The Economy
Colorado has lost 82,000 jobs during the past two years. Colorado used to have the 5th strongest economy. Today, we rank 49th for job growth. Economists are predicting that employment will grow by only about 1.2 percent in 2004, with unemployment remaining in the range of about 5.6 percent. And, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Colorado lost 5.1% of ALL its payroll jobs from March 2001 through January 2004, making it number two in the nation for percentage of jobs lost. Only Massachusetts did worse.

Agriculture
Farmers and ranchers should not feel compelled to sell their water rights to simply survive. Ranchers have had to reduce the size of their herds by 13% since last year, and many struggle to stay in business. Agricultural producers in rural Colorado are the stewards of the land – some of the most important protectors of Colorado’s open space and environment.

Water
But the fight to preserve our water is not over - when water is transferred from one basin to another, state law must provide a process to mitigate the negative consequences of those transfers. Unfortunately Representative John Salazar’s mitigation bill, HB 1040, failed this legislative session on a close vote that clearly pitted urban areas against rural Colorado.

Tourism
Rafting, fishing, hiking, skiing, hot springs, mountains, reservoirs, ranches, historic towns, and other destinations can help the economy of House District 60 thrive. But the state must play a key role in promoting tourism – we have lost tremendous ground in recent years because this state role has all but been abandoned. We must work together to solve the funding problem for tourism promotion so that the tourist industry – one of Colorado’s top industries – can compete at its best against other states.

Health Care
Many simply cannot afford health insurance coverage for their families. One in six Coloradoans do not have health care coverage. We must redefine what basic health care is, find ways to provide that to all, and also provide incentives for healthy lifestyles. Despite repeated promises, our leaders have failed us in this area.

Education
Perhaps the most important fundamentals for providing a world class K-12 education include parental involvement, small class sizes, and trained and accountable teachers. The Gallagher amendment, passed more than 20 years ago, has limited what can be collected in local residential property taxes. There has been a substantial shift in K-12 funding from local to state – before Gallagher local property taxes funded 60 percent of the cost of K-12 education; now, local taxes fund just 40 percent with state government now carrying 60 percent of the load. The shrinking of state government primarily through the TABOR amendment has prevented state education funding from keeping pace with the needs. Additionally, public higher education is at great risk. Economists predict that if present budget trends continue, we will no longer have publicly-funded higher education in Colorado by 2009, only five years from now. Access to affordable, quality higher education facilities is critical for rural Colorado.

Transportation
Colorado’s growth rate and economy over the past decade has caused increased needs and constraints on our transportation systems. Local and regional involvement in transportation planning must be strengthened. Statewide transportation needs currently identified will require an additional $32 billion. We will need to consider a variety of alternative funding sources such as more toll roads, possible transportation impact fees, possible tax increases such as the gas tax, and perhaps more public-private partnerships.

Copyright 2004 By Emily Tracy. All rights reserved.