Monday, October 31, 2011
Haven't mailed your ballot yet? Hand-deliver it to election officials
Read about it, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup. Election Day is tomorrow. The Colorado Center on Law and Policy recommends a "yes" vote on Proposition 103.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Study shows the true cost of making ends meet in Colorado
Read the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2011 on our website. Find news coverage, and links to all the day's stories, at the Colorado news roundup.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Boulder Chamber, Farmers Union advise 'yes' vote on Proposition 103
Read about it, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Obama visits Denver to unveil plan to ease students' debt load
Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Colorado news roundup: Boulder County quizzes voters about taxes
Read about it, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Give state schools a funding bridge with Prop. 103
Check out the endorsement from the Glenwood Springs Post-Independent, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Seniors are not just numbers in the budget
Check out the commentary on seniors and the congressional "super committee" in The Denver Post, plus find links to the rest of the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Supporters, foes make cases on education-tax ballot issue
The Colorado Center on Law and Policy endorses Proposition 103. Read the latest developments, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Colorado hospitals' merger mania
Read CCLP's coverage of shifts in hospital ownership on our website. Find the latest developments in a report from KCFR-radio, plus links to all the day's public policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Monday, October 17, 2011
A closer look at Loveland's poverty numbers
Read about it, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Colorado's tax and budget policies hinder economic recovery and prudent planning
Colorado’s tax and budget policies have hindered the state’s economic recovery and make it difficult to prepare for the future, representatives of the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute told a conference of city finance specialists Friday.
Carol Hedges, director of the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, noted unique constraints on Colorado’s public investments. One of the tightest constraints is the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), an amendment to the state Constitution that sets arbitrary limits on public funds the government is allowed to collect and spend. TABOR is one of several measures that limit Colorado’s ability to respond to changing economic conditions, Hedges said.
“It’s important to see Colorado’s fiscal arc and understand that each policy is part of a continuum,” she said. “There are no independent or individual challenges.”
Hedges spoke at a meeting in Denver of the Society of Municipal Analysts.
Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute Rice Fellow Benjamin Felson discussed the rising need for public services in Colorado as fallout from the Great Recession continues.
“As poverty has increased across the board, so has the reliance on and need for public assistance,” Felson said. “Colorado has responded at a minimum level.”
Colorado’s spending on key public services ranks near the lowest among the states. Colorado ranks 49th in education spending, for example, yet it has the second-highest concentration of people educated with a bachelor’s degree or higher. One attendee suggested it is good Colorado can import an educated labor force, maximizing its resources.
“Yes. It is good. But is it sustainable?” Hedges asked. “How long will we be able to bring people to the state if we are unable to provide a quality education for their children?”
The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute is a project of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and advocacy organization promoting justice and economic security for all Coloradans.
Carol Hedges, director of the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, noted unique constraints on Colorado’s public investments. One of the tightest constraints is the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), an amendment to the state Constitution that sets arbitrary limits on public funds the government is allowed to collect and spend. TABOR is one of several measures that limit Colorado’s ability to respond to changing economic conditions, Hedges said.
“It’s important to see Colorado’s fiscal arc and understand that each policy is part of a continuum,” she said. “There are no independent or individual challenges.”
Hedges spoke at a meeting in Denver of the Society of Municipal Analysts.
Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute Rice Fellow Benjamin Felson discussed the rising need for public services in Colorado as fallout from the Great Recession continues.
“As poverty has increased across the board, so has the reliance on and need for public assistance,” Felson said. “Colorado has responded at a minimum level.”
Colorado’s spending on key public services ranks near the lowest among the states. Colorado ranks 49th in education spending, for example, yet it has the second-highest concentration of people educated with a bachelor’s degree or higher. One attendee suggested it is good Colorado can import an educated labor force, maximizing its resources.
“Yes. It is good. But is it sustainable?” Hedges asked. “How long will we be able to bring people to the state if we are unable to provide a quality education for their children?”
The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute is a project of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and advocacy organization promoting justice and economic security for all Coloradans.
Attorney general approves sale of state's largest hospital system
The Colorado Center on Law and Policy lobbied for adjustments to the deal to protect the public, most of which were included in the final approval. Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Indicators suggest continued recession, economist says
Grim words from an economist speaking in Craig on Wednesday. Read about it, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Colorado news roundup: Health insurance and the changes you should know about
Check out the Colorado insurance commissioner's advice in The Denver Post, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, in the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
State of Working Colorado: Productivity – Working harder for the same reward
Colorado’s decade of income stagnation occurred despite gains in productivity, as measured by state domestic product per capita. That means even though Colorado workers produced more at the end of the decade, they earned the same.
For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.
For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.
'Never a bad time to do the right thing' on Proposition 103
Some folks are worried it's a "bad time" for stopping the irresponsible cuts to state education funding. Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute Director Carol Hedges addresses that argument and more in an interview with the Vail Daily. Read the story, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Eligibility crackdown on Old Age Pension cuts costs
Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Colorado's tax code hinders people with lower incomes
Legislators and governors have several tools they can easily implement into state tax codes to help lift families out of poverty, new research from the Institute on Tax and Economic Policy shows.
Colorado's tax code includes many of the recommendations in some form: earned income tax credits, property tax “circuit breakers,” targeted low-income tax credits; and child-related tax credits. ITEP recommends redesigning those policies to improve the lives of Colorado’s lower-income constituents.
The federal Earned Income Tax Credit is widely recognized as an effective anti-poverty strategy, and 24 states have an EITC modeled after the federal policy. Colorado suspended its EITC in 2002 due to budget constraints. To help fight poverty, Colorado should re-enable and fully fund the state EITC, according to ITEP.
Property tax “circuit breakers” protect low-income residents from a property tax overload. Similar to an electrical circuit breaker, the tool rebates property taxes when a tax bill exceeds a certain percentage of a taxpayer’s income. Colorado has a quasi-circuit breaker for homeowners and renters who are age 65 and older or disabled. To provide a greater benefit to families and individuals with lower incomes, Colorado should consider raising the maximum benefits and expand the policy to include homeowners and renters of all ages, ITEP said.
Low- and middle-income working parents frequently spend a significant portion of their incomes
on child care. The federal government allows a nonrefundable income tax credit to help offset child care expenses. Colorado has a limited refundable child and dependant care credit available, and ITEP suggests it should increase the credit to help poorer families.
Additionally, Colorado should create a refundable low-income tax credit. Because the EITC is targeted to low-income working families with children, it is not always the best approach for reaching older adults and adults without children. Refundable low-income credits are a good complementary policy to state EITCs. The credits can also be used to mitigate the regressive nature of state sales taxes.
In 2010, the taxes as a share of income for Coloradans in the lowest 20 percent was more than double that of Coloradans in the top 1 percent. Implementing the recommendations would help ease the tax burden on the many Colorado families and individuals struggling with poverty.
“Lawmakers try to leverage the tax code to do all kinds of things – lure business, reduce health
costs,” said Matthew Gardner, ITEP’s executive director, “but too few use it to ease the effects of poverty.”
Colorado's tax code includes many of the recommendations in some form: earned income tax credits, property tax “circuit breakers,” targeted low-income tax credits; and child-related tax credits. ITEP recommends redesigning those policies to improve the lives of Colorado’s lower-income constituents.
The federal Earned Income Tax Credit is widely recognized as an effective anti-poverty strategy, and 24 states have an EITC modeled after the federal policy. Colorado suspended its EITC in 2002 due to budget constraints. To help fight poverty, Colorado should re-enable and fully fund the state EITC, according to ITEP.
Property tax “circuit breakers” protect low-income residents from a property tax overload. Similar to an electrical circuit breaker, the tool rebates property taxes when a tax bill exceeds a certain percentage of a taxpayer’s income. Colorado has a quasi-circuit breaker for homeowners and renters who are age 65 and older or disabled. To provide a greater benefit to families and individuals with lower incomes, Colorado should consider raising the maximum benefits and expand the policy to include homeowners and renters of all ages, ITEP said.
Low- and middle-income working parents frequently spend a significant portion of their incomes
on child care. The federal government allows a nonrefundable income tax credit to help offset child care expenses. Colorado has a limited refundable child and dependant care credit available, and ITEP suggests it should increase the credit to help poorer families.
Additionally, Colorado should create a refundable low-income tax credit. Because the EITC is targeted to low-income working families with children, it is not always the best approach for reaching older adults and adults without children. Refundable low-income credits are a good complementary policy to state EITCs. The credits can also be used to mitigate the regressive nature of state sales taxes.
In 2010, the taxes as a share of income for Coloradans in the lowest 20 percent was more than double that of Coloradans in the top 1 percent. Implementing the recommendations would help ease the tax burden on the many Colorado families and individuals struggling with poverty.
“Lawmakers try to leverage the tax code to do all kinds of things – lure business, reduce health
costs,” said Matthew Gardner, ITEP’s executive director, “but too few use it to ease the effects of poverty.”
Hospitals make pitch for Colorado Springs health system
Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Older adults hit hard by housing costs, recession
Housing costs are increasingly burdensome for Colorado’s older adults since the housing crisis and recession began in 2007. Older homeowners and renters routinely have a tougher time affording the rent or mortgage payments, and many low-income households face more unsustainable housing costs, new research shows.
AARP’s "State Housing Profiles 2011" shows nearly 35 percent of Colorado homeowners age 50 and older pay at least 30 percent of their incomes for housing costs. More than half of renters age 50 and older pay at least 30 percent for housing costs. These numbers show a dramatic rise in the housing burden since 2000.
AARP report echoes CCLP’s findings that neither median income nor Social Security allow for elder economic security. According to CCLP’s Elder Economic Security Index, a single person age 50 and older needs to bring in at least $28,260 a year solely to meet expenses, a significantly higher amount than the $10,890 federal poverty level. The Elder Economic Security Index is explained in a CCLP policy brief, Elders Living on the Edge.
More data shows older adults are being disproportionally affected by the continuing effects of the recession, and Colorado’s low-income elders face financial challenges that threaten their economic security and the health of their communities. Elders face increasing expenses while their fixed incomes are eroded by weaknesses within the economy.
AARP’s "State Housing Profiles 2011" shows nearly 35 percent of Colorado homeowners age 50 and older pay at least 30 percent of their incomes for housing costs. More than half of renters age 50 and older pay at least 30 percent for housing costs. These numbers show a dramatic rise in the housing burden since 2000.
AARP report echoes CCLP’s findings that neither median income nor Social Security allow for elder economic security. According to CCLP’s Elder Economic Security Index, a single person age 50 and older needs to bring in at least $28,260 a year solely to meet expenses, a significantly higher amount than the $10,890 federal poverty level. The Elder Economic Security Index is explained in a CCLP policy brief, Elders Living on the Edge.
More data shows older adults are being disproportionally affected by the continuing effects of the recession, and Colorado’s low-income elders face financial challenges that threaten their economic security and the health of their communities. Elders face increasing expenses while their fixed incomes are eroded by weaknesses within the economy.
Colorado news roundup: Poor students could lose out under new nutrition rules, official says
Read about it, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Colorado news roundup: Reports show a fuzzy outlook for jobs and economic security
Tech jobs are down, but the Colorado's concentration of those positions remains high. The overall jobs outlook is better, but business confidence hasn't caught up. Sort through the latest reports on jobs and economic security, plus find links to all the days public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
State of Working Colorado: Twice the Federal Poverty Level – A better count
Many experts maintain the Federal Poverty Level can be improved simply by changing the definition of "poverty" to a multiple of the FPL. A common approach is 200 percent of FPL, which represents more realistic poverty cutoff. That compromise allows the most current poverty statistics (based on FPL) to be used, while adjusting for some shortcomings of the federal measure.
Twice the Federal Poverty Level shows a bleaker picture of recession and poverty in Colorado. While more than one in 10 Coloradans live with incomes of less than the Federal Poverty Level, more than one in four are poor under the adjusted standard.
For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.
Twice the Federal Poverty Level shows a bleaker picture of recession and poverty in Colorado. While more than one in 10 Coloradans live with incomes of less than the Federal Poverty Level, more than one in four are poor under the adjusted standard.
For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.
Colorado news roundup: Panel on state taxes wants TABOR, Gallagher gone
Yipe. This should spark some interesting debate. Check out the story, plus find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Colorado news roundup: Proposition 103 is a solid investment in state's future workers
Check out the point-counterpoint in The Denver Post over the weekend on Proposition 103, and find links to all the day's public-policy news, at the weekday Colorado news roundup.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
State of Working Colorado: Food assistance
The 2007 recession accelerated Coloradans increasing reliance on food assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Since 2001, food stamp use in Colorado has nearly doubled. All told, state enrollment has increased 280,000 people, or 190 percent since January 2001. In November 2010, 435,000 Coloradans were enrolled in SNAP. Coloradans’ increased reliance on food assistance highlights the continued pain of the recession.
Food stamp enrollment does not fully reflect hunger in Colorado. The most recent count showed that only 52 percent of Coloradans eligible for SNAP were enrolled. That ranks 48th in the country among states.
Many in Colorado are not able to access the food assistance they need because of problems with the state’s system of administering the food assistance. Eligible clients are required to complete a 26 page application, show multiple forms of identification and lawful residence documents, and verify income every 3 to 6 months.
The Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) presents additional difficulties. CBMS is used to administer many of Colorado’s assistance programs, and problems with the system create barriers to access of benefits for families at poverty level. Introduced in the middle of the past decade, CBMS has consistently failed to deliver timely application processing, and has exhibited unreliable performance. Colorado needs to improve CBMS and its administration of assistance programs to ensure that eligible families get the help they need when they need it.
For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.
Food stamp enrollment does not fully reflect hunger in Colorado. The most recent count showed that only 52 percent of Coloradans eligible for SNAP were enrolled. That ranks 48th in the country among states.
Many in Colorado are not able to access the food assistance they need because of problems with the state’s system of administering the food assistance. Eligible clients are required to complete a 26 page application, show multiple forms of identification and lawful residence documents, and verify income every 3 to 6 months.
The Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) presents additional difficulties. CBMS is used to administer many of Colorado’s assistance programs, and problems with the system create barriers to access of benefits for families at poverty level. Introduced in the middle of the past decade, CBMS has consistently failed to deliver timely application processing, and has exhibited unreliable performance. Colorado needs to improve CBMS and its administration of assistance programs to ensure that eligible families get the help they need when they need it.
For more insights, including detailed policy recommendations for enhancing economic security for all Coloradans, check out the State of Working Colorado 2010.
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