Daniel Kagan's guest column in the Englewood Herald
I'm often asked why, in my 50s, I entered public service. I am not, after all, a career politician. Far from it.
Born in England, I came to America more than 30 years ago. Having no college degree, I loaded freight, waited tables, and, in this great land of opportunity, established a flight school, teaching military pilots how to fly civilian jets, and later, as a civilian contractor to the U.S. Naval Academy, giving midshipmen their first taste of flight. I was proud to become a citizen in 1984.
In my 30s, I obtained that degree, attended law school, and entered a life of law and business. It was lucrative, so why abandon it to serve in the Legislature? Because that's how I was raised.
My parents met in a Nazi concentration camp. Together they escaped, hid, and at war's end fled for England, longing for freedom at last from oppression, brutality, and for the right to a decent, hard-working life in a civilized society. Growing up, we had no money, but my parents never let me forget how rich we were in freedom and opportunity. They taught me that those things are precious, and fragile, and that your duty is to do all in your power to preserve them, for yourself, your children and your country.
So I serve Colorado, the place I love, where my wife and I have chosen to raise our three children and live out our years. But that service is not easy, not now, when opportunities are in danger of being swept away by the economic tide.
I believe the state must live within its means, as our families do, and completely balance its budget. We have incurred no deficit whatsoever.
The climate for businesses must be kept favorable for job creation, because private business is the backbone of our economy. We are, according to Forbes and CNBC, one of the best four states in the nation for doing business. Their analysis included the tax and regulatory structure we have put in place.
We owe it to our children to support public education. I led the fight to close $150 million of corporate tax loopholes to keep 3,000 teachers in our classrooms, spending their well-earned pay in the local economy.
The sacrifice we are all making to weather this storm should be shared. Tax breaks for only the wealthy will not see us through.
Our economy must be positioned to come out of this downturn stronger and sooner than any other. For the first time in decades, we are repairing our roads and bridges, and refurbishing our schools. We are establishing Colorado as the premier clean-energy state, with all the jobs that entails. Our unemployment rate is consistently below the national average. It must be brought down further, and fast.
The least among us should not be thrown overboard during this storm. The safety net, though imperfect, has been maintained.
Medical care should be more affordable. My health care transparency bill, HB 1330, will, for the first time in Colorado history, enable patients to know in advance what treatments will cost, driving costs down. We have extended Medicaid to cover 100,000 more Coloradans, mostly children.
Housing should be affordable. My Voluntary Rent Agreement bill, HB 1017, helps achieve that.
The state of Colorado is the envy of the nation. We are on a sound footing, lean and strong. It's been difficult for all of us, but we are on the right path; sooner than any other state, we will be enjoying a prosperous, full recovery.
Born in England, I came to America more than 30 years ago. Having no college degree, I loaded freight, waited tables, and, in this great land of opportunity, established a flight school, teaching military pilots how to fly civilian jets, and later, as a civilian contractor to the U.S. Naval Academy, giving midshipmen their first taste of flight. I was proud to become a citizen in 1984.
In my 30s, I obtained that degree, attended law school, and entered a life of law and business. It was lucrative, so why abandon it to serve in the Legislature? Because that's how I was raised.
My parents met in a Nazi concentration camp. Together they escaped, hid, and at war's end fled for England, longing for freedom at last from oppression, brutality, and for the right to a decent, hard-working life in a civilized society. Growing up, we had no money, but my parents never let me forget how rich we were in freedom and opportunity. They taught me that those things are precious, and fragile, and that your duty is to do all in your power to preserve them, for yourself, your children and your country.
So I serve Colorado, the place I love, where my wife and I have chosen to raise our three children and live out our years. But that service is not easy, not now, when opportunities are in danger of being swept away by the economic tide.
I believe the state must live within its means, as our families do, and completely balance its budget. We have incurred no deficit whatsoever.
The climate for businesses must be kept favorable for job creation, because private business is the backbone of our economy. We are, according to Forbes and CNBC, one of the best four states in the nation for doing business. Their analysis included the tax and regulatory structure we have put in place.
We owe it to our children to support public education. I led the fight to close $150 million of corporate tax loopholes to keep 3,000 teachers in our classrooms, spending their well-earned pay in the local economy.
The sacrifice we are all making to weather this storm should be shared. Tax breaks for only the wealthy will not see us through.
Our economy must be positioned to come out of this downturn stronger and sooner than any other. For the first time in decades, we are repairing our roads and bridges, and refurbishing our schools. We are establishing Colorado as the premier clean-energy state, with all the jobs that entails. Our unemployment rate is consistently below the national average. It must be brought down further, and fast.
The least among us should not be thrown overboard during this storm. The safety net, though imperfect, has been maintained.
Medical care should be more affordable. My health care transparency bill, HB 1330, will, for the first time in Colorado history, enable patients to know in advance what treatments will cost, driving costs down. We have extended Medicaid to cover 100,000 more Coloradans, mostly children.
Housing should be affordable. My Voluntary Rent Agreement bill, HB 1017, helps achieve that.
The state of Colorado is the envy of the nation. We are on a sound footing, lean and strong. It's been difficult for all of us, but we are on the right path; sooner than any other state, we will be enjoying a prosperous, full recovery.