July 13, 2005 08:00 AM UTC

Rutt Bridges Q&A

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• by: Colorado Pols

We are pleased to present another Q&A, this time with Rutt Bridges, one of two Democratic candidates for governor.

This Q&A means that Colorado Pols has now presented Q&As with all four active candidates for governor (you can go to any of our previous Q&As by clicking on the links on the right side of the page).

Rutt Bridges is a businessman, activist, and founder of The Bighorn Center, a political thinktank and advocacy organization.

Bridges was briefly a candidate for U.S. Senate last spring before pulling out of the race to support then-Attorney General Ken Salazar, who eventually won the seat. On June 2 he announced his candidacy for governor.

Mr. Bridges has answered our first 11 questions, which you can view by clicking on the link below, and he has agreed to answer your questions LIVE between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m.

You can ask a question for Mr. Bridges in the COMMENTS section below, but we ask that you follow our one rule for these Q&As: you may disagree, but you may not be disrespectful in your questions and comments.

Click below to read Mr. Bridges’ answers to our first 11 questions…

Q&A with Rutt Bridges, Democratic Candidate for Governor

1. Why are you running for governor?

Im running for governor because I want to put my proven experience in job creation and coalition building to work for all Coloradans. Colorado needs a new vision, new energy and new ideas. We face challenges and opportunities in educating our children, ensuring economic security, providing affordable health care, improving our highways, ensuring an adequate water supply and preserving our quality of life. We can accomplish all this and more if we bring people together to work on common-sense solutions.

2. You were touring the state for months before formally announcing that you were a candidate for governor. Why did you wait so long to make your candidacy official?

I spent two months on a statewide listening tour talking to Coloradans about their hopes and dreams for our state. Before I declared my candidacy, I visited 30 towns. Everywhere I went, people talked about the same issues: economic security, education and quality of life.

I believe if youre going to be governor, you have to represent the whole state. Thats why Im visiting all 64 counties, talking to Republicans, Democrats and independents alike. Growing up, I was taught that a good idea is a good idea no matter where it comes from. And that is no less true today.

My mother also taught me not to talk about myself or ever ask people for money. As a candidate, Ive had to break those habits, and that took a little while. But Im getting the hang of it.

3. You announced your candidacy for U.S. Senate last spring and then withdrew soon afterwards to support Ken Salazar. Take us through what happened and why you pulled out.

When I declared for the senate seat, I was running against incumbent Ben Nighthorse Campbell. When he withdrew four days later and it became an open seat, I decided instead to support Ken Salazar. It was the right thing to do for Colorado, and Ive never regretted it.

I spent much of my life as a small businessman and a scientist. For the last six years, I led the Bighorn Center for Public Policy and learned a lot about the challenges facing our state. While Im not a professional politician, I have learned a few things at Bighorn and from that brief senate race. And Im putting those lessons to work for our state.

4. The Bighorn Center was preparing an initiative to change TABOR last spring and summer, going so far as to collect signatures to put it on the ballot, but then the project was suddenly shut down. Why did you put an end to that effort, and how would it have been different from what will appear on the ballot in the form of Referendum C&D?

For starters, it wasnt a “Bighorn initiative.” Over twenty groups and individuals participated in developing the proposed initiative, and most of them were at the table and part of the decision to withdraw. This included representatives from the Colorado Forum, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Club 20, The Bell Policy Center, the Colorado Childrens Campaign and a bipartisan host of political leaders who shared our concerns for the future of our state.

After discussing the initiatives prospects, not a single person at the table dissented from the decision to pull the initiative.

The proposed 2004 initiative would have made permanent changes to TABOR, while Referenda C & D do not. Even with the support of Governor Owens, many Republicans and almost all Democrats, plus a host of business, community and local leaders, it will be a challenge to pass C & D. The 2004 initiative was more ambitious and had less broad support. Had it lost, it is unlikely any solution would be on this years ballot. Coalition building takes patience, and timing is everything. It was a tough political decision, but it was a wise one made by all stakeholders at the table.

5. If elected governor, would you sign the workplace non-discrimination act that was vetoed by Governor Owens?

Yes, I would sign it. Governor Owens reason for the veto, a fear of increased discrimination claims, hasnt happened in states that have passed similar laws. I grew up in the Deep South in the fifties and sixties. Ive known discrimination, up close and personal. I have seen the suffering it causes. Equal protection under the law is a value most Coloradans share, and I will stand up for these values.

6. If Roe v. Wade were overturned by the Supreme Court, would you support a constitutional amendment in Colorado that would guarantee the right to have an abortion in this state?

Yes. I am a conservative on this issue. I dont believe that government has the right to dictate the decisions we make in our private lives. I support a womans right to choose what is best for her and her family.

But choice means choice. We must ensure that women have viable options. I support a more effective and lower-cost adoption process, wider access to nutrition and prenatal care, and emergency contraception for rape victims. I also support sensible sex education so that our young people can make good decisions. As governor, Ill work hard to ensure that abortion is safe and legal, but, most importantly, also rare.

7. As someone who studied geophysics and made a fortune from software that helps better identify pockets of oil and gas, what is your position on surface owner rights, especially as they pertain to drilling on the Western Slope? Should people own more than just the surface of their land? 

The software I designed helps produce gas reserves with fewer wells, thus reducing surface impact. I happen to know a lot about both the technology and the industry, which will make me a better governor. For example, techniques like directional drilling can produce more gas from far fewer wells. It can also allow as many as twenty wells to be drilled from a single pad, and allow wells to be located far from houses and other sensitive sites.

The separation of surface rights and subsurface mineral rights goes back to the original federal land grants from before Colorado was even a state. To pass ownership back to surface owners, the federal courts would demand that you fairly compensate the mineral rights owners, which would bankrupt the state.

As with any industry, there are good actors and bad actors. If companies want to continue to operate in Colorado, they must act in a responsible manner that minimizes local impacts and protects farms, neighborhoods and sensitive areas from uncontrolled development. The companies that survive to drill another day will be the ones that learn to work with surface owners to avoid problems, not simply clean up messes. We need local involvement to solve local problems.

8. You win the Democratic nomination and get to choose your Republican opponent in the general election. Would you rather face Marc Holtzman or Bob Beauprez, and why?

Either way, Ill be running against Karl Rove, so it doesnt really matter.

9. How will you address illegal immigration issue as governor?

Most people can agree that Americas current system is badly broken. On the far right, politicians are creating hysteria to manipulate terrorist fears and racist stereotypes. On the far left, people are using our tradition as a nation of immigrants to justify opening up our borders without the controls necessary to provide for our common security. Weve got enough hawks and doves on this issue. We need a few more owls. We need more practical thinking.

The focus of any immigration reform should be on creating a viable visa system and a clear, enforceable schedule of fines and sanctions for employees and employers who violate the rules. Any new system must be enforceable and strictly control illegal immigration.

New visas should be linked to specific jobs that cannot be filled by the already existing work force. The visa application process must be streamlined and timely but must include a criminal background check. The visa process for workers in the US who do not have work documents should mirror the new visa application process and include a fine for illegal entry that would be collected through payroll deductions.

Democrats and Republicans should work to find common ground among the best ideas from the McCain/Kennedy and Bush proposals. We need less hot air and more cool heads. Real reform should focus scarce law enforcement resources on catching violent criminals to make Colorado more secure.

10. You received a lot of credit as one of the so-called four horsemen financial backers who helped Democrats win control of the state legislature in 2004. When asked how Democrats were able to be so successful in 2004, Republicans often say that they just figured out the campaign finance rules before we did. What is your response to this?

Through the investment of dozens of groups, not just four people, and over a thousand grassroots workers we reached an unprecedented number of voters in 2004. But the real difference was the candidates. You can’t win without great candidates.

Take for example Shari Bjorklund in Grand Junction, who ran against Bernie Buescher. Ms. Bjorklund announced at a Club 20 debate that her “conservative values” were more important than “Western Slope values.”

So the voters picked someone who shared their values: the thoughtful moderate Bernie Buescher. This is a problem for both Republican candidates for governor, whose values lean “radical right” rather than “Colorado center.”

The Democrats took back the legislature because they had candidates who shared the values of the communities they were running in, rather than people with a radical ideological axe to grind. That is the real reason why Democrats won Colorado’s House and Senate.

11. The Bighorn Center was responsible for creating the no-call list in Colorado. If you could prevent each of your opponents from calling one person during the campaign, who would you add to their personal no-call lists?

I would add Rupert Murdoch to Marc Holtzmans list, though that money horse may have already left the barn. For Bob Beauprez, it would be his mentor and soul mate, Tom DeLay. For Bill, Id rather just declare the whole Colorado Bar Association directory off limits, at least for fundraising calls.

Mr. Bridges will be answering your questions LIVE, from a campaign stop in Pueblo, between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. You can leave your questions in the COMMENTS section below (we’re told it was Mr. Bridges’ birthday on the 13th, so you can wish him a happy birthday while you’re at it). For more information about Rutt Bridges, visit www.bridgesforcolorado.com.