DENVER - For government transparency, Colorado gets high marks in a new national evaluation of state spending by the Colorado Public Interest Research Group.

The state went from a grade of D-plus to a B for 2013, earning recognition for greater online access to how public money is spent. CoPIRG director Danny Katz explained why the availability of this information is so important.

"Transparency is important because it can help the government save money, it can measure progress towards policy goals, and it can help hold recipients of public funds accountable," he said.

Colorado now has an online portal called the Transparency Online Project (TOPS). Nationwide, the state ranks 16th for providing online access to spending data.

Another contributor to the state's higher grade is the availability of a biannual Tax Expenditure Report, after a bill passed in 2011 that was championed by the Colorado Fiscal Institute. Ali Mickelson, a tax policy attorney for the institute, explained why her organization pushed so hard for these reports.

"It's a great way to evaluate who's paying taxes, how much taxes people are paying, as well as where our tax dollars go, how much money is going out the door," she said. "All of that we didn't have before, and it's just a really important thing for everybody to have."

The cost to create the website portal for Coloradans to gain greater access was $200,000, and it costs a little less than $170,000 annually to maintain. State lawmakers are considering allocating additional funds to enhance the site. Katz said he believes it's money well spent.

"We're really hoping that they get this money," he said, "and then they use this money wisely to build the kind of platform that will allow them to do all sorts of great innovative things moving forward - that will allow them to continue to give these tools to the average consumer, to the small business owner, to whoever is looking for it."

On Colorado's website, people now have access to information about more than $500 million in subsidies. The stated goal of the TOP system is to "reduce the time and cost associated with open-records requests, and to maximize convenience for the state's citizens."

The report is online at copirg.org. TOPS is at tops.state.co.us.


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Indiana will be represented by about 90 delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week.

Michael Schmuhl, chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, is brimming with enthusiasm as the state prepares to send its delegation to the convention, which begins Monday. Schmuhl said the total contingent is expected to number close to 120 people, including guests and family members.

"Obviously, our convention is later than the Republican one by a few weeks," Schmuhl noted. "A lot has happened in the last month or so on the Democratic side, and there's just huge enthusiasm."

Despite Indiana not being a key presidential battleground state this cycle, Schmuhl remains hopeful. He pointed out the Democratic National Committee is investing significantly in Indiana to boost voter turnout and organize grassroots efforts.

Schmuhl also highlighted the challenges posed by the state's voter registration laws, which he believes could do more to make voting easier. Indiana is among the "reddest" states in the Midwest but Hoosiers put the state in the Democrats' column for President Barack Obama in 2008, which had not happened in the state since 1964.

"I'm hopeful that investment leads to more turnout," Schmuhl explained. "I would love to see Indiana turn 'blue.' It's a tall order, but I'm excited about not only the presidential ticket at the top, but also our statewide ticket and a lot of our down-ballot races, too."

He stressed the importance of mobilizing college students and young voters, whom he said are vital to the party's strategy.


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New survey results from AARP shed some light on the top concerns of Michigan seniors and how these issues are likely to shape their voting decisions in the November election. Voters 50 and older will be the decisive force in the battle for Congress, with higher turnout and motivation than younger voters, especially in battleground states like Michigan.

Jeff Liszt, partner at Impact Research, a Democratic public opinion firm, underscored that a significant portion of older voters will be living on fixed incomes, making Social Security a critical issue.

"Sixty-one percent said that it is, or will be, a major source of income for them; another 29% said it that it will be at least a minor source of income," he said. "So, you've got 90% of voters over 50 who are going to depend on Social Security, or are depending on Social Security."

Another key issue for Michiganders over 50 is caregiving. More than one third of Michigan women in this age group are providing care for at least one family member or friend with a health condition or disability.

Family caregivers currently lean Republican by 11 points. Pollsters say Democrats can appeal to them by supporting programs that encourage independent living, while Republicans can maintain their lead by addressing this issue.

Bob Ward, partner at Fabrizio Ward, a Republican public opinion research firm, noted this is a big issue that unites voters across party lines.

"We have data in the survey that shows that candidates who are willing to promote policies that support family caregivers - like tax credits for out-of-pocket expenses, or paid leave - these are policies that are supported by Republicans, Independents and Democrats," he explained.

Ward noted that voters over 50 will make up about 55% of the electorate in this year's presidential election. He also highlights a gender gap in the survey, with women strongly favoring Vice President Kamala Harris and men leaning toward former President Donald Trump, both by double-digit margins.

Newly released polling shows Vice President Kamala Harris holds a narrow lead or is tied with former President Donald Trump in six of the seven battleground states - and in Arizona, Harris now leads by two points. The Harris-Walz campaign has been riding what some are calling a wave of momentum. The duo drew more than 15.000 people to an arena in Glendale last week.

Corey Woods, Tempe Mayor, spoke at the rally and describes the enthusiasm surrounding the campaign as "electric." He considers the controversial right-wing Project 2025 playbook a threat to much of the progress that's been made.

"We don't want Project 2025 to roll back a lot of the critical infrastructure improvements that have happened under the Biden-Harris administration," Woods said. "I just frankly think it is very dangerous public policy."

Woods is convinced the future of U.S. democracy is at stake in this year's election. He contends the Harris-Walz ticket will work to foster what he calls "a better and more perfect union," something even some Arizona Republicans are standing by.

But former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has announced his official endorsement for Trump and U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake, writing on 'X' that "much is on the line this election year."

Woods points to an unprecedented amount of federal funding that's been overseen by the current administration - dollars he says are making real changes at the local, state and national level. As an example, he says an estimated $16 million grant has been game-changing for the Tempe Streetcar, which is set to expand its reach.

"That $16 million investment, to really make what is currently our existing Tempe-based streetcar into a regional system connecting us to the city of Mesa, is a really critical transportation infrastructure investment that is going to pay dividends for decades, if not hundreds of years to come," Woods declared.

He added those are exactly the types of investments he wants to see prioritized in the future, but he's concerned they could be in jeopardy under a second Trump administration.


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