GOV. RITTER SCHEDULE FOR TODAY (MONDAY, SEPT. 29, 2008)

 

Monday, Sept. 29, 2008

 

10:30 a.m.                   Gov. Ritter will deliver opening remarks, welcoming Barack Obama back to Colorado.

 

Location: Mountain Range High School, 12500 Huron St., Denver (Adams 12 School District).

 

2 p.m.                          Gov. Ritter will announce his opposition to Amendment 46 during a news conference.

 

                                    Location: West Steps, State Capitol.  

 

GOV. RITTER TO ANNOUNCE BUDGET-PROTECTION STEPS AT 3:30 P.M.

Gov. Bill Ritter will hold a news conference at 3:30 p.m. today to announce budget-protecting and cost-saving measures he is implementing amid the national economic crisis.

 

WHEN: 3:30 p.m. today (Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008)

 

WHERE: West Foyer, State Capitol.

Faith Leaders, Governor to Sign Immigration Pledge

Colorado Interfaith Leaders and Governor to Sign Immigration Pledge

Denver, CO – On September 25^th, 2008, Governor Bill Ritter will join a diverse group of interfaith religious leaders in Colorado to ask all Coloradoans of good will to sign an interfaith pledge on immigration during a press conference from the west Capitol steps.  By signing the pledge on immigration, Coloradans commit to stand for America's finest ideals and core community values by rejecting the politics of division and isolation that fan anger and hate against persons and communities. 

Interfaith religious leaders across Colorado ask all people of good will to consider the losses we will continue to suffer if we as Coloradoans fail to seek comprehensive reform of the current immigration system.   Signers of the pledge  agree to work for just and humane immigration reform that will uphold the human dignity of each person and value the wholeness of each family unit.

WHAT: Colorado Interfaith Leaders Join Gov. Ritter for Press Conference to Sign Immigration Pledge

WHO:   Governor Bill Ritter

Rep. Rev. Terrance Carroll

Bishop Allan Bjornberg, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Rev. Youngsook Kang,  Superintendent of the Metropolitan District of the Rocky Mountain Conference, United Methodist Church

Monsignor Tom Fryar, Archdiocese of Denver

Rabbi Joel Schwartzman, Congregation B'nai Chaim

Hafedh Ferjani, Denver Islamic Society

Butch Montoya, HS Power and Light

Rev. Patrick Demmer, Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance

Rev. Dr. Jim Ryan, Colorado Council of Churches

 
WHEN:  TODAY, September 25, 2008, 8:15 A.M. MT

WHERE:  West Capitol Steps

COLORADO INTRODUCES NEW ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment will be holding an informational webinar today to introduce a new initiative called Strategies to Enhance Colorado's Talent Through Regional Solutions (SECTRS). This pilot program will address economic development from a local and industry-specific perspective by bringing local partners together to focus on growing certain industry sectors in their regions. 

 

"Local communities are the incubators of ideas and solutions to some of the state's most difficult challenges," Gov. Bill Ritter said. "This initiative falls in line with what the Jobs Cabinet has been working on - engaging local communities in the policymaking process and finding regional solutions for regional needs. The SECTRS approach will allow us to build on this momentum and move the state toward a more equitable and inclusive economy."

 

To provide more information about SECTRS, its practical application and the real results it offers, the Department of Labor and Employment and Colorado's Workforce Development Council will be offering an innovative web conference on September 25.

 

When:             9 to 11 a.m. today (Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008)

Where:           www.e-colorado.org

 

The first hour of the two-hour virtual conference will provide an overview of the mission, methods and progress of the SECTRS initiative, its operation and scope. Keynote speaker Dr. Mike Campbell is the Director of Research and Policy for the United Kingdom Commission for Employment and Skills. Dr. Campbell advises the British government on the strategies and policies needed to increase skills, employment and productivity. 

 

The second hour will provide more detailed information for county leaders and their partners on how to move forward with the SECTRS initiative.

 

For more information and to register for this virtual training conference, visit eColorado Announcements.  For more information on the SECTRS Initiative, click here.

 

TOMORROW: GOVERNOR RITTER, OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN FOR CHANGE TO HOLD FORUM ON IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING SOCIAL SECURITY

DENVER, CO - TOMORROW, Thursday, September 25, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. will join Obama's Campaign for Change and senior voters for a Denver area forum on the importance of protecting Social Security. In the midst of the current financial crisis, Social Security has never been more important to protecting Americans in retirement and to honoring the working efforts of all Americans. While McCain has a plan to privatize social security, Senator Obama knows that with a broken economy, unstable markets and failing banks, we just can't afford more of the same. With a history of standing up against privatization of social security, Senator Obama has repeatedly voted against Republican amendments aimed at privatizing Social Security and cutting benefits. He has also worked to reform corporate bankruptcy laws to protect American workers and retirees. 

WHO:                   Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr.

Paul Teske, Dean of the School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver

Social Security Recipients
                                     

WHAT:                 Social Security Forum

 

WHEN:                 12:30 pm MT, THURSDAY, September 25, 2008

 

WHERE:               Wheat Ridge Recreation Center
Ballroom 
4005 Kipling Street
Wheat Ridge, CO

Romer criticism raises Ritter's hackles

Romer criticism raises Ritter's hackles

 

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Written by: Alan Gottlieb- Head First blog

 

Today's first annual Colorado Legacy Foundation luncheon was a nice happening, honoring 39 schools across the state that have had success closing achievement gaps.

 

But the otherwise typical schmoozathon received a jolt of energy from a polite but unmistakable clash between current Gov. Bill Ritter and one of his predecessors, the indefatigable Roy Romer.

 

What with the recent DNC and related events, I've heard Romer's schtick several times in the past three weeks. It wears well. Romer, who now runs an outfit called Strong American Schools/ED in 08, is laboring to shock the nation out of complacency about the state of public education.

 

He was in fine form yesterday, speaking forcefully and make his points with more precision than is his norm.

 

"I may not be too popular at this luncheon by the time I finish," he said, proceeding to urge his audience to help him wake up Colorado, and the U.S., about the dire straits we're in. (Meanwhile, the Dow was cratering again, so people may have been aware of said straits). 

 

Romer laid out the well-known, depressing facts: we are falling behind other nations in education, and we're going to pay dearly for it soon, if we aren't already (we are).

 

"We're a third world nation in terms of our performance in math," Romer said.

 

What got under Ritter's skin, apparently, was Romer's repeated insistence that "we" — meaning Colorado and the U.S. --  are not doing enough to address this predicament. "We're asleep, we're kidding ourselves," Romer said. 

 

Ritter bounded up to the podium like an unleashed dog, and said he wished to "offer a rebuttal, in part, as presumptuous as that may seem." Colorado is focused on the challenges, despite Romer's criticism, Ritter said, "in a way perhaps we haven't been before."

 

With that subtle dig at the former governor, Ritter laid out his education agenda, stressing the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K) legislation that passed this year. He said new standards and assessments are coming, and they will be benchmarked, as Romer suggests, to standards in more educationally advanced countries.

 

"It's going to take a couple of years to design this…because you can't build this airplane while it's in the air," Ritter said.

 

Ritter also said the media didn't "give credence" to the accomplishments of the 2008 legislative session on education, hinting that Romer perhaps was simply unaware of how far Colorado has come.

GOV. RITTER'S TRANSPORTATION PANEL EMBARKS ON STATEWIDE OUTREACH MEETINGS

Gov. Bill Ritter's Blue Ribbon Transportation Panel embarks tomorrow on a five-week, 25-meeting community outreach effort acrossColorado to raise awareness about Colorado's transportation funding crisis and engage the public in the debate over possible solutions.

 

Members of the panel will make presentations and solicit public input in every corner of Colorado, beginning this week with meetings in Lamar on Wednesday, Pueblo and Colorado Springs on Thursday and Limon on Friday.

 

"The strength of Colorado's economy depends in large part on our ability to fund and build a modern, 21^st century transportation system," Gov. Ritter said. "But as members of the Transportation Panel know, our roads and bridges are deteriorating and our major revenue sources are declining.

 

"These meetings will help educate the public about this 'quiet crisis,' as the panel has called it, inform them about why transportation is so important to our economy, and urge people to become part of the dialogue going forward," Gov. Ritter said.

 

Here is a complete list of meetings:

 

Date, Day & Time	Location	Date, Day & Time	Location
September 24Wednesday,        1:00 p.m.	Lamar Lamar Cultural Event Center 102 E. Parmenter	October 16   Thursday,           9:00 a.m.	Brush Event Center 720 Ellsworth St
September 25Thursday,           9:00 a.m.	Pueblo             Rawlings Public Library Ryals Room 100 E. Abriendo Ave.	October 16   Thursday,        2:00 p.m.	Greeley Chamber of Commerce 902 7th Avenue
September 25Thursday,          2:00 p.m.	Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Area COG 15 South 7th St	October 17       Friday,                  9:00 a.m.	Fort Collins Fort Collins Council Chambers, 300 Laporte Ave
September 26   Friday,                 9:00 a.m.	Limon Hub City Limon Senior Center 220 "E" Ave	October 17 Friday,             9:00 a.m.	Westminster Adams County Economic Development , Inc 12050 Pecos Street, Suite # 200
October 2    Thursday,          9:00 a.m.	Castle Rock Douglas County Admin Bldg 100 3rd Street	October 21       Tuesday,           2:00 p.m.	Glenwood Springs    Garfield County Courthouse       108 8th St. # 213 Hearing Room
October 2     Thursday,           2:00 p.m.	Denver Denver Public Library 10 West 14th Ave Parkway	October 22  Wednesday,      9:00 a.m.	Grand Junction Two Rivers Convention Center 159 Main Street
October 3          Friday,             9:00 a.m.	Aurora Center Point Plaza 14980 East Alameda	October 22Wednesday,       2:30 p.m.	Montrose "The Bridges" 2500 Bridges Circle,
October 3          Friday,             2:00 p.m.	Jefferson County Jefferson County Admin Bldg Commissioners Hearing Room 100 Jefferson County Pkwy Golden	October 23      Thursday,            9:00 a.m.	Durango La Plata County FairgroundsExtension Building 2500 Main Ave
October 8            Wednesday,    9:00 a.m.	Longmont Longmont City Hall Council Chambers Civic Center, 350 Kimbark St	October 23      Thursday,          4:00 p.m.	Alamosa Alamosa Service Center 8900 Independence Way
October 8     Wednesday,     1:00 p.m.	Boulder Boulder County Courthouse Hearing room 1325 Pearl St	October 24           Friday,                 10:00 a.m.	Trinidad Las Animas County Courthouse     200 East 1st Street
October 9  Thursday,        9:00 a.m.	Broomfield City Council Chambers One DesCombes Drive	October 29Wednesday        2:00 p.m.	Craig City Hall 300 4th Street
October 15    Wednesday,    1:00 p.m.	Sterling Logan County Fairgrounds GaryDe Soto Building 1120 Pawnee Avenue	October 30   Thursday,        9:00 a.m.	Steamboat Springs Howelsen Hill Ski Area Olympian Hall 845 Howelsen Parkway
		October 30    Thursday         3:00 p.m.	Frisco County Commons 037 Peak One Drive Mount Royal Room

 

For more information about Gov. Ritter's Blue Ribbon Transportation Panel, click here or visit www.colorado.gov/governor, and click on the Transportation Panel link.