Economic Opportunity

More small businesses say they will offer health insurance for their employees once the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange is up and running in 2014, according to a Kaiser Permanente survey of business owners.

The survey found that, after hearing a short description of the exchange, the number of employers who said they would offer health benefits to some or all employees jumped to 59 percent, up from 52 percent currently.

By Rich Jones

Working to improve public policy is often the best way to address the underlying problems facing the people many nonprofit agencies serve. It has been compared to "going upstream" to fix the railings on a bridge to prevent people from falling into a river, rather than only pulling them out after they've fallen in. In an ideal world we would do both.

(The Bell Policy Center and the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute co-released this report in Colorado for the Fiscal Policy Institute.)

By Kevin C Keller
The Denver Post

Immigrant-owned small businesses bring in an average of $684 million a year to Colorado, according to a newly released study by the Fiscal Policy Institute in New York.

By Allison Sylte
Denver Business Journal

Immigrants are 10 percent more likely than U.S.-born citizens to own small businesses in metro Denver, according to a report released by the New York-based Fiscal Policy Institute.

By Frank Waterous
Guest columnist

Recently, commentators in the media have questioned the value of a college education. Robert Samuelson of The Washington Post, for one, said the "college-for-all crusade has outlived its usefulness." In these tough economic times, with unemployment high and college graduates facing a bleak job market, the question might seem worthy of debate. But that's because the question misses the mark on two crucial points:

• The need for an expanded understanding that "college" includes much more than just four-year degrees.

By Frank Waterous

Recently, commentators in the media have questioned the value of a college education. Robert Samuelson of The Washington Post, (Herald, May 28) for one, said the "college-for-all crusade has outlived its usefulness."
Waterous Enlargephoto

In these tough economic times, with unemployment high and college graduates facing a bleak job market, the question might seem worthy of debate. But that's because the question misses the mark on two crucial points:

By now you have probably heard that the board of trustees of Metropolitan State College (soon to be University) voted 7-1 last Thursday to approve a new category of non-resident tuition that will make post-secondary education accessible and affordable for qualified undocumented high school graduates in our state. We are very pleased that Metro has taken this courageous step on behalf of Colorado students and applaud the board for showing leadership on this important issue.

Gov. John Hickenlooper signs House Bill 1272, which will expand training programs
for unemployed Coloradans. The Bell testified in favor of the bill,
and Wade Buchanan, president of the Bell, is at right.

Gov. John Hickenlooper signs House Bill 1272, which will expand training programs for unemployed Coloradans. The Bell testified in favor of the bill,
and Wade Buchanan, president of the Bell, is at right.

(Online edition headline: College isn't what it used to be, but it's critical)

By Frank Waterous

Recently, the value of a college education has come into question. Robert J. Samuelson of The Washington Post, for one, said the "college-for-all crusade has outlived its usefulness."

In these tough economic times, with unemployment high and college graduates facing a bleak job market, the question might seem worthy of debate. But that's because the question misses the mark on two crucial points: