Wednesday, January 7, 2009

CCLP: Policymakers must put people first

A guest post from CCLP Executive Director Maureen Farrell-Stevenson:

This morning, legislative leaders in both chambers highlighted the plight of low- and middle-income Coloradans. We applaud Senate President Peter Groff and House Speaker Terrance Carroll for their efforts to bring poverty to the forefront of the legislative agenda. As they both mentioned in their remarks, while government obviously faces challenges with decreased revenue and numerous fiscal constraints, protecting and supporting families and their futures must be in the forefront of legislators’ minds. Policymakers must stay focused on the people, not just the numbers.

In his remarks this morning, Speaker Carroll echoed that sentiment:


“We pledge to continue assisting Coloradans at the margins, particularly those being hit hardest by the economic slowdown – children, middle-class families, and older Coloradans, so that they too may know the good fortune of opportunity.

There is a challenging paradox in government: As the need for services increases with a recession, actual revenues tend to decrease. This year we will be faced with tough decisions about how to trim an already lean budget. Though I cannot say today exactly how much or where the cuts should come from, I will say this:

We will spend only what we can afford. We will balance the budget. We will put our money where our values are. We will do everything in our power to preserve the critical services that create opportunity: for children to get an education; for struggling families to go to the doctor when they are sick; for the unemployed to stay afloat while they search for their next job, and for Colorado families trying to protect their American Dream.”

At CCLP and COFPI, we look forward to working with both leaders throughout the legislative session to expand economic opportunity, reduce poverty, increase access to health care, and modernize and improve Colorado’s tax system.

We know it will not be easy. But as we’re seeing in full force at the federal level, increasing public investment during tough economic times is a sound and effective strategy for economic growth.

--Maureen Farrell-Stevenson, Executive Director
Colorado Center on Law and Policy

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