Gov. Bill Ritter: Q&A at the half

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 5, 2009 at 12:05 a.m.

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Bill Ritter, the guy with the easy-going grin, became governor two years ago after an astounding 17-point victory.

Not bad for a Denver Democrat and former district attorney whose own party months earlier had written him off, in part, because of his opposition to abortion.

Within hours of Ritter's inauguration - where he called on Coloradans to "think big, to be bold and to take risks" - he was meeting with emergency directors to try to get help for the blizzard-ravaged eastern plains.

Ritter's now at midterm, two down, two to go.

He's traveled throughout the state, meeting with Coloradans on a variety of issues. He hosted the highly successful Democratic National Convention in August, and is on a first-name basis with President-elect Barack Obama.

But grim times are ahead. As Ritter's third legislative session is about to get under way, he faces a budget deficit that could top $600 million.

His many supporters say if Ritter hadn't lured renewable energy industries to Colorado as part of his "new energy economy" the state would be in even worse shape.

But Ritter has encountered fierce opposition from minority Republicans on several fronts, including a property tax maneuver that freed up more money for schools but is being challenged as unconstitutional.

And his November 2007 executive order giving unions the green light to organize thousands of state workers outraged business leaders who had supported Ritter over his Republican opponent, Congressman Bob Beauprez. And it upset some in the labor movement who thought it didn't go far enough.

Ritter also had a highly publicized fallout with his campaign manager over inaugural and campaign funds, a squabble that has intrigued both parties.

Ritter recently talked about his tenure during an interview in his office at the state Capitol.

"I really believe that we're governing well," he said. "I know I have a different style than the previous governors, but we're still moving an agenda and moving it in a way that I think is pretty aggressive."

What's the single toughest thing that you've done in your job so far?

I would say going to the funerals of soldiers killed in the line of duty is emotionally the most difficult. I, as the governor, grieve with families and I grieve on behalf of the people of the state. I haven't been able to go to all of them, but think I've done most of the funerals.

The public difficulty certainly was on the heels of the employee partnership agreement, and the signing of that executive order, the kind of public attention that was paid and the aspersions that were publicly cast against me about the signing of that order.

Your press office made the order public on a Friday afternoon. Do you regret the way it was released?

Yes. We should have done a press conference; we should have stood in front of the cameras and answered questions about it. Hindsight is 2 0/20. I would do that differently for sure.

I would still the sign the order. I believe it was the right thing, and I believe in the long run it will prove to be the right thing. It really is different than (how) a lot of people characterized it. It is not collective bargaining. It is a voluntary, non-binding effort to give employees a greater degree of involvement. It is narrowly focused on state employees only. It has no impact on any private-sector business or employee.

You came to this office as a former district attorney, a position that for the most part isn't considered all that political. There's been criticism that you don't have the political mojo for the job, that you don't know how to swing a political tire iron when necessary.

I really believe that we're governing well. I think every governor has some difficulty with their own party and they certainly have difficulty with the other party.

I spent some time up here when I was the DA so I knew a lot of the legislators when I got here. My legislative director (former lobbyist Mary Kay Hogan) knows everybody in this building. I have a lot of people on my team who are absolutely familiar with the legislature.

I think it's just one of those kinds of easy criticisms that people float because I hadn't spent a lot of time here. I think actually there's a virtue to that because then we're doing it our way. We don't let somebody else write a template. Quite frankly, at the end of the day what people in the state want is for you to govern well.

There are a lot of different styles. I know I have a different style than the previous governors, but we're still moving an agenda and moving it in a way that I think is pretty aggressive.

You visit around the state a lot. Do you get a sense that a number pf Coloradans are not as interested in the politics of the job as others are?

I call it the radius. There's a radius within the capitol where people really pay attention to what happens in this building.

I pay attention to what happens in this building, but it really helps that we've had 167 venues in two years outside the seven-county metro area. And in those 167 venues I met people who probably give me a better sense about the struggles of Coloradans than I get sitting here in the governor's office.

You take the meeting I had with small businesses in Pueblo. They really want to know, "How's it going to be for us to do business, where are we going to get access to capital, what are you going to do to as it relates to our ability to grow our business," questions like that.

This job has a lot of great rewards, but there are lots of sacrifices. What's been the toughest thing on your family?

The level of security is difficult. It's difficult for everybody, but imagine being a teenage kid. You come in and out of an iron gate. You pass through security when you come home and when you leave.

We moved out of a neighborhood where in that neighborhood it was really a community. It functioned as a community for my kids and for my wife and me. We moved into the governor's residence. It's a lovely place, but it's not a community. That's a tough thing to do to your family.

Sam and Tally (the two youngest) have had a totally different experience than our two sons who are in college and it's around not really living in a community.

The other thing is for my family to become public personas. A good example: My son is of legal age. He's 22. He has a party at the governor's residence. He made really good decisions in making sure nobody was driving. But there were some unflattering pictures that he was embarrassed by and they wound up on the front page of a paper. Those are difficult things to do to your family.

Do they want you to run for re-election?

We've actually talked about it. I'm going to run, but among my children there are mixed emotions.

Who's your dream opponent in 2010?

(Laughter) No comment.

Do you think all the criticism about your blue-ribbon commissions has been warranted?

That's just a gimme for these Republicans who want to criticize us.

The health care commission, the 208 commission, was put together by Bill Owens. Health care is a big problem and needs tackling. I think, like Gov. Owens did when he signed Senate Bill 208, that a commission can be very helpful.

Yeah, I put together a blue ribbon commission on transportation. Transportation funding is a really big issue. That's not a sprint, that's a marathon, and we're going into our third legislative session and transportation funding is going to be a priority for us.

I'm a person who believes that input is part of a democracy. On occasions where commissions are helpful we've utilized them.

Go back to those people who have offered those criticisms and ask, "Which commission shouldn't he have done? The one after the 13 deaths of kids?" We had a year where we had 13 deaths of kids who had come under the attention of the human services systems. We shouldn't have put together a group of people to study that system and say what are the serious reforms we need to ensure that never happens again?

If they want to criticize us for commissions they can say what commissions we shouldn't have done.

I'm not going to pretend I know everything. I'm going to rely on the input of commissions, but then when they make recommendations I'm going to lead the way.

Do you ever look across Civic Center and sigh, thinking if term limit exemptions for district attorneys had passed you might still be there?

(Laughter.) I did really love being the district attorney, but the subject was pretty narrow.

I don't think I can tell you how exciting it is to be where I am right now with a new president coming in who understands the need to reform health care in this country, who understands the need to develop a different energy future. Those are just two examples.

And I get to be at the heart of it.

Barack Obama, when he talked about Ken Salazar becoming the Secretary of the Interior, talked about a new energy economy. Salazar and I talked to him about using that language and really thinking about how we can talk about our need to do certain things, talk about it in terms of opportunity. He's a listener. He takes input.

I think I am at a very exciting place.

You could have appointed yourself as U.S. senator to succeed Salazar. Why did you say you weren't interested?

Because I've got a job that I really love.

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A variety of Coloradans were asked to briefly assess Gov. Bill Ritter's performance halfway through his first term:

* "Bill Ritter has made Colorado the leader in the new energy economy. He has reached out to all of Colorado to be part of making government work for them. He continues to travel this state connecting with the people as no other governor has done."

Pat Waak, chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party

* "A good man who loves Colorado, the ex-DA seems more comfortable in the prosecutor's world of black and white than in the rough and tumble of political chiaroscuro. Missteps with the unions, business community, oil and gas industry . . . demonstrates that naivete.

"If he wants another term, Ritter has two years to make changes in staff and Cabinet and diversify his political Rolodex."

Susan Barnes-Gelt, Democrat and former Denver City Council member

* "I am especially impressed with his efforts to build the new energy economy in Colorado and with his leadership on our pressing economic issues. His work ethic and his willingness to make hard choices - and then roll up his sleeves to help the people of Colorado through them - will continue to serve all of us well."

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper

* "That's pretty hard in just a sentence or two. The Book of the Apocalypse takes 22 chapters."

Rep. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs

* "Gov. Ritter has had some strong moments, like charging ahead with the new energy economy, and some weak moments, like the union mess.

"The force of history just took a dramatic turn with far-reaching impacts in Colorado. Now, he has the chance to frame his administration around economic recovery. Gov. Ritter must show us a stronger, more focused leader in order to be relevant to current affairs. For Colorado's sake, we all need him to succeed."

John Brackney, president and CEO of the South Metro Denver Chamber

* "Due to the thoughtful and deliberate execution of his vision, more kids are in preschool, more kids are insured, and the promise of a new energy economy is already a reality."

House Majority Leader Alice Madden, D-Boulder

* "He is a man of well-meaning intentions who has supported good policies like education reform, but has made some bad miscalculations - like collective bargaining, property taxes and budgeting. As a result, it is much easier to like him personally - and I do - than to like him politically."

Sen. Nancy Spence, R-Centennial

* "Progressive 15 is pleased that Gov. Ritter has kept his commitment to include the entire state in planning, idea generation and input, and that he continues to appear in areas outside the Front Range. Alternately, we are concerned that the administration's focus on rule and policy changes that are mired in new regulation bureaucracy could cost Colorado in the future."

Cathy Shull, executive director of Progressive 15, a coalition of 15 northeast and mostly rural counties

* "I have no doubt that Gov. Ritter would have preferred to take office with at least one legislative chamber run by Republicans. This was the model that worked well for previous Democratic Govs. Dick Lamm and Roy Romer. It would have allowed Ritter to play the responsible centrist, the role for which he seems naturally cut out. It would have kept Democratic excesses away from his desk. There would have been no change to the Labor Peace Act to veto, and therefore no dominos leading to his collective bargaining executive order."

Eric Sondermann, political consultant

* "From my perspective as a health care executive, in spite of challenging economic circumstances, Gov. Ritter has made headway in improving access and addressing quality issues in health care."

Dr. Donna Lynne, president of Kaiser Permanente

* "The governor's focus on producing renewable energy has been relentless and in most respects positive, and he's been a friend of education reform.

"But this governor has pressed an agenda that's triggered fierce political fights between labor and business, environmentalists and the energy industry, and taxpayers and the courts. These skirmishes have literally consumed this administration."

Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, the incoming minority leader

* "Gov. Ritter has done a terrific job of balancing competing concerns and bringing in a wide variety of perspectives. A highlight has got to be his success in building a new energy economy - even President-elect Obama is echoing Ritter's language and goals."

Speaker-elect Terrance Carroll, D-Denver

* "Unlike his two predecessors, Republican Bill Owens and Democrat Roy Romer, Gov. Ritter is an ineffective and weak chief executive with no agenda other than that forced upon him by Big Labor bosses and liberal special interests."

Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party

* "I appreciate that Gov. Ritter pledged to build partnerships and set aside partisan politics, but I wish we'd see more of that. The multitude of labor-related ballot measures which Colorado voters rejected in the fall was largely prompted by the governor's executive order which involved no consultation with the business community. Similarly, the governor's severance tax proposal, which the voters also rejected, was crafted without any input from either the affected energy development communities or the industry which pays the bill."

Reeves Brown, director of the Western Slope civic group Club 20

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