“I have had the privilege of serving as the governor of Colorado for three years now. And what a privilege it is,” Ritter said in his opening remarks.

He spoke of strides that have been made toward education reform, fiscal reform and a new energy economy.

In reference to the federal “Race to the Top” grant money that the state is seeking for K-12 education, Ritter said that Colorado is well positioned to win some of the funding, that the state has been racing to the top for years and is ready to implement reform.

“We’re tackling the drop-out rate, and CSAPs are going the way of the dinosaurs,” declared Ritter, getting generous applause from the Democratic members in the audience. The state’s use of Colorado Student Assessment Program tests in public schools has been hotly debated for years and has many critics among Democrats.

On fiscal reform the governor talked of efforts made to stabilize the economy but acknowledged the state isn’t out of the woods yet.

“While an economic recovery is indeed underway, a revenue recovery is a year away. That means more tough, unpopular but necessary decisions,”  Ritter warned, followed by a veiled jab at the GOP, which has called on the governor to cut the size of the bureaucracy.

“It will not be enough to stay on the sidelines, to constantly criticize, to offer nothing but $10 solutions to billion-dollar problems,” he said.

The governor touted his signature, New Energy Economy, contending  it has created thousands of new jobs, new markets and new revenue.

“In these uncertain times, the New Energy Economy, which did not exist three years ago, continues to be our beacon to a brighter future,”  Ritter said.

Republican lawmakers responded to the governor’s remarks with their own prescription for Colorado.

“As lawmakers we should have one thing in mind—implementing policies that set the stage for a return to economic prosperity,” said Assistant Senate Minority Leader Greg Brophy, R-Wray.  “Republicans have one resounding message for our Democrat counterparts: Don’t raise taxes and fees during a recession.”

Ritter’s decsion last week not to seek re-election opened the door for Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper to step into the 2010 governor’s race. Hickenlooper announced on Tuesday that he would seek the Democratic nomination against leading Republican contender Scott McInnis.

At the heart of the effort is a certificate program that measures a potential employee’s basic skills in applied math, locating information and reading—through testing—with a the governor’s autograph on a diploma issued by the program.

“This is the worst economy since the Great Depression,” Ritter told a small crowd gathered at the Jefferson County Human Services Building, west of Denver. “We’re focused on creating and retaining jobs and getting people back to work, ushering businesses through this downturn.”

A legislative leader was on hand to give the agenda a boost.

“Our goal is to create a 21^st century workforce and to create jobs,” said Colorado Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, who joined Ritter at the event. “We are interested in specifics—things we can do today, during Colorado’s tough economic times.”

The pending legislation, backed by the governor and enthusiastically supported by Shaffer and his caucus, will be introduced in January proposing education and training for employees. Included in the package will be a provision similar to college savings plans, incentives for health care workers to work in rural areas and a nurse-training loan forgiveness program.

Today’s announcement by the Democratic governor was met with skepticism by legislative Republicans.

“Unfortunately, the governor seems to be more focused on job training programs than proposals to get Coloradans back to work,” said House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker. “If Gov. Ritter wants to get Coloradans back to work, he (should) repeal his onerous tax and fee increases, scale back his damaging oil and gas rules, and rethink the way government does business.