. These ideas are reflected in my five-point plan for healthy economic growth. I believe we must:

• Connect local high schools and colleges to the tech industry to develop custom curricula and internships to ensure graduates can compete for good jobs in a modern 21st-century economy. There’s no question that a healthy economy requires world-class schools.

• Advocate for affordable higher education, including the OSU-Cascades expansion. Students must have local access to computer science, engineering and other curricula.

• Promote innovation and research by expanding Oregon’s research and development tax credit. We must focus state investment on assisting businesses with high-growth potential.

• Fight new taxes and regulations that cost jobs and raise prices. Since 2007, there have been 11 proposals in the Oregon Legislature to raise beer taxes. I will encourage a bipartisan Craft Beer Caucus to stand strong against such ideas.

• Support small- and startup-business grant and development programs. New and small businesses are usually the most disadvantaged by government rules and regulation, but programs like the Oregon Business Development Fund (OBDF) and the Oregon Trade Promotion Program (OTPP) are examples of smart government at work. An OBDF loan helped a local robotics company build a new manufacturing facility to expand its production. and OTPP allowed a local outdoor gear manufacturer to build new relationships and grow its reach overseas.

Bend is fortunate to have a number of organizations and agencies already working collaboratively to connect promising ideas with venture capital, connect companies with educated workers and connect community members with a long-term vision of what’s possible.

Working with the Bend Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development for Central Oregon, the Tech Alliance and others, I want to be your voice in the Oregon House to promote good ideas and enhance our spirit of entrepreneurship. If we can put finding solutions ahead of partisan politics, I am confident that our economy can be more diverse, more dynamic and stronger in the long term.

— Dr. Knute Buehler is a candidate for state representative of House District 54 in Bend.