Economic Opportunity

Articles: Coming next week: Bell Policy Center???s Blueprint for Opportunity, Colorado children without private insurance are more likely to die after hospitalization, Effectiveness of No Child Left Behind act difficult to determine, Teen obesity depends on neighborhood support. . .

Now more than ever, Colorado needs the Bell ??? a champion for faithful state spending, improving self-sufficiency, affordable colleges and universities, strong schools, accessible health care, good jobs and more. The Bell has shown Colorado needs a progressive research and advocacy organization, and has proven its ability to meet that need.

The Bell Policy Center supports committing economic development funds to support micro-enterprise because it is a good investment for Colorado. It helps low- to moderate-income entrepreneurs start businesses, create jobs and add to the economic activity within their communities.

Gov. Ritter: Education a key investment for economic growth; Bell to research state funding needs and revenue potential, start ???purposeful discussion???; Proposed federal regulation could cost Colorado hospitals $128 million; Health Care Day of Action draws hundreds to state Capitol; Economic snapshot: strong economy, high costs for the poor; Two reports examine how immigrants affect the U.S. labor force; Micro-loans help low-income women start businesses

Presentation providing an overview of the Bell Policy Center's report "Opportunity Lost: When Hard Work Isn't Enough for Colorado's Families."

Policy brief explaining why Colorado should use 15% of federal ???Reed Act??? funds to ensure the provision of effective workforce development services to the state???s growing population of unemployed and underemployed workers.

In this first edition of Colorado: The State of Opportunity, we introduce the Cycle of Opportunity and show how, for most Americans, success requires a series of steps that build on one another and accumulate over a lifetime of effort. We have identified some of the key points in life that are critical gateways to opportunity and highlighted specific indicators to help us understand who is successfully passing through each gateway and who is not.

I n our free market economy, the ultimate gateway to opportunity is a good income that allows a family to accumulate assets and save for the future. And unlike health or education, wealth can be stored, shared with one???s family, and passed on from generation to generation.

The Bell Policy Center offers a hopeful and inclusive vision for Colorado - one grounded in the basic American value of opportunity. We believe Colorado ought to be a state of opportunity for all, regardless of race or economic background - a place where individuals have the opportunity to build better lives for themselves and their families and to participate in the many blessings of democracy.

Although the Federal Poverty Measure is the most common and widely used measure of economic distress, it is not necessarily the most realistic measurement of what a working person or family needs to earn in order to be self-sufficient, i.e., to meet their most basic needs without any public or private assistance or supports. One alternative measurement of economic well-being is the Self-Sufficiency Standard.