Surrounded by teenagers and school administrators at North Bend's new technology center on Friday, Gov. Ted Kulongoski concluded a tour of the school with an appeal to support Measure 30, calling the taxing measure an investment in Oregon's future.

"It's an investment in the children," he said. "In their future."

Kulongoski spent an hour at North Bend's newest educational facility, taking time to talk to students learning how to use computers, build new technology and program software.

"The future of the state is in an investment in intellectual capital," he said at one point, talking to three high-schoolers rebuilding an aging video camera. "It's in technology."

Measure 30, which will be put to a vote on Feb. 3, has been billed as the state's largest tax hike. If it fails - as polls suggest - the state will have to find a way to mitigate the loss of $800 million in planned revenue. Most likely that will be by cutting funding for schools, criminal justice and the Oregon State Police.

In North Bend, however, the technology center was made possible by a $12.5 million bond passed by voters in 2001, but the district only spent a portion of those funds on the school.

"People spent $1 million on this technology building so our students could be on the cutting edge of technology," said Superintendent Jim Howard, who added he wants to partner to find jobs for students when the governor travels abroad.

North Bend's technology building houses a charter school, and North Bend Middle School and high school students attend. In all, the school has about 140 students.

The governor stopped Friday to give quotes to student-journalists, and joked with others about down-loading music. Students at the center were receptive to his appearance.

"It's good that we have a governor that's interested in technology," said Joe Shinall, 16, a North Bend High School student.

Eric Sternenberg, 15, added that he was impressed the governor remembered the South Coast.

"This isn't a very big town," he said. "It's cool that he comes to a small town."

Robin Malefry, 16, agreed, adding that high-end technology today doesn't necessarily have to come from the country's largest municipalities.

"The people - the great minds - going to technology aren't coming from the big places," he said. "They're coming from everywhere."

As he left, Kulongoski seemed to hold a hope that Malefry was right.

"This technology piece is another seed to develop the economic engine" of the South Coast, Kulongoski said.