On Thursday October 2 nd, the foothills community gathered together to listen to candidates running for office this fall. From the Presidential race all the way down to the CountyCommissioner races, all the major races being contested in WesternJeffersonCounty at least sent a surrogate. There were many fine performances on the evening, and certainly it can be said that all the candidates conducted themselves in a thoughtful manner. I was grateful to listen to the ideas put forth by the audience, and my fellow candidates. Standing up there at the podium I did not see Republicans or Democrats; I saw my neighbors and my friends. This is the attitude, which I have tried to conduct my race with, and this is the perspective that I will take to Denver if I am elected.

I was particularly honored to be able to lay out a concrete plan for how we can move Colorado forward in the 21 st century. The cornerstone of my plan is improving the economy. As a business leader the economy is what I understand best and the economy is what matters the most to people like you and me. I have a five part plan that will help energize our economy, create high paying jobs, improve our education, and support Colorado's veterans.

First, I will introduce legislation that gives greater support to small and local business. Under my plan small and local business will be given tax incentives and tax breaks so that they are better able to compete with large corporations. Small businesses are the foundation of our economy, and if we support our local businesses than we can ensure that Colorado's economy will grow despite the trouble we see on Wall Street.

The second part of my plan is an investment in green energy technology. Colorado has been a national leader in research and investment in the renewable energy industry. In the last two years we have created over 8,000 new jobs in the state and brought in 700 million dollars in private capital to fund these projects. Under my plan we will continue this investment, create thousands more high paying jobs, and ensure that Colorado is a leader in the global market place.

The third part of my plan is a long term investment in education. From early childhood education, to smaller class sizes, and the option for vocational training, we will put an emphasis on the needs of students. We also need to work to make college education more affordable for low and middle income families. The key to my education plan is preparing our students with knowledge that will be useful in the workforce and in real life, and not just on a standardize test.

Fourth, we need to make a 20 year investment in our state's infrastructure. Currently, 20% of our state's roads need to be modernized and there are 129 bridges that need to be rebuilt. However, we should also invest in the preservation of open space, rebuilding our rail network, our telecommunication lines, and expanding mass transit solutions. Investing infrastructure will create thousands of new jobs, and also make Colorado a friendlier place for business and tourism. With a committed bipartisan effort we can go a long way to helping the average Coloradoan in these difficult economic times.

Finally, I will introduce a comprehensive bill that will give greater support to Colorado's veterans and their families. This bill will include a tax reform to permanently exempt the families of our fallen serviceman. Furthermore, it will expand health care benefits, and increase education opportunities for our veterans and their families.