Colorado Experts Declared a Youth Mental Health Emergency. Here’s

What Happened Next.

By Ann Schimke, Chalkbeat

More than 5,600 Colorado students have used the state’s free therapy program since it launched in October 2021.

Roxana Alvarado Martinéz, a high school sophomore, had told only close friends she was seeing a therapist to help her with anxiety and insomnia.

But that changed last week in the civics classroom where she serves as a teacher’s assistant. The teacher plucked slips of paper from the “Sol y Nubes” — sun and clouds — box, where students can anonymously share struggles or excitement.

That day, as the discussion touched on depression, bullying, and suicide, Roxana spoke up.

“There is no shame, absolutely no shame in you having a therapist or me having a therapist,” she told the class at Summit High School in Breckenridge. “I could help you get connected if that’s what you need.”

Roxana is part of a generation that has grappled with unprecedented mental health struggles over the last few years amid a pandemic that stoked stress, fear, and isolation for people young and old. She’s also one of thousands of Colorado youth taking advantage of a growing number of programs that aim to make mental health support more accessible and affordable for young people.

These programs include the state’s “I Matter” program, which provides six free telehealth or in-person counseling sessions to students in elementary through high school. So far, the program has served more than 5,600 students statewide.

There are a variety of local programs, too. Roxana, 16, received a scholarship to cover the cost of therapy from Building Hope Summit County, a mental health nonprofit. The Aurora school district east of Denver began offering students six free counseling sessions a year ago and the neighboring Cherry Creek district began offering eight to 10 free sessions to middle and high schoolers in December. Both districts contract with Hazel Health, a telehealth company based in San Francisco.

Resources

I Matter: Sign up for six free therapy sessions for Colorado youth.

Colorado Crisis Line: 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255.

National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988.

It’s hard to know if Colorado youth are getting all the help they need. During the first nine months of 2022, mental health-related visits to emergency departments in the Children’s Hospital Colorado system were up 74% compared with the same period in 2019, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

That’s part of the reason why local and state leaders continue to push for easyaccess mental health support for children and teens before a full-blown crisis hits.

Michelle Weinraub, Cherry Creek’s chief health officer, said the district’s free counseling program grew out of a mental health task force launched in early 2022. She recalled asking students at one meeting if they’d use free counseling sessions they could access on their phones after school or work.

A couple of them were so excited, they jumped out of their chairs, she said.

“They were like, ‘Yes, that’s what we want,’” she said. Then the students started talking: “We can’t get an appointment unless we’re in crisis … My friend tried to call and they’re on a waitlist for six months. My friend wanted to see this person that they knew somebody else was seeing, but it doesn’t accept insurance.”

Experts declare a mental health emergency

In May 2021, just over a year into the pandemic, leaders at Children’s Hospital Colorado sounded the alarm about the spike in serious mental health problems among children and teens, declaring a youth mental health “state of emergency.”

They pleaded for more funding as well as efforts to reduce bureaucratic constraints in the youth mental health system. Six months later the state launched I Matter.

The program isn’t meant to be the only “front door” to counseling, but rather to serve as one low-barrier option for any young person who needs someone to talk to, said Charlotte Whitney of the state’s Behavioral Health Administration, which runs I Matter. There’s no requirement to be extremely anxious or depressed.

Whitney said the model can help set kids up for improved mental health long term “because they know where to access services and they know the coping skills to get them through those really hard times.”

Students 12 and over can sign up for the therapy sessions by filling out a simple online form. Children under 12 can use the service, but need a parent to do so. Whitney said generally students can get telehealth appointments within days.

Occasionally, she said, students wait longer if they’re looking for something specific — for example an in-person appointment in a rural community or a therapist that specializes in transgender issues.

In Aurora, about 230 students have been referred for counseling through the free Hazel Health program since the start of the school year. In Cherry Creek, which launched its program Dec. 5, about 200 students have been referred for help, often by their parents. Officials in both districts say there are no waiting lists for appointments.

Puppy therapy helps students open up

Timothy Swanson, a social worker in Colorado Springs, is one of about 200 I Matter therapists statewide. He sees up to three students a week, mostly in person, through the program. Often, his clients open up first to his dog Smoke, a gentle pitbull mix who accompanies him to the office.

Tim Swanson’s dog Smoke is a comforting presence for clients.

Courtesy of Tim Swanson

“They just love him. They just grab him and start talking to him,” said Swanson. “It really helps these kids because a lot of times they come in, they’re withdrawn, a little nervous, not sure what therapy’s about.”

Swanson, 63, said many young clients, whether they’ve come through I Matter or other avenues, struggle with anxiety, anger, or depression. Sometimes, it’s because of pandemic-related disruptions at school, the trickle-down effect of parent stress, or cruel behavior from classmates.

Some of his clients have been told by fellow students, “Well, if you feel that way, why don’t you just kill yourself?”

“It’s really damaging,” Swanson said. “I encourage them to talk to counselors, to me, to their parents, to teachers or whoever, to help them develop a support system ... a healthy one where they can get good answers.”

As with other free therapy programs, I Matter aims to connect youth to continued counseling if they want or need it after the free sessions. Swanson said 30% to 40% of his I Matter clients continue seeing him after the first six sessions, paying through health insurance or other means.

Weinraub, of the Cherry Creek district, said if needed, Hazel Health therapists work with students and families to connect them to a local therapist after the free telehealth sessions end.

The COVID19 pandemic led to student burnout

Even before Roxana moved to the United State from Mexico at age 7, she was a top student. Her parents expected good grades and she delivered.

But her classes got harder in middle school. Then, in seventh grade, the pandemic hit. Roxana, once surrounded by friends, found herself spending long days alone in her bedroom.

Her father would say, “You have to come out and at least eat something, drink some water,” Roxana said. “I started getting to the point where I was drowning myself in all my work.”

She felt claustrophobic, exhausted, and worried about her mother, who worked as a nurse in Mexico. Eventually, Roxana tried counseling but it didn’t go well. She said the therapist told her, “It’s only in your head. You’re just pretending.”

By the middle of her freshman year in high school, her struggles spiraled. She was skipping classes and nearly failing courses for the first time in her life. She ended up in the hospital.

Today, Roxana is doing better. She’s seeing a therapist she relates to — one who is Latina and a native Spanish-speaker like herself — and she’s let go of her drive for perfect grades. She’s also trying to tackle the stigma around seeking mental health help, something she’s felt as part of the Latino community.

“We have this big, big culture of what happens in our family stays in our family and you’re not going to tell our family business around,” she said.

But Roxana knows there are other students like her at school, silently struggling with their painful realities. That’s why she decided to say something during the recent civics class, stuttering a bit as she shared her story.

“If I don’t speak out, other people won’t either,” she said.

2023 Colorado General Assembly: The People’s Guide to Following Education Issues

By Erica Meltzer and Jason Gonzales, Chalk Beat

Every January, 100 men and women elected to the Colorado General Assembly gather in Denver for 120 days and make decisions that affect students and teachers in the classroom, university administrators trying to balance their budgets, and parents and students having to make tuition payments.

Legislators only have to pass two bills before they adjourn in May: a balanced budget and the school finance act. Both have profound implications for educational opportunity.

They also tackle many more education issues, from student discipline to school safety, from standardized tests to workforce training.

But it can be hard for ordinary citizens to understand how ideas turn into laws.

To explain the lawmaking process and the opportunities for public input, we’ve prepared this guide to the legislative session.

Here’s how you can get involved:

How a bill becomes a law

Think Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill.”

Legislators get ideas for bills from a lot of places. A legislator might have a passion for a particular topic. The governor’s office or state department leaders might request a policy change. An interest group or concerned parents might ask a lawmaker to help solve a problem.

Lawmakers work with bill drafters — nonpartisan legislative staff — to write a bill. Once a lawmaker introduces it, leaders in either the House or the Senate assign it to a committee, usually one with relevant expertise.

Most education bills go to the education committee, but a bill on youth mental health might land first in the health committee or one on police in schools might be heard by the judiciary committee.

A few committees — most infamously the State Affairs committees — are known as “kill” committees, where leadership can send controversial bills, especially those from the opposing parties, to ensure they don’t reach the floor.

A bill must win committee approval to proceed to the full House or Senate. Some bills might need to go through more than one committee.

Bills must get approved twice in the first chamber, before heading to the next chamber and doing it all over again. Bills can be amended at any point in the process, and both chambers must sign off on the same final form of a bill.

Then the governor must sign it into law.

Who has a vote on the Colorado education committees

The House Education Committee has 11 members, seven Democrats and four Republicans. Find the committee schedule, documents, and live and archived audio at the committee website. Members are:

• Chair Rep. Barbara McLachlan, a Durango Democrat

• Vice Chair Rep. Matthew Martinez, a Monte Vista Democrat

• Rep. Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat

• Rep. Mary Bradfield, ranking member, a Colorado Springs Republican

• Rep. Eliza Hamrick, a Centennial Democrat

• Rep. Anthony Hartsook, a Parker Republican

• Rep. Meghan Lukens, a Steamboat Springs Democrat

• Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Commerce City Democrat

• Rep. Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican

• Rep. Don Wilson, a Monument Republican

• Rep. Mary Young, a Greeley Democrat

The Senate Education Committee has seven members, four Democrats and three Republicans. Find the committee schedule, documents, and live and archived audio at the committee website.

• Chair Sen. Janet Buckner, a Denver Democrat

• Vice Chair Sen. Janice Marchman, a Loveland Democrat

• Sen. Rhonda Fields, an Aurora Democrat

• Sen. Chris Kolker, a Centennial Democrat

• Sen. Paul Lundeen, ranking member, a Monument Republican

• Sen. Mark Baisley, a Woodland Park Republican

• Sen. Janice Rich, a Grand Junction Republican

Find the names and contact information of all current Colorado lawmakers here. And find maps of current legislative districts here.

Can you speak on a bill or submit testimony?

If you’re interested in having your perspective heard, there are a few ways to get involved.

You can speak on the bill in person or remotely, or submit a written statement to the committee. The sign-up process is not difficult. Just fill out this online form. Speakers are generally limited to two to three minutes, so think about how to make your point quickly and clearly.

Want to know the schedule?

The full schedule of the House and Representatives can typically be found on the Colorado General Assembly’s landing page.

The session schedule should be posted daily and gets updated as bills move through the process.

Here’s how to look up Colorado General Assembly bills

Looking for a bill? Go to the Colorado General Assembly’s bill search page. There you can search by a bill number, the sponsor, or a topic.

When you click on a bill, you’ll see information such as a summary of what the bill does, the full text of the bill, and other relevant information, such as a fiscal note that explains how much passing the law would cost the state. Often the description of a bill in the fiscal note is easier to understand than the bill language itself.

You can also search through tabs near the bottom of the page that include the bill’s history, when it’s scheduled to be heard again, any amendments, and a summary of the committee votes.

What’s the Joint Budget Committee and why is it so important?

The six-member Joint Budget Committee is the most influential committee in the Colorado General Assembly. Why? Because it writes the budget that guides the state’s priorities. The committee members this year are four Democrats and two Republicans with Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat, as chair.

Yes, Gov. Jared Polis does submit a budget every November. And those priorities guide the Joint Budget Committee’s work. But the committee ultimately writes the budget that gets submitted to the Colorado General Assembly for approval.

Other lawmakers also have a chance to submit budget amendments that reflect their own spending priorities — but lawmakers need to pass a balanced budget and the Joint Budget Committee will strip out amendments that endanger that goal.

The budget shapes every facet of state government, including K-12 and higher education spending.

Want to know more about the education topics we expect to come up this session?

Check out our 2023 legislative preview of seven issues we expect lawmakers to discuss.

Need a refresher on what happened last year? We rounded up the most important education issues of the 2022 session.

Want to know more about how lobbying affects the legislative process? Check out our deep dive on education lobbying in collaboration with data reporter Sandra Fish. Here’s what we heard about education on the first day of the 2023 session. Have questions? We’re listening at co.tips@chalkbeat.org.

Bureau Chief Erica Meltzer covers education policy and politics and oversees Chalkbeat Colorado’s education coverage. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org. Watch Chalkbeat Colorado’s 2023 Legislative Preview

Watch Chalkbeat Colorado’s annual discussion of key education topics likely to surface during the upcoming legislative session.

We were joined by:

• Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument

• Senate Education Committee Chair Sen. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora

• House Education Committee Chair Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango

• Joint Budget Committee Chair Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada

• House Education Vice Chair Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista

A special thanks to our event sponsor, the Colorado Education Association. And thank you to our event partner, the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver.

Colorado Retirement Plan Launches for Those without One, Including Self-employed, Gig and Farm Workers

The Colorado SecureSavings plan sets up a Roth IRA with automatic paycheck deductions. So far, 129 of an estimated 115,000 businesses that are likely required to enroll have done so.

by Tamara Chuang, The Colorado Sun

Anew program for Colorado workers who don’t have access to a 401(k) or other retirement plan at their job has officially launched after years in the making.

The Colorado SecureSavings program was designed to help nearly 1 million workers with no retirement plan to start one at no cost to the employer. Companies with existing plans must be exempted by the state. Others with at least five employees must enroll in what state Department of Treasury officials called a “10to 15-minute” process.

“This is about how (to help workers in) Colorado sustainably retire with dignity on their own terms,” state Treasurer Dave Young said. “Instead of being tied to an employer, like a traditional retirement plan, the Colorado SecureSavings Program travels with the employee (to a new job). … This allows small- and medium-sized businesses a broader compensation package.”

SecureSavings essentially sets up a Roth Individual Retirement Account for the worker and is open to all-sized businesses, including the self-employed, gig workers and farm laborers. After an employer enrolls, their workers are added to the portal so they can then choose to opt out or stick with it. After 30 days, 5% of a worker’s paycheck after taxes is deducted and placed into the retirement account. Vestwell Holdings manages the program for the state while BlackRock and State Street Global Advisors manage the investments.

The first notices to employers about the program’s launch were sent Jan. 11. So far 129 employers have enrolled while 226 were ruled exempt because they either had an existing plan, had fewer than five employees or aren’t defined as employers under the statute, Sheena Kadi, communications director for the Department of Treasury, said in an email.

“Our data shows that approximately 115,000 businesses fall under the requirements, and will either need to enroll or facilitate a private option. We have already trimmed our list down based on who we know has an existing plan, and will be sending notices to about 85,000 employers at multiple points throughout the year,” Kadi said.

On Wednesday, a treasurer’s office news conference featured two employers Colorado Retirement Plan Launches for those without one, including selfemployed, gig and farm workers continued on page 10...

Colorado Middle and High Schoolers could begin Receiving Annual Mental Health Checks

If a student needs additional resources, they would be referred to state-run program offering free therapy sessions by Elliott Wenzler, The Colorado Sun

The Colorado legislature is aiming to make it easier for youth across the state to access free therapy by creating a program in which kids sixth through 12th grade can get an in-school mental health assessment.

If approved by state lawmakers, House Bill 1003 would allow public schools to opt into the program, which would be run by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Parents could opt their child out of the assessment, though children 12 or older would also be allowed to decide for themselves if they want to participate.

“We have to continue to destigmatize therapy,” said Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, one of the lead sponsors of the bill. “This is one way to do that. The brain is part of your body, this is similar to having an eye exam, ear exam or scoliosis exam.”

The idea would be an extension of the I Matter program, which was formed in 2021 and provides up to six free therapy sessions for youth in Colorado. The program has so far served nearly 6,000 students. House Bill 1003 aims to connect more kids to those free therapy services, Michaelson Jenet said.

If a student is found during an assessment to need treatment, their parents would be notified and given information about the I Matter resources.

The assessment program is intended as a way to help kids who are in a difficult mental health place before they get to a crisis point, Michaelson Jenet said. She sees the initiative as a way to bolster school safety.

“It starts with having an environment where kids who need therapy are actually getting that therapy,” she said.

In some schools, teachers are the ones who end up responding to mental health needs of students, said Lorelei Jackson, a student services coordinator in Denver Public Schools.

“It’s really hard for a teacher to support in math and literacy and also mental health when that’s not really what they’re trained for,” she said.

Jackson, who also volunteers with Teach Plus Colorado, an organization that connects teachers with policymakers, said she supports the bill because kids need to have their mental health needs met before they can learn.

“If you are dealing with trauma, if you are strongly internalizing what’s going on and people are depressed, you’re unable to focus on math,” she said.

Nicole Pasillas, a sixth grade teacher in the 27J Schools district in Brighton, said her students all seem to be experiencing mental health challenges, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating some mental health needs.

“I think there were always issues there but the COVID situation for certain kids in certain areas made it worse,” she said. “I can only help them so much, because legally I’m not a counselor or a therapist.”

Under the bill, participating schools would send out a letter notifying parents of the assessments and allow them to opt their child out if desired. Students 12 and older could still choose to get the assessment even if their parents opt them out.

Those children would have to consent to parent notification following an assessment if treatment is necessary. If the student doesn’t consent to their parents being informed, they will be directly referred to I Matter resources.

If an assessment reveals a student is in crisis or in danger of hurting themselves or others, the school would be immediately notified.

While the cost of House Bill 1003 hasn’t been determined, Michaelson Jenet hopes that it will be covered by federal funding and Medicaid.

“To the degree that we can invest in the front end and take care of problems before they become worse, then I would say that’s an investment worth making and especially if it’s a human,” said Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Morrison, another lead sponsor of the bill.

The program would be administered by CDPHE but the assessments would be done by a private contractor. CDPHE has several requirements it must follow when selecting a provider, including that they must have experience managing a similar statewide program, according to the bill.

Schools interested in having the program would need to notify the department before May 1 of the year in which they wish to begin.

The bill is scheduled to be heard by the Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services committee Jan. 25.

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com involved in the 25-employer pilot program, which started in October. They said their workers welcomed it.

“We had looked at a 401(k) program for our staff for years and every time I asked for bids, the bids came back incredibly expensive — thousands to enroll in a program and thousands every year to administer the program. And that wasn’t possible for us,” said Chrissy Strowmatt, general manager for Blue Bonnet Restaurant in Denver. “We wanted to be part of the pilot so we could get in as quickly as possible. … Most of my employees are long-term employees and have been needing something like this for a very long time.”

Colorado Secure Savings Program

What is it: A retirement plan if you don’t already have one

How does it work: Employers enroll with the state and add all employees. Workers have 30 days to opt out (they can do this at any time) before 5% of their paycheck becomes regularly deducted and placed into a Roth IRA.

For companies: Employers must register the business, add all employees, update their payroll system to regularly submit a portion of each worker’s check into the program. Employers cannot match the worker’s contribution.

For workers: Employees can adjust the deduction, choose investments or opt out in the SecureSavings portal. Money can be withdrawn at any time though any earnings face early-withdrawal fees and taxes.

Benefits: Automatic savings for retirement and the plan moves with the worker if they change jobs in Colorado. There are no fees for employers beyond time and effort to set it up. The administration fee for worker plans is capped at 1%.

Deadline: Employers with 50 or more employees must register by March 15, with staggered deadlines for companies with fewer workers. June 30 is the final deadline. Employers who already offer a retirement plan or have fewer than five workers can opt out.

More details: coloradosecuresavings.com

Lee Wood, co-owner of Wood’s High Mountain Distillery in Salida, said the setup and administration was simple for such a major benefit to his eight-person staff.

“When you make this available and with this subtle change of saying it’s an opt out rather than an opt in, what a difference it makes in terms of our employees willingness ability to participate,” Wood said. “Of the eight employees who are taking part of the program, we’ve had some that have upped their percentage withholding.”

Workers can adjust the deduction and pick their investments. They can also stop contributing or withdraw the money at any time. But only the money added from their paychecks can be withdrawn tax free and without penalty. Withdrawals from the interest earned on the account would face the normal early withdrawal fees of up to 10% plus applicable taxes.

The program has been in the works since at least 2019 when state legislators passed a bill to research the need for a statewide retirement program. The ensuing report found that nearly 1 million private sector employees in Colorado didn’t have access to a retirement plan mainly because their employers didn’t offer one. And the best way to get them in one was to make it auto enrollment. While it would take funds to set up a state program, the report forecasted that it would reach breakeven for the state in four years. The state legislature passed a law in 2020 to implement the program and limited fees to administer the program to 1%.

“For a lot of people, this is going to be a life-changing bill,” said Kerry Donovan, a former state senator from Vail who was also the bill’s prime sponsor. “We know by looking at national studies and Colorado trends that many people have less than a year’s worth of savings in their account. And in other nonprofit work I do, I see people that have savings of $60, of $45. … This is a game changer. People can set aside that 2% or 3% or more if they want and have confidence that they will have professionals managing that money in a smart and responsible way.”

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization that covers Colorado people, places and issues. To sign up for free newsletters, subscribe or learn more, visit ColoradoSun.com

Caldara: The Vagrant Who Sleeps Under My Window

By Jon Caldara, Complete Colorado Page 2

I’m not asking a lot. I just want the vagrant who sleeps under my window to go somewhere else. Anywhere else.

I just want this druggie to stop sleeping under my office window because I’m tired of cleaning up after him like I’m his freaking hotel maid.

You may note that after years of this I have lost sympathy for the “plight” of street people.

I’ve gone to enough over-priced hotels lately that, due to a labor shortage, no longer offer maid service, to be giving this guy my maid service for free.

I have the honor of running Independence Institute. More than a decade ago we were proud to purchase a permanent home just blocks away from the State Capitol. Long story short, we and our supporters are absurdly proud of the place, as you likely are of your own home.

If only the city were a fraction as proud.

Though I’m sure it thrills our collectivist opponents to no end, we need to spend more and more of our donors’ money and our energy away from our mission to instead fortify our handsome home from the transients who carelessly destroy it. They often descend on our property after dark to camp, and usually leave before we return in the morning.

Vomit, urine, litter, bottles and condoms have all been a regular clean-up chore. Not that cleaning up other peoples’ feces isn’t a joy for us — we did choose to clean up after politicians, mind you — we just hoped it’d be a figurative thing.

Staying up on the vagrants’ food waste is crucial because otherwise it invites even more uninvited guests: mice.

Cooke: Polis’ New PUC Appointee Bad News for Colorado Ratepayers

By Amy Oliver Cooke

With the appointment of former state legislator Tom Plant (D-Boulder) to Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Governor Jared Polis continues the tradition of ideological vanity appointments as the PUC continues its progression toward rubber stamping Colorado’s forced conversion to 100 percent unreliable energy sources and higher energy bills.

Currently Plant works for former Governor Bill Ritter at the Center for the New Energy Economy (NEE) at Colorado State University, which grew out of Ritter’s goal as Governor to move the state away from the baseload workhorse coal electricity and toward natural gas and industrial wind. During his 2006 campaign Ritter told his staff, “I want my first ad to be about turning wheat fields into wind farms.”

Mismanaging Colorado’s Energy Office

Plant has been following Ritter since Ritter’s one term as Governor from 20072011. Upon election, Ritter tapped Plant to head up what was then the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO).

Plant’s tenure was riddled with mismanagement. In 2011, the Independence Institute released a paper titled Governor’s Energy Office Needs a Dose of Sunshine. Our research showed over $9 million in agency expenditures that we were unable to identify, and the agency couldn’t clarify. In addition, Plant used the state office for partisan meetings.

At the time, the GEO enjoyed “off-budget” status meaning it received little legislative oversight despite receiving nearly $16 million in unrestricted general fund taxpayer dollars. We suggested the legislature request an audit, which it did.

In January 2013, the state auditor released a report and confirmed our findings. We reported how the state auditor blasted the GEO, now called Colorado’s Energy Office (CEO), “for shoddy accounting and management practices within the formerly off-budget agency.”

Among the criticisms the report levels at the CEO:

▪ CEO was unable to demonstrate that $252 million spent over the past six years was spent cost-effectively.

▪ CEO does not calculate or maintain a comprehensive, annual budget or budget-toactual data for any of the 34 programs administered during Fiscal Years 2007 through 2012. As a result, CEO could not determine the total cost or the total amount spent for any of its programs.

▪ CEO program managers have not been required to manage programs within a budget, though they are responsible for requesting and justifying program expenditures.

The report contains plenty of specific examples, some of which can be found here.

Perhaps most scathing was the auditor’s characterization of the CEO under Plant’s leadership:

“Overall, we found deficiencies in CEO’s management policies and practices, including deficiencies in CEO’s internal accounting and administrative control systems. Altogether, the issues we identified lead us to question CEO’s ability to implement programs and projects successfully.”

Now, Colorado ratepayers are expected to believe that as a PUC commissioner, Plant will get into the granular details of complex rate cases, ask meaningful, provocative questions, challenge assumptions, and be a good steward of ratepayer dollars. If the past is any example, ratepayers would be right to be worried.

A rubber stamp for Polis

The sad truth is that Colorado’s PUC is no longer a serious agency, but it maintains serious authority determining just and reasonable rates. This isn’t a reflection upon staff, which does an admirable job. It is a reflection of the commissioners who seem to think their role is to promote preferred policies rather than act as neutral regulators who scrutinize evidence, thoughtfully deliberate, decide reasonable costs to ratepayers, ensure grid stability, and a myriad of other things.

It shouldn’t be a job for the faint of heart or the slacker. Yet, consider this recent comment from Commissioner John Gavan, who Plant will replace upon his Senate confirmation:

“I really think Xcel needs to step back and focus on customer satisfaction instead of nickel and diming us with all of these onerous rate increases that are just pancaking and adding up. We are in a very dangerous period now and I really call on the commission to really scrutinize this to a degree we’ve never done before…”

Gavan sounds like a middle school girl gossiping in hallway about, like, really high electric bills.

Considering their job is to scrutinize Xcel, I’m left wondering what commissioners have been doing as Coloradans have been paying skyrocketing electric bills.

That’s the problem. There is no scrutiny so long as a utility appears to comply with the green, eco-left group think that is the PUC commission. Least cost power? No. Reliable grid? No. Industrial wind and utility scale solar? Yes. Higher rates to get there? You bet!

By law no more than two of the three commissioners can be from the same party. Current Commissioners Eric Blank and Megan Gilman are Democrats from Boulder and Edwards, respectively. The last Republican to serve as a commissioner was attorney Wendy Moser, appointed to a two-year term in 2017.

Technically, Plant is unaffiliated, replacing John Gavan who is also unaffiliated. Philosophically, Plant is also a Boulder Democrat, having represented the area in the state legislature. More importantly, Plant is a devoted follower of Colorado’s eco-left group think.

Bottom line, Plant hasn’t been nominated to ask questions on behalf of ratepayers.

Caldara: The Vagrant Who Sleeps Under My Window continued from page 10...

Their discarded used syringes are copious and scattered. Fortunately, we just have the interns walk around barefoot until we find them all.

Call the cops you say? You are adorable.

At best the police just chase the bums off if they show up in time. In frustration I called 911 recently (we usually call the non-emergency number) to be put on hold for three minutes before being cut off. I called back and got through after another threeminute hold.

Helpful crime tip — to avoid bleeding to death, always call 911 three minutes before being shot.

The poor cops that came hours later looked like death warmed over. You see, the DPD is down some 200 to 300 officers.

Why? Here’s some insight: One told me he just arrested a guy for stealing five cars. Later that same afternoon he arrested the very same guy for (drumroll …) stealing a car. Thanks to the new laws no one stays in jail for more than a few hours for a nonviolent crime.

At considerable expense we made our beautiful building “bum resistant,” installed security systems, alarms, reworked landscape. We use our lawn sprinklers to keep vagrants from encamping.

But this hasn’t stopped one or two very persistent drug users who have found our bushes the perfect vacation getaway.

We throw away all their stuff they leave — apparently, we’re their storage unit too — to try to make it as unwelcoming as possible. This includes boxes, bags, clothes, blankets and pillows (they have pillows). But they keep coming back with more stuff. People keep giving them more stuff! We had to pay for a larger roll-away trash bin for it all.

If they didn’t get more supplies, they might have to go into the shelters at night where they could get the help they need. So, for God’s sake, please stop subsidizing this guy’s behavior. It’s the first rule in public policy — what you subsidize you get more of. There’s Colorado’s transient problem in a nutshell.

The costs continue. We needed to file an insurance claim for roof damage. But with the added costs of all the property crime insurance claims around the neighborhood, including our own vagrant break-in and robbery, our insurance company decided to drop our coverage altogether.

Non-violent crime doesn’t mean non-costly crime.

I get it. I am the furthest thing from a sympathetic character to lots of folks.

But if it’s happening to me and taking away this much in time, money and energy from my organization, what’s it doing to the organizations you support and the businesses you frequent?

When we at Independence don’t have to work so hard to stop criminals from sleeping under my window, it will be a sign Colorado’s economy is improving, saving you money.

So, care about that.

File photo of boaters enjoying Jackson Lake ORCHARD, Colo. – Jackson Lake State Park will open its boat ramp on April 1. The fixed starting date is to accommodate staffing needs and weather conditions. Boaters must be properly registered and equipped with mandatory safety equipment, including proof of an inspection for Aquatic Nuisance Species, prior to launching. Boaters are required to clean, drain, and dry their vessel and remove the plug before driving on public roads.

Empire Boating Club members will have two Saturday inspection and registration dates available: March 18 and March 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jackson Lake offers year-round camping as well as OHV riding, renowned birding, and is an International Dark Skies Park.

The state park is hiring for temporary and full-time positions, with applications encouraged by Feb 5.

Legislative Democrats Want to Give $1,400 Tax Credit to Retired Public Employees 55 or older

by Sherrie Peif, Complete Colorado

DENVER — A bill making its way through the House of Representatives could cost Colorado taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, while benefitting only a privileged few as Democrat lawmaker aim to give retired Public Employee Retirement Account (PERA) holders as well as those part of local government retirement accounts an additional $1,400 over the next couple of years.

House Bill 23-1016, sponsored by Shannon Bird, D-Westminster and Emily Sirota, D-Denver in the House and Chris Kolker, D-Littleton and Chris Hansen, D-Denver in the Senate, would create an income tax credit for tax years 2023 and 2024 for Colorado residents who:

▪ Are 55 or older at the end of 2023 and 2024;

▪ Retired from a position that had a Colorado state public pension plan;

▪ Or retired from a position that had a public pension plan administered by a local Colorado government.

The bill has been assigned to the House Finance Committee, but there is no date scheduled for a hearing as of press time.

According to the bill, inflation is up, and public service employees are likely to be on a fixed income, and Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) increases to their benefits doesn’t match inflation.

The credit would be a refundable credit, meaning that once the taxpayer’s tax liability is met, anything remaining would be refunded to the taxpayer.

Joshua Sharf, a senior fellow in fiscal policy at the Independence Institute,* who serves as an appointee on the legislative oversight subcommittee for PERA said there was some skepticism of the idea of a special tax break for government retirees when it was brought up at a meeting late last year, even among Democrat committee appointees. However, it was never reviewed by his group as the subcommittee’s input was skipped over and the bill was passed directly to the next level, the Pension Review Commission.

Sharf said a 2018 Senate Bill imposed a brief moratorium on COLAs as well as ratcheted down any progress made toward fully funding the pension program that has been in the red for decades.

Sharf said lawmakers argued that with no COLAs in 2018 or 2019, and small amounts in 2020 and 2021 current retirees are hit harder than the 2018 bill intended. However, he adds that PERA retirees from 2010 received COLAs that outpaced inflation through 2017 (14.9 percent total compared to 11 percent inflation).

Sharf said the other problem with the bill is the fact that it is not intended just for PERA retirees, but any public pension plan, even those that co-exist with Social Security benefits — which does get an equal COLA yearly, and received an 8.7 percent increase this year.

While there is not a fiscal note attached to this bill yet, a bill in 2022 that impacted the same workforce estimated approximately 315,000 retirees. That multiplied by $700 per person, per year is $220 million per year, or $440 million total.

Sharf said additionally, the bill considers a retiree to be 55 or older.

“Fifty-five may be old enough to retire, but for most people, it’s hardly beyond the point where they have the ability to improve their financial situations,” he said. “Taxpayers who are helping to fund these pensions in the first place are, by and large, still working at that age.”

Sharf said Colorado already has income tax credits that reward behaviors, but this would reward a specific class of individuals.

“This particular credit is simply a wealth transfer to a politically connected group,” Sharf said. “There’s no prospective behavior being encouraged here, unless it’s to retire in the next couple of years. The bill was structured this way – through the tax code – in order not to affect PERA’s bottom line, it’s funded level, or the automatic adjustments designed to put the system on a path to full funding by 2047.”

The bill does not have a safety clause on it, meaning if it passes, any Colorado resident could challenge the bill and force it to go to the voters, so long as a petition is filed within 90 days after the final day of the 2023 legislative session. Those wishing to repeal the bill would need to gather 124,238 signatures from registered voters in 60 days to force it to a vote. It would appear on the 2024 ballot.

The number of signatures needed is down 394 from previous years, as it is based on 5 percent of the total number of ballots cast in the last election for Secretary of State. The 2022 election had a lower turnout than 2018, the last time the number was set.

The last time a private citizen successfully challenged a legislative action was in 2019, when Rep. Rose Pugliese, R-Grand Junction (then a Mesa County Commissioner) led the charge to stop Colorado from joining the National Popular Vote compact. Pugliese was successful in getting the matter to the voters, but her effort lost at the polls. Complete Colorado will continue to follow this bill as it goes through the process, including when a fiscal note is released.

February Happenings at Aims Community College

GREELEY, CO – January 26, 2023 – Aims Community College hosts events designed to create shared experiences and deliver first-hand exposure to programs and campuses. All are welcome to these public events on Aims Community College campuses. To request accommodations for any of these events, call 970-339-6388 or email disabilities@aims.edu.

Bittersweet Harvest: Carrying The Family Legacy | Feb. 2 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Welcome Center Ballroom

Join us for a special presentation by Esthela Nuñez Franco and Adriana Trujillo, sharing pictures and stories from their family’s bracero legacies. The Bracero Program (1942-64) admitted two million Mexican men as guest workers into the United States for short-term labor. A little-known chapter of American and Mexican history, the program impacted the lives and identities of numerous families and communities. This event is co-hosted by Greeley Museums.

Ed Mabrey: A Spoken Word Artist | Feb. 10 | 5-6 p.m. | Welcome Center Auditorium

Join us for an evening with Ed Mabrey. As seen on HBO, ABC, and more, Ed Mabrey will perform spoken word art focusing on race, body image, mental health, anxiety, and removing stigmas from seeking therapy. Please join Ed for a poetry slam workshop and light refreshments after his performance.

Art of Indigenous People | Feb. 23 |3:30-6 p.m. | Welcome Center Ballroom

Learn and celebrate the beautiful culture of Indigenous people with storyteller, singer, songwriter, and author Red Feather Woman and her group by celebrating Native American culture. Join us for Navajo tacos and strawberry juice while supplies last.

Tax Help Colorado

Saturdays | Feb. 4 - Apr. 8 (closed Mar. 11-18) | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Cornerstone | Greeley Campus

Fridays | Feb. 3 - March 3 | 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Prairie Building | Fort Lupton Campus

Thursdays | Feb. 2 - 23 | 4 - 8 p.m. | Room 107 | Loveland Campus

Aims offers free tax preparation and e-filing assistance for the community’s lowto middle-income taxpayers. This service is provided through a partnership with Tax Help Colorado. Anyone who made less than $60,000 annually in 2022 can receive assistance from IRS-certified Aims students and community volunteers. Sites are operated on a first-come-first-served basis.

For more information about events at Aims Community College, visit events. aims.edu.

Aims Offers New Industrial Technology Certificates in Manufacturing Operations, Energy and Robotics

Aims Community College is offering three new certificate programs to address the needs of the growing manufacturing sector in northern Colorado. Over the next decade, there will be a greater need for skilled workers familiar with process automation, sustainable energy practices, industrial robotics and other high-tech skills.

by Aims Communications

The new Aims Industrial Technology certificates include the following:

• Energy Certificate

• Manufacturing Operations Certificate

• Robotics Certificate

“What is most exciting about these new certificates is that they provide a mechanism for students to focus on a specific field within the industry,” said Dave Sordi, an Aims instructor in Industrial Technology and Energy Studies. “For students who don’t have the desire nor the time to obtain a two-year degree or general certificate, it will allow them to quickly learn about these fields and then use that to expand their career opportunities.“

Adding these focused certificates is expected to increase Aims student enrollment in the Industrial Technology program and potentially attract students in other degree programs who want to learn about robotics, energy, or manufacturing operations. Sordi provided this example: “a student may be pursuing a degree in nursing but would like to understand robotics due to the growing use of robots in the medical industry.”

To gain knowledge and insight, the Industrial Technology program holds regular meetings with an advisory committee consisting of representatives from local industry partners to advise the college on the local business community’s needs. These industry advisors have worked with Aims to continually evolve and develop curriculum for what is relevant. In the process of bringing these new certificate programs to the catalog, Aims retired certificates that were no longer as relevant to the businesses in the local economy.

“It’s exciting that Aims is partnering with the students and the businesses in the community to help build the workforce we will all rely on tomorrow,” said Eric Fitzsimons of CNE Creative Enterprises, LLC, an advisory committee member. “The intention is to guide students through the course selection of the certificates to gain the base skills needed for entry or acceleration of their careers in the associated industry.”

“As companies evolve to respond to COVID-19, such as addressing broken supply chains, they will bring manufacturing back onto U.S. soil,” Sordi said. “To become competitive with overseas labor costs, companies are using more automation and robotics within their operations. This creates issues, including a lack of technical expertise in the workforce to operate and maintain this equipment and increased energy use. These certificates will educate students to fill the opportunities created by issues industries will face.”

Visit aims.co/apply to begin the admission process and learn more. An Aims admissions counselor will follow up to discuss the next steps. Learn more about the Aims Industry Technology and Energy Studies certificates at aims.co/industrial-techcerts.

MCC Offers Free Tax Preparation with Tax Help Colorado Program

Fort Morgan, CO. 1/24/2023. This tax season, Morgan Community College is partnering with Tax Help Colorado, a program of Mile High United Way, to offer families free tax preparation. Beginning Thursday, February 2, 2023, IRS-certified volunteers will prepare and file tax returns free of charge to households with incomes of less than $60,000 a year.

Free tax prep helps ease the burden of commercial tax preparation costs on lowwage earners and helps connect families with valuable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is worth up to $6,700 for the 2022 tax year. On average, tax preparation in Colorado cost $200.

“Tax Help Colorado’s partnership with MCC benefits families in our community by ensuring taxpayers reclaim valuable tax credits to help support their household income and boost the local economy,” said Leah Thomas, MCC Agriculture and Business Management Faculty and Coordinator. “MCC’s tax site is operated by certified tax preparers with over 15 years of experience. Schedule your appointment online today!”

This free service will be offered at Morgan Community College, 920 Barlow Road in Fort Morgan on Tuesdays and Thursdays, February 2 - March 7, 2023, from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling (970) 542-3100, Monday-Friday between 1 p.m.-5 p.m. or on the MCC website at www. morgancc.edu/taxhelp.

In 2022, MCC Tax Help Colorado volunteers completed 386 Federal and State returns, resulting in $760,973 in refunds for families and households living in northeast Colorado.

A list of all the Tax Help Colorado sites, as well as the locations of other free tax assistance sites in Colorado, are available by calling 2-1-1 or visiting TaxHelpCO.org.

Candidate Forums

United Power will host the following Meet the Candidate Forums where members can learn more about each of our director candidates.

Monday, March 13 | 6:30 p.m. Riverdale Regional Park Rendezvous Room, Waymire Dome 9755 Henderson Rd, Brighton 80601 View Livestream at www.unitedpower.com

Tuesday, March 14 | 7:30 a.m. Coal Creek Canyon Community Center 31528 Highway 72, Golden 80403

Thursday, March 16 | 6:30 p.m. United Power Carbon Valley Service Center 9586 E I-25 Frontage Rd, Longmont 80504

Friday, March 17 | 7:30 a.m. Fort Lupton Recreation Center Multi-purpose Room 3 203 S Harrison Ave, Fort Lupton 80621

Annual Meeting & Director Election

Where: Riverdale Regional Park

When: Wednesday, April 12, 2023

4:30 p.m. | Registration opens 6:30 p.m. | Meeting begins www.unitedpower.com

Heritage Christian Rallies To Take Wiggins Boys Basketball, 64-57

by Paul Dineen, Get The Picture Sports LLC

Levi Hermsen scored seventeen points to lead Heritage Christian.

The Heritage Christian Eagles boys (of Fort Collins) traveled to Wiggins to take on the Tigers in basketball on January 21. The Wiggins boys team entered the contest with an 8-4 record and were on a three game winning streak. Heritage Christian was 7-4 and on a winning streak of four games. After a close game into the fourth quarter, Wiggins pulled ahead by ten midway through the quarter. The Eagles scored twentyfour of the final thirty-one points to force overtime and get the win 64-57.

Heritage Christian took period one, 15-11. But, Eagle scoring slowed in the second and third quarters, when they were outscored by the Tigers, 24-17, giving Wiggins a three point lead after three, 35-32. The game had remained within five points through just under seven minutes left in the fourth. Both teams got hot in the fourth quarter, combining for 38% of the points they would score in regulation. Along the way, Wiggins would open up a ten point lead at 50-40 more than half way through Q4. That would usually be a comfortable margin for a win. However, the Eagles rallied for fourteen of the next eighteen points. They forced overtime by tying the game at fiftyfour on a Luke Lundy layup with thirty-six seconds remaining. Heritage Christian then took charge in the overtime, outscoring the Tigers ten to three, for the 64-57 final.

Cole Kerr led Wiggins shooters with eighteen points and fouled out in Q4. Omar Perez added fourteen points. Levi Hermsen led the Eagles with seventeen points. Raul Bertinato and Shane Moseley each chipped in fourteen.

The loss put Wiggins at 8-5 and 1-1 in the 3A/2A Lower Platte league, for fifth place out of nine teams. At this writing Wiggins’ next (and final) regular season game will be at Wray on February 16.

With the win, Heritage Christian moves to 8-4 overall, extending their winning streak to five games. They are 5-4 in the 3A/2A/1A Mile High league, for fifth place out of thirteen teams. The Cougars final regular season game will be at Denver Christian on February 17.