Brandon Shaffer» “It is time for a new generation of leadership to cope with new problems and new oppportunities. For there is a new world to be won” – John F. Kennedy
Today I opened the first regular session for the 67th General Assembly. I greeted senior senators, welcomed new faces, and laid out goals for the ambitious 2010 legislative session.
“It all starts with a good job” has become this session’s mantra as we plan to roll out several bills focusing on job creation and job training. The upcoming session will also see bills seeking to expand Colorado’s New Energy Economy through the increase of our Renewable Energy Standard; bills which will continue to reform education and keep Colorado at the top of the “Race to the Top”; and a bill which will secure retirement for the 450,000 state employees who are relying on a stable, sustainable system. (click here for press release)
One of my old ROTC Navy textbooks reads: ‘All officers are expected to have moral courage and to realize that the good of the Naval Service and the country come before their own well-being.’ That message of self-sacrifice is what we need to remember, honor and promote today.
Today, our prayers go out to our troops and we thank them for their courageous service and dedication. We thank them for protecting us and our country.
Why do we serve? The obvious answer is to protect freedom and liberty for the citizens of this country, but at the end of the day it really all comes down to our future. We serve to protect the freedom of future generations, so our kids will grow up in free and safe society and so they will have a better world better than we did. Thank you to all our troops who are serving today.
Posted by SenatorShaffer as Blog at 12:38 PM UTC []
With a $1 billion shortfall, these difficult decisions have to be made, and thanks to Governor Ritter’s leadership we have a thoughtful, lean, compassionate budget. The choices were not easy, and the solutions were not obvious, but we will continue to build a 21st century workforce and lead Colorado to a fast and strong recovery.
We are going to have some tough choices to make next session, but we will make those decisions in order to invest in our kids and make sure they have a better future than we had.
Aug. 18, 2009– We have been faced with real challenges in Colorado and there are no easy answers, but it’s important to recognize that the state’s budget is merely a reflection of what is happening in households all over Colorado.
I would like to thank the Governor his leadership and for engaging the legislature in this process in an inclusive manner. While he had to make some difficult choices, we appreciate the thoughtful, responsible approach the Governor took in making these strategic cuts.
Through this process we will do the best we can to protect the most vulnerable and keep Colorado’s safety net in place—like as community based mental health and developmental disability services, programs for at-risk youth, and the Children’s Basic Health Plan. We appreciate the protection of these important programs. These cuts announced today show a compassionate fiscal restraint.
This is an unprecedented period in Colorado’s history, but I am confident that we will get through this, thanks to the strength and perseverance of everyone in this state. Last week, I traveled across Northwest Colorado and spoke with people about what was important to them. It is our responsibility as leaders of this great state to continue to make Colorado the best place in America to raise a child and to help lead Colorado to recovery.
We will continue to do this even in the face of our current budget challenges-we will continue to invest in our education system, work toward affordable health care, and make sure our economy is stable and predictable.
Posted by SenatorShaffer as Blog, Budget at 2:14 PM UTC []
If you have never had a Palisade Peach, you have not really lived. They are the best things I’ve ever eaten. We visited the Palisade Peach Festival in Palisade, CO on the last day of the first part of our statewide tour. We even made the local tv!
Some local lawmakers are eating peaches in Palisade Thursday evening, and shaking some hands.
Senate President Brandon Shaffer and Senate Majority Leader John Morse, joined hundreds at the peach festival and talked with people about how to make the state a better place. The senators say while a lot of Coloradans have been speaking about education, heath care, and the economy, most Western Slope folks want to talk about land management, water, and tourism.
Both Senators say they had an amazing time at the peach festival and plan on coming back soon. And of course, they helped themselves to some peach ice cream.
August 10-13 I travelled with Senate Majority Leader John Morse on the first leg of our 4 part Statewide Listening Tour. As a legislator from Longmont I hear very differnt issues than what we heard in Northwest Colorado. Bark Beetle devastation, forest fires, tourism funding, and the loss of oil and gas jobs are usually not the first things out of my constituents mouths.
As leadership we felt it was very important for us to listen to the voices of all Coloradans so we can make informed and compassionate decisions next session.
We are leaving today on our statewide listening tour. We’re going to meet county leaders, cut down trees with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, and fly fish. I can’t wait!
Highlights of the Northwest Tour:
**The public is welcome at all following events! The Senators will be available for interviews.
Please call Abigail Vacanti if you would like to arrange an interview (917-750-2272)
Monday, Aug. 10:
2pm-3pm: Happy 150th Birthday, Breckenridge! (Loc: Blue River Plaza, on the corner of Corner of Washington and Main, Breckenridge, CO)
3pm-4pm: Community Happy Hour for Breck 150 (Loc: Gold Pan Saloon 103 North Main Street, Breckenridge, CO)
5pm-6pm: Meet and Greet at the Lewis Sweet Shop (Loc: 208 E. Park Ave, Empire, CO 80438)
Tuesday, Aug. 11:
8:30am- 10:30am: Meet and Greet at The County Seat Grill (Loc: 512 Byers Avenue Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451)
10:45a-11:15a: Speak with Grand County Commissioners at their weekly meeting (Loc: 308 Byers Avenue, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO)
Noon- 1:30pm: Winter Park Fraser Valley Rotary Club (Loc: Beaver Village Lodge Restaurant)
4:30p-5:30p: Cowboy sing-along (Loc: Outside the Discovery Center at the base of the Winter Park Ski Resort)
6pm-7pm: Picnic in the Park (Loc: Old School House Park next to Fraser Town Hall on Fraser Ave, Fraser, CO)
Wednesday, Aug. 12:
10am- noon: Cut down trees in a beetle-infested forest corridor with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (Loc: Routt National Forest. Please call Abigail for exact location if you are interested in covering this event) ***NOTE: This event is only open to the press.
Thursday, Aug. 13:
8:30a-9:30a: Routt County Fair (Loc: Routt County Fairgrounds, Hayden, CO)
12:45-1:45: Meet at Greet at Meeker Café (Loc: The Meeker Café, 536 Main Street, Meeker, CO 81641)
6pm-7pm: Palisade Peach Festival (Loc: Downtown Palisade, CO)
I knew it… you knew it… but today Money magazine said it: Louisville, CO is the #1 place to live in the U.S. I’ve represented this area for five years and I know first-hand how great it is. We are lucky that Louisville has weathered this economy better than most other areas and we are lucky to have so many great places to spend our free time. I’m proud to see Money magazine recognize Louisville as a great place to live.
Why Louisville, CO is #1 (from money.com): “Some towns nestled along the Rockies are full of pretentious eco-hipsters. Not Louisville. Ice cream shops dot the historic downtown. Families grab burgers at the cozy Waterloo Café. A Friday-night street fair, with a beer garden, live music, and games for the kids, runs all summer. No wonder this down-to-earth town has appeared high on Money’s Best Places list before–and on many others. It’s also weathering the economic downturn well. Robust industries in the area, such as high tech, energy, and health care, make county unemployment among the lowest in the state. But the top reason residents give for moving here? The great outdoors. Louisville is laced with nearly 30 miles of trails, Rocky Mountain National Park is less than an hour away, and eight world-class ski resorts are within two hours. The town’s schools are highly rated as well. Add in dry, clear weather, little crime, good health care, and low taxes, and Louisville is pretty tough to beat.”
Posted by SenatorShaffer as Blog at 4:29 PM UTC []
I have a vision for Colorado. It is the vision of Colorado my grandparents had for me. It is the Colorado I want for my children.
It is a state with healthy, thriving families, where children get every advantage and have the education to contribute to the potential of our great state.
It is a Colorado with a strong, innovation-based business community, a vibrant culture and an unconstrained reach for greatness.
However, currently Colorado is constrained.
It is constrained by a Gordian knot of well-intentioned but conflicting fiscal policies. Policies that threaten its well-being; policies that choke our potential and indeed threaten the ability to protect the quality of life of our citizens.
We must abandon the notion out state budgeting process is resilient or sustainable. It is brittle, and it is breaking. It exposes our children, our elderly and our working families to the turbulent waters of a global economy. It compromises the quality of our workforce, and undermines a healthy climate for business.
There are no simple solutions. We cannot cut spending enough to solve the crisis. Eliminating TABOR is not a fix. Nor is the problem just Amendment 23. It is not too little revenue or taxing too much. While it is none of these exclusively, it is all of them collectively.
Our charge to you is to untie this is knot and release the full potential of this great state. We look to this committee to forge an enduring fiscal blueprint, one suited to the high demands of a new century. One that realizes our hope and vision for Colorado, leaving our children a rich legacy borne from wise decisions.
Posted by SenatorShaffer as Budget at 11:16 AM UTC []
Today, I announced the Colorado Senate will return $627,000 from its operating budget to the State’s General Fund on June 30. That’s more than twice the usual amount reverted in past years. In January I froze all funds for legislative out-of-state travel. Since then I reduced the average staff salaries by 17% in the President’s office, for a total savings of $74,000, and barred the practice of giving staff bonuses.
The freeze on travel resulted in the return of $38,600 to the state. Savings on Interim Committees, lower operating costs and no special session provided the balance of the funds returned.
The cuts start here. We must be first in line to demonstrate fiscal restraint. I intends to make further reductions in legislative operating expense in next year’s budget. I will ask the Legislative Management Team to review next year’s budget to seek a 10% reduction in the cost of running the legislature.
I support the Governor’s call to reduce the cost of government by ten percent. As former naval officer I intend to bring military rigor to the budget process, and will work with Governor’s staff to cut every unnecessary expense from state government.
Posted by SenatorShaffer as Blog, Budget at 2:41 PM UTC []
August 10-13 I travelled with Senate Majority Leader John Morse on the first leg of our 4 part Statewide Listening Tour. As a legislator from Longmont I hear very differnt issues than what we heard in Northwest Colorado. Bark Beetle devastation, forest fires, tourism funding, and the loss of oil and gas jobs are usually not the first things out of my constituents mouths. 
I knew it… you knew it… but today