Bill Ritter's PUC pick praised

The Denver Post reports:

Gov. Bill Ritter on Tuesday nominated former consumer counsel Ron Binz to head the Colorado Public Utilities Commission... The appointment was hailed by consumer advocates who had accused Gregory Sopkin, the former chairman of the PUC, of being too close to the businesses he regulated.

But business interests voiced approval of the pick, too:

"I have known Ron Binz for nearly a decade and find him extremely knowledgeable and objective on telecommunications issues," said Chuck Ward, Qwest president for Colorado.