CU forecasts more job losses in Colorado

A CU forecast says that Colorado could lose 4,000 jobs in 2009, with large losses in the construction sector bouyed by some gains in energy, health care, and government.

While Colorado's economic landscape is not as bad as some other states, it's still not good. Constitutional and statutory constrictions exacerbate the problem by handcuffing policymakers who could otherwise use effective public investments as economic stimulus. The fact that Colorado has some of the lowest public revenues in the country doesn't help either.

Increasing public investments during difficult economic times, as opposed to decreasing such investments, is an effective strategy for economic progress. Pulling public investments out of the economy during a recession can have drastic and negative consequences. While we understand and admire the Governor's cautious approach on the budget in uncertain times, and we also understand the stifling constitutional and statutory restrictions on state investments, we also hope Governor Ritter recognizes that bold public investments can and do propel broader economic growth.