BY FREDA MIKLIN
STAFF WRITER
The South Sturm Pavilion in the Denver Art Museum was the setting on January 26 when the Colorado Business Roundtable (COBRT) held its 2023 State of the State program, “Unpacking Colorado’s Economic Priorities with Governor Jared Polis.”
COBRT President Debbie Brown welcomed guests and shared that Business Roundtable members nationwide support 37 million jobs, account for 24% of Gross Domestic Product, and provide $1.4 trillion in federal, state, and local taxes.
Brown listed COBRT’s four pillars, 1) Prioritizing a competitive tax and regulatory agenda; 2) Reimagining Colorado’s workforce; 3) Investing in a future-forward infrastructure; and 4) Leading with purpose.
Program panel members were Lorena Cantarovici, CEO and Founder of Maria Empanada, David Eddy, Boeing Site Director for Colorado, Robert Kenney, President, Xcel Energy-Colorado, and Michelle A. Marks, Chancellor, University of Colorado Denver. Luige DelPuerto, editor of Colorado Politics and the Denver Gazette, served as moderator.
Polis identified the biggest challenges for Colorado employers as housing and workforce, which are related because, “The workforce needs a place to live,” and affordability is a significant issue in housing. He also named, “training, skills, and childcare,” as workforce-related concerns that allow employers to be able “to attract and retain the people you need…to continue to succeed.” He continued, “Creating more housing now for every Colorado budget isn’t just important for quality of life in our state, it’s essential for our businesses to be able to succeed. If people can’t afford to live in our state, we risk the ability of businesses to find the talent that they need to power our economy forward.” Polis said he hopes to address this issue by, “more flexible zoning, streamlined regulations that cut through red tape, expedited approval processes for projects, and more building near transit-oriented communities (that offer) more opportunities for people to live close to where jobs are (to reduce the) time to commute…traffic on our roads, and pollution in our air.”
The governor also noted that there are two job openings for every unemployed person in Colorado but there is a “mismatch of skills.” He pointed to free training available in the health care sector for EMTs and nursing assistants, as well as in the fields of construction, firefighting, and law enforcement. These resources, and others he noted, are designed to lead to stronger businesses and overall economic growth for the state.
Finally, the governor discussed his goal of, “Making Colorado one of the 10 safest states over the next five years.” Steps to achieve that include bipartisan legislation passed in 2022 to “invest in law enforcement and community organizations to prevent crime before it occurs.” In the 2023 session of the general assembly, he noted, “We are seeking support for local law enforcement, funding for recruiting and retention, and specific resources around cracking down on auto theft,” as well as expanding the ability of the Colorado Bureau of Investigations to support local law enforcement. He also talked about improving school safety.
After noting that her company paid $3 million in taxes last year, Cantarovici talked about the challenges she has faced in getting the goods she needs to run her business due to suppliers being understaffed at all levels. She addressed Polis, “Few people seem to want the everyday essential jobs that keep our economy moving, yet we are getting thousands of immigrants into this country that see those kinds of jobs as dream jobs…So, we have this absurd scenario of a huge amount of job openings from employers who are desperate to hire and train, immigrants who are desperate for a job, but the immigration system does not allow for them to help one another. How can Colorado be innovative here?”
The governor, noting that Colorado’s small businesses “are the backbone of our economy,” explained that “the ability to work legally in the State of Colorado is conferred by the federal government.”
Pointing to Colorado’s status as “the number one aerospace state in the nation per capita,” Eddy wanted to know what Polis was doing “to help aerospace continue to be number one.” The governor pointed to the state’s strong relationship with higher education institutions in training aerospace engineers as one way it actively supports the industry.
In response to a question about the financial impact of ballot issues passed by the state’s voters in 2022, including one that lowered the income tax rate from 4.55% to 4.40%, Governor Polis said he did not presently anticipate any problem with meeting current budget obligations based on any of the ballot measures approved by the state’s voters.
Kenney talked about Xcel Energy’s goal of keeping consumer prices down while meeting the company’s 2030 and 2050 targets for renewable energy sources.
Marks noted the impact of the continued emphasis on synergy between Colorado’s institutions of higher learning and its businesses in producing a workforce prepared to meet the needs of the state’s growing economy.
Also addressing the gathering were COBRT board members Rebecca Kersting of CAP Logistics and Karla Nugent of Weifield Group. CiviCO, a non-partisan group dedicated to supporting emerging executives, partnered with COBRT in sponsoring this event.
fmiklin.villager@gmail.com