For second straight year Forbes ranks CO 4th best state for business

In a year when two out of three candidates for governor will readily say that current Gov. Bill Ritter and the man leading the pack in the governor’s race, Democrat John Hickenlooper, have both done everything they can to chase business from the state, it is interesting to note that for the second straight year Forbes Magazine has named Colorado the fourth best state in the country for business.

Most of the article discusses the numbers one and two states (Utah and Virginia) before skipping to a discussion of No. 50 Maine. Still, the magazine notes that Colorado ranks high on available labor force and quality of life. Colorado also ranks 6th in growth prospects and economic climate.

Republican governor nominee Dan Maes and American Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo have both said that Ritter has cost the state oil and gas jobs and that Denver Mayor Hickenlooper has driven business out of Denver.

Scot Kersgaard has been managing editor of a political newspaper, editor and co-owner of a ski town newspaper, executive editor of eight high-tech magazines (where he worked with current Apple CEO Tim Cook), deputy press secretary to a U.S. Senator, and an outdoors columnist at the Rocky Mountain News. He has an English degree from the University of Washington. He was awarded a fellowship to study internet journalism at the University of Maryland's Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. He was student body president in college. He spends his free time hiking and skiing.