New Democrat Update - March 1999
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES
Rep. Jennifer Veiga (D-Denver), Rep. Dan Grossman (D-Denver) and the New Democrat Caucus strongly believe that Democrats should stand for preventing crime and punishing criminals, not explaining away their behavior. That's why they advocating developing a DNA database for all convicted violent felons.
This initiative, based on a Colorado DLC White Paper, will make it possible to compare a DNA sample from a suspect or crime scene with all others in the system. That will make it possible to establish links between crime scenes across the state and nation and more quickly identify criminals involved in offenses like serial rape, murder, robberies, car thefts, burglaries and assaults.
Local police departments will be empowered to catch repeat criminals while making offenders think twice before committing another offense. The end result will be safer neighborhoods.
For too long, Democrats have been either on the wrong side of public opinion or simply silent on fundamental issues like crime (also fiscal discipline and welfare reform). Building a progressive majority coalition requires Colorado Democrats to advocate a “tough governing” agenda as well as a compassionate one on those issues where we have had a historical advantage - education, health care, and the environment.
Which is why using DNA technology to fight crime is not only good public policy but good politics as well. The legislature and Governor should support this tough and smart crime-fighting initiative.
Unfortunately, another attempt to strengthen Colorado's communities and political process experienced a setback. Sen. Mike Feeley's (D-Lakewood) and Rep. Bob Bacon's (D-Fort Collins) “Vote-By-Mail” bill was defeated in the House State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee. Committee Republicans (with one exception) apparently did not want to involve more voters in Colorado's political process. With turnout at abysmally low levels, that is the wrong message and policy.
Vote-by-Mail would help renew our politics by challenging the special interests that dominate decision-making and returning power to citizens. In one national poll, fewer than half agreed that government is run for the benefit of all people or that public officials care what average citizens think.
Increased voter participation would help create a more open and competitive system in which the influence of special interest money is sharply reduced. Our politics would be one of higher purpose that builds on Colorado's future and addresses broad concerns, not narrow, special interests.
For those in the opposition, be forewarned, this issue won't be going away anytime soon. Stay tuned for details.
CREATING OPPORTUNITY
The New Democrat Caucus is supporting Rep. Abel Tapia's (D-Pueblo) initiative to increase early childhood education opportunities for Colorado's kids. In addition to making the American Dream a reality for more children, investing now is fiscally responsible. The Families and Work Institute found that for every $1 invested in a young child's health and welfare, society saves $7 in remedial education, juvenile crime and welfare expenses in later years - a rate of return that would make a venture capitalist envious. A Colorado Department of Education report in 1994 indicated that the state's preschool program saved as much as $7 million over a three-year period in special-needs classes.
New scientific research by RAND and the Carnegie Institute of New York shows that the experiences children have during those initial critical years determine whether they will grow up physically and emotionally healthy, and able to learn in school and succeed in life. Without preschool opportunities, kids often become adults who cause social problems like crime, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, child abuse, welfare dependency and homelessness.
Even though half of adult intellectual capacity is already present by age 4, state government and school districts spend billions of dollars on education and other programs which serve children only after they enter school. Ninety percent of all public resources are spent on children after their brains are almost fully developed but the gap in ability already exists by the time a youngster reaches kindergarten.
For too many children, the current system is simply too late. At least 150,000 Colorado kids are in child care situations that fail to help - or even hinder - mental development. High-risk children entering Colorado schools also jeopardize the education of other youngsters.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton may have said it best at the 1997 White House Conference on Early Childhood Development and Learning:
“And as we now know, for the first three years of their life, so much is happening in the baby's brain. They will learn to soothe themselves when they're upset, to empathize to get along. These experiences can determine whether children will grow up to be peaceful or violent citizens, focused or undisciplined workers, attentive or detached parents themselves.”
Tapia's HB 1170 represents a modest step in this direction. Any smart-investing legislature, truly focusing on the future, would agree.
Other New Democrat Caucus members include Sens. Stan Matsunaka (D-Loveland) and Terry Phillips (D-Louisville), as well as Reps. Fran Coleman (D-Denver), Albert Gagliardi (D-Alamosa), Carl Miller (D-Leadville), Lois Tochtrop (D-Northglenn) and Paul Zimmerman (D-Thornton).
MAKING WORK PAY
Everyone should be able to lift his or her family out of poverty by working hard and full-time. In the battle to increase opportunity for all, State Rep. Gary McPherson (R-Aurora), supported by Governor Bill Owens, sponsored a bill modeled after President Bill Clinton’s 1993 expanded earned income tax credit (EITC). A state EITC would build on the success of its federal counterpart, which has already lifted millions of working-poor Americans out of poverty for less than one percent of the federal budget.
Unfortunately, except for McPherson (who chairs the panel), the House Finance Committee killed the bill on a straight party-line vote - all Democrats voted yes while the rest of the Republicans told Colorado's working poor “better luck next time.” Despite passing a full tax cut package totaling more than $810 million (all cannot be approved because some are duplicative), the GOP cannot seem to find about $100 million of tax relief for working families who least deserve to be poor.
Giving the working poor real, on-the-job incentives motivates them to strive harder which, in turn, spurs the economy to grow faster. Best of all, the longer they stay on the job, the more likely they will move up to higher-paying positions that do not require the supplement. While directly promoting the work ethic, a state EITC would go a long way toward reducing economic stress on families struggling to make ends meet. Better-fed poor children tend to be healthier kids and better students - to the taxpayers' eventual benefit.
Finally, it will give welfare recipients greater incentive to work. More Coloradans would realize that work, not welfare, pays.
The Governor and legislature need to make a state EITC part of the eventual tax package. Poor Coloradans who work hard, and their children, have earned their support.