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September 24, 2023
Our next meeting is Monday, September 25, 2023. Our meeting is from 9:30AM to 11:00AM. As a reminder we are meeting bi-monthly - twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. Our newsletter has moved to bi-monthly and will come out the Sunday before a Monday meeting.
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At this meeting Jeanette and Rich will lead us in discussion about CCA Advocacy Committees for the 2024 legislative session. This past week they met to review the suggested committees and they worked at consolidating the committees. They came up with 5 committees with sub-topics. Use the link below and please review the suggested committees and we will discuss at Monday's meeting.
CLICK HERE - https://coloradocenterforaging.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CCA-Committees-for-2024-Legislative-Session-DRAFT-1.pdf
The meeting dates in October are:
Monday, October 9th and Monday, October 23rd.
At the October 9th meeting we are planning on having staff from Area Agencies on Aging talk about their agency's needs and challenges in the coming years.
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Questions about CCA Advocacy Committee
Jeanette Hensley - email - 303-249-5598
Co-Chair of CCA Advocacy Committee
Rich Mauro - email - Direct: 303-480-6778
Co-Chair of CCA Advocacy Committee and Senior Policy and Legislative Analyst Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)
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Zoom Link for Monday's Meeting | |
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Topic: CCA: Advocacy Committee Meeting
9:30AM - 11:00AM/11:30AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8814815119?pwd=cXJGUFRVQ09kV1RzZ25QVG90RHBOQT09
Meeting ID: 881 481 5119
NEW Passcode: CCA2023#
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Dial by your location
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Meeting ID: 881 481 5119
Passcode: 01201897
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbZvU5bskJ
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News & Highlights from CCA & our Network | |
Leaving this in from our last newsletter ... | |
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The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program (VITA/TCE) - Join us today and help make a difference in our community!
VITA/TCE seeks volunteers to support free tax preparation, to help individuals and families in our community maximize the refunds they are eligible for. By volunteering, you’ll contribute to the financial well-being of your community. Each year, valuable VITA/TCE volunteers make a significant impact by ensuring that funds are returned to our fellow community members. Last year, our dedicated volunteers returned millions of dollars in tax credits and refunds to low and moderate-income Coloradans. Ready to volunteer? Sign up today!
Website www.getaheadcolorado.org/get-involved
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Why are TABOR refunds so huge lately? And will they stay that way?
"Colorado is set to pay out more than $3.5 billion in TABOR refunds next spring — one of the largest paybacks that the state has ever had to return to taxpayers. In fact, the state is in the middle of what could be a record-busting string of revenue years. For the first time ever, the state government could be forced to pay refunds for six straight years, stretching from 2022 through 2027 or longer. Those refunds are expected to average more than $2 billion per year — a level never before seen in Colorado, even accounting for inflation ..." - READ MORE
Source https://www.cpr.org/
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What’s Working: The future of Colorado Springs’ economy
and what it takes to live there
"Economic indicators have been bonkers for more than the past year. Rising then slowing inflation, spiking then declining median home prices and labor shortages followed by wage increases have left many businesses and consumers wondering what is next. But in Colorado Springs, there’ve been several economic coups — from landing U.S. Space Command headquarters to welcoming a number of expanding employers since December — that have kept the region’s growth pushing past its pandemic recovery. However, even those tracking development offered a cautious outlook on the city’s future Thursday during the annual University of Colorado Colorado Springs Economic Forum ..." - READ MORE
Source https://coloradosun.com
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A statewide cap on property taxes could be on next year’s ballot
"Colorado voters could face another property tax question next year. Supporters say this one offers a simple, statewide remedy for property owners, but opponents argue it would come with a host of complex consequences for local communities. A conservative coalition says it submitted about 225,000 voters’ signatures in support of the potential ballot measure, currently known as Initiative #50. If at least 125,000 of them are deemed valid by the Secretary of State’s office, it will go to a statewide vote next November. If voters approve, the measure would put a cap on how much total property tax payments can increase in the state in a single year ..." - READ MORE
Source https://www.cpr.org
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A West Denver microtransit program, new fleet vehicles and more ways Denver plans to spend on transportation next year
"In 2021, Denver launched the Connector, a microtransit program that provides free, on-demand rides to people living in areas lacking public transportation, including Montbello, Gateway, Globeville and Elyria-Swansea. In June, the pilot program reached 100,000 riders. Now, the Connector is expanding to West Denver ..." - READ MORE
Source https://denverite.com
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Medical debt nearly pushed a Colorado family onto the streets
"Kayce Atencio used to be haunted by a thought while working at a homeless shelter in downtown Denver. “It could have been me,” said Atencio, 30, who lives in a small apartment with his son and daughter not far from the shelter. It nearly was. Atencio and his children for years slept on friends’ couches or stayed with family, unable to rent an apartment because of poor credit. A big reason, he said, was medical debt ..."
- READ MORE
Source https://coloradosun.com/
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Denver Health is at a ‘critical point’ due to rising costs and
treating uninsured patients, but its city funding is staying the same
"Denver Health ran a nearly $32 million deficit in 2022. This year, the hospital was projected to run a nearly $18 million deficit, but a few one-time grants mean the hospital could come close to breaking even, according to CEO Donna Lynne. The hospital has only run a deficit one other time since the 1990s, in 2016 when it switched its IT system.
Denver Health’s financial outlook for 2024, though, is not looking great. The non-profit, safety-net hospital treats everyone who walks through the doors, regardless of insurance status. Even during typical years, the hospital runs on tight margins, making maybe 1% or 2% profit that gets reinvested in the hospital, according to Lynne ..." - READ MORE
Source https://denverite.com
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Proposal to ban gas lawn mower sales in the Denver area is severely cut back
"A proposed ban on the sale of new gas-powered lawn equipment in the Denver metro area may be off the table after state health department staff recommended an alternate proposal that merely bars state and local government use of gas machines in summer months. The Regional Air Quality Council, the government-designated advisory group charged with monitoring and fighting the ozone problem in nine Front Range counties, is asking the state Air Quality Control Commission for both a new sales ban and a block on all government and commercial landscapers using gas-powered machines in the summer ..." - READ MORE
Source https://coloradosun.com
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Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
"Following FDA authorization, CDC recommended updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines for everyone aged 6 months and older. These updated vaccines protect against the variants of the virus currently responsible for most COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in the United States ...To find a provider with 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines, visit vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233 ..." - READ MORE
Source https://covid19.colorado.gov
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When it comes to how old is too old for Congress,
Colorado’s lawmakers believe voters should be the judge
"The founding fathers set a minimum age for when people are allowed to run for federal office, but when it comes to the issue of a maximum age limit, they were mum. It’s an issue that has come up as questions have swirled around the health of Sens. Mitch McConnell, 81, and Dianne Feinstien, 90. In the 118th Congress, the median age of Senators is 65, while in the House it’s almost 58 years old. A maximum age limit for some types of work is not unheard of. There are mandatory retirement ages for airline pilots, the military, even for state court judges, (Colorado’s mandatory judicial retirement age is 72.) ..." - READ MORE
Source https://www.cpr.org
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8 Colorado communities will benefit from millions of federal dollars to plant trees
"Millions of federal dollars will be spent to plant trees in Colorado in the hopes of improving air and water quality, creating more shade to cool neighborhoods, and supporting jobs and workforce development. The funding is aimed at helping local governments increase tree cover in underserved communities and boost equitable access to nature, officials said Thursday at an event in Aurora that featured the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture ..." - READ MORE
Source https://coloradosun.com
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September 26, 2023 - Tuesday, 7:30AM - 9:00AM
Eggs & the Economy: An In-Person Event
Location: AMG - Dome - Website
Address: 6295 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Join us for the Eggs & Economy on Tuesday, September 26th from 7:30 - 9:00AM. The event will be held in person on the third floor at AMG National Trust at 6295 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 and will be recorded. Can't make it in person? We will record the event, but online registration will not be available for this event. A recording will be available after the event at this link:
www.commonsenseinstituteco.org/events/past-events
Register for the In-Person Event
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eggs-the-economy-2023-september-tickets-596146820187?aff=oddtdtcreator
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September 27, 2023 - Wednesday, 5:30PM - 6:45PM
CCLP Health Policy Forum Virtual Event
CCLP's Policy Forum returns! Please join us for the third installment in our Policy Forum series, where panelists from Colorado Center on Law and Policy and Colorado Consumer Health Initiative will discuss Colorado's access to quality, affordable healthcare. There will be a Q&A portion of the forum for the audience to ask questions or share.
Register Today - CLICK HERE
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September 28, 2023 - Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM Pacific
Hearing and Balance Disorders in Older Adults Webinars
Webinars are free and open to the public. You do not need to be an ASA member to attend. Includes one complimentary Continuing Education (CE) credit. CE Application Guide To request speech-to-text captioning during this event, please contact us. Hearing loss and balance disorders increase with age. But did you know hearing and balance degenerate independently? This means they should be evaluated separately. Attend this one-hour webinar for an overview of hearing loss and balance disorders in older adults, including signs, symptoms and treatment options to help improve quality of life. The discussion covers tips to assess the conditions and effective communication strategies to integrate into your care setting.
Register Today
https://asaging.org/web-seminars/hearing-and-balance-disorders-older-adults
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October 7, 2023
Ageism Awareness Day Coming Up on Oct. 7th
Ageism Awareness Day on Saturday, October 7, 2023, is an opportunity to draw attention to the existence and impact of ageism in our society and how we can reframe aging in our communities. ASA’s Ageism & Culture Advisory Council has developed a variety of tools for our members to use as we combat ageism in our communities on Ageism Awareness Day. These include:
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Cyber-Seniors provides FREE technology support and training for senior citizens
Founded in 2015 by the creators of the award-winning documentary film CYBER-SENIORS, this non-profit organization provides senior citizens with tech-training using an intergenerational, volunteer model.
Website https://cyberseniors.org/
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CU Anschutz COAST-IT Program
The Multidisciplinary Center on Aging at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is actively reaching out to more older adults in the community for the COAST-IT (Connecting Older Adults and Students Through Inter-professional Telecare) program. Older adults will have the opportunity to engage with a student from either the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, or School of Dental Medicine programs to mentor the future generation of healthcare clinicians.
Contact Joanna Fitzgibbons at joanna.fitzgibbons@cuanschutz.edu for more information
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Denver Public Library Technology Classes & Workshops
From computer basics to digital privacy to applying for benefits online, Denver Public Library offers a variety of technology classes and workshops.
Website https://www.denverlibrary.org/techclasses
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Senior Planet
If you’re a senior aged 60 and older, these live online classes are designed just for you! Learn about finance, wellness, fitness, computers and technology, and so much more. You will also find a real community of fellow life-long learners.
Website https://seniorplanet.org/classes/
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Library Services through Strong Library
Thanks to Denver voters, Freegal Music+, an ad-free, unlimited streaming platform, and Statista, an easy-to-use portal for integrating statistics and reports, are available to anybody with a DPL library card. These new services are made possible because of #StrongLibraryStrongDenver, supported by the DPL Fund. Learn more here:
https://www.denverlibrary.org/stronglibrary_strongdenver
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CCA Advocacy Committee Summer-Fall Meetings 2023 | |
We are going into our summer-fall schedule where we will meet bi-monthly - twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. Our summer meetings will be from 9:30AM to 11:00AM. | |
If you are not a member of Colorado Center for Aging - Join Today! | |
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Colorado Center for Aging is a 501c3 non-profit organization,
born out of the roots of Colorado Senior Lobby (CSL) - LEARN MORE
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