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Twelve Feet of Sandwich: Not Enough for San Luis Valley Dems!

Thursday, January 24th, 2008

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)

Last night, I drove down to Alamosa to give caucus training to the San Luis Valley counties. While I did not take a roll call, I recognized folks from pretty much every county in the Valley: Alamosa, Saguache, Costilla, Conejos, and Rio Grande were all well-represented there. The crowd was huge — about 100 people packed the standing-room only conference room at the Alamosa Recreation Center.

Prior to my caucus presentation, Sky Gallegos with the DNCC spoke about the Democratic National Convention in Denver. It was a “Convention Conversation,” which has been taking place statewide. Originally, Chair Pat Waak was to assist Gallegos, but Pat was in Texas due to the death of her father. After Gallegos’ presentation, she took a number of questions from the audience, many of which focused on what folks in the San Luis Valley could do to help the convention effort and to draw conventioneers to the Valley either before or after the Convention.

I missed the first half-hour or so of the convention presentation, primarily because MapQuest (and Google Maps, and BlackBerry Maps) all sent me about six miles south of Alamosa, to some remote, dirt-road location. I don’t know how, but after driving back into town, I just came across the Recreation Center and made it on time for my presentation.

Between my presentation and Sky’s presentation, folks heard from Darryl Grant, who is the DNC’s Field Organizer for the Southwest portion of the state. Darryl showed the group a video from the DNC explaining the 2008 field program and the role of neighborhood volunteers in that program.

Also before my presentation, there was a break for snacks. Among the things available were two six-foot long Subway sandwiches. One would have imagined that would be enough. One would be wrong.

The crowd was so big (and hungry, apparently) that the sandwiches were devoured in a matter of minutes. When I finally got to the refreshment table to grab a bite myself, I was greeted with a couple of crumbs of bread and some lettuce remnants.

The vanishing sandwiches were another reminder of what I’ve seen this year in Colorado. This was my last scheduled caucus training — we have 12 days left now until February 5. One thing has been confirmed: the phenomenon of Democratic interest in the caucuses in 2008 is a statewide phenomenon. Whether in Estes Park, Canon City, Rocky Ford, Montrose, Frisco, Pagosa Springs, or Pueblo, there is an intensity about things that we’ve not seen in recent years. I spoke briefly yesterday with CDP Executive Director Sherry Jackson — I say “briefly,” because she did not have time to talk. The phone at the State Party headquarters is almost literally ringing off the hook. There is now talk of needing more lines at headquarters to deal with all of the phone calls in recent days dealing with the caucuses. I’ve never seen anything like it.

One last point: Nevada is a good comparison to Colorado. In 2004, when their caucuses did not matter, they had 9,000 people attend statewide. In comparison, Colorado had around 12,000-15,000 Democrats attend statewide in 2004. In 2008, caucus attendance in Nevada spiked to around 144,000 Democrats! If Colorado saw even half of that kind of spike, we’re in for an exciting year!

The real test, as I’ve been telling groups in caucus training, will be whether we can keep these new people after February 5. If we can keep these new people involved, active, and interested through September and October, we will have an ability to change the debate and the elections in November. If we can pass that test, we truly will be turned completely blue in 2008!

Posted in Counties, DNC | Comments Off

Weekend Caucus Training Included Pueblo, Canon City, and Pagosa Springs

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)

This weekend, I was busy traveling the state for training (and a little R&R).

The weekend began with me driving over to Pueblo to attend their caucus training. I wasn’t giving my traditional caucus presentation; instead, my job in Pueblo was to introduce the crowd to the concept of “preference polls” for the Presidential race. Easily over 150 Pueblo Dems attended the standing-room only training at the Steelworkers Hall.

If you’ve attended any of my caucus trainings, you know that I briefly mention that you should not try to explain the way the other 62 counties do caucuses to folks in Pueblo and Adams counties, because they have a very different way of doing things there. In most counties, you just elect delegates to the county assembly and the county convention — and electing just those two sets of delegates can sometimes be confusing enough. In Pueblo and Adams, however, caucus-goers elect six different types of delegates. In addition to the county assembly and convention delegates, they also directly elect congressional district and state assembly delegates, as well as congressional district and state convention delegates.

(Warning: arcane rules discussion ahead!) One of the reasons that they’ve been able to do this is because they have worked under the assumption that all delegates that are elected are elected as “Uncommitted” delegates. In other words, they simply replace the complex math formulas used for the preference poll with the complex variety of delegates elected. That has worked for quite a while now because nobody has challenged this paradigm.

However, the Party rules are very clear: you have to have a preference poll on the Presidential race, and you have to use the results of that poll to apportion these delegates. The rules do allow counties to select their state and congressional district delegates from the precincts if they so choose, but they still require the use of a preference poll. Presidential campaigns are depending on the results from Colorado to determine who will win on February 5, and it is certainly possible that one (or more) might challenge Adams or Pueblo if they choose to proceed without a preference poll.

In any event, my explanation of the caucus math worksheet received mixed reviews, at best. One gentleman got up and said it was too complicated for anybody to do. My response? It’s not too complicated for the 62 counties that already do it; I had confidence that Puebloans could figure it out. His next complaint? This process would result in lawsuits, because it discriminates against those who are poor at math. (It hasn’t yet, and essentially the same math process is used in other states, such as Iowa and Nevada, with nary a lawsuit.)

In the end, it was an interesting venture into Pueblo Democratic Party politics. In fact, I had assumed that I’d see a lot more complaints and negativity than I saw on Saturday. For the most part, Pueblo Dems were very nice and accommodating to the news I was delivering. Chair Terry Hart has been very helpful throughout this process in working with the State Party and the campaigns in resolving this issue.

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After Pueblo, I had to rush back to Canon City. There, I was greeted with a great surprise. I was to do caucus training for Fremont County Dems. The organizers expected around 30 people for the training. In 2004, only about 90 people even attended Democratic caucuses in Fremont County.

Boy, were they wrong! Nearly 100 people packed the Golden Age Center to hear my presentation and to participate in a mock caucus (using ice cream flavors as candidates). It was so exciting to see the same levels of excitement in my home county that I’m seeing everywhere else I go. The Fremont Dems even re-created the check-in procedure, issuing caucus credentials (don’t worry if your county doesn’t have caucus credentials — this is the first time I’ve seen that level of organization in a county caucus organization), and checking names.

There were a lot of new faces there — and plenty of supporters of all three of the major Democratic candidates for President. It was a good send-off for my trip to Southwest Colorado. And with the training in Fremont County, I estimate I’ve trained at least 1,500 people on caucuses this cycle (remember, there were only about 15,000 people who attended the Dem caucuses statewide last time, and my trainings have pretty much been outside of the Denver / Boulder / Colorado Springs metro areas).

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We then headed down to Durango. I was going to be doing a caucus training on Sunday in Pagosa Springs, and we turned it into a very miniature vacation. We took a short trip over to Mesa Verde on Sunday morning, went to the Pagosa hot springs on Sunday afternoon / evening, and went skiing on Monday at Durango Mountain Resort / Purgatory (outstanding beginner ski trails!!!).

Sunday afternoon, I met with a group of about 30 Archuleta County Dems, along with Jean Walter, the provisional county chair for La Plata County, to go over caucus training with them in Pagosa Springs. They are definitely hardy souls. I arrived with a warning from Bob Nash, the county chair, that the meeting room would be a bit cold. It was — forty degrees cold. After about thirty minutes of the heaters working, when the meeting started, the room was about 46 degrees. About the only pocket of warmth was that right around the computer projector.

But nobody left. Nobody even really complained. They just sat there and asked questions about the caucus process.

Archuleta county Dems are looking at a potential primary for county commissioner — which is pretty amazing, considering that the county has historically been pretty Republican. Democrats in Archuleta County are looking forward to seeing some real gains in 2008, and it looks like there will be an impressive push to elect a Democratic county commissioner there. It was a very heartening trip, to say the least.

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Tomorrow night is my last scheduled caucus training, to be combined with a National Convention conversation, in Alamosa. After that, I think I get to go back to making more entertaining speeches. Here is a bit from the State Party’s press release:

In keeping with the mission of creating a regional Convention for the Rocky Mountain West, Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) Deputy CEO for Intergovernmental Affairs, Sky Gallegos will conduct a Convention Seminar on Wednesday, January 23 at 5 p.m. at the Alamosa Family Recreation Center, 2222 Old Sanford Road, Alamosa. Gallegos will discuss opportunities for involvement in the 2008 Democratic National Convention, including running for delegate and volunteering opportunities. Democratic National Committee (DNC) member Dan Slater will join Gallegos and lead a delegate training session for attendees.

“Our mandate is clear: to make the 2008 Democratic National Convention the most inclusive, accessible and engaging in our Party’s history,” said Gallegos. “We aim to make this a reality by traveling the state and hearing what folks have to say. We want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to get involved in the Convention experience.”

The Neighboring communities in the San Luis Valley are also urged to attend the seminar in Alamosa.

Originally, State Chair Pat Waak was to attend, as well. However, her father passed away in Texas late last week, and she has been in Texas with her family taking care of the arrangements down there. Please keep Pat in your thoughts and prayers as she goes through this difficult time. Here is the information on what you can also do, if you would like:

Flowers are accepted. However, you may give a contribution in memory of Boxly Waak to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Avenue, Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601-7633.

Cards can go to Pat at her home at 4225 County Road 1.5, Erie, Co 80516.

Posted in CDP, Counties | Comments Off

My Own Technical Difficulties Won’t Stop Caucus Training in Summit County (or Otero, for that Matter!)

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at: www.DemNotes.com)

Monday night, I drove over Hoosier Pass (and back) to conduct caucus training for Summit Dems (and a couple of folks from Lake County, as well, including Lake County Chair Joe Fattor). Maybe I should have known that I was in trouble when I walked in and former Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald made fun of the bag I was carrying — a leopard-print computer bag that resembles a purse awfully closely. (My laptop, while an awesome machine, apparently has a graphics card problem that causes it not to work when attached to a projector; therefore, I have to use my girlfriend’s computer to do presentations.)

In any event, soon after arriving, Sandy Briggs, the Summit County chair, asked if I was ready to go. I then asked if he had a projector for me. His response was a blank look.

As you may have noticed, I’ve been doing a lot of these caucus trainings lately. Indeed, I have been so busy, I’ve had to turn down recent requests to come up to Clear Creek County and Kit Carson County later this week because of other events. These trainings usually happen one of two ways: either the county contacts me directly to arrange for the training, or it is arranged by one of the DNC Field Organizers, such as the great trainings in Larimer and Weld Counties on Friday and Saturday that were arranged by DNC Field Organizer Robin Van Ausdall. However, in Summit County’s instance, the discussion was started by the Northwest Field Organizer Kim Phillips, but I made the final arrangements (or so I thought) with the county party.

And I dropped the ball — I forgot to mention that I’d need a projector.

Thankfully, Flo Raitano was on the ball. She immediately left to go home and grab her own projector from her home in Frisco. I began the presentation, and by the time I needed the projector for the more complicated math portions, Flo had returned and seamlessly set up the projector and the computer so I went right into the caucus math portion of the presentation without a pause. There were easily 50-60 folks there (or at least that’s what I’d estimate — as you will see later, my estimates have sometimes been waaaay under), and we had a great discussion of the various intricacies of caucus night.

Summit County already has local representatives for the Clinton, Obama, and Edwards campaigns. After my presentation, folks then gathered with each of the representatives to sign up and help each of the campaigns prepare for the caucuses.

———————–

By the way, in a recent post, I think I mentioned that there were around 150 people in attendance at the Larimer Dems training in Loveland. I was wrong. The county party did an actual head count, and the number of people there was much closer to 300, not 150. So much for my math skills!

———————-

Last night, I headed east — to Rocky Ford. There, I conducted a caucus training at the Otero Dems’ central committee meeting (with a couple of Crowley Dems in attendance, as well). It was another good training session, with about 30 people present to hear about caucuses. As always, there were some great questions, and First Vice Chair Larry Daves did a wonderful job running the meeting.

After my presentation, our new DNC Regional Field Organizer for Southeast Colorado, Sal Pace, spoke about the DNC’s field efforts. He did a great job describing the new neighborhood organizer program, and he even got over half of the people in the room to sign up to serve as neighborhood leaders! Our DNC Field Organizers have very specific goals for getting people involved in this program — and we need your help to make it successful. The DNC is committed to having the most effective field organization in the history of the Democratic Party in 2008, and its success depends on the involvement of all active Democrats.

———————

Tonight, I get to stay in Canon City — but I don’t get to rest. Instead, I will be speaking at a very special Drinking Liberally event in Canon City. We’ll have representatives from several campaigns there to speak and answer questions; here are the details:

What: Drinking Liberally: An Evening with the Campaigns
When: Wed, January 16th, 5:30-7:30, presentations begin at 6
Where: McClellan’s Grill & Brewing Company, 413 Main St

If you get a chance, come on down to Canon City and enjoy an evening with us!

Posted in Counties, DNC | Comments Off

Faith and Politics

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

Yesterday more than 200 people were on hand for the Engaged Spirituality Forum at Iliff School of Theology. We will be posting copies of remarks and a video of the proceedings on the website in the near future. However, I want to provide some highlights from the day on this site.

After a wonderful opening mediation with George Tinker, David Trickett, President of Iliff gave his welcome. To follow are his remarks:

“Welcome to our second collaboration with the Colorado Democratic Party. Thank you for your continued interest in and support of this undertaking. It is my goal that we will collaborate effectively with all contenders for public service, no matter one’s affiliation, for we are called to be a community asset for reconciliation and healing of deep division. In truth, we know that the fratricidal tendencies apparent in some highly visible public arenas are adding toxins to the body politic–and such conditions are not sustainable.

I will share with you why I believe this kind of event is worth continuing, and not just before election cycles but also throughout the less hectic periods of our life together: public service is to be a calling, a vocation. Certainly privilege accrues to those who serve and lead us, but at the heart of it all is properly to be a sense that a public leader is actually working not for small interests but in truth for the common good. And far too many of us have allowed this inconvenient realization to slip from the center of our focus.

I grew up in a context–the Deep South–where hardball politics has been part of the culture since before the end of the War Between the States. My hometown was the last spot on the North American continent where the flags of the Confederacy were furled (some two months after Appomattox, since my ancestors refused to believe that General Lee had made a good decision by surrendering). I have seen the good and the bad, the smarmy and the exciting: LBJ used to visit my father’s business; we lived around the corner from Huey Long’s widow, and Russell Long was a family acquaintance; I dated the daughter of a governor of our state, and he (John McKeithen) used to spend hours in the late nights when I was at the mansion talking to me about the “human” side of being a public servant; and the very first burning cross I saw was up the street at the home of our local member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He stood for something that incurred the wrath–actually, the deep fear–of those who refused to see that civility and equity were truly for all and not merely for some. And then I lived and worked in Washington, DC for almost exactly twenty years before coming here. So I, like many of you perhaps, have seen a lot.

I’ve spoken several times with one of our distinguished speakers today, Leah Daughtry, about a dream for a certain big political event that will take place here in Denver this August. Rather than merely view the event as an occasion to rally forces for the election of a very good leader of this nation, what if it was a platform for a clarion call to this whole nation for renewal? For the renewal of pride in citizenship, for the renewal of hope that we can navigate the whitewaters of societal uncertainty together, for the renewal of the change that all can have a voice at the table?

It is in this spirit that I welcome you to this place and encourage you to discern afresh the bigger-picture value of what we’re all about today. Thank you for being part of this vital conversation. We here at Iliff very much want it to continue, and aim to be a partner with you.”

With this welcome, much of the discussion centered around a call to public service. I have asked Leah Daughtry, CEO of the 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee, to povide a copy of her remarks so we can post them as well–here and on the website.

Posted in CDP, Democratic Issues | Comments Off

Town Hall on Media and Democracy

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

This month my town hall meeting will be on the subject of “Media and Democracy,” with panelists:

* Bill Menezes (Media Matters)
* Jim Spencer (Writer CO Confidential, Former Columnist Denver Post)
* Jay Marvin (Radio Personality AM 760)
* David Sirota (Author, Hostile Takeover, Syndicated Columnist)
* Adam Schrager (Channel 9 News Reporter)

We’ll hear from each of our panelists and will then have lots of time for Q&A from our audience.

Please join us this Thursday, January 17, at the Aurora Municipal Center (Aurora Room), 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora, at 7:00 PM.

Posted in Democratic Issues, Elected | Comments Off

Faith and Politics

Sunday, January 13th, 2008

Yesterday more than 200 people were on hand for the Engaged Spirituality Forum at Iliff School of Theology. We will be posting copies of remarks and a video of the proceedings on the website in the near future. However, I want to provide some highlights from the day on this site.

After a wonderful opening mediation with George Tinker, David Trickett, President of Iliff gave his welcome. To follow are his remarks:

“Welcome to our second collaboration with the Colorado Democratic Party. Thank you for your continued interest in and support of this undertaking. It is my goal that we will collaborate effectively with all contenders for public service, no matter one’s affiliation, for we are called to be a community asset for reconciliation and healing of deep division. In truth, we know that the fratricidal tendencies apparent in some highly visible public arenas are adding toxins to the body politic–and such conditions are not sustainable.

I will share with you why I believe this kind of event is worth continuing, and not just before election cycles but also throughout the less hectic periods of our life together: public service is to be a calling, a vocation. Certainly privilege accrues to those who serve and lead us, but at the heart of it all is properly to be a sense that a public leader is actually working not for small interests but in truth for the common good. And far too many of us have allowed this inconvenient realization to slip from the center of our focus.

I grew up in a context–the Deep South–where hardball politics has been part of the culture since before the end of the War Between the States. My hometown was the last spot on the North American continent where the flags of the Confederacy were furled (some two months after Appomattox, since my ancestors refused to believe that General Lee had made a good decision by surrendering). I have seen the good and the bad, the smarmy and the exciting: LBJ used to visit my father’s business; we lived around the corner from Huey Long’s widow, and Russell Long was a family acquaintance; I dated the daughter of a governor of our state, and he (John McKeithen) used to spend hours in the late nights when I was at the mansion talking to me about the “human” side of being a public servant; and the very first burning cross I saw was up the street at the home of our local member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He stood for something that incurred the wrath–actually, the deep fear–of those who refused to see that civility and equity were truly for all and not merely for some. And then I lived and worked in Washington, DC for almost exactly twenty years before coming here. So I, like many of you perhaps, have seen a lot.

I’ve spoken several times with one of our distinguished speakers today, Leah Daughtry, about a dream for a certain big political event that will take place here in Denver this August. Rather than merely view the event as an occasion to rally forces for the election of a very good leader of this nation, what if it was a platform for a clarion call to this whole nation for renewal? For the renewal of pride in citizenship, for the renewal of hope that we can navigate the whitewaters of societal uncertainty together, for the renewal of the change that all can have a voice at the table?

It is in this spirit that I welcome you to this place and encourage you to discern afresh the bigger-picture value of what we’re all about today. Thank you for being part of this vital conversation. We here at Iliff very much want it to continue, and aim to be a partner with you.”

With this welcome, much of the discussion centered around a call to public service. I have asked Leah Daughtry, CEO of the 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee, to povide a copy of her remarks so we can post them as well–here and on the website.

patsigweb.jpg

Posted in CDP | Comments Off

Caucus Training this Weekend, and Excitement Builds for Caucuses!

Friday, January 11th, 2008

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)

WARNING: If you are one of the four or five folks who have e-mailed me complaining about my support for a particular Presidential candidate, you may want to only read the first part of this post….

In an hour or so, I’ll leave Canon City and head north to do some more caucus training. I encourage you to come by if you are in the area — there should also be an opportunity at most of these events to learn more about the various Presidential campaigns, as well.

Tonight, I will be in Estes Park; here is the information on that event:

Fri, Jan 11; ESTES PARK DEMOCRATS WELCOME CANDIDATES & OFFER CAUCUS TRAINING

Estes Park Democrats will meet to hear from several Presidential campaigns, the Udall for Colorado campaign (for U.S. Senate), and Betsy Markey, candidate for Congress. The event also includes caucus training by Dan Slater, 1st Vice Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party.

The event is open to the public.

Date & Time: Fri, Jan. 11, 2008; 7:00 p.m.Location: Estes Park Municipal Building, 2nd Floor, rooms 202-3.

Contact: John & Karen Ericson, 586-5042

Tomorrow (Saturday), I then head to Loveland and Greeley for more training. Here is the information on the Loveland training, for 1:30ish:

Its Central Committee time again, and what a meeting this should be!

Dont miss it! 1:p.m. Official Business: Our official business is to approve a formula for determining how many delegates each precinct is allotted to go forward to the County Assembly and Convention. These delegates will be selected at precinct caucuses on Tuesday, Feb. 5. We also will fill officer vacancies of the Larimer County Democratic Party. Current members of the Larimer County Central Committee have received the OFFICIAL CALL and may vote. They include Party officers, directors, precinct committee people, and Democratic elected officials. All other Democrats are welcome to attend.

1:30 or 2 p.m. Caucus Training and Candidates for U.S. House and Senate; Dan Slater, First Vice Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, will be on hand to conduct caucus training. Betsy Markey will attend and speak. Mark Udall will either attend or send a representative to speak on his behalf. Representatives of Presidential Campaigns: Representatives of five of the eight Democratic presidential campaigns will address our meeting. Those speakers will represent Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, and Bill Richardson. Come join your friends, meet the candidates and/or their representatives, and prepare for caucuses.

Central Committee Meeting Date & Time: Sat, Jan. 12, 1-1:30 p.m.

Caucus Training & Candidate Speeches: 1:30 +

Location: Bill Reed Middle School , 370 W. 4th St . , Loveland

And here is the Greeley information:

Caucus training is scheduled for January 12th, from 5:30-8 pm, at the University Center, Columbine Room, 11th Ave between 19th and 20th Street, Greeley. Colorado Democratic Party officials, including 1st Vice Chair Dan Slater, are expected to assist. Representatives of the presidential campaigns will have tables with information. Parking is available at the University Center; for directions, go to http://www.unco.edu/uncmap/.

Training resources will include a Colorado Democratic Party Caucus Rules Summary, Step-by-Step Caucus Agenda, Caucus Process Instructions, Presidential Preference Math Worksheet, Weld County Assembly Math Worksheet, Weld County Assembly/Convention Call and Delegate Form, and Nominating Process Flowchart.

Finally, I’ll be doing caucus training for Park County on Sunday. Here are the details for that event, if you can attend:

NEXT MEETING OF PARK COUNTY DEMOCRATS

January 13, 1:00 PM

Jefferson Community Center

The Public is Invited

The next meeting of the Park County Democrats will take place on Sunday, January 13, at the Jefferson Community Center. The meeting begins at 1:00 pm. The public is invited. There will be Caucus Training prior to the start of the Central Committee meeting. If you’re interested in the Caucus process and what exactly is involved, please come to this meeting.

The Jefferson Community Center is located in Jefferson along US Highway 285 about 15 miles northeast of Fairplay and 23 miles southwest of Bailey.

I’m not done on Sunday, though. On Monday, I’ll be in Frisco, and on Tuesday, I’ll be in Rocky Ford for caucus trainings for those two areas. Hopefully, I’ll have a chance to write about the details of those before Monday.

——————————————

Last night, we went up to Colorado Springs to attend the grand opening of the Obama for President office there. I’ve been to open houses and grand openings before, and I expected maybe 20-30 folks there. Boy, was I surprised! A reporter I was standing next to estimated at least 250 people in attendance. I don’t think there was room for any more people there in that office — it was one of the more impressive sights I’ve seen lately.

Several folks spoke and were recognized, including former El Paso County chairs Ed Raye and Mark Johnson. The place was so packed, they had to do the speeches and information twice — once for one room, and again a second time for the another room of people. It was really impressive to see this level of support in Colorado Springs, of all places, for a Democratic candidate.

Well, I need to head off to Estes Park. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Posted in CDP, Counties, Presidential Campaign 2008 | 2 Comments »

Gov. Ritter Delivers State of the State Address

Thursday, January 10th, 2008

Major education overhaul, economic-development plans and health-care reform are hallmarks of Governor’s second annual speech to the people and legislature

Read the full text of Governor Ritter’s speech here:

http://colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&
cid=1199955793227&pagename=GovRitter%2FGOVRLayout

Gov. Bill Ritter delivered his second annual State of the State Address to the people of Colorado and the legislature today, announcing major bi-partisan plans to revitalize Colorado’s education systems, strengthen businesses and the economy, and address health-care cost, quality and access issues.

“It’s my hope that each of us approaches this new legislative session with a sense of hope, of promise and of immense possibility,” Gov. Ritter said. “My hope for the next 120 days is that we strengthen what is great about Colorado and build on the work we started in 2007. We must make steady progress across the board, doing what we know is right and what we can afford. This will take discipline, focus, leadership and courage.”

Gov. Ritter offered a bold and ambitious vision for building a better Colorado – a vision that calls for aggressive progress on education reform and business development, and steady building-block strategies for health-care reform, higher-education and transportation funding and continuing broad-based on how best to address the conflicting provisions in our Constitution.

Setting his priorities for the second regular session of the 66th General Assembly, Colorado’s 41st governor outlined an agenda that focuses on:

Education Reform – Gov. Ritter announced the “Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids,” a revolutionary proposal to align content standards for pre-school through high school with college admission standards. This will take unprecedented collaboration from the Departments of Education and Higher Education to establish new policies that measure actual student learning and proficiency and prepare all Colorado kids for college or a career in the 21st century.

The bi-partisan plan will be co-sponsored by Senators Chris Romer (D-Denver) and Josh Penry (R-Fruita) and Representatives Rob Witwer (R-Genessee) and Christine Scanlan (D-Silverthorne).

Gov. Ritter’s announcement was made the same day Education Week magazine gave Colorado a “C” and ranked it 38th in the nation for overall education performance and policies. “Education is the cornerstone of our economy and it dictates how we will move Colorado forward in the 21st century,” Gov. Ritter said. “If ever there was a place to be bold and ambitious, to push hard and fast against the status quo, this is it. We have to think bigger about revitalizing our education systems than ever before, or the world will pass us by.”

Other components of Gov. Ritter’s education package include moving forward on recommendations from his P-20 Education Coordinating Council, co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien, business leader Bruce Benson and CSU-Pueblo President Joe Garcia.

Those recommendations include offering full-day kindergarten to 22,000 more children over five years, eliminating the current 3,000-child waiting list for the Colorado Pre-School Program, and creating a Colorado Counselor Corps that would deploy 70 guidance counselors into targeted middle and high schools to keep students in school and get them ready for college.

Economic Development – Gov. Ritter declared that strengthening the state’s robust economic climate will be another priority during the legislative session. Bills will be co-sponsored by Representatives Cheri Jahn, Jim Riesberg, Joe Rice, Mary Hodge and Bernie Buescher, and Senators Bob Bacon, Bob Shaffer, Steve Ward and Suzanne Williams. Proposals include:

* Increasing the Business Personal Property Tax exemption threshold from $2,500 to $7,000, easing the tax burden for more than 30,000 Colorado small businesses.

* Establishing a single-sales factor for corporations to calculate their Colorado taxes.

* Creating a $3.5 million annual Life and Bio-Sciences Business Development Fund and dedicating $3.5 million from the Clean Energy Fund to economic-development activity.

Gov. Ritter also called for bi-partisan collaboration to make meaningful progress on complex funding issues for higher education and transportation – two pillars of Colorado’s economy.

Gov. Ritter also introduced the three co-chairs of his new Jobs Cabinet, which will strive to ensure that Colorado’s economic-development strategies, education programs and regional workforce needs are aligned and producing a high-quality, 21st century labor force. The co-chairs are: Ruth Ann Woods, president of Trinidad State Junior College; Qwest vice president Teresa Taylor, and long-time civic leader and local attorney Jim Lyons.

Health Care Reform – Controlling costs, eliminating waste, improving quality and expanding access to public health programs for low-income children and other vulnerable populations will dominate reform efforts in 2008. Gov. Ritter said he is directing his health-care team to spearhead a collaborative effort that will address cost and quality and involve multiple stakeholders, including insurance companies, hospitals and physicians.

In 2007, the Administration enrolled an additional 10,000 eligible children into Child Health Plan Plus and 2,500 more eligible low-income adults into Medicaid. Plans call for enrolling an additional 17,000 children this year, simplifying and streamlining the application process for eligible Medicaid families, fully funding the Childhood Immunization Information System, expanding the prevention-first “Medical Home” model for Medicaid children, implementing five disease-management programs, and requesting $10.6 million to improve services and facilities for people with developmental disabilities.

Other highlights from Gov. Ritter’s speech:

Public Safety – Gov. Ritter announced plans for legislation that will create a School Safety Resource Center, which will work with local schools and districts around Colorado to create individually tailored safety programs. The resource center would be established through Senate Bill 1, being co-sponsored by Sen. John Morse (D-Colorado Springs) and Rep. Amy Stephens (R-Monument). The Governor also said the Departments of Corrections, Public Safety and Human Services will continue the work begun in 2007 to reduce the state’s high rate of offenders returning to prison within three years of release. Gov. Ritter also is requesting funds to increase monitoring of county foster-care programs.

New Energy Economy – “Last year, I stood before you and said the New Energy Economy would become our calling card to the 21st century,” Gov. Ritter said. “And it has. It serves as a hallmark for what responsible and forward-thinking public policy can achieve. It’s more than just a collection of laws. It’s a new direction for the entire state.”

Gov. Ritter announced the next phase of the New Energy Economy: “Bringing Home the New Energy Economy.” Plans call for creating a Colorado Carbon Fund, new residential solar and insulation incentives, and tools to help people and businesses reduce their carbon footprint.

Gov. Ritter said Rep. Judy Solano and Sen. Brandon Shaffer will be sponsoring net-metering, or home-grown energy, legislation that would require utilities to provide financial credit to people and businesses that sell solar- and wind-generated electricity back onto the energy grid.

Gov. Ritter also introduced the recipients of the first Governor’s Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards: Craig Cox from Intrawest Energy Alliance; New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins; the Fort Carson Army Post; the Northeast Denver Housing Center; and the Smiley Building in Durango.

Government Efficiency – Representatives Andy Kerr and Bernie Buescher and Senators Bill Cadman and John Morse will co-sponsor legislation to consolidate the state’s splintered Information Technology systems under one roof in the Governor’s Office of Information Technology. Gov. Ritter also said he expects to report additional findings from his government-efficiency review later this spring. The review already has identified $145 million in five-year savings and benefits.

Voting and Elections – Gov. Ritter said he is working with Secretary of State Coffman, legislators and county clerks to ensure secure and fair elections in 2008.

Natural Resources – Gov. Ritter said he is looking forward to legislation addressing forest health, conservation easements and the Federal Mineral Lease distribution formula, keeping local impacts as his top priority.

“A year after my inaugural address, I believe more than ever that hope wins out over cynicism,” Gov. Ritter said. “I believe that if we govern well, we can build a public trust in the institutions of government. I believe in the Colorado Promise, doing all we can to fulfill the God-given potential inside every one of us. Our goals are ambitious. Achieving them will only happen over the course of time, with patience and prudence and reason. We made enormous progress in 2007, and we will continue to push ahead in 2008.”

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Open Day Remarks by House Speaker Andrew Romanoff

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008

Below is the full text of the Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff’s opening day remarks:

Let me begin by congratulating our newest members, Representatives Mark Ferrandino and Christine Scanlan. We look forward to serving with each of you.

I would also like you to welcome my mother to the chamber.

Thank you for allowing me to share some thoughts with you on this occasion. This is the fifth year I’ve had the privilege – it’s also the last.

Representatives Borodkin, Garcia, Hodge, Jahn, Madden, Marshall, Stafford, White and I came in together – and we’re going out together. Congratulations to each of you.

Today I want to tell you a story. It’s not a story with a lot of characters in it. We’re going to have plenty of those stories in the months ahead. We’ll be talking about the 12,000 students who drop out of Colorado’s high schools each year, the 107,000 Coloradans who don’t have jobs, the 792,000 who don’t have health insurance.

This morning I want to focus on just one person. A child, to be specific. A baby.

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Senator Peter Groff elected Senate President

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008

Today, the opening day of the 2008 state legislative session, the Colorado Senate elected as its president Senator Peter Groff (SD-33, Denver). Groff is the first African-American in Colorado’s history to serve as Senate President and the third in the history of the United States.

Below is the full text of President Groff’s opening day remarks.

Please stand and join me in observing a moment of silence to honor the men and women who have given their lives defending our country – including Major Andrew Olmstead of Colorado Springs who was killed last week in Iraq – and to the active duty members and veterans of the United States Armed Forces and their families. Thank you.

Let us also take a moment to acknowledge Colonel Steve Ward from Senate District 26 and Lt. Colonel Joe Rice from House District 38, the two sitting members of the Colorado General Assembly who are currently serving us on active duty in Iraq. We will keep the light burning until Sen. Ward returns home.

Mister Majority Leader, Mister Minority Leader, Senate colleagues, distinguished guests, friends and my family. Let me begin by thanking the Senate for my election as the 47th President of this great body. I thank both sides of the aisle for your support and I pledge to continue to work collaboratively with all of you to build and invest in a better Colorado.

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