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Colorado State Senator Ron May, One of Government Technology's 25 'Doers Dreamers and Drivers'

'I've tried for 10 years now to pass an Internet portal bill. Finally got it done last year'

Sen. Ron May is tireless in his approach to helping government help the people.

"I've tried for 10 years now to pass an Internet portal bill," he said. "Finally got it done last year. It's not like in the business world. In the business world, if you want to get something done, you find somebody and you have an agreement on what you have to accomplish; you shake hands and go to work."

The senator is accustomed to making quick decisions as president and owner of May Corp., a firm specializing in computer consulting for small businesses. May wishes it were that way in government, where he bridles at the slow pace of change. "I've never seen anything in my life that takes so long," he said.

May said the culture must change if government is to become more efficient. "These guys protect everything they've got. They don't want to modernize. In a lot of cases, they don't even want IT because they think it means their job is going to go away."

Still, he's managed to make progress. For instance, May is responsible for a bill-tracking system and a wireless network throughout Colorado's Capitol.

Despite his impatience, May tries to take a more subtle approach to changing government. "In the business world, if I've got more people than I need, I just cut back. You can't do that in government. I try not to talk about saving but about modernizing; we're going to be more efficient, and we're going to respond to what the public needs more quickly."

Congratulations to this year's group of "Doers, Dreamers and Drivers," who appear in the March issue of Government Technology magazine.