Colorado Democrats are leaving people behind
We’ve probably all heard the advice: “Watch what people do, not what they say.” Well, that’s especially true when it comes to public policy. If you listen to the politicians leading our state, they say they care deeply about minorities, women, small businesses and students. The impacts of their policies, however, are telling a very different story.
Take COVID-19 vaccine distribution, for example. Hispanics make up 22% of Colorado’s population (and 28% of COVID cases), but they have only received 5% of the COVID vaccines. African Americans make up 4% of the population, but they have only received 2% of the vaccines.
Despite having almost a year to prepare a plan, the state is failing to produce an equitable system – which is hurting minority communities as a result.
Additionally, Colorado’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed to 8.4% — hitting minorities the hardest. While every state is dealing with the pandemic, Colorado’s unemployment rate went from fourth-best to fourth-worst during the last year. And in southern Colorado, where Hispanics make up a large percentage of the population, the unemployment rate is the highest in the state.
Unemployment has risen steeply because too many small businesses are closing.
In the last quarter of 2020, new business filings were down, while dissolutions spiked. It’s clear that big corporations aren’t struggling nearly as much as local businesses. Restaurants that have been around for decades have closed because of stringent state regulations.
Other states have safely reopened their economies faster than we have – which puts us at a significant disadvantage as we try to recover.
Not only are our small businesses struggling, but we are also in the midst of what is being called a “She-Cession.” Women are being disproportionately impacted during this recession, especially here in Colorado.
Women are outpacing men in initial unemployment claims, which is unheard of in normal years. And an analysis by the Common Sense Institute found that the labor participation for mothers is 6% lower than last year — which represents 20,000 fewer working moms in our state. Mothers have also seen their total work hours reduced more than fathers.
Part of this is because women are more likely than men to adjust their schedules to account for their children’s remote or hybrid learning.
While states like Florida, Iowa, and Texas have totally reopened their schools, too many Colorado students still don’t have that option. Despite the CDC and WHO saying that the scientific data indicates that schools can safely reopen, teachers unions in Colorado (and across the country) are still objecting.
We know that, in the meantime, students are falling further and further behind. What we don’t fully know yet is how bad the long-term impacts will be.
While we have local control in Colorado, the pandemic has shown how much sway the governor has when it comes to pushing policy outcomes that he wants. Gov. Jared Polis should use that sway to be much stronger about fully opening up schools — now.
Voters have put Democrats in charge of every lever of power in state government. But if they don’t fix these problems soon, it might be short-lived. If we truly care about every Coloradan, we deserve better from our leaders.
Michael Fields is the executive director of Colorado Rising State Action