Democrats Can Shine
The Denver Post
January 9, 2005

The State Capitol is about to stage a show that hasn't run in forty-four years. Though few believed it could happen, the Democrats are in power. The new stars have the opportunity to show us their stuff, to really shine as leaders who are unafraid to tackle the heavy duty problems Colorado faces.

Topping the list is Joan FitzGerald, the first woman to serve as President of the Colorado Senate, who is savvy and experienced, with the brainpower and courage to take on the toughest issues. Her job is to keep an intensely partisan crowd moving towards solutions rather than fist fights. Helping her is Ken Gordon, Senate Majority Leader, a thoughtful lawyer with a deep understanding of Colorado's difficult problems. He will need to keep his own Democratic caucus in line on key issues if the Legislature is to achieve anything significant in 2005.

Across the way, newly elected House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, a smart and knowledgeable politician, will need to practice effective diplomacy in order to get Democrats and Republicans to work together. He is lucky to have Representative Alice Madden as House Majority Leader, an intelligent, tenacious lawyer who knows how to win friends and political contests. These new leaders all know that working across the aisle, something not always seen in the Capitol, is essential to success. They will need Republican support to solve our crushing fiscal problems and to avoid needless vetoes of key legislation.

It isn't always easy to lead effectively when you've been the party out of power for so many years. That's why the 2005 legislative session, which starts January 12, is so critical for the future of Democrats as well as for Colorado. The state needs solutions now to its budget crisis, solutions that will be lasting and workable for all of us. We cannot deal productively with any other problems, such as funding for higher education, transportation, and health care, unless we fix the budget first. That will take leadership and courage from both parties.

There are five key things the new Democratic leaders need to do:

First, they must lead. That means pulling together the most knowledgeable and influential people, with different perspectives, to hammer out answers to stubborn problems. They have to seek broad agreement in order to avoid the legislative rancor that collapsed a budget deal last year.

Next, they must focus on solving a few key problems. It's easy to become distracted, as the Republicans did last year, with ideological issues. When your favorite causes have been ignored for so long, it would be understandable to say, "Now, it's our turn." To be successful, though, the Democratic leadership must keep their colleagues centered on what really matters to Coloradans--finding a permanent fix to the budget mess.

Third, those in power have to listen to all their colleagues. Successful negotiators understand and respect the other side's point of view, even if they don't agree with it. That understanding is what leads to lasting solutions. You don't have to sell out your principles, but you do have to look for the value in a message even if you don't like the messenger.

Fourth, the new leaders will have to stand up for their own values. They were elected because voters believed they would make better decisions for Colorado. They will need to find compromises with Republicans based on the principles they spelled out to voters.

Finally, they will need to take their message to the entire state. In Colorado, voters have given themselves great power. No permanent budget solution is possible without getting the voters' approval. That means that legislative leaders will have to meet voters on their own turf, listen to what they say, and sell them on the solutions they have crafted.

Democrats have a great opportunity to prove they are pragmatic, thoughtful, tough-minded leaders. That's what Coloradans voted for. That's what Colorado needs in 2005.