Colorado Water Resources & Power Development Authority Jan 2003

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Office of the Governor - 2003 State of the State Address River's water. I Page 6 of 10 We are especially appreciative of the efforts of Colorado's former attorney general — and the current Secretary of the Interior — Gale Norton. Secretary Norton has taken the strong steps to protect the use of water from the Colorado River. She deserves our thanks. To increase our storage capacity, let's focus first on refurbishing and rehabilitating our existing reservoirs. and delivery systems. In my first four years in office, we increased Colorado's water storage by 100,000 acre -feet at a cost of only $11million. ].n many cases, water users will receive more water - per -dollar simply by improving the facilities they already own. • Ultimately, our communities and irrigation districts need the financial capacity to pay for these much- needed projects. There are several ways we can do this. For example, the voters can approve bonding through a referred measure. The Water Resources and Power Development Authority could utilize the �( revenue resources of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Or other state bonding authorities could playa role. But we must offer this help, particularly. to the smaller communities throughout our state. But if you cannot send me a compromise on water storage that will protect our agriculture and open spaces, there is no doubt in my mind that the voters will demand a voice, and an opportunity to provide financing where the General .Assembly could not. And I would join them in that effort. .As you know, two decades of state water practices along the South Platte River have been blocked in state court. This is a serious situation that not only affects our farmers and ranchers. 'It -affects communities and schools as well. I look forward to working with.you to ensure that we can find a solution to this problem in a legislative conference room as opposed to in a courtroom. We are fortunate here in Colorado to be part of the world's most innovative health care system. We also know that the best health care system is, by its nature, an expensive health care system. Yet these high prices threaten' too many Coloradans' access to the system. Too many of our residents do not have health insurance, and those who do face daunting increases in their premium costs. Families in our rural communities often struggle to find a doctor or medical provider who is convenient and accessible. Too many doctors are buried in paperwork. Frivolous lawsuits increase the cost of health insurance and threaten patients' access to medical care. Moreover, our businesses are faced with skyrocketing health insurance costs that crush jobs. And damage the competitiveness of Colorado companies. These are complex problems with no easy answers or silver bullets. And, the fact is that there is a limited amount of effective action we can take at the state level. But, what we can do, we must do this VP9T Let's work together this year to make health insurance more affordable, particularly for workers at small businesses. We've already proven that we can get the job done on health care. We've worked together to give nearly 46,000 lower income children access to affordable health insurance and to get women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer the timely medical treatment that can save their lives. Most recently, Republicans and Democrats came together.to provide prenatal care to low- income women. This issue calls us again to work together. One of the Lieutenant Governor's greatest assets is her ability to pull different groups together to reach consensus on difficult issues. I have great confidence that she will bring together businesses, consumers, insurance companies and providers to reach a common -sense solution to this difficult problem. •