Child poverty up 50 percent in Colorado from 2000 to 2008

Good morning. Here's a look at news reports from around the state on issues of interest to the Colorado Center on Law and Policy for Tuesday, July 27, 2010. Listing does not imply endorsement of the content.

ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY
The Denver Post: Report: Child-poverty rate increases 50 percent in Colorado
The rate of Colorado children living in poverty increased 50 percent between 2000 and 2008, compared with a 6 percent increase nationwide, according to 2010 Kids Count Data Book, an annual report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that tracks how states have progressed — or regressed — over time in protecting the well-being of children.
Also: Colorado Springs Gazette: Report: Well-being of state's kids improved, at least before economy tanked


FISCAL POLICY
Boulder Daily Camera: Boulder County puts property tax hike on ballot to bolster social services
Ballot measure aims to backfill state budget cuts.
Also: Boulder Daily Camera: Boulder County to ask for tax increase to buy more open space

Pueblo Chieftain: Colorado lawmakers not alone in tax raises
Some state legislatures imposed new fees and hiked taxes to replace falling revenues and balance their budgets during the economic downturn. Colorado was one of nine states that fell into that category, according to a study of state budgets released Monday by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Face the State: Feds to Colorado: Get drunk (but not high) during recession
While owners of medical marijuana establishments are locked out of government-backed small-business loans, nothing has stopped millions of dollars in federal assistance from flowing into one of Colorado's other so-called "sin business" industries. That would be the booze business.

Durango Herald editorial: Stimulus money at work locally
It hardly fits the profligate image so often tied to federal spending, but stimulus money is funding good work around Durango.

Durango Herald editorial: Taxes
Round four in Washington is about to begin, and its outcome will be far more significant than the effects of its predecessors. There was plenty of partisan disagreement over health-care legislation, the regulations to reduce banks' risk-taking and the energy bill - which failed to even reach final form - but what to do with federal tax rates is certain to trump them all.


ECONOMY
Pueblo Chieftain editorial: There are jobs
Pueblo's jobless rate is estimated by the state at 9.9 percent — uncomfortably high. Yet there are jobs to be had, as attested in the “Help Wanted” ads in Sunday’s Chieftain, which contained two pages of jobs needing to be filled. These ran the gamut from health care professionals to radio technicians to painters, plumbers and drain technicians.


HEALTH CARE
Aurora Sentinel editorial: Health reforms still too slow, limited
Yet more shadiness by health insurance companies makes it clear how important this fall’s congressional elections are, and how important it is for Washington to stay on top of the health care reform behemoth brought to life earlier this year.