On the campaign trail for governor in the May 16 GOP primary, Atkinson points out that he listens to National Public Radio, uses a Mac computer and is an avid bicyclist.

Question: You've complained that people stereotype you as a "religious nut." Help us debunk that and explain how your theology affects your values and positions.

Answer: I think it's very easy, especially with your industry and with lobbyists, to discount someone's beliefs very quickly. Do I speak at prayer breakfasts? Sure, I'm honored to. I think I am very interested in what it means to be a servant.

I'm not angry. That's not a reflection of my faith or me. Do I believe in prayer? Yeah. Do I believe in a moral compass? Yeah. Do I believe in beating it over the head and say everyone should agree with me? No. To me, it's very personal. It's very real and it's who I am.

A: I think it's ridiculous. Who in their right mind would take a year and a half, work seven days a week and put in the kind of hours we are if you weren't in it to win? I'm in it right now. This is my time.

Q: You talk about Teddy Roosevelt as a role model. What are areas in your career where you've gone up against a vested interest in your party, the main backers or constituents of your party, where you feel you have shown that Teddy Rooseveltian independence?

A: I refuse to play the game for a contribution. Oregon Restaurant Association is not endorsing me. Associated Oregon Industries is not endorsing me. The timber industry is not endorsing me. Oregon Right to Life is not endorsing me. The auto dealers are not endorsing me, and the financial institutions are not endorsing me.

A: I don't know how to say it without it sounding like I'm picking a fight with a lobbyist. Let me just speak in a roundabout way about some issues where I really stood up and bucked the trend.

I did not think for two seconds that PGE should be made into a state agency. There was a lot of strong Republican interests that wanted that. I worked closely on the new energy-siting laws that a lot of people were against. I have not voted for gambling despite what the restaurant association has (requested). On construction contractor insurance, I have worked very hard to make sure the playing field was level between the big players and the guys who couldn't afford lobbyists.

Q: You propose that the Legislature pass a school budget within the first 100 days of each legislative session. Are schools getting too much money? Are they not getting enough?

A: I have been full circle on that. In 1998, I was the first Republican signing on with state Rep. Randall Edwards calling for $5.1 billion for schools. And then I went through all the special sessions, and I saw a debate in Oregon that is totally broken. When I go around to parents and just talk rough numbers and say we're spending $7,000 per head, and they see a classroom of 25 or 26 and you start to do the math, there's $200,000 on average, in that classroom. Everyone says where does the rest of the money go?

A: I don't believe that you poke public employees in the eye just for political fodder. If we don't get a handle on it, it could do extreme damage not only to the state but also to these people who we've made contracts with.

I think you have to give the flexibility if a retiree wants to move their funds into a 401(k). I think fundamentally you have to take people who are managing the plan out of the plan. That includes the Legislature, the judicial branch, the executive. In order to have integrity in it, you cannot have people who are benefiting from it making payout decisions.

A: You cannot change the agreement we made. That's not right. But there is flexibility in the rules to lower payouts in a given year to protect the plan for the long term. When investment returns were bad, private pension managers had to adjust payouts for a given year for the long-term success of their funds.

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