The state’s newly created $146,000- a-year position for a chief operating officer to oversee stimulus spending has GOP critics accusing Gov. Bill Ritter of wasting taxpayer dollars and trying to delegate too many gubernatorial responsibilities.
Colorado’s share of the stimulus cash — about $7 billion, not counting possible competitive grants — is more than the governor’s office can handle without additional help, a spokesman said.
Rhetoric between House Republican leader Rep. Mike May and Ritter’s office grew fierce Tuesday.
“The job description for this new position is the job description for the governor of the state of Colorado,” May said in a statement. “To hire someone and pay them to do your job and take the responsibility if something goes wrong is just incredible to me. . . . If he doesn’t want the job, or can’t do the job, he should let someone else step forward.”
Evan Dreyer, spokesman for the governor’s office, shot back, calling May “Colorado’s own little shock-and-awe show.”
“He’s getting quite good at standing on the sidelines, jumping up and down and screeching, ‘No,’ ” Dreyer said. “It’s entertaining, but it isn’t remotely productive when it comes to leading this state forward out of the recession.”
Don Elliman, former head of Colorado’s economic-development office, will oversee how stimulus funds are spent. The position could stay in effect even after stimulus dollars stop flowing, Dreyer said.
The governor is expected to appoint a replacement for Elliman at the economic-development office with a similar salary, Dreyer said.
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com
