Saturday, December 31, 2011

How budget cuts lead to lost jobs, our most popular research of 2011

It probably surprises no one that the Colorado Center on Law and Policy's research around jobs generated the most interest during 2011, as measured by visits to our website. The most popular publication of the year, released March 7, examined how cuts to the state budget would result in job losses. The paper, by Fiscal Policy Analyst Terry Scanlon of the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, led off this way:


Hickenlooper's proposed budget cuts would costs thousands of jobs; solution can come from voters
The budget-balancing plan offered by Gov. John Hickenlooper last month relies heavily on cuts to public schools and will result in the loss of more than 3,600 jobs as services in education, mental health, prisons, health care and parks are scaled back. Most of the lost jobs will come out of classrooms and schools throughout the state as school districts cope with a nearly $500 decline in spending per student.

Colorado lawmakers have no option but to balance the state budget, and that will mean painful service reductions affecting every resident of the state. Voters, though, have the authority to consider all options for maintaining and increasing investment in their communities – including increased revenue.


Read the full issue brief on our website.

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