Phil Weiser

Posted May 21, 2026

 

In Basalt, after a recent event in a coffee shop, the barista who worked there approached me and asked: Why are we focusing on band aid solutions instead of rethinking and rebuilding systems that don’t work?

 

Good question. And it sparked a powerful conversation with a few of us who stayed after the event—if we were to rethink and redesign key systems, where would we start? 

 

One said health care, another said how we support young people (including foster care), and a third said education.

 

We also agreed: to get us back on the right path, we must take stock of where we are, raise these systemic questions, and come to answers, together.

 

Last year, when we developed our Colorado Blueprint, we did just that. We convened leaders and community members on a wide range of policy issues to listen, brainstorm, and build our plan for Colorado’s future. But our work isn’t finished. Since releasing our 107-page vision last fall, we’ve invited feedback because—only together—can we build a more affordable, connected, and resilient future for Colorado.

 

I am running for Governor because we need to build a better future for Colorado—one where those growing up here can afford to stay and live in our state, have opportunities here to get a good-paying job and build a life, and feel a sense of connection and belonging.

 

In the 1980s, we faced challenges similar to today, and we charted a new path forward. As I see it, we must do that again by:

 

• Investing in foundational systems, like child care, education, health care, and workforce skills development;
• Building critical community infrastructure like housing, public safety, public transit options, and reducing time wasted sitting in traffic;
• Addressing drought, wildfires, and climate action for a more resilient future; and
• Rebuilding trust in how our state government operates, including updating TABOR so we can pay for these critical investments.

 

This was on my mind when I went from Basalt to a changemaker roundtable organized by Eagle County Commissioner Matt Scherr. Around the table were immigrant advocates, leaders focused on engaging and supporting young people, education professionals, and climate leaders. We picked up the prior conversation, with a twist—what is your vision of how we make systemic change?

 

In our campaign, we take these two questions very seriously:

 

• If we were to rethink and redesign key systems, where would we start? 
• What is our vision, together, of how we make systemic change?

 

We have worked to answer these questions and to lead as governor by building our Colorado Blueprint with inputs from Coloradans. And we are inviting you to join us in how you would address these key challenges to our state’s future.

 

Here’s how you can join in:

• On Saturday, May 30th at 10:00 AM at the Clayton Early Learning Center, please join us for our community conversation focused on this work and why it matters to you. RSVP here;
• Share feedback on the Blueprint and what’s important to you here;
• Consider hosting a community conversation near you. See more here;
• Share your thoughts and start a conversation on social media, tagging us at @philforcolorado.

 

Here’s why I need your help, and hope you will weigh in. 

 

New insights and new ideas spring from our conversations together—like they did with the leaders at that roundtable in Eagle County. I see it all the time as I cross our state, and want to keep this going. We must show up, listen, and deliver, for each other.

 

For Sophia, in Eagle, who she felt it was a travesty that we fail to prepare young people for citizenship, and that we need to do much more to build what author Robert Putnam calls “social capital”.

 

For Kim, an expert on climate, who shared that a movie—Join or Die—explains Putnam’s vision of “social capital” and why “American democracy is only as strong as what we are willing to give to it.” I went home that night and watched it. It’s terrific and inspiring.

 

Robert Putnam’s work and the movie highlight what we all know: we are facing a perilous moment for our society with rising income inequality, polarization, and distrust in government – and each other. As Putnam puts it, too many feel “exploited, vulnerable, and unhappy.”

 

This is particularly true, Kim reminded us, for young people. The pressure on our young people is upon us, with AI on the horizon and already here in many ways, leading to changes to the future of work. And in particular, we are being warned of a crisis for young men who are 3X more at risk of an overdose, 4X more at risk of dying by suicide, and 14X more likely to be incarcerated than women are.

 

Our roundtable conversation closed by zeroing in on these systemic changes and potential solutions, which also drive me.

• Mentors – we must build relationships between young people and trusted mentors. The research is clear: having a mentor is the single biggest success factor and addresses the loneliness crisis for young people head on. Consider that, as one study demonstrated, “those least susceptible to suicidal thoughts and bullying were those who reported having strong connections with not just their parents, but also other caring adults.” That’s why we are working on HOPE, our mentoring initiative—and we need your engagement. We would value your ideas to make this a success.
• A Call to Public Service – we must reinvigorate young people with a sense of community and public service, getting them together outside and encouraging them to enter core public service professions. See more, and share your ideas, on my vision for ColoradoCorps.
• Social media – how do we get young people off their phones, build relationships, resilience skills, and have a sense of hope and excitement for their future? See our plans for how we protect young people including holding big tech and others  accountable for harms to young people. I’d love your viewpoints.
• Career and skills development – how do we provide pathways for those ready to work? For starters, I welcome your thoughts on our Education plans. As a path for making progress, I am inspired by the cradle-to-career mindset that Rocky Mountain Partnership has developed, focusing on a series of critical metrics along the way.

 

Challenging Time

 

Robert Putnam’s movie ends on a hopeful note. As he also explained in this podcast, America faced a connection and economic crisis in the early 1900s and met the challenges of that time during what we know as the Progressive Era.

 

In Colorado, we faced a challenging time in the 1980s and early 1990s, with declining population and a feeling that our future was uncertain. We met that moment with a spirit of collaboration and innovation, and saw historic progress. I know that we can do that again.

 

Together, we can take on what systems need to be rebuilt and address them from the ground up in communities all across Colorado.  I look forward to hearing your ideas.

 

Let’s get to work.

 

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is a candidate for Colorado Governor.