Some signs point to strengthening of economic recovery

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 Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Listing does not imply endorsement of the content.

ECONOMY
Colorado Springs Gazette: City sales tax collections jump in May by biggest percentage in 2½ years
In a sign that the local economic recovery is gaining strength, Colorado Springs sales tax collections jumped in May by the biggest percentage in 2½ years when compared with a year earlier, helped by big gains in auto and building materials sales.

Denver Business Journal: 19% of Denver-area employers plan Q3 hiring, while 8% plan job cuts, survey says
Nineteen percent of Denver-area employers plan to hire in the third quarter, while 8 percent expect to cut their payrolls, according to a new quarterly survey by Manpower Inc.


CONSUMER PROTECTION
Denver Daily News: Perlmutter urges limits on executive compensation
Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., yesterday urged members of the Wall Street Reform bill conference committee to give shareholders of public companies more authority to determine how top corporate executives are paid.

Aurora Sentinel editorial: Credit controls keep crisis threat at bay
Good news came Tuesday when the Federal Reserve adopted new rules to help rein in costly — and completely unnecessary — credit card fees.


GENERAL
Colorado News Agency: Business group presses for change in statehouse
One of the state’s most prominent business lobbies is moving forward with its promise last month–at the end of a disappointing legislative session–to see that Colorado elects a more business-friendly legislature in November. The first step: to vet this year’s crop of statehouse candidates.

Colorado Pols commentary: Battle Brewing over Ballot Issue Petitons
Recently the Independence Institute brought a challenge to court over a perceived conflict in law, but it was only one part of a larger suit and was not addressed by the court when the court ruled on another issue making the rest of the suit moot. The unresolved issue is what is the deadline to file a petition to put a ballot question on the ballot?


FISCAL POLICY
Durango Herald: School district finds tax hike support
A survey of likely voters in Durango School District 9-R showed they are surprisingly willing to approve a property-tax increase to fund the school district, a consultant told the school board Tuesday.

Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins council gives preliminary OK for voters to consider tax increase
The council has until Aug. 17 to decide the language of the measure and spell out how much the tax would be, how long it would last and where the money would go.

Glenwood Springs Post-Independent: Garfield County expands senior rebate program
County commissioners on Monday approved a resolution that will allow senior citizens to make a case for receiving one of the $163 payments if they can provide proof other than the county's voter registration rolls that they've been in the county for 10 years or more.

Summit Daily News: Summit County School District eyes Nov. ballot
Poll finds majority of voters support tax for school funding.


ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY
 Fort Collins Coloradoan: Study finds 518 homeless in city
A new study that found more than 500 homeless people in Fort Collins is being used to develop a plan to eliminate homelessness in the community in 10 years.