Dave Porter Weblog: Oregon House Resolution 3

 Note: First version is as it now appears. Second version is as I drafted it.

First version: House Resolution 3
 
Sponsored by Representative CANNON; Representatives BARKER,
  BARNHART, BONAMICI, BRUUN, BUCKLEY, CLEM, D EDWARDS, ESQUIVEL,
  GIROD, HOLVEY, HUNT, KRUMMEL, OLSON, RICHARDSON, ROBLAN,
  ROSENBAUM, WHISNANT, WITT (at the request of Dave Porter)
 
 
                             SUMMARY
 
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
 
  Urges Oregon universities, community colleges and secondary
schools to encourage Oregon students to learn Mandarin Chinese
and to explore opportunities to study in China.
 
                        HOUSE RESOLUTION
  Whereas China is the number one exporter of goods to the United
States; and
  Whereas according to economists, China will become the world's
wealthiest nation by the year 2012; and
  Whereas 24 percent of the world's population speaks Chinese;
and
  Whereas Oregon universities, community colleges and secondary
schools, in recognition of the increasing importance of China to
the United States, should encourage Oregon students to learn
Mandarin Chinese, the official state language of China, and
explore ways to expand language courses to include Mandarin
Chinese; and
  Whereas knowledge of foreign cultures is invaluable, Oregon
students should be encouraged to explore opportunities to study
in China; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
  Oregon:
  That we, the members of the House of Representatives of the
Seventy-fourth Legislative Assembly urge Oregon universities,
community colleges and secondary schools to encourage Oregon
students to learn Mandarin Chinese and to explore opportunities
to study in China.

Second version: earlier draft: 

Joint Resolution
Draft 12/6/06

Whereas, China has a population of 1.3 billion people; and
Whereas, China has had an averaged 9.8% growth in their Gross Domestic Product since 1978; and
Whereas, China holds over $300 billion in United States Treasury bonds; and
Whereas, China sustained a five-fold growth in total output per capita from 1982 to 2002; and
Whereas, the United States trade deficit with China exceeded $200 billion in 2005; and
Whereas, China has passed the United States in the consumption of mobile phone, TV sets and refrigerators; and
Whereas, General Motors expects the Chinese automobile market to be bigger than the United States market by 2025; and
Whereas, more people use the internet in China than in the United States; and
Whereas, more than 300 million rural Chinese will move to cities in the next fifteen years requiring China to build the urban infrastructure equivalent to Portland every week in order to absord them; and
Whereas, China has as many speakers of English as a second language as there are people who speak English as their first language in the United States, Canada and Great Britain combined; and
Whereas, China has about $1 trillion in personal savings and a savings rate of close to 50% while the United States has about $158 billion in personal savings and a savings rate of 2%; and
Whereas, China has between 100 and 160 cities with a population of 1 million or more compared to 9 such cities in the United States; and
Whereas, China graduates 442,000 new engineers per year compared to 60,000 new engineer graduates per year in the United States; and
Whereas, Oregon’s exports to China are climbing (In the first quarter of 2005 Oregon exported $138 million of goods to China. In the first quarter of 2006, that number grew by 131% to $319 million); and
Whereas, China is an awakening giant that will dominate global manufacturing, agriculture, natural resource use and tourism for the foreseeable future; and
Whereas, the most important global security relationship in the twenty-first century is between China and the United States; and
Whereas, Oregon’s future economic development will depend upon having Oregonians who speak Chinese languages in China assessing Chinese markets and product innovations; and
Whereas, United States national security will depend upon having United States citizens fluent in Chinese and familiar with China;

Now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Oregon: That we, the members of the Seventy-Fourth Legislative Assembly, declare that for world peace, national security and economic development reasons, it is in the public interest of Oregon and the United States that:

(1) Many more Oregon students study Mandarin and study in China; and

(2) K-12 schools, colleges and universities in Oregon provide opportunities for students to study Mandarin and to study in China;

(3) Oregon students are urged to study Mandarin.