New Democrat Update

DEMOCRATS MAKING IMPACT

The new Senate Democratic majority proved to be a positive development for the large majority of Coloradans. In contrast to years past, the balance of power forced the legislature to focus on real-life issues and less on extreme, far-right proposals. Those social conservative ideas were nipped in the bud and, as a result, got less attention.

Just as important, true political competition between Democrats and Republicans results in increased responsiveness and better products - in this case, more effective public policies. The education debate, earlier in the session, proves this point.

After the voters passed a ballot initiative to increase public school funding by inflation plus one percentage point over the next ten years, Gov. Owens decided to play politics with the issue. Despite a history of supporting charter schools and local control, he did a complete "flip-flop," advocating the opposite - micro-management proposals mandating how schools would use the additional funding.

In the end, Senate Democrats fought off Owens’ misguided, centralized commands-and-controls. Encouraging bottom-up innovation and accountability, based on local needs and conditions, prevailed.

Senate Democrats also proved to be a strong, positive force for character education in schools, increased transportation funding and empowering consumers to restrict aggravating telephone solicitations. They shook up an antiquated committee process and used technology to open up what had been a very closed budgetary process.

Despite this progress, much more remains to be done, especially on smart growth, energy, and transportation. Despite efforts by Senate Democrats to aggressively tackle these problems, Owens, with some help from his GOP House friends, simply said no.

FAILING TO LEAD

Owens’ lack of leadership was especially evident in the growth debate. For all his talk about “busting heads,” he disappeared from view, never weighing in with his own plan.

The Governor’s real strategy was to duck the debate, issue overly general and useless guidelines that offended no one, wait for others to offer specific solutions and then criticize the inevitably controversial provisions from the sidelines. When Senate President Stan Matsunaka called on him to comment on the Democratic proposal earlier in the process, he ducked.

Owens’ politically-charged call for a special session was equally as cynical. Historically, governors work at defusing the heat of the moment, coordinate with legislative leadership, carefully build coalitions behind specific proposals and then issue the call. Owens’ decision to do none of the above proved he was not serious and virtually guaranteed failure.

The Governor wanted a bill - any bill properly labeled as one dealing with growth. His political objective was to have a glorious bill-signing ceremony, telling Coloradans “we (I) did something.” He cared very little about its substance.

His very limited activities on Colorado’s potential energy crisis have also been mere political posturing. After hearing that Senate Democrats are tackling the issue, he hurriedly conducted a “summit” of energy officials and experts. After taking some cheap shots at California Governor Gray Davis, he concluded that Colorado could face a similar situation to the Golden State.

Despite that dire possibility stated two months ago, the administration has yet to propose any solutions. In fact, it has not even commented on President Bush’s energy plan. Thankfully, a Senate Democratic Task Force, headed by Sen. Bob Hagedorn, is keeping the discussion alive, analyzing the challenges and working on a set of solutions.

Owens is also unwilling to honestly face Colorado’s ever-growing traffic congestion problems. The administration seems to believe that its plan to accelerate highway and light rail funding in the Southeast Corridor (approved by voters in 1999) is enough to do the job.

The facts simply do not support this very unrealistic hope. The American Society of Civil Engineers ranks Colorado as the fifth most congested state in the nation. Owens’ own Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) says traffic in the Denver metro area rose 30 percent on the state and federal highway systems between 1990 and 1998. The administration’s reaction to those realities, combined with CDOT’s own prediction that six million people will be living in the state by the year 2010, is silence.

Leadership is not calling news conferences and professing generalized support for popular ideas. Tackling a tough issue requires a good idea, constant focus, hard work, sticking your neck out, prodding constant public pressure and nitty gritty coalition-building. None of which seems to be coming out of the Governor’s Office these days.

A NATIONAL CONVERSATION

Each year, the national Democratic Leadership Council's National Conversation brings together a national network of New Democrat elected leaders from across the country to compare notes, exchange ideas and discuss innovative governing strategies. Since its inception in 1997, the National Conversation has attracted an increasing number of participants.

Last year's event in Baltimore, MD, was attended by over 300 participants, including over 180 elected officials at every level of government. Past Colorado participants include Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, former Governor Roy Romer, Senate President Stan Matsunaka, House Minority Leader Dan Grossman, State Sen. Bob Hagedorn, State Representatives Bob Bacon, Fran Coleman, Abel Tapia, Jennifer Veiga and Suzanne Williams, along with Glendale Mayor Joe Rice. A complete list of past participants is available.

This year's event - to be held July 15-17 in Indianapolis, IN - consists of plenary and breakout sessions. In the past, to foster a less formal, give-and-take atmosphere, the plenary sessions have been set "town meeting" style. Breakout sessions give elected officials the chance to exchange ideas and talk specifically about what they are doing on issues of interest to them.

If you are interested in participating in the National Conversation, please email the Colorado DLC or call 303-936-4681.