It’s tough to be a new governor. The moment you’re sworn into office, a rash of bills from the legislature hits your desk. There’s no use pleading to the legislative leadership to slow things down because they have only 120 days to accomplish their own “to-do” lists and can’t wait for a new governor to figure things out.
From Election Day to inauguration day, a newly elected governor has about 60 days to put together a Cabinet and staff, learn about the agencies he’ll be managing, meet with countless groups craving his scarce time, and set his own legislative agenda. All this for someone who has never done anything quite like this before. It would be like Coors hiring a CEO whose only experience with beer was drinking it.
Gov. Bill Ritter hit this buzzsaw just as he was settling into his chair. He had run a large district attorney’s office with skill and good judgment and helmed an excellent campaign for governor. But neither of these compares to the realities of politics at the Capitol, not to mention the difficulties of actually managing the daily workings of a state.
The labor bill, which is still stirring debate despite his veto more than two weeks ago, wasn’t going to do much. It would have reduced the number of elections to get a union shop by one, bringing Colorado into line with most other states. It certainly wasn’t going to turn Colorado into a labor state when only 8 percent of our workers are union members.
But right away, there was a hysterical response from some in the business community who decided the bill was anti-business and flooded the governor’s office with reminders of their campaign support. Of course, many of these righteous souls had also supported Ritter’s opponent, Bob Beauprez, just to make sure they had equal access to the seat of power.
Meanwhile, the new governor had already promised both labor and his Democratic colleagues in the legislature that he would sign the bill. In the end, he must have thought it would be easier to patch up relations with his supporters than the “business community” because he vetoed the bill. That, of course, enraged Democratic legislators who felt they’d been betrayed.
What can we learn from this mini- fiasco? First, in politics, don’t make promises you can’t keep. If you make a promise, no matter how much it might make you squirm, keep it. You will need the trust of your colleagues and constituents to be effective.
Next, if you’re a legislator and your new governor is just getting his feet, realize you don’t need to rush legislation that, while it benefits a benefactor, may also put your party’s leader in a pickle. Take the time to discuss the reasons for your legislation and the political values and pitfalls. Remember that you’ll need another to win.
Every governor-elect spends time with his party’s legislators and leadership in the weeks leading up to the inauguration. That is the time to delve into the bills each member has promised to carry to find out what’s about to hit you and begin to negotiate the kind of bill you’ll be willing to sign. It’s the time to make clear you won’t commit to signing any bill until you see the final language. It’s not a time to make promises you may not want to keep.
Gov. Ritter has an agenda that everyone has a stake in: improving higher education funding, reducing prison costs, making health care more available. Even with a Democratic legislature, he’ll need all the skills and trust he can muster to solve those difficult problems. So, here’s one more lesson: repair damaged relationships quickly. No matter what your position, you’ll need every one of those connections to succeed.
Gail Schoettler (gailschoettler @email.msn.com) is a former U.S. ambassador and Colorado lieutenant governor and treasurer.
