Plenty of Americans “think our economy is in a shambles and our government incapable…” of doing much of anything worthwhile, instead kowtowing to special interests.

Prove Americans wrong, Governor. Show us a capable government, one that restores our state. You’ve got the money if you reverse some of the big-spending programs you’ve signed into law. Road repairs may exceed half a billion dollarsYou have twice that in the state treasury if you don’t give it away. [First page, here.] 

And, Governor, wouldn’t that freed up cash restore our roads, bridges, public utilities – state and local? Don’t we need a state program that backs up federal assistance for the private sector, including helping workers learn skills needed during our recovery? How will you protect our people from the next catastrophic rainfall or, for that matter, from a massive wildfire that gallops across our state, threatening town after town?

The stakes are not so simple as just rebuilding.

What’s at stake is the strength of the American spirit. It’s hurting right nowPeggy Noonan, quoted above, says Americans believe “We have got to get ourselves in order, we have got to turn our attention to getting stronger.”

If – here in Colorado, with all our assets and Western spirit – we can’t do exceedingly better than merely slogging slowly back to status quo ante diluvium, the American spirit will only further weaken. Under your leadership, we will have found ourselves incapable of becoming stronger.

Governor, you’ve been wearing a pair of politician’s bloomers, emphasizing photo ops and Bush-style flyovers instead of clawing money back from special interests to channel it to flood relief and protection.

Instead, put on your Big Boy business pants. As a businessperson, didn’t you concentrate on essential priorities? Right now – and for months – responding to the flood is the essential priority, isn’t it?

That’s where we are now, isn’t it, Governor?

Dave Diepenbrock

PS: Isn’t it? If you have other, supposedly higher priorities, tell us your non-negotiable list of things that are more important than restoring our communities, our roads and our economy. (And, Governor, don’t tell Coloradans they can “have it all.” They won’t buy that line. When everything is a priority, nothing is.)

PPS: Are you refusing to curtail other spending that you could redirect to disaster efforts purely because you need special interests’ campaign cash?