Coloradans worried about economy, tech
New statewide opinion poll comes with some caveats
Economic issues like cost of living, housing affordability and taxes are top-of-mind for Colorado voters, according to a new survey released this week by the Colorado Polling Institute.
A majority of Coloradans think the state’s economy will worsen in the coming year, and nearly one in ten respondents said the cost of living was one of the most important issues for the state government to address.
The vast majority of respondents (84%) said the state budget has problems or is in crisis, reflecting a widespread acknowledgment of the government spending and funding mismatch that led to a $1.5 billion budget gap this year.
At the same time, most respondents don’t want to raise taxes to pay for more state programs. Six in 10 respondents said taxes are already too high, and about the same number support the 1992 amendment to the state constitution known as the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which limits how much the state’s budget can grow each year.
The big caveat with this poll is that the pool of respondents is older and whiter than the actual makeup of Colorado. The majority of respondents (57%) were over the age of 45, even though most Coloradans are younger than 45. And the polling pool was only 13% Latino, even though Latinos make up over 20% of the state’s population. Still, older and whiter people tend to have more political power so their preferences often have an outsize impact on policy.
Need to Know
📉 Colorado’s labor force shrank and the state lost jobs last year, according to new data from the state’s Department of Labor and Employment. The job losses were small and more than two dozen other states saw similar numbers. Economists said Colorado is generally following a national trend of low or negative growth that will probably continue this year. (Colorado Sun)
🚏 The head of the Regional Transportation District (RTD) will leave her job in May 2027, after declining an extension on a contract that pays her an annual salary of more than $420,000. The mass transit agency has faced criticism for low ridership, reliability and safety issues. Several other top leaders have left in recent years, and lawmakers are considering reorganizing the agency’s board to include fewer elected members. (Denverite, Axios)
🥾 Volunteers are maintaining hiking and biking areas during “mud season” when trails are especially vulnerable to erosion and other damage. If you love the outdoors and want to give back to the community, there are plenty of opportunities to help out. Try to stay off muddy trails until they dry, and make sure to walk or ride through snow and mud instead of around it, to avoid widening the trail. (5280 Magazine)
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Something Good
🌴 I’m traveling to spend time with family this week, so I’m going to take a short break from writing this section. I’ll be back on Monday with a review of my experience of the Colorado River from the Grand Canyon.