John Hickenlooper in 2014 Governor's State of the State speeches

On Budget & Economy: Increase budget reserves; extend job-creation tax credit

• increase the state's budget reserve
• extend the job-creation tax credit from five years to seven, enabling more businesses to maintain employees and hire new ones
• form a non-profit enterprise dedicated to fostering public-private partnerships to fund infrastructure projects such as transportation and water
• allocate an additional $100 million for higher education, which would cap tuition increases at 6 percent and put college within reach of more families
• support Coloradans with developmental disabilities and their caregivers, including addressing the current waitlist, family support services, and transitional services.
  Source: 2014 State of the State address to Colorado Legislature Jan 9, 2014

  On Corporations: Colorado Blueprint: build a business friendly environment

  After we took office three years ago we launched a strategy to be a thoughtful and supportive partner with the business community. We reached out and built relationships with people in 14 regions from around the state, and based on what we heard, we designed a Colorado Blueprint that focused on six core objectives:
  1. Build a business friendly environment
  2. Increase access to capital
  3. Educate and train the workforce of tomorrow
  4. Retain, grow, recruit companies
  5. Cultivate innovation & technology
  6. Create a stronger Colorado brand.
  This past year we launched the Rural Economic Development Grant Program, and are in the process of awarding $3 million to our rural communities. We launched the Advanced Industries Accelerator Program making seed capital available to start-up companies in aerospace, biosciences, energy and tech. We created a unified brand logo, which is almost universally loved. 117 of Colorado's companies are already using it. Source: 2014 State of the State address to Colorado Legislature Jan 9, 2014

  On Crime: $34 million for violence-preventing mental health services

  Part of what has gotten overlooked in the debate about guns is our work on mental health. When you look at the massacres at Columbine High School and the Aurora movie theater; and the tragedies of Platte Canyon High School, and most recently at Arapahoe High School, guns are only a piece of the puzzle. Another clear piece is mental health: Trying to identify and assist those who are feeling isolated, bullied, the mentally ill; and trite as this may sound, those who are feeling abandoned and unloved.

  We allocated more than $34 million to create and bolster programs such as school-based mental health services, behavioral health community centers, and to train and staff round-the-clock mental health crisis centers.

  Source: 2014 State of the State address to Colorado Legislature Jan 9, 2014

  On Environment: Start methane capture rule; finish Water Plan

  We are proposing the nation's first-ever methane capture rule, making Colorado the leader in the nation for controlling emissions. We've said before that we're committed to holding the oil companies to the highest standards to protect Coloradans and our air and water. To that end, we are working with legislators, industry and the conservation community to ensure we pass a bill this year that will strengthen penalties for violations of permits and rules.

  If words were water the state would never run dry. Our budget is requesting a second year of funding to help create cleaner water for Colorado. This year we will complete the Colorado Water Plan, which will emphasize conservation, address incremental storage, and address drought mitigation. We must create alternative choices to buy-and-dry. No matter where we live, we cannot afford to let our farm and ranch land dry up.

  Source: 2014 State of the State address to Colorado Legislature Jan 9, 2014

  On Government Reform: Apply LEAN principles to EVERY state agency

  To ensure that we are maximizing state resources and providing as responsive customer service as possible, we have gotten LEAN.

  LEAN, as many of you know, is a type of business audit that scours operations looking for ways to make processes run more efficiently. We have re-evaluated how EVERY state agency does business. And we have initiated more than 100 new LEAN processes, more than any state in America.

  • Colorado's Department of Transportation recently reported a 19% decrease in contracting timelines. Combined with other improvements their efforts are saving more than $2 million.
  • In 2008, only 33% of property assessment appeals were resolved within one year. Now, 79% are.
  These are only a few examples of our LEANer customer service, where we are doing what we can and should be doing: responding quickly and effectively when needed, and then getting out of the way. We're LEAN, but we're only getting started. Source: 2014 State of the State address to Colorado Legislature Jan 9, 2014

  On Principles & Values: Operate government with more common sense and less nonsense

  I took what you might call an unconventional path into running for office. I started out here in Colorado as a geologist. During a downturn, everyone in our company got laid off.

  Next thing I knew I was making beer and starting a brewpub business. It turned out pretty well. But as every small business person knows, it's not easy out there, especially when bureaucracy gets in the way.

  I didn't run for public office until I was 50. Before that, I'd never run for anything. Not even in high school. I ran for public office as a small businessman. I thought government needed to operate with more common sense and less nonsense. So while we have been doing all we can to make it as easy as possible for business to succeed in Colorado we also have been streamlining the state government, making it more efficient.

  Source: 2014 State of the State address to Colorado Legislature Jan 9, 2014

  The above quotations are from 2014 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for other excerpts from 2014 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for other excerpts by John Hickenlooper. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.

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  Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018