I knew it… you knew it… but today Money magazine said it: Louisville, CO is the #1 place to live in the U.S. I’ve represented this area for five years and I know first-hand how great it is. We are lucky that Louisville has weathered this economy better than most other areas and we are lucky to have so many great places to spend our free time. I’m proud to see Money magazine recognize Louisville as a great place to live.
Why Louisville, CO is #1 (from money.com): “Some towns nestled along the Rockies are full of pretentious eco-hipsters. Not Louisville. Ice cream shops dot the historic downtown. Families grab burgers at the cozy Waterloo Café. A Friday-night street fair, with a beer garden, live music, and games for the kids, runs all summer. No wonder this down-to-earth town has appeared high on Money’s Best Places list before–and on many others. It’s also weathering the economic downturn well. Robust industries in the area, such as high tech, energy, and health care, make county unemployment among the lowest in the state. But the top reason residents give for moving here? The great outdoors. Louisville is laced with nearly 30 miles of trails, Rocky Mountain National Park is less than an hour away, and eight world-class ski resorts are within two hours. The town’s schools are highly rated as well. Add in dry, clear weather, little crime, good health care, and low taxes, and Louisville is pretty tough to beat.”
Posted by SenatorShaffer as Blog at 4:29 PM UTC []
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Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee,
I have a vision for Colorado. It is the vision of Colorado my grandparents had for me. It is the Colorado I want for my children.
It is a state with healthy, thriving families, where children get every advantage and have the education to contribute to the potential of our great state.
It is a Colorado with a strong, innovation-based business community, a vibrant culture and an unconstrained reach for greatness.
However, currently Colorado is constrained.
It is constrained by a Gordian knot of well-intentioned but conflicting fiscal policies. Policies that threaten its well-being; policies that choke our potential and indeed threaten the ability to protect the quality of life of our citizens.
We must abandon the notion out state budgeting process is resilient or sustainable. It is brittle, and it is breaking. It exposes our children, our elderly and our working families to the turbulent waters of a global economy. It compromises the quality of our workforce, and undermines a healthy climate for business.
There are no simple solutions. We cannot cut spending enough to solve the crisis. Eliminating TABOR is not a fix. Nor is the problem just Amendment 23. It is not too little revenue or taxing too much. While it is none of these exclusively, it is all of them collectively.
Our charge to you is to untie this is knot and release the full potential of this great state. We look to this committee to forge an enduring fiscal blueprint, one suited to the high demands of a new century. One that realizes our hope and vision for Colorado, leaving our children a rich legacy borne from wise decisions.
Posted by SenatorShaffer as Budget at 11:16 AM UTC []
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