Common Sense Digest & Colorado Clarity

Big Cats, Bigger Debate: Colorado's Ballot Initiative 91

Ballot Initiative 91, a bold move to ban big cat hunting in Colorado. The group "Cats Aren't Trophies" is leading the charge to stop the killing, wounding, pursuing, or trapping of mountain lions, bobcats, and lynxes. This quirky yet crucial issue is stirring up debates across the state, especially among rural residents and hunters.
How will this impact Colorado's economy? Will taxpayers foot the bill? And what can we learn from California's experience with similar legislation? Tune in to explore the complexities and potential consequences of this contentious proposal.

Meat, Morals, and Money: Colorado's Slaughterhouse Ban

Deep diving into one of the most contentious issues on Colorado's 2024 state-wide ballot: the proposed ban on slaughterhouses. With only one slaughterhouse in Denver and a wave of complaints driving the proposal, we explore how this ban could impact Coloradans.
 
Is there a tangible benefit to banning these establishments, or is the push fueled by emotion rather than economic sense? We also discuss the implications for Colorado's cattle industry and the broader economic effects of such a ban in a state that is more about cattle than crops.
 
Read the full report as we unpack the facts beyond the rhetoric and consider what this decision means for the future of Colorado – https://commonsenseinstituteco.org/the-economic-impacts-of-the-proposed-denver-slaughterhouse-ban/

Decoding PERA: The Essential Guide to Colorado's Public Pensions

What exactly is PERA? Are state and public employees getting the short end of the stick? Is PERA financially sound? And how is Colorado managing these challenges?
PERA obligations might sound dull at first, but this is a conversation that affects nearly 140,000 public employees in Colorado. Join us as we delve into these vital questions and more.
For more information - visit www.commonsenseinstituteco.org

Mile High Report Card: Denver's State of the City

What is the state of our city? How is Mayor Mike Johnston addressing homelessness? Will housing prices continue to soar unaddressed? Are migrants top of mind for the administration?
DJ Summers & Cole Anderson dive into Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's State of the City address, examining the challenges faced in the past year and his plans for the future. Coloradans need affordable housing, homelessness is draining city resources, the migrant population is growing, and a different approach to Denver's Public Safety issue.

Denver's Multifront Battle: War on Fentanyl, Migrant Influx, and Property Tax Hikes

Welcome to the pilot episode of Colorado Clarity! Join hosts DJ Summers and Cole Anderson from the Common Sense Institute as they dive into the most pressing policy issues impacting Colorado today. In this episode, they tackle the fentanyl crisis sweeping through Colorado, the significant financial burden of the migrant influx on Denver and surrounding areas, and the staggering rise in property taxes—the highest since the Vietnam War era.
For more information on the research discussed in the episode today, please visit our website.

SPECIAL EPISODE: Fentanyl: Our Nation’s Most Devastating Challenge

In this special edition of of Common Sense Digest, we feature discussion from one of our recent events. On Thursday, June 27, Common Sense Institute hosted an event titled "Fentanyl: Our Nation's Most Devastating Challenge" where speakers from across the country will share research and insights on one of the most challenging issues of our time. Our panelists included:
Max Williams - Community Leader; Portland, Oregon
Rachel Mitchell - Maricopa County Attorney
Mitch Morrissey - CSI Colorado Owens-Early Criminal Justice Fellow
Paul Pazen - CSI Public Safety Fellow and Former Denver Police Chief
Vince Bzdek- Executive Editor of The Gazette (Moderator)
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.

Introducing Common Sense Institute Oregon featuring Mark McMullen

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 Iowa, CSI Oregon 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 Oregon, our Chairman and Host Earl Wright is joined by Mark McMullen, Vice President of Policy & Research. They discuss why Oregon is suited for a new chapter of Common Sense Institute, the unique strengths and challenges facing Oregon 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 Oregonians as they consider public policy in their state. 
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.

How DSST Became a Successful Educational Model featuring Bill Kurtz and Van Schoales

Founded in 2004 as a high school in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood, Denver School of Science & Technology (DSST) is now nationally renowned for its unique design, diversity, and consistent high achievement—considered one of the leading open enrollment STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) schools in the United States. DSST’s mission is to transform urban public education by eliminating educational inequity and preparing all students for success in college and the 21st century. With a focus on character development and rigorous academics in equal measure, which are represented by DSST’s six core values: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Courage, Curiosity, and Doing Your Best. 
Our research on DSST can be found on our website here.
Chairman and Host Earl Wright welcomes Bill Kurtz, DSST’s founding CEO, and Van Schoales, senior director of policy at the Keystone Policy Center to discuss DSST services to nearly 7,400 students across eight middle schools and eight high schools. The seven middle schools within the Denver school district accounted for 13% of all Denver middle school students. The seven Denver high schools accounted for 12% of all high school students. They discuss their ethos, what they hope to see from Colorado's educational system as a whole, what the future holds, and most notably, what people can take away from DSST's success.
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.
 

SPECIAL EPISODE: Eggs & The Economy - June 4, 2024

In this special edition of of Common Sense Digest, we feature discussion from one of our recent events. On Tuesday, June 4, Common Sense Institute hosted its quarterly Eggs & The Economy Event. This edition was titled: "The Colorado Crisis: The Economic Impact of Migrants and the Homeless.." Our panelists included:
Adam Paul - Director of Regional Affairs, Office of the Mayor | City and County of Denver
Paul Scudo - CEO of Step Denver
Heidi Williams - CEO of Civic Results and CEO and Executive Director of the Metro Mayors Caucus
DJ Summers - CSI Director of Policy & Research (Moderator)
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.

What Should We Do To Optimize RTD Ridership? featuring Kelly Brough and Daniel Hutton

What began as a relatively small-scale bus operation, RTD has grown to one of the Denver metro area’s most expansive pieces of infrastructure and a political arena of its own. Increasingly, the public is being asked to put more confidence into an organization of which it has cause to be skeptical.
In the face of expansive plans, though, RTD serves fewer people than it did just five years ago. Ridership halved during the COVID-19 public health emergency and plagued by lingering issues of elevated region-wide crime and remote work, it has not recovered to prepandemic levels.
On this episode of Common Sense Digest, Host and Chairman Earl Wright welcomes CSI's Urban Development Fellow Kelly Jean Brough and Daniel Hutton, Vice President of Transportation & Mobility for Denver South to discuss where RTD should focus its efforts for attracting and maintaining riders, and how to alleviate concerns of safety. The state has made a massive investment in the transit system, and this podcast focuses on the areas in which RTD can maximize that return on investment. You can read our full report titled "Fork in the Railroad: RTD’s Ridership Dilemma" here.
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.
You can find more about Kelly Brough here.
You can find more about Daniel Hutton here.