Gov. Polis has a vision for the Western Slope’s economic future, and it’s barely a step above unemployment.
Instead of making oodles of money in oil and gas, Polis wants to wean those workers off the politically incorrect jobs and put them in call centers making minimum wage and spending their days getting yelled at over the phone.
And, he thinks the Western Slope is prime for the independent worker — in jobs that are actually located someplace with a better economy than the one Polis is planning.
It’s an economic scheme right out of a 1960s science fiction novel.
“I think western Colorado will continue to thrive in the 21st-century economy. It’s really positioned for success with location (and) independent employment,” he said. That independent employment can mean everything from employees working remotely in everything from highly skilled jobs to call center work.
The governor wants to see more of that kind of employment moving to the Western Slope, rather than a return to the region’s historic roots in oil and gas. He has remained neutral and cautious on the proposed Jordan Cove pipeline project, which could open foreign markets to natural gas from the region.
The governor’s comments came during one of many interviews he is conducting to try and cover his faux pas earlier this month when he accidentally revealed he would rather see the Denver metro area land the federal BLM headquarters than Grand Junction.
His reasoning, Grand Junction’s airport is too small.
We’re starting to see a pattern here. The governor simply refuses to think in terms of growth — like expanding airline flights or allowing our energy economy to flourish along with good-paying jobs.
He wants the workers herded into call centers to compete with India.