It’s easy to talk about the things that ought to be done to help Colorado create jobs through innovation and entrepreneurship.
It’s another thing to make sure those great ideas stay on track and show some progress or lack thereof.
That’s why it was good to see Colorado Senator Michael Bennet issue a report earlier this month that charts the progress of policy recommendations and action items made a year ago by a working group of business and academic leaders.
That group presented Bennet, Senator Mark Udall and Gov. John Hickenlooper with the “Colorado Competes” report in June 2011, which included ways the state and federal government could better work together.
Copies of the report were sent to President Obama last summer to help him develop his jobs plan.
On July 13, Bennet released “Colorado Competes: One Year Later,” which takes a look at how much progress was made over the past year toward achieving the “Colorado Competes” recommendations.
In his report, Bennet noted some good things, including a successful effort to bring a U.S Patent Office to Denver, a new way for small business to raise capital through crowdfunding, legislation to streamline commercial aerospace export regulations and legislation to cut red tape and enable breakthrough medical treatments to get to patients more quickly.
But Bennet’s report also notes areas still needing attention. They include improving technology transfer, comprehensive immigration reform, tax reform, deficit reduction and developing a 21st -century energy policy.
Obviously, it takes longer than one year to accomplish these giant challenges.
But our hat is off to Senator Bennet for making certain we acknowledge what has been accomplished while keeping our sights set on what remains.
More information on the “Colorado Competes” report and on Bennet’s progress report is available at http://www.bennet.senate.gov/year1.
