How will young people remember these times?
May 20th, 2011 by John Creighton in Dispatches
Tags: Culture, Education, Public Leaders, Technology
LONGMONT, Colo. 05/20/2011 — Graduation speakers across America will be in a reflective mood over the next few weeks. It’s an annual ritual. Student speakers, in particular, reflect on the journey they’ve traveled and what the future might hold. I heard my first round of graduation speeches last night. The narratives included the usual mix of “we can change the world.” I enjoy the inherent sense of optimism expressed by young people. But, I heard something else last night that [...]
Read more...A Muslim Woman in Tennessee
May 12th, 2011 by John Creighton in Dispatches
Tags: Accidental Extremists, Diversity, Public Leaders
LONGMONT, Co., 05/12/2011 — America is exceptional, in significant part, because we open the doors of opportunity to people from all walks of life. No matter the pigment of one’s skin, the nature of one’s faith or the land of one’s origin this is a country where you may pursue your dreams and fulfill your potential. It is part of America’s history that we knock down the barriers of discrimination. We have prospered as a nation because of our tolerance [...]
Read more...Lessons from the Greg Mortenson Affair
April 18th, 2011 by John Creighton in Dispatches
Tags: Institutions, Nonprofits, Public Leaders, Public Values
LONGMONT, Co, April 18, 2011 — Count me among those saddened by the 60 Minutes expose uncovering improprieties and debunking many of the stories told by Greg Mortenson, best-selling author of Three Cups of Tea. The “60 Minutes” investigation alleges that the multimillion-seller Three Cups of Tea is filled with inaccuracies. Additional accusations are that co- author Greg Mortenson’s charitable organization, Pennies for Peace, has taken credit for building schools that don’t exist. My family purchased his books. My wife [...]
Read more...Questions for Colorado’s leaders
March 8th, 2011 by John Creighton in B.O.E.
Tags: Colorado, Public Leaders, St. Vrain
LONGMONT — There is political consensus in Colorado that the state’s budget woes won’t go away even when the economy recovers. Authors of a report released by the University of Denver Center for Colorado’s Economic Future assert that even fifteen years of strong job growth is not enough to dig Colorado out of its hole. Colorado’s problems are caused by a structural mismatch between the state’s obligations to fund K-12 Education, Medicaid, the state’s prison system, and a variety of [...]
Read more...Austerity comes to Colorado
February 18th, 2011 by John Creighton in B.O.E., Dispatches
Tags: Colorado, Leadership, Public Leaders, Public Values, St. Vrain
LONGMONT, Colo. — Governor John Hickenlooper, Colorado Democrat, proposed an austerity budget this week that would make Republican counterparts such as Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie proud. Governor Hickenlooper deserves credit on many levels for his budget proposal. But, twelve, eighteen or twenty-four months from now, his ideas, if enacted, are just as likely to foster greater public antipathy toward government and politicians as it is to build good will. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper addresses [...]
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