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June 20, 2011

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The weekday Colorado news roundup is a collection of links to news reports from around the state on issues of interest to the Colorado Center on Law and Policy. Listing does not imply endorsement of the content.

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Jobless rate in Springs  

hits nearly one in 10   


Jobs and economic security
Colorado Springs Gazette: Springs jobless rate jumps to 9.6 percent
The Colorado Springs area job market took a turn for the worse in May as the unemployment rate jumped to 9.6 percent after two months of declines and local payrolls fell to the lowest level in more than a decade, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported Friday.

Greeley Tribune: Sales tax surge: Greeley collections well above forecasts
Overall, Greeley's sales and use taxes are up 8.5 percent through April compared with the year-ago period. The motor vehicle and parts retail sales tax category shows the biggest jump, being 26.4 percent above the year-ago period.


Fiscal policy
Denver Post commentary: Tough tax choices in Colorado
In the case of a ballot initiative being proposed by State Senator Rollie Heath, the implied choice for Coloradans is funding a budget shortfall for education with higher taxes. The trade off, according to a study commissioned by Common Sense Policy Roundtable is that higher Colorado taxes will cost approximately 119,700 jobs over the five years of this tax increase. And as history suggests, there is no guarantee of education funding.

Colorado Springs Gazette: Tax for parks? Not likely, advocate says
"We pretty much think we played by the book and we're going to get slammed down, or we expect we're probably going to lose," (Susan) Davies (of the Trails and Open Space Coalition) said Friday.

Fort Collins Coloradoan commentary: System strives to ensure Colorado higher education remains vital, affordable
Funding for public higher education in our state has declined steadily in recent years. When factoring in the loss of federal stimulus funding, higher education's total cut for the upcoming fiscal year is $125 million; CU's share of that total is $47 million.

Steamboat Today editorial: Attempting to solve the tax question
TABOR and the Gallagher Amendment haven't changed. But unlike 2005, our business community is under significantly more stress.
Also: Steamboat Today: Tax board weighs Steamboat property tax  

 


Health care
Colorado Springs Gazette: Memorial CEO pitches nonprofit plan
Memorial Health System CEO Dr. Larry McEvoy on Friday gave a City Council task force his vision of turning the city-owned hospital into an independent nonprofit.

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