Common Sense Digest

Nearing the Finish Line: A Look Back and Ahead at the Colorado Legislative Session featuring Jake Zambrano

There is no shortage of public policy to pass through in Colorado in 2024. Legislators are trying to address a state in the throes of a housing affordability crisis, an infrastructure crunch, a crime wave, a post-inflation economic climate, a surge in migrants from the southern border, a statewide homelessness crisis, and a mental health crisis, on top of the usual array of issues from healthcare costs to energy reform to environment. Lawmakers have put forward over 600 bills in the 2024 General Assembly session to try to catch it all.

Joining Host and Chairman Earl Wright is CSI's Director of Legislative Services Jake Zambrano. Together they discuss proposed legislation about oil and gas development, property taxes, education, crime and the general mood and timbre of this year's legislative session. With less than a month to go, this is the episode you need to recap what has already transpired and equip you for what remains. 

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Jake Zambrano is Director of Legislative Services for Common Sense Institute. Jake has specialized in state government relations, public affairs, grassroots advocacy, and political campaign management for over 20 years. He has represented a number of clients at the Colorado General Assembly including Colorado Mesa University, Medtronic, Boehringer – Ingelheim, Extraction Oil and Gas, and Teladoc to name a few.

Caitlin Clarkonomics and the Impact on Iowa featuring Ben Murrey

University of Iowa’s homegrown star, Caitlin Clark, began her college basketball career playing in empty arenas at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now she competes in sold-out arenas wherever she goes—and for good reason. During her 4-year college career, Clark has broken countless records on the court and brought an unprecedented level of excitement to women’s basketball. Meanwhile, Iowa has felt her impact inside and outside of the arena. The athlete’s talent and celebrity has led to soaring attendance at games, and larger crowds generate more economic activity.

Our recent study, Clarkonomics: The Impact of Caitlin Clark & Hawkeye Women’s Basketball on Iowa’s Economy is not the first to explore the economics of Clark’s superstardom, but it takes a unique approach. Past reports and news coverage have highlighted the money behind Clark’s brand deals, ticket sales, and media coverage, along with other anecdotes of economic impact. In contrast, this report takes a data-drive approach to quantifying the impact of Iowa women’s basketball and Caitlin Clark’s extraordinary college career on the economy of the state of Iowa.

To discuss this report, and all things Caitlin Clark, our Chairman and Host Earl Wright welcomes Ben Murrey, CSI Iowa Director of Policy & Research. They discuss the real economic impact Caitlin Clark's remarkable talent and career have had, why she is representative of Iowa as a whole, and much more. 

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Ben Murrey is Iowa Director of Policy and Research with the Common Sense Institute where he leads the research efforts of CSI Iowa to provide insightful, accurate and actionable information about the impact of public policy on Hawkeye families, businesses and communities. Prior to joining CSI in January of this year, Ben spent over a decade in political and public policy roles at the state and federal levels. After earning his degree at Hillsdale College, he joined Ted Cruz on the campaign trail, first as a grassroots field director overseeing 45 rural east Texas counties and later as assistant director of operations. He went on to serve seven years as a legislative staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas and Washington, D.C. Most recently, he served as fiscal policy center director at Independence Institute, a free market think tank in Colorado. In addition to leading reports on a range of fiscal, tax and economic issues, Ben’s writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Real Clear Policy and more. His work has contributed to public policy change at the state and federal levels that advanced sound tax policy and free enterprise.

Crime Trends in Colorado featuring Paul Pazen

Few people in Colorado have not directly experienced crime. From property offenses to violent crimes, every crime leaves a traumatized victim. Whether the wounds are physical, psychological, or financial, it is important to acknowledge the profound effects that a crime can have on its victims. At Common Sense Institute, our goal is to address the economic impact of crime while remaining conscious of the suffering that it causes.

Our recent report The Cost of Juvenile Crime and its Economic Impact on Colorado analyzes the cost of juvenile crime in Colorado and its economic impact. This study encompasses the period of 2010 to 2023 and the data comes from Colorado Crime Statistics (2023).

Colorado’s juvenile crime trends tell a mixed story. On the one hand, youth crime rates have fallen in the last 15 years as property crime rates fall, follow. On the other hand, violent youth crime has risen. Meanwhile, the number of juveniles held in arrested and detained has fallen from a combination of alternative sentencing, diversion programs, and increased parole.

Chairman and Host Earl Wright welcomes our Public Safety Fellow Chief Paul Pazen to discuss the report and the crime statistics therein. They talk at length about the contributing factors, approaches to law enforcement, what the trends mean and much more. Crime touches us all in some way, and this is an overview of what's happening, possible causes, and perhaps a path forward.

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Paul M. Pazen is the former Chief of Police in Denver, Colorado where he rose through the ranks of the department up to his appointment in 2018 as the Chief.  During his tenure as Police Chief, Paul Pazen (retired) led the creation and expansion of innovative solutions to address complex public safety issues. These programs include spearheading the creation of the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program, Outreach Case Coordinators (case managers) and the Domestic Violence Prevention Program. He directed a significant expansion of the mental health clinician Co-Responder Program, Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), the implementation of a forward-thinking use-of-force policy and training curriculum.  Paul also created new specialized units; the Firearms Assault Shoot Team (FAST), Bias Motivate Unit, and the Human Trafficking Unit to drive measurable results. Chief Pazen graduated magna cum laude from Colorado State University – Global with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, holds a Master of Arts in Homeland Security and Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School, and is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Executive Institute (NEI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy (FBINA) and the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) through the Police Executive Research Forum. Chief Pazen served in the United States Marine Corps and is a Veteran of the Gulf War.

 

 

Tackling Homelessness in Arizona featuring Tom Simplot

Homelessness – and the provision of related services – has evolved into a substantial economic sector. While services are primarily provided by nonprofits, funding starts at the federal level and flows from federal, state, and local grantors into the nonprofit space. The funding and services are distributed through a vast national network of local nonprofit organizations, with Arizona alone hosting as many as 167 such entities. CSI estimates that the total nonprofit workforce dedicated to alleviating homelessness in Arizona is as high as 51,000 employees and volunteers. For context, the state’s largest private organization employs about 45,000 people.

CSI estimates that statewide spending in Arizona is approximately $933 million to $1.1 billion annually on shelter, treatment, food, and other support services for people experiencing homelessness. According to the latest Point-in-Time counts, today there are more than 14,000 (Estimate 1, Appendix B) people experiencing homelessness in Arizona, and another 9,600 estimated to be in Permanent Supportive Housing. You can find our full report on the topic, titled Homelessness Spending Tops $1 Billion in Arizona here.

On this episode of Common Sense Digest, our Chairman and Host Earl Wright welcomes Tim Simplot, former director of the Arizona Department of Housing unpack the issues many complexities ranging from a myopic focus on "housing first" to challenges for law enforcement. Homelessness is a prominent issue in Arizona, and the causes of and solutions to it are varied and hotly debated. This episode aims to bring some clarity to the issue. 

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Tom Simplot is former director of the Arizona Department of Housing and a longtime member of the Phoenix City Council. Tom’s career in housing has spanned several decades as an attorney, former real estate agent and former owner of affordable rental properties in Arizona. Tom is also past president of the Maricopa County Board of Health and the Maricopa County Industrial Development Authority. 

Announcing the Launch of CSI Iowa featuring Joe Murphy and Ben Murrey

In January, CSI made a bold move to kick off 2024 and launched in two new states: Iowa and Oregon. Both states are already releasing new studies and engaging in the public policy arena. Along with its successful counterparts in Colorado and Arizona, as well as a newly launched chapter in Oregon, CSI Iowa is guided by a board of local leaders, each bringing expertise from various industries. These board members share CSI's dedication to factual and non-partisan policy analysis. 

To discuss the launch of CSI Iowa, our Chairman and Host Earl Wright is joined by Joe Murphy, President of the Iowa Business Council and the inaugural CSI Iowa Board Chair, and Ben Murrey, CSI Iowa Director of Policy & Research. They discuss why Iowa is suited for a new chapter of Common Sense Institute, the unique strengths and challenges facing Iowa currently, and give a sneak peek of some of the research to come from this new chapter. It's an exciting look into CSI's newest expansion, and we're thrilled to continue to provide our non-partisan research to Iowans as they consider public policy in their state. 

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Eggs & The Economy - February 13, 2024

In this special edition of of Common Sense Digest, we feature discussion from one of our recent events. On Tuesday, February 13, Common Sense Institute hosted its quarterly Eggs & The Economy Event. This edition was titled: "Supply & Demand, What to Know About Today's Degrees and Tomorrow's Jobs." Our panelists included:

Janine Davidson - President of Metropolitan State University

Dave Davia - former CEO of the Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association

Mike Coffman - Mayor of City of Aurora

Robin Wise - President & CEO of Junior Achievement

Jason Gaulden - CSI Education Fellow

Luige Del Puerto - Editor of Colorado Politics and the Denver Gazette (Moderator) 

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Diagnosis of Colorado’s Healthcare Industry featuring Dr. Reggie Washington

Colorado’s healthcare industry is a major contributor to the state’s economy. In addition to protecting Coloradans’ personal health and wellbeing, the healthcare industry supports 18% of all Colorado jobs. The underlying economic and policy conditions that impact the healthcare system are more favorable in Colorado than in most other states, according to CSI’s Free Enterprise Healthcare Competitiveness Index.

The sector’s relevance is only expected to grow as Colorado’s population ages and continues to demand more from healthcare services. Though the sector is set on a course for growth, it faces a series of headwinds which are adding financial strain to both providers and patients. A combination of market trends, inflation, state and federal regulations, and expansions of government-backed insurance coverage is increasing costs while constraining revenue. These constraints are reshaping markets across the state, especially in rural areas. All of this influenced the decision to project a negative outlook for the healthcare sector in CSI’s Free Enterprise report.

Dr. Reggie Washington was one of the authors of our recent report: Diagnosis of Colorado’s Healthcare Industry: Impact and Competitiveness Are Significant, but Warning Signs on the Rise, and he joins our Chairman and Host Earl Wright to discuss his report, its findings, and provides an outlook for the healthcare industry in Colorado. They discuss the effects of COVID, realities about costs across the industry (including patients), the role of personal responsibility, and much more in a wide-ranging chat. 

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Dr. Reggie Washington is our Health & Wellness Fellow, and a National Consultant for HCA offering expertise in pediatric services to centers across the United States. Previously, he was the Chief Medical Officer at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children and Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center until 2023.  His experience included 15 years of advancements in quality, physician satisfaction, and employee engagement.

In 2008 he co-founded the Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation to provide support to families whose children were in need of care or mothers requiring breast milk for their babies.

As a physician and strategic leader he was the Co- Founder and Medical Director of Rocky Mountain Pediatric Cardiology and expanded outreach clinics throughout a four-state area.

He earned his M.D. in 1977, became Board Certified in Pediatrics in 1980 and Board Certified in Pediatric Cardiology in 1981.

The Economic Costs of Colorado's Foster Youth featuring John Farnam

Colorado’s foster care youth are a small but troubled section of society. Unfortunately, data is scarce for their life outcomes after they exit the system and, in some cases, when they are still inside it. To illustrate the economic impact of even a small sliver of the foster population, the report focuses on those aging out of the system. This is the first study attempting to derive the individual and social costs borne by a cohort of Colorado’s foster youth.

Foster care youth aging out of the foster care system in Colorado face a multitude of challenges, including higher rates of homelessness, limited education, unemployment, involvement in the criminal justice system, early parenthood, mental health issues, a lack of support networks, limited healthcare access, substance abuse risk, and financial instability. You can read our full report on the subject here.

On this episode of Common Sense Digest, Host and Chairman Earl Wright welcomes report author and 2023 Morgridge Child Welfare Fellow John Farnam to discuss his report. The two discuss the shortcomings of the current foster care system, recent incremental victories relative to the issue, and a proposed path forward. The issue has many intertwining contributing factors and long lasting outcomes, and the conversation reflects the complexity of the issue while offering a unique clarity. 

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John Farnam has served the Morgridge Family Foundation for 12 years, administering more than $150 million in grants, first as chief of staff and now as managing director. John builds relationships and catalyzes connections with partners at every level, resulting in transformational change across all social sectors in Denver and beyond. His expertise has been sought out as an Aspen Institute Fellow, a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network, and an advisor to the Governor’s Leadership Committee on COVID Relief. In 2022 he earned an executive certificate through the prestigious Chief of Staff Fellowship at the University of Oxford, and in 2023, he was one of just 60 leaders from 20 countries to complete the inaugural Chief of Staff Association Program through Harvard Business School Executive Education. He now serves as the Morgridge Child Welfare Fellow for the Common Sense Institute.

The Multifaceted Issue of Homelessness in Colorado featuring Donna Lynne

Over the last three years, Colorado has spent nearly $2 billion on homelessness, concentrated largely in the Denver metro region. While metro areas across the country have seen a surge of people experiencing homelessness, the Denver metro has some of the highest levels of growth among the areas the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development tracks.

There has been a 58% increase in the Denver metro’s unhoused population since 2016. More become homeless for the first time, and more are chronically homeless.

Joining Host and Chairman Earl Wright is Donna Lynne, CEO of Denver Health. Donna was the Lieutenant Governor
of Colorado from 2016-2019. Prior to that role, she served in executive leadership positions at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. She has a unique view of the homelessness issue, the recent influx of migrants, the need for a large coalition of stakeholders to address the issue, and a lot more. In this episode of Common Sense Digest, Donna and Earl have a spirited, wide-ranging discussion of the issue's many contributing factors, possible solutions, and where the conversation goes from here. 

You can find CSI's most recent research on homelessness here.

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Understanding and Solving Arizona's Budget Deficit featuring Danny Seiden and Glenn Farley

Over the past decade Arizona’s population and economy have grown rapidly, but more recent data suggests this pace is slowing. Today the state is facing the end of its fastest period of revenue and spending growth ever – over the past five years, General Fund revenue collections have grown 52%, while spending has increased by over two-thirds (to $17.8 billion this year).

In October, the Arizona Legislature’s Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) – a nonpartisan body tasked with forecasting State revenue collections – projected a cumulative $1.0 billion General Fund cash deficit over the next three fiscal years. The last time the state was in this position was in 2015, following years of tepid revenue growth after the Great Recession and during the peak of K-12 formula funding litigation.

How did this happen, and how did it happen so quickly? Host and National Chairman of CSI Earl Wright welcomes President & CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry Danny Seiden and CSI Arizona's Director of Policy and Research Glenn Farley to discuss the issue's origins, its history, and its possible solutions. 

Thank you for listening to Common Sense Digest. Please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. All of our podcasts can be found here.