Governor Hickenlooper has loved to crow about brokering a compromise between enviro-radicals and energy companies over disclosure of fracking fluid chemicals. What he hasn't been able to crow about is brokering any sort of deal that would actually create jobs.
Down in the San Luis Valley today with Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and Colorado US Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, Governor Hickenlooper spent the morning talking about creating a national historic park, but doesn't seem to have spent any time talking to Colorado's folks in Washington about how to create real jobs in the state.
With almost all of the counties encompassing the San Luis Valley having unemployment over 20%, you would think that the economy and job creation would take a higher importance over the discussion of a historical park and bird migration routes.
As Secretary Salazar has been a major impediment to creation of energy jobs in Colorado, we had hoped Governor Hickenlooper would have taken the opportunity to discuss job creating possibilities with Coloradans and the Secretary.
Sadly, that doesn't seem to have occurred.
Hickenlooper is under increasing pressure to lead the way on energy job creation in Colorado, especially after the devastating Op-Ed by state House Representatives Laura Bradford (R-Collbran) and Ray Scott (R-Grand Junction) in yesterday's Denver Post criticizing him for his lack of leadership on the issue.
With Secretary Salazar in town, it would have been a good opportunity to work on behalf of Coloradans and get some movement on the energy front.
The Roan Plateau comes to mind. Hick is in a strong position to broker a deal between the greenies, their shills at Interior and the industry. But he hasn’t.
Because, as Ed Quillen notes, he isn't prone to actually take a side on anything.