Tag: Common Sense Institute
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EDITORIAL: There’s no substitute for charity
At a time in Colorado when government seeks to tax more, purportedly for the common good, a report last week by the Common Sense Institute speaks to the state’s strides in philanthropy — in some key respects, the opposite of government funding. Charitable giving by Coloradans is continuing to prove a champion for the Centennial…
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Denver schools grow back administrative ranks despite lower enrollment
Meanwhile, the district employs 262 fewer teachers compared to 5 years ago Denver Public Schools (DPS) has operated with thousands fewer students than its peak enrollment in 2019 but it has grown its administrative ranks back to nearly their pre-pandemic level, a Denver Gazette analysis of state staffing data shows. This finding mirrors a statewide…
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EDITORIAL: A boon to Colorado schoolkids
The groundbreaking new federal education tax credit that stands to change Colorado children’s lives — and that the legislature unsuccessfully tried to sabotage — could infuse $329 million a year into the education of the state’s K-12 kids. Public schools alone could receive approximately $66 million of that total in additional funding annually. Fundamentally, up…
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As Colorado’s population growth slows, some metro counties see losses
Population growth in Colorado, which had helped drive the region’s burgeoning economy over recent years, has slowed markedly, with some counties in metro Denver experiencing losses, according to a new report. From 2024 to 2025 the state added just 33,151 residents, marking one of the lowest annual growth cycles it had posted over the past…
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Recent studies warn about businesses packing to leave Colorado
A growing body of research is warning about businesses packing to leave Colorado at a moment when major cities on both coasts are making headlines over departures of corporations and high earners. The studies’ conclusion sits at a crosscurrents with state data, perennially touted by officials, that new business filings are up over last year.…
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Red flags raised for Colorado’s economy in national ranking, but it remains in top 10
A new report on economic competitiveness by a Greenwood Village-based research institute ranks Colorado seventh among U.S. states for overall economic performance. But the report is laden with red flags about where the state’s economy is headed. The Common Sense Institute released its annual Free Enterprise Report on Friday, citing that Colorado’s strengths as a…
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EDITORIAL: Reining in Colorado’s runaway legislature
Colorado lawmakers are cranking out bills at a record pace. The irony? They’re being increasingly productive in the wrong way — and setting up real problems for the state. According to a new report from the nonpartisan Common Sense Institute, legislative output has surged 56% since 2012, largely within the past five years. While most…
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EDITORIAL: Dispelling illusions about homelessness
A Common Sense Institute report released last week affirms how soft-on-crime and easy-on-drugs policies make homelessness worse in wealthy, high-government-spending states like Colorado. To control for states with larger populations and thus higher homeless numbers, the report analyzed the number of homeless people per capita in each state. It turned out Colorado was top-10 across…
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EDITORIAL: More school data to inform Coloradans’ concerns
What ails public education in our state? A lot of things, say Coloradans recently surveyed on the subject — but the upshot is a general sense that our schools are on the wrong track. In fact, most of the 1,000-plus respondents to the statewide survey conducted by respected pollster Magellan Strategies said just that. As…
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EDITORIAL: Retail theft robs all Coloradans
Colorado shoppers are accustomed to it: You’re checking out as another “customer” walks by. With stolen items, they sidestep security personnel and cameras. Business carries on as usual; like a breeze, the shoplifters slip out the automatic sliding doors as you pony up to cover the pass-the-buck prices caused by the very crime you just…