This email is the monthly update for December on the progress of the 
Colorado Democratic Leadership Council and New Democrat Movement in our 
state.  The Colorado DLC is a think tank focused on local, state and 
federal issues of interest to this region.  The New Democrat Update is 
distributed to more than 3,600 elected officials and private citizens the 
first week of each month.

**REJUVENATING RURAL COLORADO**

In the old economy, most rural areas had reasonably strong and stable 
economic bases to support growth and jobs.  In addition to low costs, 
plentiful labor and adequate physical infrastructure, rural regions 
depended on innovative economic activities "filtering down" from urban areas.

Clearly, those days are over.  The innovative, well-paying industries 
increasingly cluster in the metropolitan suburbs, providing minimal 
economic benefits to rural Colorado.  To date, most rural economies have 
been largely left out and are having significant difficulty competing and 
prospering in the New Economy.

Rural communities face a new opportunity and challenge to prosper in this 
new world. The opportunity -  unlike the old economy, new technologies 
allow economic activity to be geographically farther apart while still 
functionally tight.  The challenge - much of rural Colorado has limited 
access to high-speed telecommunications technologies, a critical factor in 
determining business location and expansion decisions.

Federal, state and local governments, in partnership with the private 
sector, must help rural communities adapt and develop innovative, 
technology-based economies through seed venture programs, 
technology-incubators, industry-university research partnerships and 
collaborative technology modernization projects.  Ideally, nonprofit 
entrepreneurial organizations, linked to the private sector, should run 
these initiatives.

Much like the digital economy, today's economic strategies take a strong 
combination of good hardware and software.  The Colorado congressional 
delegation can help with the "hardware" by pushing for federal funding to 
co-invest in business applications with rural broadband telecommunications 
providers.  In addition, they should support Senator Tom Daschle's proposal 
to provide federal loans to rural utility providers for deployment of 
broadband telecommunication connections.

Growing and prospering in the New Economy also requires the right 
"software" - in this case, the skills and knowledge of young people.  As a 
result of an undue reliance on property taxes, many rural school districts 
experience gross inequities.  The state can become a much better partner by 
overhauling its antiquated K-12 public school funding system.  While money 
alone will not solve educational problems, neither will a lack of resources.

Innovative private-public partnerships like PowerUP can also help.  With 
centers that have between 10 and 20 Internet-connected computers, PowerUP 
provides practical training to young people by getting technology into 
schools, community centers and other organizations.  The sites are open and 
welcoming, as well as safe places for young people to spend time.  Staff 
encourage students to work together, and computers are placed so that 
supervisors can see what is on each person's monitor at all times.

Among PowerUP's notable partners is the Corporation for National Service's 
AmeriCorps program, which provides young volunteers who, in exchange for 
help with college tuition, go into communities to set up and help manage 
the computer centers.  As non-technical users and innovators, these 
"Digital Brigades" help train local students while implementing 
technology-based projects that improve and help the community.

Colorado state and local governments should partner with the private sector 
and provide matching funds to spur development of rural technology 
centers.  The State of Florida has taken that approach, leveraging a 
relatively modest $500,000 investment and creating 25 computer lab sites 
across the state.

Universities and community colleges can strengthen the competitiveness of 
rural firms by analyzing the specific needs of local economies and offering 
consulting services on technology and processes.  Public matching funds for 
joint university-private sector research can be tied to new product 
development.

Nonprofit corporations, which share technological innovations and identify 
new product and process opportunities, should be organized.  New technology 
clearinghouses can provide data on new patents and ideas relevant to local 
industries.

Forming innovative alliances  - as well as leveraging private/public sector 
funding, leadership, and volunteers - can effectively meet rural Colorado's 
economic challenges.  We have no time to waste.

**CONNECTING TO RURAL COLORADO**

To develop a progressive majority coalition, Colorado Democrats must do 
much in better in rural regions of the state.  Republicans control almost 
75 percent of county commissions and Democrats send a very small handful of 
rural legislators to the State House.  In the last presidential election, 
Vice President Al Gore lost the rural vote by 20 points.

State Democrats at all levels of government can close this gap by closely 
examining Mark Warner's gubernatorial victory last month in Virginia.  His 
statewide message - improvements in education and the quality of life would 
bring "knowledge jobs" to all parts of the state - proved decisive.

Just as important, Warner embraced mainstream, values-based positions on 
cultural issues, realizing that tone matters as well as substance.  Our 
party can speak about tough issues like gun control and gay rights without 
implying that no decent and reasonable person can have a different 
view.  Voters who feel marginalized, even demonized, by hard-left rhetoric 
will almost certainly retaliate.

For many rural voters, the role of government is in part an issue of 
values. The New Democratic stance on this issue - that government should 
equip people to solve their own problems - is sure to make significant 
inroads into the rural electorate.

**NEW WORLD, NEW WAR**

The November/December issue of Blueprint provides a roadmap on how America 
can defeat terrorism, grow the economy and ask all Americans to give 
something back.  This edition includes provocative articles by DLC national 
Chair Evan Bayh, former President Bill Clinton, Senator Joe Lieberman, and 
Senator John Kerry.  Other pieces provide insight on modernizing our 
intelligence services, strategies to defend the country from weapons of 
mass destruction, beefing up homeland defense, the crisis in the Mideast, 
reinventing NATO, why Saddam Hussein's Iraq must be the next target and more.

You can read Blueprint online by visiting www.coloradodlc.org and clicking 
on "New World, New War."  It is the first item under What's Up 
Nationally.  If you would like a hard copy, contact Jim Gibson at 
jgibson@coloradodlc.org or 303-936-4681.