"Blue Ribbon" Bill Ritter?

Critics charge that Guv relies too heavily on citizen commissions
Face The State Staff Report

DENVER — Gov. Bill Ritter has made no secret of his reliance on commissions to govern the state. As these panels begin releasing recommendations for reform, however, critics are questioning their effectiveness.

During his 2006 gubernatorial campaign, Ritter heavily touted his “Colorado Promise,” a 54-page document outlining his “roadmap to a better Colorado in the 21st Century.” Included in the pledge were lengthy goals for issue areas identified as key to Colorado’s future, including education, transportation, and health care. In the document, Ritter vowed to meet dozens of specific objectives, ranging from expanding broadband internet access and improving childhood immunization rates statewide.

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But now more than a year into Ritter’s administration, critics now charge that he has wasted valuable time and resources by relying too heavily on multiple “blue ribbon” commissions that have failed to deliver on promises of innovative and workable reform proposals.

Katy Atkinson, a GOP operative, questioned the tactic of using commissions as a source for reform proposals. “Instead of a chief executive, now we have the chief appointer,” she said. “When a candidate runs, they should have solutions in hand, not wait to appoint people who will make these decisions.”

Ritter’s most watched commissions include his “Transportation, Finance & Implementation Panel,” his “P-20 Education Coordinating Council,” his “Criminal Justice Commission,” and just last month, his newest, known as a “Jobs Cabinet.”

In addition, Ritter has been actively involved in promoting the work of Colorado’s “208 Commission,” a panel established under state statute before he took office. Designed to find ways to extend health insurance coverage to Colorado’s uninsured, the commission regularly met for more than 16 months before commissioners released their findings to legislators in January.

Ritter’s use of the citizen-led commissions is a topic so widely discussed at the state Capitol that GOP Chairman Dick Wadhams, known for his humorous political quips, is now referring to Ritter as “Blue Ribbon Bill.” On the internet, a blog titled “Ritter Watch,” chronicles his commitment to his “appoint a committee urge.”

MUCH HYPE, NO RESULTS. . .YET

The transportation panel, charged with finding ways to fund Colorado’s ongoing and future transportation needs, was established through a Ritter executive order. It first met in April when, according to Ritter’s Web site, nearly 600 people gathered for his “Bridges to the 21st Century” transportation summit.

While Ritter initially embraced the panel’s work and the 32 individuals he appointed to serve on it, he began attempting to distance himself in recent weeks after its recommendations proved very controversial with voters. As Face The State recently reported, Ritter came under fire during a February appearance on 850 KOA’s Mike Rosen Show when callers questioned his support of the panel’s proposed $100 increase to vehicle registration fees.

In responding to caller questions about the fee hike, which under state law would not require voter approval, Ritter identified the proposal not as his own—but as one coming out of the Department of Transportation.

As far as the recommendations Ritter and legislators received from the 208 Commission, Ritter has already conceded that he will not ask voters to support in this November’s election any of the reform proposals advocated by the commission, including a mandate that all state residents carry health insurance. The cost of the total reform package, if adopted in full, could cost taxpayers $3 billion annually.

While Ritter declined to comment for this report, his recent actions suggest that he is becoming increasingly aware of the growing fatigue to his use of commissions. On Tuesday, when he announced the creation of a panel to create solutions to the Pine Beetle epidemic that has ravaged Colorado forests, he was careful to distinguish the commission from previous efforts.

“This council is not another study group,” he told The Denver Post Tuesday. “It is an action group. It is not about managing a crisis. It is about doing everything we can to get ahead of it.”

Wadhams remains unconvinced. “He has punted on the most important problems faced by our state,” he said. “These commissions are releasing their outrageous proposals, which the Governor knows voters won’t support so the question is ‘Now What?’”