Western states working as federal government shuts down

By Jim Ogsbury

This morning at midnight, the federal government of the United States shut down.

Demonstrating that gridlock is the new normal in Washington, D.C., national leaders have been unable to even craft a budget, one of the most basic functions of our elected federal officials. Partisan rancor rules the day, and compromise is a dirty word.

Look to the West for a stark contrast. Western Governors are on the job. They are making things happen. They’re tackling challenging issues and working across the political aisle and state boundaries to develop bipartisan solutions to the region’s most pressing problems.

Over the past two days, while political passions flared in Washington, D.C., cooler heads prevailed in Denver. That’s where Western Governors' representatives met to develop bipartisan policies on such nettlesome issues as nuclear waste disposal, species conservation and water management.

The deliberations were marked by civility, cordiality and good humor. Differences were aired and confronted in a respectful and thoughtful manner. The Governors and their staff are committed to reach consensus on critical regional policy, and the Denver meeting helped inform the WGA’s bipartisan policy agenda.

If you have some time in December and want to see government in action, skip our Nation's Capital. Instead, join Western Governors at their winter meeting in Las Vegas. Registration information can be found here.

Jim Ogsbury is the Executive Director of the Western Governors' Association. Contact him at 303-623-9378 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.