Common Sense Digest

The Outstanding Debts of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and PERA featuring Loren Furman and Chris Brown

The topic of the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund has come up many different times in CSI’s work, including a previous episode of this show. Yet despite the tremendous amount of attention on the issue from external parties and business leaders, Colorado remains 1 of only 9 states with an outstanding federal loan balance to the US treasury, that was used to support the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund which went insolvent in August of 2020. That balance is just over $1B.

In 2020 legislators chose to not make the $225M payment to PERA required under SB18-200. A current bill under consideration proposes to make up for that missed payment plus the lost investment returns.  Though not as substantive a transfer as we discussed in previous episode, this would go far in reducing some of the pending risk to taxpayers and PERA members. (found here). 

With the 2022 legislative session winding down, Common Sense Digest welcomes Loren Furman, President & CEO of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, and Chris Brown, CSI's Vice President of Policy & Research, on the show to discuss both issues. Host and Chairman Earl Wright presses both Loren and Chris about the current status of both UI Trust Fund and PERA, the three discuss proposed fixes currently before the legislature, and what to expect going forward.

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Loren Furman was named President & CEO of the Colorado Chamber on January 1, 2022. Prior to becoming President, she served as the Chamber’s Senior Vice President of State & Federal Relations since 2008 and led the Chamber’s engagement on all State and Federal governmental issues that affect businesses statewide. In that role she was the primary spokesperson for the organization, and as a member of the leadership team, was actively involved in operational issues including hiring and communications strategies, membership, and strategic approaches for the organization.

The Realities and Pitfalls of the Presumed Energy Transition featuring Chris Wright and Evelyn Lim

A substantial portion of United States policymakers and citizens tout an accelerated "energy transition" away from fossil fuels. But what does this mean? What would it entail? What are the costs associated with such a transition? And is a transition even practical or realistic? Even if the United States (or the world) were to transition away from fossil fuels entirely for electricity generation, in what other ways do fossil fuels play an integral role in modern living? These questions and many more are answered in this episode of Common Sense Digest.

Chairman and Host of Common Sense Institute Earl Wright welcomes Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Liberty Oilfield Services Chris Wright and 2022 Mike A. Leprino Fellow & 2021 Terry J. Stevinson Fellow Evelyn Lim to the show to discuss the multiple factors at play regarding an energy transition. The three touch on issues including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the state of permitting and exports in the United States, regulatory policy in the country and in Colorado specifically, and the ways in which fossil fuels impact our lives beyond electricity generation. For more illustrative information on these topics and more, please review Evelyn Lim's "Colorado Faces Economic, Technological, and Even Geopolitical Barriers to Meeting Its Aggressive Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Goals" and Liberty Energy's "Bettering Human Lives: 2020 ESG Report"

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Chris Wright serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Liberty Oilfield Services.  Additionally, Chris founded and serves as Executive Chairman of Liberty Resources, a Bakken-focused E&P company and Liberty Midstream Solutions. He has had a lifelong passion for energy and its role in human life. He has spoken on energy to the UK House of Lords, the States Attorneys General, Federal and State Judges, debated the merits of the shale revolution on TV and given over 100 talks.

Evelyn Lim is the 2022 Mike A. Leprino Fellow & 2021 Terry J. Stevinson Fellow, and she is the Director of Policy and Research at the American Cornerstone Institute.  She was most recently the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Regional Administrator for Region 8 which covers Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. In March 2020, she was detailed to Secretary Carson’s office to lead HUD’s coronavirus relief efforts and support the Secretary in his role on the White House Coronavirus Task Force.  Prior to her appointment at HUD, she served as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the third largest federal cabinet agency with over 240,000 law enforcement, military, and civilian employees.

SPECIAL EPISODE: Eggs & the Economy on Crime

On March 29, 2022, Common Sense Institute hosted Eggs & the Economy. Eggs & the Economy is a quarterly symposium featuring guest speakers on a variety of public policy issues. At each event, CSI highlights the most pressing issues Colorado is currently facing. This is an opportunity for CSI to share current research, as well as hear from dignitaries and the experts working on them. The purpose of this event is to inform lawmakers and Coloradans so that they can make informed decisions with fact-based research.

 

At this quarter's event, we dove into the crime wave hitting Colorado and featured a panel of experts to discuss its many aspects. This podcast captured audio from the event in full, and features remarks from President & CEO of CSI Kristin Strohm, and the following attendees:

George Brauchler, Criminal Justice Fellow

Mitch Morrissey, Criminal Justice Fellow

Dave Hayes, Police Chief, City of Louisville

Jon Haubert, Publisher, ColoradoBiz Magazine (Moderator)

Thanks to our generous event sponsor: Amazon

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The Key Issues Facing Arizona as CSI Expands featuring Glenn Farley

In Part 1 of our series about Common Sense Institute's expansion into Arizona (Common Sense Institute Announces Its Expansion Into Arizona), we discussed why Arizona was chosen for expansion, introduced you to our Board Chair and Strategic Advisor, and discussed briefly some of the issues facing Arizona. 

In Part 2, Chairman and Host Earl Wright is joined primarily by Glenn Farley, former Chief Economist for Governor Doug Ducey. Glenn discusses with Earl everything from drought to workforce development to housing prices as he provides a snapshot of the opportunities and challenges of Arizona's present and future. He also discusses the need for non-partisan, evidence-based research in crafting sound public policy. It is a stimulating conversation that will provide any listener with a solid understanding of the lay of the land of Arizona. 

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Common Sense Institute Announces Its Expansion Into Arizona

Common Sense Institute is proud to launch its expansion into Arizona! After the 2020 election, Arizona was identified as a top swing state target for expansion due to the state’s history of electing common sense leaders and new challenges like incredible growth in the population and economy. Due to many members of the CSI Board having connections in Arizona, additional synergies were realized quickly. CSI also seeks to fill a void in Arizona where no other non-partisan think tank exists that can offer the legislature, policymakers and populace cutting-edge research. CSI has played that role in Colorado, and we look forward to doing so in Arizona. 

Joining Chairman and Host Earl Wright are Scott Martin, who will serve as CSI Arizona Board Chair, and Daniel Scarpinato, CSI Arizona's Strategic Advisor. On the first of a two-part series, Scott and Daniel talk about the origins and need for establishing CSI Arizona. The two discuss the opportunities and challenges of the state, the current lack of nonpartisan research, and much more as we get underway with this exciting endeavor. 

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T. Scott Martin is managing partner of Rivercrest Capital Management and chairman of Rivercrest Royalties and a director of Kimbell Royalty Partners. He is also non-executive Chairman of Bear Mtn. Resources. He began his career in oil & gas exploration and production working for AMOCO while attending Engineering school at CU. Mr. Martin founded three successful independent oil & gas companies which were later sold to Occidental Petroleum, Exxon-Mobil and SandRidge Energy respectively. Mr. Martin is a founding member of the Common Sense Institute of Colorado and has sat on the CSI board since its inception in 2010. 

Daniel Scarpinato served as Chief of Staff to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, helping to lead the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the distribution of the vaccine, management of billions of federal dollars, and passage of landmark legislation including the renegotiating of tribal gaming compacts and the lowest flat tax in the nation. Previously, Scarpinato served as National Press Secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) in Washington, D.C., as Republicans won their largest House Majority in more than 70 years. In 2012, Scarpinato served as Western Regional Press Secretary at the NRCC.

The Causes and Impacts of Inflation featuring Steven Byers, Ph.D. and Chris Brown

The United States is on the path of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, while experiencing inflation at levels not seen in the past 40 years. Colorado has not been immune from these effects. The factors contributing to high inflation are multitudinous, and Coloradans find themselves in the difficult position of finding their increase in earnings cancelled out by loss of purchasing power. 

Chairman and Host Earl Wright welcomes Chris Brown, Vice President of Policy & Research for CSI, and new team member Steven Byers, Ph.D., who joins as Senior Economist, to the show to discuss the multiple facets of both inflation and Colorado's general economic situation. The three discuss what has led to inflation including global issues such as the supply chain, and discuss Colorado's interesting trends in issues such as taxable sales. The issues are complex to unpack, which is why CSI leads the way with unparalleled research and actionable insights for business leaders and elected officials. 

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Steven Byers, Ph.D. is the new Senior Economist for Common Sense Institute. Prior to joining CSI Steven spent three years working for the Coalition for a Prosperous America, a nonprofit organization consisting of manufacturing, agricultural, labor, consumer, and citizen interest groups, where he conducted research on the U.S. economy, international trade, and tariffs. Highlights of this research include a paper titled, “Decoupling from China – An Economic Analysis of the Impact on the U.S. Economy of a Permanent Tariff on Chinese Imports” for which he and a co-author won the National Association for Business Economics Edmund A. Mennis Contributed Paper Award.

Steven’s experience as an economist spans twenty-three years, including work at federal regulatory agencies (SEC, CFTC, PCAOB) and quantitative economic analysis supporting international trade litigation cases brought before the U.S. International Trade Commission. His work at CSI is an extension of his graduate work studying the Colorado economy. His Ph.D. dissertation topic was based on a computable general equilibrium model (CGE) he developed to evaluate the economic impact of regional tax incentives in a Fort Collins, CO.

What To Expect from the 2022 Colorado Legislative Session featuring Jake Zambrano and Chris Brown

The 2022 Colorado Legislative Session is underway where Democratic legislators retain a strong majority in both houses. As the majority party, they intend to embark on an extensive list of priorities which reflects the state of Colorado’s economy, social issues hotly contested, and the major successes and failures of last year.

Chairman and Host Earl Wright welcomes two guests to discuss a multitude of issues pertinent to this year's session. Jake Zambrano is Common Sense Institute's Director of Legislative Services and a very experienced observer of the Capitol, and Chris Brown is CSI’s Vice President of Policy & Research. Together, the three of them discuss how the state budget is set, what will likely happen with the one-time windfall of money from the federal government, and the priorities of legislators. They touch on everything from PERA to inflation to local control to the role of the free market and a lot more. It's an illuminating conversation that will have you informed about the goings on with our elected officials.

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Colorado Crime Wave: Origins and Solutions featuring George Brauchler and Mitch Morrissey

Common Sense Institute's recent report, “The Colorado Crime Wave: An Economic Analysis of Crime and the Need for Data Driven Solutions” was a first-of-its-kind report that put a cost on crime within the state of Colorado. Shockingly, that cost burden, borne by both victims and society, was more than $27B in 2020. Underlying this enormous cost, are concerning trends both in the rate of crime, and the outcomes of our criminal justice system, across our courts and corrections system.

On this episode of Common Sense Digest, Host and Chairman Earl Wright is joined by CSI Criminal Justice Fellows and report co-authors, Mitch Morrisey and George Brauchler to discuss what policy decisions led to Colorado leading the nation in many forms of crime, dig into the details of how crime in Colorado actually functions, and offer recommendations for turning the tide. 

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George Brauchler served as the elected District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District (JD), Colorado’s most populous district, which includes Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln counties, from 2013-2021. As a state prosecutor, he handled the felony cases from the Columbine High School mass shooting case, the Aurora Theater (Batman) mass shooting case, and recently, the STEM Academy school mass shooting case.

Mitch Morrissey was the elected District Attorney of Denver, Colorado from November 2004 until January 2017. Prior to 2004, Mitch was a trial lawyer in the Denver District Attorney’s office. Mitch is internationally recognized for his expertise in DNA technology, applying that technology in criminal prosecutions, and working to ensure that DNA science is admissible in court. He has trained law enforcement officers and prosecutors throughout the United States, in the Middle East, in Central America, and Canada.

SPECIAL EPISODE: The 1st Annual Free Enterprise Summit

Common Sense Institute hosted The 1st Annual Free Enterprise Summit on December 14, 2021. The inaugural event featured the release of "Colorado's Free Enterprise Report" and "The Rankings Book: 2022 Edition." The release is the first of its kind reference for Colorado and compiles a wide range of economic and policy indicators that measures Colorado's rank compared to other states in order to measure success and determine areas for improvement.

This episode captures the full audio from the event and features remarks from Chairman Earl Wright, President & CEO Kristin Strohm, Vice President of Policy & Research Chris Brown, and the panel discussion that follows. Our panel featured the following attendees:

J.J. Ament, President & CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce

Loren Furman, President & CEO of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce

Debbie Brown, President of the Colorado Business Roundtable

Tom Brook, President & CEO of Denver South

Dave Davia, Executive Vice President & CEO of Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association

Vince Bzdek, Editor of The Denver Gazette (moderator)

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The University of Colorado‘s Business Economic Outlook featuring Dr. Richard Wobbekind and Brian Lewandowski

While the initial economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic have subsided, the lockdowns and economic restructuring which resulted have yielded to worldwide supply-chain deficiencies, slower-than-expected economic growth, and a strong sense of uncertainty and unease in the world of business. Despite all this, forecasts point to continued economic growth and labor market recovery and many economists are optimistic about the immediate future.

On this episode of Common Sense Digest two of the leading authors and producers of the University of Colorado’s annual Business Economic Outlook report, Brian Lewandowski and Dr. Rich Wobbekind join Chairman and Host Earl Wright to discuss the report's publication, its findings, and its intent to “provide...professionals across nearly every industry in the state with a forecast of Colorado’s economy by sector.”

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Brian Lewandowski is the Executive Director of the Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder. Brian provides regional business and economic information and education, including economic and revenue forecasts, policy studies, economic impact analyses, and data workshops. Brian has 13 years’ experience conducting economic studies at CU Boulder. Prior to CU, he worked in both the private sector and government. He is past-president of the Denver Association of Business Economists.

Richard L. Wobbekind is Associate Dean for Business & Government Relations, Senior Economist and Faculty Director of the Business Research Division and at the University of Colorado Boulder. He joined the faculty at the Leeds School of Business in 1985, and has served as an Associate Dean since 2000. As Faculty Director of the Business Research Division his responsibilities include developing an annual consensus forecast of the Colorado economy and performing various economic impact assessments of the Colorado economy. Wobbekind also produces the quarterly Leeds Business Confidence Index for Colorado. Rich is the past president of the National Association for Business Economics.