Common Sense Digest

CSI Previews the 2020 Colorado Ballot with Ed Sealover and Lynn Bartels

With the 2020 election a few short weeks away, and in keeping with our mission of injecting a dose of common sense into Colorado’s policy discussions, we’re pleased to bring you a discussion of this year’s Colorado ballot with two of Colorado’s premier political journalists.

 

Joining this edition of Common Sense Digest is Ed Sealover who covers government (and several other beats) for the Denver Business Journal, and Lynn Bartels, formerly a reporter who covered all things politics for The Denver Post, and now a columnist for Colorado Politics. The two discuss many of the measures on the 2020 ballot, with special focus on Propositions 117 and 118, as well as Amendment B.

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Statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave: What Would Proposition 118 Cost Colorado?

Colorado legislators have grappled with the idea of creating a state-run paid family and medical leave program designed to aid workers when a worst-case scenario becomes reality. Yet they have never been able to come to consensus on how that program would function, largely due to its questionable economics.

 

On this edition of Common Sense Digest, Chairman Earl Wright is joined by Lisa Strunk, Development Research Partners Fellow with the Common Sense Institute, Chris Brown, Director of Policy and Research with Common Sense Institute, and Loren Furman, Senior Vice President State and Federal Relations at the Colorado Chamber. They discuss in detail the history of this proposed program, the findings of CSI’s recent study of the ballot measure, and the potential economic consequences of its passage.

 

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The Economy, Jobs and Sales Tax: How Is Colorado Doing 6 Months Into the Pandemic?

Colorado continues to grapple with COVID-19, its effects on our health and safety, the impacts to our children’s education, and our economy. Making sense of all the data can be overwhelming, which is why the Common Sense Digest is here for your listening pleasure.

Filling in for Chairman Earl Wright, President and CEO Kristin Strohm chats with Director of Policy and Research Chris Brown about a number of economic indicators. In a brisk half hour, Kristin and Chris discuss jobs and unemployment (including how the pandemic has more profoundly impacted women, and in particular, mothers), the difference in year-over-year sales tax collections, and why the pandemic has hit some communities harder than others. If you’re looking for a smart, concise summary of how the state is responding to the economic challenges of the pandemic, you are but a click away from this tremendous episode.

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Digging Into the Data on Charter Schools

As we approach the end of summer and grapple with what school will look like in the Fall and beyond, we thought it prudent to examine the differences between charter schools and traditional public schools.

Our Host and Chairman Earl Wright welcomes CSI Education Fellow Dr. Brenda Bautsch Dickhoner and Dan Schaller, President of the Colorado League of Charter Schools. Topics covered include how Colorado charter high school graduation rates compare to non-charter high schools, and how charter schools may have closed the education gap with students of color. You can find further information on these topics and more in Brenda’s latest report: Digging Into the Data on Charter Schools: An In-Depth Look at Graduation Rates.

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A Common Sense Strategy for the Continued Viability of Colorado’s Transportation Network

As Colorado deals with one of the most severe economic downturns in our history, the future of Colorado’s transportation infrastructure remains a topic of concern and of interest to us all. Our Host and Chairman Earl Wright welcomes the 2020 Common Sense Institute Terry J. Stevinson Fellows, Ben Stein and Henry Sobanet, to discuss their recently released report, titled: A Path Forward A Common Sense Strategy for the Continued Viability of Colorado’s Transportation Network.

Terry Stevinson is a founding and current board member at CSI, and conceived of this fellowship as an opportunity to bring together two individuals, to research a key public policy issue facing the state of Colorado and present along with it, achievable solutions. Ben Stein and Henry Sobanet have extensive background in both the public and private sector that informs their approach to this topic.

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A Historic Session To Go with a Historic Year: Impacts on Business & 1st Property Tax Reform in Decades

With the 2020 legislative session now behind us, we thought it prudent to take a look back and assess the impacts of what was passed. We’re joined by Don Childears, CEO Colorado Bankers Association and Common Sense Institute Board Member and Bernie Buescher, Former Colorado Secretary of State & Legislator. Bringing their remarkable depth of knowledge, the two unpack this year’s session with great depth, nuance, and thought.

One of the outcomes of the session saw legislators refer a measure to the 2020 ballot that would repeal the Gallagher Amendment, a Constitutional Amendment that sets a formula for the mix residential property taxes and commercial property taxes at 45% of the total, and 55%, respectively. The repeal, if approved by voters, is designed to prevent schools, local governments, and the state from taking large financial hits due to the recession caused by our current global pandemic. Mr. Childears and Mr. Buescher discuss the creation of Gallagher, its unintended consequences, and the impetus for its repeal.

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The History, Future and Rebranding of Common Sense Institute featuring Buz Koelbel and Heidi Ganahl

The Common Sense Institute pays tribute to its history, looks ahead to its future, and goes in-depth about some of its many successes with two of its board members. Joining Chairman of the Board, and host, Earl Wright are Buz Koelbel, Vice Chairman of CSI and one of the organization’s Co-Founders, and Heidi Ganahl, a fellow Board Member.

Mr. Koelbel is president of Koelbel and Company, one of the longest continually operating real estate companies in Colorado. The company’s efforts are focused on the development of office parks and large-scale residential projects, residential construction, and real estate investment.

Ms. Ganahl is a Regent at the University of Colorado, Founder of Camp Bow Wow, and currently devotes her time to keeping the American dream alive by empowering women through her brand the SheFactor.

The COVID Slide – The Impact of COVID-19 on Education featuring Luke Ragland and Brenda Bausch-Dickhoner

As the current school year winds down and comes to a close across the state, our attention turns to what schools will look like in the Fall. Joining Chairman of the Board on this week’s episode of Common Sense Digest are CSPR Education Fellow Dr. Brenda Bausch Dickhoner and Luke Ragland, President of Ready Colorado.

The three discuss the challenging issues associated with remote learning, ensuring equality of access for all students in the face of variability by district, school, and family situation, and how the state’s budget shortfall will impact education in the coming school year. Our guests unpack the problems and offer possible solutions to the issues that will confront all Colorado students mere months from now.

You can find some background for this discussion in Brenda’s latest article: Putting Students First: Strategies to Mitigate the COVID Slide on the CSPR website.

Colorado’s Public Option for Healthcare Revisited featuring Dave Davia and Cameron Niakan

On this episode of the Common Sense Digest, we discuss the debate surrounding the proposed Colorado Public Option for Healthcare. Considering our healthcare system has never been tested the way it has during this unprecedented global pandemic, it’s worth considering and discussing in depth the likely impacts a public option for healthcare coverage would have on our system, our state budget, and our quality and access to healthcare services.

Joining our host, Chairman of Common Sense Policy Roundtable, Earl Wright, are Cameron Niakan with the consulting firm Guidehouse, who, along with CSPR Director of Policy and Research Chris Brown, have written an in-depth analysis of HB20-1349 in a report titled: “The Colorado Option Plan: Modeling the Impacts of Government Price Controls in Health Care.” Joining them is Dave Davia, CEO of Colorado Association of Mechanical and Plumbing Contractors and CSPR Board Member. Dave is very involved with many public policy matters, and in this particular discussion he brings a very valuable perspective as someone who manages a very large employer sponsored health plan offered across his 160 member companies.

Economic Recovery in the Wake of COVID-19 featuring Heidi Ganahl and Dan Nordberg

As COVID-19, along with its attendant health and economic consequences, continues to dominate our collective consciousness, this episode of Common Sense Digest shares the latest facts and figures concerning the continuing economic impact of COVID-19.

Joining us is the University of Colorado Regent Heidi Ganahl, an entrepreneur, small business owner and a member of the CSPR Board of Directors to discuss all things education and the path to economic recovery. She discusses the impact on the University of Colorado system and shares the work of Job Creators Network in assisting businesses through the crisis.

Also on the show is Dan Norberg, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Region VIII Administrator based in Denver. In this role, he oversees the delivery of the agency’s small business programs and services in South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and Montana. He discusses the staggering number of loans the SBA processed as part of its Paycheck Protection Program and what’s next.

Lastly, we’ll hear from CSPR Director of Policy and Research Chris Brown on CSPR’s latest report: Is Colorado’s Budget Ready for a Recession? Colorado’s Revenue Outlook Has Rapidly Changed from Record Highs to a Potential $3 Billion Shortfall