Tell it To Them Straight
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“People are frustrated not so much because they think government is too big, but because government isn’t solving problems. We must do more than respond to people’s fears. We have to respond to their hopes and dreams. We have to respond to their potential.”
Gov. Roy Romer, State-of-the-State, 1995
Roy Romer entered and left public service influenced heavily by the rural farming and ranching community where he grew up. It was a place where honesty and integrity were all, and community was primary. He took a straight-talking, no-nonsense approach to dealing with problems and communicating them to Coloradans. His commitment to the state extended to all corners, particularly rural communities, which often felt left behind by the government. Romer, his executive team, and all who agreed to serve in his cabinet were dedicated to talking directly with Coloradans and doing all they could to ensure equal access to opportunity.
Hear from members of the team about what this governing value meant for the state as well as the people who served alongside Gov. Romer.
A Legacy of Governance
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For the entire 12 years of his leadership, Gov. Romer’s team conducted Dome on the Range, a regular attempt to make sure government leaders got out of Denver to all parts of the state. This effort ensured that his administration heard directly from communities across the state about the challenges and opportunities they faced.
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Roy Romer had a knack for finding the best and brightest, giving them responsibility and then letting them lead. His efforts to include younger Coloradans in his executive and leadership teams meant he was responsible for multiple generations of elected and civic leaders.
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As governor, Roy Romer served as a Democrat overseeing a state that was definitively Republican. His administration managed to compromise for more than a decade with Republicans, who controlled the Colorado State House and Colorado State Senate then entire time he was governor.