Editor: Governor Jared Polis’ State of the State speech last month was met with applause from all corners of Colorado’s business and political community. Polis’ address was widely realized as painting a hopeful vision for the future. This sentiment was shared by many in the Centennial State.
Coloradans had reason for optimism when after his swearing in ceremony—with Governor Polis looking on— our state’s Attorney General Phil Weiser listed some of his priorities: fighting the scourge of opioids in our communities and enforcing Colorado’s water rights.
However, since that day when Weiser laid out his objectives in front of Colorado’s political gentry, the AG has yet to put points on the board when it comes to these stated goals. Instead he has focused on esoteric tech lawsuits, which don’t exactly rank high on the priority lists of everyday Colorado families. Meanwhile, there is no shortage of challenges facing the state.
You can learn a lot about a public official’s priorities by the first issue they decide to tackle in a new year. Delivering tangible results requires a great deal of time, resources, and political capital — and there is only so much of each to go around. Prioritization is critical. So, it’s puzzling why during a time of dizzying inflation and troubling crime rates, Weiser has continued to set his sights on… tech companies?
2023 is still young so there is still time for our public officials to turn their attention to the pressing issues at hand. Let’s hope AG Weiser gets back to solving the laudable goals he committed to when he was sworn in earlier this year.
—Mark G. Harvey, via [email protected]
