Video: State Bill Colorado
What new Colorado eco-devo chief Don Marostica says. Marostica spoke to reporters following Gov. Bill Ritter’s appointment of him to succeed Don Elliman as the state’s top economic-development executive:
* We’ll see candidates for HD 51 in the next 3 or 4 days. Marostica says. The mayor of Loveland recently resigned and is a possibility. “It’s going to have to be somebody who’s going to spend the time. … I’ve done this full-time, as you guys know.”
* On the possibility of a primary had he run in 2010? “No, there was never a name. … I was looking forward to that challenge.”
* On leading the business community regarding tax exemptions: “I’ve gone through every one of those exemptions, and every one has some kind of unintended consequence” if it’s eliminated. “The big ones are things that we really need — the manufacturing.”
* “I voted for the cigarette sales-tax exemption.”
* Would companies leave the state if exemptions are axed. “It’s a real issue. It worries me.”
* Marostica says he carried the bill promoting increased transparency for special districts.
* What’s state not doing now? “The last 10 days, everything you read … Asia what’s going to help pull America out of this.”
” Exports are down 25 percent. How can you office change that? “The countries are getting (product) from somewhere. Some states, for some reason, are able to provide the products or services.” We need to find out why, Marostica says.
* He jokes governor is “brilliant” for hiring him. Marostica praised Ritter’s economic-development efforts earlier this year.
– Don Knox, STATE BILL COLORADO
