In this day and age it is pretty common to hear folks talking about bipartisanship and its effect on our government. It seems as though many of our issues, especially at a national level, fall on the hands of the lack of cooperation between Democrats and Republicans. All too often we see greed, gluttony, and an egotistic attitude from those in government, and it seems popular to ask, “Why can’t we all just get along?”
Well here in the Denver-metro area, we are getting along. Recently, Mayor Ron Rakowsky signed the Economic Development Code of Ethics, which promotes cooperation instead of competition between cities surrounding and including Denver. By agreeing to this code, Greenwood Village has pledged to work together with nearby cities in order to try to bring in as many new businesses as possible. The idea is that it does not necessarily matter where a business is located, instead it just matters that the business is brought to the area so that there is a greater opportunity to create revenue in and around the city where the new business is located.
For example, if a major business is deciding between locating in Denver, Aurora, or Greenwood Village, under the Economic Development Code of Ethics, these three cities should not compete with each other to try to persuade that company to come to them, instead the cities should be more focused on getting the company in Colorado, period. If the business chooses to move to Aurora, Denver and Greenwood Village still benefit from all the new workers who will now need places to live in, restaurants to eat at, malls to shop in, and gas stations to fill up at. Simply by having the business near, all three cities benefit.
It’s a novel idea- this whole “working together thing,” but what some have yet to realize is that our future depends on our ability to cooperate. Our country stands on the ideals that “United we stand, divided we fall,” so it’s nice to see our city take the initiative and set the example for generations to come.
Ethan Widoff
My name is Ethan Widoff and I am a junior at Cherry Creek High School. Ever since I have been little kid, I have had a dream of changing the world. Because of this dream, I am excited for the opportunity to serve for Mr. Presley and learn what it takes to serve as a leader in government.
In the classroom, I am a very dedicated student and have a passion for History and the Social Sciences. I also compete in Speech and Debate and serve on Creek's National Honor Society and Student Senate.
Outside of school, baseball takes up most of my free time. I am a middle infielder in the Cherry Creek program, and my team and I have captured two League Championships, a AABC 16U State Championship, a AABC 15U National Berth, and a AABC 16U Regional Birth. Additionally, I enjoy fly fishing and horseback riding in the offseason.
Finally, community service is a very important part of my life. My cousin Derek Rudawsky suffers from a very serious form of childhood epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. He struggles with many everyday activities that many take for granted, yet he never complains and always has a smile on his face and is a huge inspiration to me and all who meet him. Therefore, when I was 9 years old, I decided to take a stand against childhood epilepsy in hopes of one day finding a cure, so I held a charity golf-fundraiser for my birthday party that year. I continued holding charitable events for my birthday every year until in 2009 when I was awarded the Prudential Spirit of Community Award, a national award recognizing two students from each state for his or her philanthropic efforts. After receiving this award I decided that I wanted to take it one step further so I organized a group of seven student co-chairs, and we began organizing the first annual 5k event called Derek's Dash. The annual event has gone on for 5 years now, and we have been able to raise over $165,000 for the Dravet Syndrome Foundation. Now doctors around the world are working to find a cure for this disease. I dream of sparking a flame of inspiration that one day might change that world, and I believe that this internship is a great way to further learn how to make this happen.
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