Using 401(k) funds to start a business without having to pay withdrawal penalties. Cutting some of the red tape for certain exporters. Alternative-energy tax credits. Finding lower-cost alternatives to incarceration. Better monitoring of oil and gas fracking operations.

In the span of 30 minutes or so, Rep. Jared Polis promised to do what he could to either directly address or at least help address each and every one of those issues.
Polis was meeting with a handful of potential constituents - a roundtable of CEOs of some of the companies housed in the Rocky Mountain Innosphere in Fort Collins - and so, as a politician, naturally doing what he could to placate the audience.

Fortunately, this did not come across as par-for-the-course appeasement and glad-handing. Instead, Polis struck us as a sincere, if slightly distracted, fellow with ambitions to do the right thing for business interests.

Polis has represented Boulder as the congressman from the Second District since 2009. And now that the state Supreme Court has upheld new district boundaries, he might soon get the chance to work on behalf of the people of Larimer County - so long as he wins re-election in the fall.

Given their various and