My Decision

As you may know by now, I have decided not to run for re-election in 2010. I am so proud of all you have done to support my campaign. Your incredible support of this effort put us in a strong position to win re-election. And I'm confident that your sustained commitment to our forward-thinking vision for the state will ensure we elect a governor who continues leading Colorado forward this November. So before I explain my deeply personal decision not to run for re-election, let me just say: thank you. Almost five years ago, in the spring of 2005, I began running for governor of Colorado. My campaign theme -- the Colorado Promise -- was a deeply held belief that we as a state were not living up to our full potential. So we laid out a vision to create a New Energy Economy, to build up other Industries of the Future like aerospace and biosciences, to reform our education and healthcare systems, and to modernize our transportation system.   Today, even in the face of the worst recession since the Great Depression, that vision is becoming a reality. We are leading Colorado forward. People all across Colorado are fulfilling the Colorado Promise, and Colorado is on the road to recovery.   It is my privilege and my honor to serve as governor of the greatest state in America.   Over the past years, but particularly over this last year, I have attempted to balance many roles in my life. I have been the governor, I have been a candidate for re-election, and I have also been a husband and a father.   I am proud of my work as governor. I am proud of the direction of the state.   I am proud of my campaign, of the staff we have built, and of our re-election efforts.   It is my family who has sacrificed the most -- my wife, Jeannie, and my four kids. I have not found the proper balance where my family is concerned, and I have not made them the priority they should be.   Ending one of my roles -- as a candidate for re-election in 2010 -- will allow me to concentrate on the things that are most important: taking care of my family, and taking care of Colorado. While this decision allows me to make my family a priority, it also allows me to focus on keeping the state budget balanced and keeping Colorado on the road to recovery. The Colorado economy is getting better, but we still have budget-cutting to do on the '09-'10 and '10-'11 budgets, and we'll be submitting the '11-'12 budget in November. By not running for re-election, I'll be able to make the tough and unpopular decisions that simply need to get made -- free and clear of the sometimes bitter partisan politics of an election year. We're positioning Colorado for a strong recovery with our New Energy Economy, our job-creation strategies and our education reforms. The rest of the country is looking to Colorado on everything from the economy to energy to education. We're in a great position, and we're on the right path. I look forward to spending the next 12 months keeping our budget balanced and our economy growing. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving me the honor and the privilege to serve as your governor -- and for all that you have done to help lead Colorado forward.

GOV. RITTER ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION

 

Gov. Bill Ritter announced today he will not seek re-election this November to a second term. He issued the following statement during a news conference at the Capitol:

 

"Good morning. Almost five years ago, in the spring of 2005, I began running for governor of Colorado. My campaign theme – the Colorado Promise – was a deeply held belief that we as a state were not living up to our full potential.

 

"So we laid out a vision to create a New Energy Economy, to build up other Industries of the Future like aerospace and the biosciences, to reform our education and healthcare systems, and to modernize our transportation system.

 

"Today, even in the face of the worst recession since the Great Depression, that vision is becoming a reality. We are leading Colorado forward. People all across Colorado are fulfilling the Colorado Promise, and Colorado is on the road to recovery.

 

"It is my privilege and my honor to serve as governor of the greatest state in America, and it is my privilege and honor to serve with the greatest lieutenant governor, Barbara O'Brien.

 

"Over the past years, but particularly over this last year, I have attempted to balance many roles in my life. I have been the governor, I have been a candidate for re-election, and I have also been a husband and a father.

 

"I am proud of my work as governor. I am proud of the direction we are taking this state. I am proud of everyone who works in this administration. I am proud of my campaign, of the staff we have built, and of our re-election efforts.

 

"It is my family who has sacrificed the most, my wife, Jeannie, my kids, three of whom are here today. I have not found the proper balance where my family is concerned, and I have not made them the priority they should be. So today I'm announcing that I'm ending one of my roles. I am no longer a candidate for re-election this November.

 

"This will allow me to concentrate on the things that are most important – taking care of my family, and taking care of Colorado.

 

"I'm 53 years old. I have been in the public sector or public service for most of the past 30 years. I was a prosecutor right out of law school. Jeannie and I spent three years in Zambia, Africa as Catholic missionaries. I was the elected District Attorney of Denver for 12 years, and I've been governor for the past three years.

 

"But I still have one son in college and two children living at home, and they need me. And so does Jeannie.

 

"While this decision allows me to make my family a priority, it also allows me to focus on keeping the state budget balanced and keeping Colorado on the road to recovery.

 

"The Colorado economy is getting better, but we still have budget-cutting to do on the 09-10 and 10-11 budgets, and we'll be submitting the 11-12 budget in November. By not running for re-election, I'll be able to make the tough and unpopular decisions that simply need to get made – free and clear of the sometimes bitter partisan politics of an election year.

 

"We're positioning Colorado for a strong recovery with our New Energy Economy, our job-creation strategies and our education reforms. The rest of the country is looking to Colorado on everything from the economy to energy to education.

 

"We're in a great position, and we're on the right path. I look forward to spending the next 12 months keeping our budget balanced and our economy growing. We still have a lot of very important work to do."

 

Salazar's Statement on Governor Ritter's Announcement That He Will Not Seek a Second Term as Governor of Colorado

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar released the following statement on Governor Bill Ritter's announcement that he will not be seeking a second term as Governor of Colorado:

 

"Bill Ritter has been a devoted servant of the public at great sacrifice to self and family. I have enjoyed our work together during my time as Attorney General, United States Senator and Secretary of the Interior.  I wish him and his family all the best and thank him for his service."

 

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GOV. RITTER ANNOUNCES EFFORTS TO HELP COLORADO RECIPIENTS OF RECOVERY ACT FUNDS

Gov. Bill Ritter announced new federal reporting requirements for recipients of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, as part of continued efforts to make government more transparent and accountable.  The Governor's Economic Recovery Team will host a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 7, to help recipients understand the changes and comply with the new reporting requirements.

"More than $5.7 billion dollars will come to Colorado through the Recovery Act to support struggling families, keep businesses afloat and to create and retain jobs," said Gov. Ritter. "One of my administration's priorities is to make government more transparent. My Recovery Act Team is reaching out to Colorado agencies and businesses receiving Recovery funds to help them submit accurate and timely information on how these funds are being used."

Between now and January 15, more than 400 businesses, nonprofit groups and government agencies across Colorado are expected to submit spending and job data to the federal government.  Recipients of grants, loans and contracts must send data to the federal government every three months for the next year or two to comply with Section 1512 of the Recovery Act. This is the second round of reporting. 

The data reporting process is overseen by the federal government, mainly through the Office of Management and Budget and the national Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. Federal agencies have enacted changes for this second round of reporting, which include:

·         Changes to how job numbers should be calculated

·         Extending the deadline for data submission to January 15, 2010

·         Allowing recipients to change their reports until April 2010

·         Changes to the online reporting system that will flag potential mistakes, including incorrect congressional districts and job data, before reports can be submitted.

 

To help recipients and the media understand the changes in the process, the Governor's Economic Recovery Team will host a meeting and conference call on Thursday, January 7, 2010, 1:30 p.m., at the Governor's Office of Information Technology, 601 E. 18th Avenue, Confluence Park conference room, second floor. To access by phone, please call 720-348-8440 and submit room number *1922422*.

As part of an unprecedented level of openness about government spending, all information submitted by recipients in October 2009, has been posted on the national Recovery Act website, www.recovery.gov. Data submitted this month will be posted at the end of the month.

Recovery Act funds are expected to come to Colorado over the next two years. The funds are distributed through income tax cuts, small business loans, research grants, infrastructure projects and investments in growth industries. A county-level breakdown of funds can be found on the state website, www.colorado.gov/recovery.

 

 

 

 

GOV. RITTER'S SCHEDULE FOR TODAY AND WEDNESDAY

          

Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010

                       

10:30 a.m.                   Gov. Ritter, Lt. Gov. O'Brien and lawmakers will announce three new pieces of legislation to help create jobs in Colorado's growing film, arts and other creative industries. A recent economic analysis shows that creative industries support 186,000 jobs in Colorado, making it the fifth-largest and among the fastest-growing job clusters in the state. Location: Newell Design Studio, 2644 Walnut, Denver.

 

Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010

           

10 a.m.                        Gov. Bill Ritter will be joined by Microsoft Senior Vice President Gail Thomas Flynn to announce a public-private venture that will provide opportunities for thousands of Coloradans to receive free online job training at workforce centers throughout the state. Location: Adams County Workforce and Business Center, 12200 N. Pecos St., Westminster.

 

 

 

 

COLORADO 1 OF 6 STATES TO JOIN DROPOUT PREVENTION INITIATIVE

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices has selected Colorado and five other states to take part in a year-long initiative aimed at increasing high school graduation rates. Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Tennessee and West Virginia will help develop comprehensive state dropout prevention and recovery policies through the new "State Strategies to Achieve Graduation for All" effort.

"Graduation for All" will help states clearly identify their dropout problem; assess gaps in student supports for dropout prevention and student recovery; and create a dropout prevention and recovery action plan for implementation that includes tactics such as state policies, executive orders, advisory councils, legislation or regulatory reforms.

 

Since taking office, Gov. Bill Ritter has made education a top priority, holding three statewide dropout prevention summits, helping to establish a new Office of Dropout Prevention and Student Re-engagement, and creating a P-20 Education Council. Gov. Ritter currently chairs the NGA's Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee.

 

"Thanks to the hard work of educators, policymakers and stakeholders throughout the state, Colorado is becoming a nationally recognized leader in education reform," Gov. Ritter said. "While we are seeing pockets of progress, thousands of Colorado students are still dropping out of school each year, limiting their job opportunities and making it harder to become career or college ready. This initiative will allow Colorado to help shape a national strategy, achieve my goal 10-year goal of cutting Colorado's dropout rate in half, and move us closer to the day when 'graduation for all' is truly a reality."

 

"Improving our education system has been a top priority for Gov. Ritter and me since we took office," said Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien, who is spearheading several of the administration's education-reform efforts. "This initiative will help us continue solving the dropout problem one student at a time, because every student who stays in school, every student who improves their attendance and achievement, and every student who returns to school after dropping out is a success."

 

The Governor's Office will be partnering with the Colorado Department of Education's Office of Dropout Prevention and Student Re-engagement and the Colorado Graduates Initiative on this effort. CGI is a partnership of the Colorado Children's Campaign, Colorado Youth for a Change, and the Partnership for Families and Children, with support from the Donnell-Kay Foundation.

           

"When a student drops out of high school, it hurts that individual's opportunity for a bright, successful future and is a loss to society as a whole," said John Thomasian, director of the NGA Center. "Those who drop out of high school are less likely than others to be employed, more likely to receive public assistance and more likely to be incarcerated. The State Strategies to Achieve Graduation for All initiative will help the selected states devise policies to combat the dropout problem."

The initiative is informed by a report recently released by the NGA Center, "Achieving Graduation for All: A Governor's Guide to Dropout Prevention and Recovery," which identifies the root causes of the high school dropout problem and offers an action plan for states to curb dropouts, help youth succeed and strengthen state economies. Specific recommendations contained in the report for states to reduce the incidence of students not completing high school include promoting high school graduation for all; targeting youth at-risk of dropping out; reengaging youth who have dropped out of school; and providing rigorous, relevant options for earning a high school diploma.

Throughout the State Strategies to Achieve Graduation for All initiative, state teams will be afforded technical assistance opportunities aimed at increasing their breadth and depth of knowledge concerning dropout prevention and recovery. States will also receive assistance from national dropout experts and participate in policy academy meetings designed to address issues and challenges surrounding dropout prevention and recovery.

For more information about this initiative and other NGA Center Education Division efforts, visit www.nga.org/center/edu.

 

GOV. RITTER'S SCHEDULE FOR TODAY AND TUESDAY

GOV. RITTER'S SCHEDULE FOR TODAY AND TUESDAY

           

            Monday, Jan. 4, 2010

           

            9 to 10 a.m.                 Gov. Ritter will make his regular monthly appearance on the Mike Rosen radio show on 850 AM KOA.

 

            Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010

 

10:30 a.m.                   Gov. Ritter, Lt. Gov. O'Brien and lawmakers will announce three new pieces of legislation to help create jobs in Colorado's growing film, arts and other creative industries. A recent economic analysis shows that creative industries support 186,000 jobs in Colorado, making it the 5^th largest employment sector and among the fastest growing job clusters in the state. Location: Newell Design Studio, 2644 Walnut, Denver.