Good evening. I want to thank the Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce, the Canyon Courier, and the Evergreen Lakehouse for hosting this event. I also want to thank my opponents Cheri Gerou and Jack Woehr for their commitment to public service, and the wonderful spirit of competition that is on display in this race.

When I look up at this stage and out across this audience I don't see Republicans and Democrats, Libertarians or Unaffiliateds... I see my neighbors and my friends. We can work together and move past the political blame game, and past partisan bickering to actually do the business of the people. This is the attitude that we need to take to the state house in Denver.

I am a businessman and a father and I am concerned about the future of our state. I have a plan that can make Colorado and our community an even better place to live. 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.

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. We can and are energizing our economy right now; by investing in clean energy technologies like solar, wind and bio fuels. Our i nvestments in renewable energy have created over 8,000 new jobs and spurred $700 million dollars in private investment just in the last 2 years. Chief among these are ConocoPhillips building a new training center and Vestas Wind Systems building two production plants and a training center. 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.

Finally, the last but certainly not least important part of my Economic growth package is a 20 year investment in infrastructure. Great Americans like President Eisenhower and 19 th century founding father, Senator Henry Clay, recognized that when the government invests in infrastructure there is both a short term and long term economic benefit for the state. Right now 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. With a committed bipartisan effort we can create thousands of new jobs, and go a long way to helping the average Coloradoan in these difficult economic times.

Right now all we are hearing on the news is a doom and gloom scenario. From the President, to the Media, to Congress there is a constant stream of how we should be scared that if we do not bail out Wall Street or bomb this country... then we are not safe.

What ever happened to the idea "that we have nothing to fear but fear itself." I am not going to stand up here and naively say that we don't have problems that need to be addressed in our country and in our state, but I am going to say... we can solve them.

If elected I promise you that I will work hard for you, listen to your concerns, and conduct your business with the highest standard of integrity.