During the 45 years we have published The Villager newspaper in Arapahoe County, we have had the privilege of meeting an enormous number of wonderful people.
Some of Colorado’s strongest leaders have come from Arapahoe County. We have watched visionaries build the Denver Tech Center, construct skyscrapers, create businesses, provide thousands of jobs and transform the communities around us.
George Wallace and John Madden were among those great visionaries. They were builders. They saw what could be done, and then they went out and did it.
Sometimes we need to stop and say thank you to the visionaries and strong leaders who have helped build this state.
Leadership is not easy.
It is particularly difficult today because criticism has become so common. Whether you agree with President Donald Trump or not, it is difficult to deny that he is a visionary and a strong leader. He has a willingness to take on big issues and attempt to change things.
His recent efforts to revive the American mining industry are particularly important to Colorado. The Trump administration has announced a series of investments totaling nearly $1 billion to advance and scale mining, processing and manufacturing technologies across the domestic critical-minerals supply chain.
The effort includes major investments in mining education and workforce development. Colorado School of Mines in Golden is slated to receive $32.7 million for a critical-minerals technology development hub. The investment will help train the engineers, scientists and skilled workers needed to develop America’s domestic mineral resources.
The Department of Energy has also announced $45.7 million for 19 projects aimed at strengthening domestic critical-minerals supply chains, with additional funding directed toward recovering rare earth elements and other critical materials from domestic resources.
That is important news for Colorado and especially meaningful in a state whose history was built on mining.
This is not simply about digging more minerals out of the ground. It is about developing the technology, workforce and domestic supply chains necessary to explore, mine, process and manufacture the materials America needs.
Critical minerals are essential to modern technology, manufacturing, aerospace, defense and energy. America needs to become more self-sufficient instead of depending so heavily on foreign sources.
We also need to bring manufacturing and jobs back to America. Those efforts could create billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs for Americans.
You don’t have to agree with everything a president does to recognize the importance of having a president willing to tackle difficult problems.
We need that same spirit here in Colorado.
I have been disappointed watching some of what has happened across our state in recent years. But I also believe in giving credit where credit is due.
Gov. Jared Polis deserves recognition for his work in education.
I knew the governor before he became governor, and we worked together on education projects, particularly in early childhood education. One of the goals was making sure children had access to a hot lunch at school and expanding access to free preschool.
Those were important efforts.
Gov. Polis has now served Colorado for nearly eight years. He has worked hard, developed programs and taken on difficult issues. Recently, he has come under criticism from members of his own political party.
I think that is unfortunate.
We can disagree with our elected officials without forgetting the years of public service they have given to Colorado.
That applies to everyone — Democrats, Republicans and independents.
It applies to governors, mayors, county commissioners, city council members and members of the Legislature.
Criticism is part of democracy. Constructive criticism is necessary.
But there is a difference between constructive criticism and simply throwing rocks at the people who are trying to govern.
If you believe an elected official is doing something wrong, tell us how you would do it better.
What would you do if you were sitting in the governor’s chair?
What would you do if you were the mayor?
What would you do if you were the county commissioner?
Those are fair questions.
And Colorado has some very big problems that require more than criticism.
I saw one of them firsthand Friday afternoon while returning from the mountains.
Traffic heading west on Interstate 70 was backed up for miles. It appeared to stretch from the Eisenhower Tunnel nearly to Genesee, creating what looked like a parking lot of cars trying to get into the mountains.
Denver was also shrouded in smoke from wildfires in the Northwest.
It was a miserable afternoon for motorists and a poor welcome for visitors coming to Colorado.
My wife asked a simple question: Why doesn’t the highway patrol stop the traffic or close the highway when conditions become that bad?
I don’t pretend to have the answer. But somebody needs to be asking the question.
We are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on highway improvements, including the massive Floyd Hill project. Yet motorists still find themselves sitting for hours in traffic.
And when visitors finally get into Colorado, they are sometimes greeted by highway signs that are faded, damaged or missing letters.
What impression does that leave with a tourist who has just spent hours sitting in traffic trying to get here?
Colorado should be welcoming visitors, not frustrating them.
Denver, our beautiful Queen City of the West, is another example of the work that needs to be done. It is a wonderful city with tremendous potential, but it is facing serious challenges.
We need leaders with vision who are willing to address those challenges.
I have many friends who are Democrats. We may disagree about taxes, spending or the role of government, but most of the Democrats I have known throughout my lifetime were not socialists or communists.
For most of the past century, Democrats and Republicans have competed vigorously while still finding ways to compromise and govern.
That competition helped build America.
We need to remember that.
America was built by people who were willing to work together when necessary, compromise when possible and lead when leadership was required.
I believe President Trump is the strongest leader we have had in many years. Others will disagree with me, and that is their right.
But leadership should be judged not only by the criticism it receives, but also by what it accomplishes.
Colorado needs that kind of vision.
We need governors, mayors, county commissioners, legislators and city council members who are willing to think beyond the next election and build for the next generation.
We also need informed citizens.
That is why The Villager works so hard to keep readers informed. One of our greatest assets is our governmental reporter, Freda Miklin.
Follow Freda has become an important part of The Villager. Freda is a certified public accountant by trade, and past Greenwood Village City council member and her financial background allows her to cut through complicated government budgets, financial reports and legislation and explain what they mean to the average reader.
Every week, she produces two pages of government reporting, keeping close watch on legislation, elected officials and the issues affecting our communities.
If you want to know what is happening in Colorado government and how it could affect you, Follow Freda.
An election is coming. There will be candidates, ballot questions and constitutional amendments that deserve our attention.
Read your newspaper. Stay informed. Make sure you are registered to vote.
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Let’s give our leaders something they don’t hear nearly enough: appreciation for their willingness to serve.
We don’t have to agree with every decision they make. But we should recognize that leadership takes courage, vision and hard work.
Colorado was built by visionaries. Now we need a new generation of leaders willing to build its future.
Let’s encourage them, hold them accountable and, when they do something right, give them a pat on the back.
They deserve it.