The governor’s economic development plan, crafted in a matter of months with input from thousands of Coloradans, promises quite a bit.
The Colorado Blueprint aspires to help create private-sector jobs, a better-trained workforce, increased business access to capital, and a streamlined government that poses fewer unreasonable hurdles.
Now, all John Hickenlooper has to do is deliver. The governor has his work cut out for him.
The plan is well-conceived and ambitious, but doesn’t promise more than it can deliver in these difficult economic times. It intends to foster the right conditions for businesses to thrive, but the state doesn’t have the resources to invest additional large sums, for example, in mid-career training or relocation incentives.
Making the plan happen — and the governor has given himself a timeline measured in months and years, not decades — will be the trick. Such ideas are only as good as the will to make them reality. And while we don’t doubt Hickenlooper’s enthusiasm, changing a bureaucracy is often like trying to turn an aircraft carrier.
One idea is to build trust and a sense of urgency within government. For instance, the governor proposes having agencies establish goals for reducing processing times for permits and applications — and to do so without sacrificing Coloradans’ health, safety or welfare.
The plan, however, is far broader than improved customer service.
The governor plans to “aggressively recruit domestic and international companies and actively retain and grow Colorado companies.” Every recent governor has had that goal, of course, but Hickenlooper seems determined to map out a specific strategy for action.
For example, the plan proposes trade missions every four to six months to destinations such as California, Mexico, Colombia and Asia. The state would also pinpoint Colorado businesses that have a high likelihood of growth with the idea of helping them prosper, and if they’re not headquartered in Colorado, aim to lure those executive operations here.
The overriding purpose behind the project is to create new jobs, though the plan includes no specific numerical goal.
The expansive document also takes pains to include 14 regional strategies. These reflect what clusters of counties around the state see as opportunities and ways of capitalizing on them.
For instance, Las Animas and Huerfano counties want to grow their gunsmithing businesses. Who knew?
The Colorado Blueprint is an admirable collection of ideas and strategies with significant potential that will be realized only if there is an equally determined and consistent follow-through.
