“Five years ago, Colorado voters soundly defeated a government-run health-care plan, Amendment 69, voting NO by a margin of four to one. Reps. Dylan Roberts of Avon, Iman Jodeh of Aurora, and Sen. Kerry Donovan of Vail have decided they know better than the voters, so they’ve introduced House Bill 21-1232, the ‘public option’ bill.”
Heidi’s Latest Columns
Denver Gazette: Tonic for tragedy: To come back, give back
“Longfellow reminds us that healing comes in waves, my Colorado friends, but it does indeed come. Those words have been comforting me for years, since my first rendezvous with grief in my late twenties. It happened on a Colorado day in May of ’94, when my young husband’s surprise birthday gift ended in tragedy.”
Denver Gazette: Time to get state’s financial house in order
“There is so much bad behavior right now by our state leaders, I could fill 20-plus columns. I’m frustrated, and just plain mad. Colorado is not OK. It’s time to shout from the mountain tops. It’s not right. It’s outrageous and it’s not fair.”
Denver Gazette: Gratitude might be the medicine society needs
“Last weekend something shifted, and it was beautiful. I was able to watch my son Jack play his basketball game from the stands. I went to a live yoga class. My husband judged a barbecue competition, in person. My mom and I went to Target, she hadn’t been in a year! Our church was filled, people sang and awkwardly shared a hug here and there.”
Denver Gazette: Why cut Colorado’s investment in its future leaders?
“There are a few things that have brought people together in the pandemic, one of which is dissecting with friends what series you’ve been late-night binge watching. ‘Tiger King,’ ‘Ozark,’ ‘The Crown,’ and my personal favorite, ‘Cobra Kai.'”
Denver Gazette: How much is that doggy in the window?
“As the founder of Camp Bow Wow, one of the country’s largest pet franchises, I’ve seen my share of good and bad in the pet industry. Our franchisees and corporate team helped over 10,000 dogs find homes through our nonprofit, the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation. But there were never enough homes for all the pups that needed one.”
Denver Gazette: We need leaders who work ‘in the sunshine’
“I believe transparency in government is key to restoring our nation’s faith in its elected leaders. James Madison said ‘A popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both.'”
Denver Gazette: New paths needed to tomorrow’s job market
“I sometimes ask my 8-year old twins what they want to be when they grow up. It’s quite fun to hear their answers. A firefighting ninja BBQ chef. A veterinarian ballerina mom. A YouTube star. What I know as a leader at our state’s flagship university, and as an entrepreneur and CEO, is that they’ll likely hold jobs that don’t even exist right now.”
Denver Gazette: Closed schools are crushing our kids | GUEST COLUMN
“Dear Governor Polis, OPEN THE DAMN SCHOOLS.
You are the state’s chief executive. No more excuses and no more passing the buck to local school districts. No more empty platitudes about what you ‘hope’ will happen.”
Denver Gazette: Trust small businesses to make good decisions
“I’ve been blessed to live the American dream. For over a decade, I put my heart and soul into caring for lots of furry friends, and helping amazing people open businesses doing something they loved. Camp Bow Wow grew to be the country’s largest pet care franchise.”