Gov. Bill Ritter on the worth of his 4 years in office

The Daily Camera reports that Bill Ritter says his administration will have a lasting impact on the state, providing more jobs in the emerging field of renewable energy and more money for hospitals and transportation.

We changed the direction of this state," Ritter said in an interview at the Capitol, mulling over what he still considers "a great job to have."

He said he promoted renewable energy because "There was a leadership void," and no one was willing to talk about increasing mandatory renewable energy requirements from the 10 percent that had been approved by voters to 30 percent, which became the new standard.

As governor, Ritter said, raising fees for automobile registration was the only way to pay for badly needed road and bridge repairs. He called the impact minimal, estimated at $40 a year per vehicle.

"That`s about the cost of a tank of gas," he said.

Ritter acknowledges a number of mistakes during his four years in office.

Ritter said his relationship with incoming Democrat John Hickenlooper cooled after Ritter appointed Michael Bennet, Hickenlooper`s former chief of staff, to the U.S. Senate instead of Hickenlooper.