[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 140 (Monday, October 28, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE BILL OWENS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 28, 2002

  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express gratitude and 
congratulations to the Honorable Bill Owens, Governor of Colorado. Four 
years ago, Gov. Owens promised to improve education for Colorado's 
children, reduce the tax burden on families, and make transportation a 
top priority. Gov. Owens has not only kept his promises to Colorado, 
but has managed to accomplish much more in his tenure as Governor.
  On education, Governor Owens has made schools more accountable for 
the academic achievements of children. He has expanded assessment 
testing to better measure the success of children and has pushed for 
accountability reports that detail the safety and academic performance 
of Colorado schools. For the first time in a decade, the state is fully 
funding public education. Gov. Owens has also managed to create smaller 
class sizes for children in kindergarten through third grade and many 
full-day kindergarten programs. Other impacts of the education reform 
include a Read to Achieve grant to provide new programs and new 
textbooks for many Colorado classrooms.
  Governor Owens has also made history by pushing the state's largest 
tax-relief package. That effort has amounted to $1 billion in rate cuts 
of personal income, sales, and capital gains taxes. He also has 
eliminated the marriage penalty tax. More over, Owens has managed to 
keep the budget balanced by making responsible decisions to veto $47 
million in line items. He then called on state agencies to cut an 
additional 4 percent from their budgets.
  As governor, Owens has paid special attention to Colorado's long-
neglected transportation system. Under Owens' leadership, the state 
will invest more than $15 billion in Colorado's highway system in the 
next 20 years. Although this plan funds projects through the state, 
Owens constructed it without raising taxes. Colorado will now have 
better, cleaner, and safer roads for years to come.
  Governor Owens has managed to accomplish all this under the pressure 
of other challenges facing the state and nation demanding his action. 
These calls to action include school violence, drought, wildfires, 
economic slowdown, terrorism, and much more.
  Owens' leadership skills are unmatched, and his ability to work in a 
bipartisan manner earns him daily praise. More importantly, Gov. Owens 
is firmly committed to making Colorado a better place to live for 
present and future generations of Coloradans. I ask the House to extend 
its congratulations and sincere thanks to Governor Bill Owens for his 
success and accomplishment as Colorado's Governor.

                          ____________________