Logo - League of Women Voters

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS®
OFLeague name THE GUNNISON AREA

NEWS & EVENTS VOTER INFORMATION ISSUES & ACTION LIBRARY FOR MEMBERS

 
 I N  T H I S  S E C T I O N  Issues and Action
Email this to a friend 


Action Alerts

Health Care

Colorado's Blue Ribbon
Commission

Health Care for All Colorado

Montrose LWV

The Light Program

Immigration Study

Sustainability

Home » Issues and Action Issues and Action

Issues and Actions

SUSTAINABILITY

All local Colorado Leagues have been asked to make a concurrence statement by March indicating agreement or non-agreement with adding the following statement to the Principles listed in the LWVCO Program for Study and Action book:
Principles Statement
Sustainability is a way of life which seeks a balance in meeting current environment, economic and human needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the same goal.
The concept of Sustainability is implicit in the Principles of the League of Women Voters.  League positions are in compliance with the fundamental principle of sustainability, recognizing the interdependency among issues of public policy, and the impact of current decisions on the global welfare of future generations.

As the first step in developing a local sustainability profile, the LWV of the Gunnison Area at its November monthly meeting held a Sustainability Study Forum.  The committee members presented their findings to the 25 members attending on the five (5) topics of: Energy, (Ralph Clark III); Agriculture, (Ellen Harriman); Transportation, (Doris Kuiper); Health, (Noelle Hagan and Jan Carroll); and Education, (Pat Venturo).

The following Topic Sheets were developed by the Committee to promote discussion at the meeting and to give us a starting point for developing the concurrence or lack thereof for the report which will go forward to LWVCO.

GETTING TO ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY FOR OUR GUNNISON BASIN COMMUNITY
Butch Clark

Purpose     
* Think seven generations into the future to make community more sustainable.
* Think about interconnections between environment, society, and economy. 
* As a remote rural community, Gunnison must prepare for declining energy supplies, increasing
     costs for energy, and many consequences of global warming.  
* For energy sustainability, we must be less dependant on outside sources of energy

What To Think About     
* Already started policies, conservation programs and financial incentives.  
* Correcting what we do now is important but much more is achieved by good planning for future.

How to do it     
* Identify local studies, surveys, resolutions, and information about energy use.
* Learn what people did long ago and are doing now to identify challenges, and opportunities.        
* Think about how energy use fits together with all that happens and can happen in future.
* Make contacts to learn about community energy interconnectedness and the future challenges.   

What to Look At      
* Monitor broad indicators for energy use and relationships to sustainability.
* Sustainability indicators should fully reflect energy use in all aspects of the community life.  
* Prepare community energy sustainability performance assessments or "report cards." 
* Include energy use of water, business and employment development, and new uses of land.

Energy Sustainability Opportunities    
* Look at good solar opportunities to reduce energy demands. 
* Generate electrical power and heating requirements locally  they are cheaper.  
* Use potential geothermal, ground source heating, and micro-hydropower for energy needs.
* Generate electricity and heat from waste sewage, gases, and organic materials at landfill.

Energy Threats and Challenges    
* Prepare for breaks in long distance transmission of energy to us.
* Find places to put community solar facilities, such as avoiding sage grouse needs.
* Conserve more energy with new construction to compensate for current use. 

Now What
* We need help to find where and from who to locate critical information. 
* Need ideas, knowledge, and suggestions for how to understand that energy interconnects with all else.  

Useful References
City of Boulder, Colorado, city web site offers many guidelines and reports
on achieving community sustainability.
Carlisle N., Elling J. And Penny T. (2008) A Renewable Energy Community: Key
Elements, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden , Colorado,
on web site, 75 pages.
Clarion Associates, Farr Associates, and Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute
(2008) Sustainability Diagnosis for the Washington, D.C. Zoning Review,
prepared for the Washington, D.C. Office of Planning, on web, 74 pages.
Hopkins R. (2008) The Transition Handbook, Chelsea Green Publishing, White
River Junction, VT, 240 pages.
The Nature Conservancy Center for Compatible Development (1996) A Colorado's
Citizens Guide to Achieving A Healthy Community, Economy,
and Environment, The Aspen Institute, Aspen, Colorado, sections with
about 280 pages.
League of Oregon Cities, at Portland State University, web site has many
guides and papers on achieving sustainability.

SUSTAINABILITY PROFILE: HEALTH
Noelle Hagan and Jan Carroll

Elements Having a Positive Impact on Sustainability:

  • A dynamic Public Health Department that takes advantage of supplemental funding opportunities
    and is willing to “incubate” new programs that increase the health of Gunnison County residents. 
    Examples are The Light Program, a voucher system serving the uninsured; free Family Planning
    and STD clinics; multicultural Resource Center; the Food Bank; Early Childhood Health programs.
  • A local cultural ethic of valuing health, exercise, and nutrition. Generally speaking this seems to have
    resulted in lower-than-state-average rates of many chronic diseases. Child immunization rates and
    early prenatal care rates are also higher than the state average.
  • Willingness of voters to support recreational access and opportunities through the Gunnison County
    Metropolitan Recreation District:  i.e., ice skating complex, swimming pool, recreational center, trails system.
  • Ability of community to retain health care workers at a fairly high rate.
  • Presence of a hospital assisted living center, and long term care facility as well as two home health providers.
  • New programs, connected to preschools/daycares and public schools, and that are addressing access
    to preventive dental care for children. Given that Gunnison water is not fluoridated, this is a critical need.
  • WSC Search and Rescue Organization responds to local, state, and national requests for assistance. 
    Their expertise is nationally recognized.

Elements Having a Negative Impact on Sustainability:

  • Lack of a dentist in the county who takes Medicaid patients. This creates a gap of uninsured and underinsured
    low-wage workers.
  • Instability of healthcare services for undocumented workers. Although The Light program addresses
    some of this need, the program is largely dependent on donations and grant funding. Nationally, it does not
    appear that health care reform will address the issue of undocumented workers and their families.
  • State data shows that there may be issues related to mental health in Gunnison County that consume
    the resources available. For example, in 2006 the “Treatment Rate for Substance Abuse” in the county
    was 506/100,000 which was the highest rate of any county in Region 10. Rates of “Substantiated Abuse
  • and Neglect Victims, Ages 0-18” for 2005 and 2006 in Gunnison County were also above the stat average.
  • The “Fear Factor”.  Governments, politicians, organizations, can manipulate human behavior by injecting
    fear into their thinking and decision making.  A constant state of fear-induced anxiety is not healthy.

Additional Questions:
Can the community deal with its aging population?
Will current resources be sufficient?

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTION
Ellen Harriman

Food production is necessary for sustainability. Ranching is the dominant for of agriculture in the valley
and it is under stress. Gardening is a growing form of food production.

Current Ranch Operations
1. Midsize operations have the most difficulty
2. cattle and hay are the primary crops

Challenges
1. High land prices
2. Average age of ranchers is 60 year/succession issues
3. Credit/financing is difficult for beginning operators
4. Land development pressures
5. Cost of production exceeds income

Opportunities
1. Conservation easements—provide some ranchers the ability to remain on the land
2. Diversification—other crops or activities like agri-tourism may help some ranchers
3. Local markets provide opportunities for ranchers and gardeners
` A. Farmer’s Markets
B. Community Supported Agriculture
C. Contracts with large purchasers like WSC
4. High tech or low tech approaches
5. Community Gardens provide places for education, production and other social benefits

References
1. Eric McPhail, CSU Extension Agent
2. Jonathan Houck, city councilor and Community Garden organizer
3. Bill and Kelly Parker diversified operation with CSA
4. Kathleen Curry state legislator and local rancher
5. Phyllis Guerrieri local rancher
6. Localist Movements in the Global Economy by David J. Hess

SUSTAINABILITY…..EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS
Pat Venturo

Education is an important component of sustainability.
Education goal: ensuring that all people have equal access to education and lifelong learning opportunities
that will prepare them for meaningful work, a high quality of life, and an understanding of the concepts
involved in sustainability. We in Gunnison County are fortunate to have an excellent school system,
a fine college and many opportunities to extend our knowledge in every field imaginable.

On this information sheet you will find examples of how the Gunnison/Crested Butte area is trying to educate its
residents about sustainability. On the back is a list of local web sites containing detailed information about these
education possibilities.

Publications

  • Gunnison Country Times Homes brochure with building and energy tips
  • Crested Butte News spring building brochure
  • Gunnison Valley Hospital quarterly brochure with health tips
  • Brochures from local physicians’ offices with health tips
  • Brochures available from CSU Extension office – food and agriculture related
  • ORE’s library of books available to public
  • Gunnison County and WSC library collections of materials relating to sustainability

Classes, Workshops and Conferences

  • Annual HCCA sponsored Sustainable Communities Symposium
  • Annual fall WSC Headwaters Conference
  • Annual WSC Colorado Water Workshop in July
  • WSC Environmental Studies Spring Symposium
  • WSC ENVS capstone project which sends students doing sustainable projects
     into the community
  • WSC Extended Studies class offerings, ie. Preserving food, Designing green homes,
    Transitions     course, Survival and Business courses related to sustainability
  • GCEA/AAUW series of Weatherization Workshops for Women
  • CSU sponsored horticultural workshops: gardening, food preserving, etc.
    Also outreach efforts: weed management, local beef feasibility study, consulting with County Green Team, etc.
  • ORE (Office of Resource Efficiency) – annual building seminars, training and certification
    of businesses in increasing energy efficiency and cutting carbon emissions, Sustainable Home Tours, etc.
  • The newly formed Gunnison Valley Green Builders Guild is planning to host a regional “straw bale”
    building workshop in the spring of 2010.

Local Governmental Efforts to Educate about Sustainability

  • City of Gunnison Energy Action Plan (EAP)  - will form committees charged with creating education programs,
    promotional materials and workshops to be implemented in Valley schools and the community
  • Town of Crested Butte EAP - will work with ORE to develop programs of outreach to school children,
    businesses and residents on costs and benefits of energy efficiency
  • Gunnison County EAP– will seize opportunities to work with those able to provide educational
    opportunities to meet the EAP’s goals of energy sustainability

Educational Challenge
Discovering new ways to reach a majority of the residents of the county in order to change and
solidify attitudes and actions about the importance of increasing individual and community sustainability.

Resources:
All of the following web sites have information on them relating to sustainability education

A lively discussion between the panel and meeting participants brought out other questions and concerns.  These will be correlated along with the five (5) ideas per member which were requested at the end of the meeting to be submitted back to the panel.  The purpose is to identify what we do well here in Gunnison as well as identifying the areas where we need to improve.

Please add your comments by forwarding them to the Committee Chair at kuipercc@aol.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following information has been compiled by the LWVCO sustainability committee. More will be added in the coming weeks.

SUSTAINABILITY BACKGROUND                                    LWVCO 09/09/09

Sustainability—What Is It?
Sustainability has many definitions, all having a common theme:  meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.  Recognizing the nature and complexity of the interdependence of the earth’s systems and its inhabitants is fundamental to understanding the concept and for evaluating what is and what is not sustainable behavior.  Sustainability is understood to refer to conditions that promote a healthy, safe, and economically secure environment for people and all living things, and that do not exceed the limits of the earth to renew itself.
The concept of sustainability is inherent in LWV positions, an unspoken presumption underlying many positions.  The need to be sustainable is not new, nor is League’s recognition of its importance.  What is new is using the word “sustainability” as an umbrella term to represent League’s positions. 
The principle of sustainability is fundamental to League concerns and League positions tend to support sustainability implicitly rather than explicitly.  Sustainability is a concept that applies to all levels of League, and the concept is implicit in League Principles.  League positions often speak of preservation and conservation, of stewardship, of considering long-term benefits and meeting future needs.
Sustainability refers to the dynamic among ecological, economic, and social systems on a global scale.  It demands consideration of the interactions among positions in different program areas.  Principles of sustainability are reflected in most program areas, usually implicitly rather than explicitly.  For example:
With respect to government, positions support policies that promote equity, flexibility, and responsibility so that democratic government is encouraged and protected.
With respect to natural resources, positions support protection and wise management in the public interest to promote an environment beneficial to life.
With respect to social policy, positions promote the equity, justice, education, healthcare, and housing essential to a sustainable society.
Using League Positions
In focusing on the complex interrelationships among Earth’s systems, the concept of sustainability ties together many League positions and reiterates League program goals.  It is an overarching concept.  The integration of positions to articulate interactions can make them more effective.

  • Sustainable development depends on the integration of social, economic, and environmental goals.
  • Sustainable governing policies and practices recognize the interdependence of environmental, social, and economic impacts, and provide for long-term protection of natural and social resources.  These interrelationships are reflected in the use of “full-cost accounting” that assesses all direct and indirect economic, environmental, and social costs of production and programs.
  • Sustainable governance decisions are based on comprehensive information and evaluation, and encourage public and individual responsibility for maintaining a healthy ecology.
  • Democratic sustainable governance relies upon public participation in decision making.

Integrating League Positions
For purposes of clarity and depth, League studies have traditionally focused on specific and deliberately narrowed topics.  The resulting positions often omit consideration of interrelationships or, at least, leave them unstated.  Action decisions, therefore, involve examination of a number of relevant positions and considerations of overlapping issues and impacts.  By using integration, resolutions may be seen in a different light.  It may be necessary to set priorities and make choices among competing near-term objectives, but  long-term goals should not be in competition.  (We often see this in Colorado when deciding on positions concerning Ballot Issues.)
The goals and aims embodied in LWV positions are not ends in themselves.  Rather, League studies have been guided by the overarching principles of the national organization which are strongly consistent with those of sustainability:  fairness, justice, equity and flexibility
Measuring Sustainability: Indicators
Progress toward achieving sustainability can be measured by monitoring changes in selected characteristics, or indicators.  These should be quantifiable, readily available, and easily understood, such as levels of air pollution, crowding of schools, rates of infant mortality, etc.  Indicators are necessarily oriented to the needs of the community in question.  Broad-based community involvement in identifying the important indicators is a crucial step in achieving social equity.  It is a way of recognizing that different issues may be important to different segments of the population.
Local Uses of the Policy
Local Leagues may look for sustainable development in their cities and counties. They can monitor general plans and ordinances for the integration of the “three e’s”: environment, economy, and equity. Health care accessibility can be evaluated. Leagues can advocate broad-based participation (all players at the table)in determining indicators.  Leagues can promote equitable community planning (social sustainability).

Principles Statement
Sustainability is a way of life which seeks a balance in meeting current environment, economic and human needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the same goal.
The concept of Sustainability is implicit in the Principles of the League of Women Voters.  League positions are in compliance with the fundamental principle of sustainability, recognizing the interdependency among issues of public policy, and the impact of current decisions on the global welfare of future generations.

Recent History of the Concept of Sustainability
1972: The UN held the first conference on Human Development in Stockholm. The concept of sustainable development emerged from concerns of developing countries about the overconsumption and waste in developed countries.
1987: The UN convened the World Commission on Environment and Development which wrote the report, "Our Common Future" (also referred to as the Brundtland Report). This report emphasizes the links between growth, economics, technology, and the environment. Sustainable development is recommended as a solution to worldwide resource degradation and the resulting threat of economic collapse. The Brundtland Report was the first to define sustainable development.
1992: The UN Conference on Environmental Development met and addressed the gross inequities that still existed between developed and developing nations and declared that the capacity of the Earth's ability to provide resources and handle wastes was fast approaching its limits. The Earth Summit created "Action 21," a plan for the 90's and beyond which included strategies to halt environmental degradation and to promote sustainable development in all countries.
1995: The U.S. President's Council on Sustainable Development made policy recommendations that included the education of citizens about consumer practices that lead to more sustainable lifestyles.
The President's Council on Sustainable Development identified goals or "shared aspirations" necessary for achieving sustainability and organized them into ten categories:

  • Health and the Environment
  • Economic Prosperity
  • Equity
  • Conservation of Nature
  • Stewardship
  • Sustainable Communities
  • Civic Engagement
  • Population
  • International Responsibility
  • Education

The Council warned that these categories "are truly interdependent and flow from the Council's understanding that it is essential to seek economic prosperity, environmental protection, and social equity together. The achievement of any one goal is not enough to ensure that future generations will have at least the same opportunities to live and prosper that this generation enjoys: all are needed."

 

HOW SUSTAINABILITY FITS INTO OUR POSITIONS   
LWVCO Sustainability Committee---October 2009
It is important to understand exactly what Sustainability means with regards to the three areas of League of Women Voters positions.  What is Sustainable Government?  What is Sustainable Social Policy?  What is Sustainable Natural Resources?  And, how does it all fit together?
SUSTAINABLE GOVERNMENT:
League’s Government positions include stands on Apportionment, Campaign Finance, the General Assembly, the Justice System, School Finance, and Voting Rights.  Our democratic government rests on these foundations and others that we have studied and decidededly belong in our Program for Study and Action.  They are the backbone of our organization when we take action and declare our support or opposition on legislative or ballot issues. 
If our government is not representative of its people, responsive to its citizens, equitable and flexible, protective of the right to vote, transparent and open to its citizens, or does not provide equal access to public education and equal opportunity for all then we do not have a sustainable government. 
If our government is accessible only to a few powerful and wealthy entities, it does not look to the needs of its people and does not represent the people of our country then we do not have a democracy.  We must guard these rights for all the people of our country to maintain a sustainable government that is based on our Constitution of equality.  So LWV positions fit into a definition of sustainability because we are maintaining these rights for ourselves as well as preserving them for future generations.
SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL POLICY: 
Similarly, League Social Policy positions include stands on Children’s Support Systems, Education, Equality of Opportunity, Health Care, Housing and Income Assistance.  If the citizens of our country and state do not have access to quality education, quality health care, adequate housing, equal opportunity and protection from discrimination then we will not have a sustainable society.  We will not be able to maintain a society of educated, healthy, and productive people for now and the future if we do not protect these rights through our positions.
SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCES:
Natural Resources is the one area most of us can relate to sustainability and it is probably the most tangible piece of the sustainability pie, the one we have heard about the most and perhaps are doing the most about to be sustainable.  Our positions on Air Quality, Energy, Water, Environmental Planning and Management, Land Use and more may already include the word sustainable or at least planning, preserving, etc. We understand that if we do not sustain our natural environment we will not succeed in preserving ourselves much less our future generations.

 

 

 

AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL

Health care is a high priority issue important to the Gunnison Area League of Women Voters. For the past four years we have been working in study groups researching the state of health coverage in the Gunnison Valley, the State of Colorado, and across the US. We have come to the conclusion that a Single-Payer system is the best way to achieve universal, low-cost health care in Colorado and the United States as a whole.

In June 2006, we began educating the public on health care by means of a forum in the Fred Field Western Heritage Center. Nearly 100 people attended this forum which featured Dr. John Tarr, a local physician who discussed the pending shortage of family practice physicians in the valley; Terry Bonney, patient advocate and practice manager who advocated for more insurance providers to create competition for Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield; Mark Ewing, former CB/Mt. CB Chamber of Commerce director who had been trying to create a Gunnison Country Community Health Organization; and Dr. Rocky White of Alamosa who is continuing to try to get the Legislature to pass a universal, single payer, Colorado state health insurance bill.

GUNNISON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ADOPT RESOLUTION
As part of a growing grassroots movement to move health care to a universal coverage, single payer health care program, the Gunnison League with the help of Dr. Richard Gingery, Director of Health Care For All Colorado, made a presentation on January 29th, 2008, to the BOCC about the merits of the proposal. On February 19th, the Gunnison County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution in support of the Colorado Health Services Program - Single Payer Health Care.

We also held a forum at the end of May, 2008, titled: What is Single-Payer Health Care and How Would It Affect You? Speakers included Dr. Richard Gingery, Montrose physician and President of Health Care for All Colorado who explained Single-Payer health care; Dr. John Tarr, long-time Gunnison family-practice physician and presently the Medical Officer for Gunnison County, Director of Medical Staff Relations at Gunnison Valley Hospital, Medical Director of the Health Care Center and also of Gunnison Hospice, who discussed local health care issues; and local family nurse practitioner, Jan Carroll, a Gunnison League of Women Voters’ member and a participant on the Rural Task Force for the Blue Ribbon Commission who summarized the work of that committee. The audience gave comments and asked many pertinent questions about this important issue.

The Gunnison League continues to advocate for a single-payer plan both at the state and federal levels of government. Our Health Care Study group meets regularly and updates our league and disseminates information to our community.

The LWVUS issued the following press release which we want to share with you:

PRESS RELEASE: IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2009

SUBJECT: HEALTH CARE REFORM

FROM: League of Women Voters of Colorado

CONTACT INFO: League of Women Voters of Colorado
1410 Grant B204
Denver, Co. 80203 303-863-0437
Email:info@lwvcolorado.org
Website: http://www.lwvcolorado.org
Health Care for All

Health care is not a partisan issue, but it is a political issue…The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan organization, but it is a political organization. Health Care Reform is a League of Women Voters priority!

LWV encourages “informed” and “active” participation of citizens in our representative, democratic government. It is very discouraging for us to witness lawmakers facing angry mobs protesting health care reform based on misinformation. We need to have a dialogue which allows the lawmaker to clarify what is or isn’t being considered before his/her constituents begin shouting and name calling. Then, of course, the opinions of their constituents (pro and con) should be taken into account before our elected officials return to the very difficult, complex task of health care reform.

Addressing the need for health care reform is not a new or sudden thrust for the LWV. In 1988 a health care delivery and financing position was adopted by the League of Women Voters of Colorado. In the 1990s the League of Women Voters of the United States turned attention to the growing crisis in the delivery and financing of health care.

Visit www.lwv.org to find more information on the League’s health care position, which is in the issues section under social policies.

The League of Women Voters of Colorado and Leagues across our country have worked diligently to ensure access to affordable, quality health care for all, and we believe that the window of opportunity is open for significant reform. It is encouraging that the U.S. Senate and House are seriously considering health care reform legislation.

LWV members are appreciative of our democratic process, and we thank all of our elected Senators and Representatives who work in the U.S Capitol and the Colorado Capitol to protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions and by holding open meetings.

Patty Cordova, President
League of Women Voters of Colorado

The web sites below offer general information on health care, health care reform organizations and links to other websites of states working on universal health care programs.

Arizona LWV has great resources on their website. Of special interest is a study of the evolution of health care. We encourage you to look at all their information!

Physicians for a National Health Program

Physicians for a National Health Program is a single issue organization advocating a universal, comprehensive single-payer national health program. PNHP has more than 15,000 members and chapters across the United States.

Since 1987, we've advocated for reform in the U.S. health care system. We educate physicians and other health professionals about the benefits of a single-payer system--including fewer administrative costs and affording health insurance for the 46 million Americans who have none.

Our members and physician activists work toward a single-payer national health program in their communities. PNHP performs ground breaking research on the health crisis and the need for fundamental reform, coordinates speakers and forums, participates in town hall meetings and debates, contributes scholarly articles to peer-reviewed medical journals, and appears regularly on national television and news programs advocating for a single-payer system.

PNHP is the only national physician organization in the United States dedicated exclusively to implementing a single-payer national health program.

 

Health Care for All Colorado

Health Care for All Colorado is a 501 (c)(4) nonprofit social welfare organization which began in 2001 in response to the increasing numbers of Coloradans who are not able to secure basic health care in our current health care system.  HCAC views health care reform as both a human rights issue and an economic necessity, advocating for the adoption of a single-payer system which ensures that all Coloradans have access to affordable and comprehensive health care services.

The Health Care for All Colorado link will take you to their web site.

This site offers an abundance of information with links to web sites of other states with programs similar to HCAC and links to web sites of states working on universal health care programs, definitions of universal health care and related terms, myths about universal health care and all kinds of articles on related topics. There is also a great slide presentation on this site.

Colorado's Blue Ribbon Commission

What was the Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform?
Created by the Colorado Legislature in 2006, the Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care
Reform was charged with making recommendations for comprehensive health care reform in our state. The goal was to increase access to health care coverage and decrease costs for Colorado residents, with particular emphasis on the issues of the uninsured, underinsured and those at risk of financial hardship due to the costs of medical care. The Commission was required to make final recommendations to the General Assembly by November 30, 2007.

The Commission was charged with:

  • Examining health coverage and reform models designed to ensure access to affordable coverage
    for all Colorado residents    ;
  • Soliciting comprehensive reform proposals from interested parties;
  • Selecting between three and five proposals for in-depth technical assessment by an independent contractor;
  • Holding meetings around the state to solicit public input; and
  • Completing a final report with recommendations to the General Assembly by November 30, 2007.

Four proposals were accepted:

On May 18 the Colorado 208 Commission for Health Care Reform selected four health reform proposals for modeling, reserving the 5th spot for their own consolidated proposal. The following 4 were chosen because they represent a philosophical spectrum:
#1] Service Employees International Union (no mandates)
#2] Colorado Association of Health Underwriters (individual mandate)
#3] Committee for Colorado Health Care Solutions (individual and employer mandate)
#4] Colorado Health Services Program - Single Payer

The Lewin Group modeled and evaluated these proposals for cost and access, permitting opportunities for each group to make changes in consultation with Lewin. Please note: A summary of 19 federal and state studies of single payer since 1991, as well as HCAC's full single-payer proposal and a 500-word summary, can be viewed at: Health Care for All Colorado. Four task forces were formed as an adjunct to the 208 Commission, representing Rural, Underserved, Providers and Business communities. They provided information to the Commission about issues specific to these groups.

Click to view a 1-page summary of the Lewin Group report of administrative savings with the Colorado Health Services Single Payer proposal; and a brief 1-page summary by the Lewin Group of its evaluation of 4 Colorado health care reform proposals. Only 1 of the 4 health care reform proposals evaluated by the Lewin Group was shown to insure everyone AND save money - the Colorado Health Services Single Payer Insurance.

5th Proposal
The Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform wrote their own 5th Proposal, also evaluated by Lewin. They considered a 2-track system of public-private insurance with an individual mandate to purchase private insurance and a tax penalty for failure to do so - similar to the Massachusetts model. (See below: Massachusetts Health Care – Universal in Name Only)
Unfortunately, without strictly regulating private insurances, the experience in Massachusetts with an Individual Mandate is that even the most "affordable" private insurance premium is unaffordable for many - $660/month per family and $330/month per individual. These "affordable" policies tend to be high-deductible, high-copay stripped-down policies that do not provide adequate health or financial protection. Massachusetts Health Care - Universal in Name Only.

Click to read about Minnesota’s disappointing experience trying to legislate not-for-profit private insurances - how the insurers use creative bookkeeping and have taken control of the regulatory process.

It is still important to let our legislators know that our citizens want real, systemic reform, not incremental reform that merely continues shifting costs without addressing a major cause of inflationary health costs - the high administrative costs of commercial insurers, who guarantee shareholder profits by insuring the healthy and excluding everyone else as a ‘pre-existing condition.’ Over 30% of our health care dollars go to wasteful administrative costs of private insurances - 20% administration, marketing and profit-taking, and another 12% administrative costs imposed by insurances on providers and hospitals. The CHS Single Payer Proposal calls for limiting overhead costs to 5%. Medicare has an overhead cost of 1.8%. More background information under "208 Commission."

Click to read about different views of reform, and participate in The Bell Policy Center Health Care Blog

Our neighbor to the west, Montrose, Colorado, has a chapter of Health Care for All Colorado (Uncompahgre Chapter). This site has a copy of the single payer pledge form which you can download, copy, sign for yourself and circulate. http://hcac.montrosehealth.org/

Montrose LWV web site homepage

The Light Program

Meeting the Needs of the Uninsured in Gunnison County
Access to Care
A project of the Gunnison County Immigrant Integration grant
(The Colorado Trust, SIRFI Initiative)

If you have questions, please contact Mary at Public Health, 225 N. Pine St., Ste. E, Gunnison; Phone: 970-209-5476, Fax: 970-641-8346, Email: mary@mattb.net

 

 

LWV IMMIGRATION STUDY

After a lengthy consensus process, which involved all local Leagues across the countyr, the national League has formulated a new position on Immigration.

LWVUS Immigration Position

The League of Women Voters believes that immigration policies should promote reunification of immediate families; meet the economic, business and employment needs of the United States; and be responsive to those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises. Provision should also be made for qualified persons to enter the U.S. on student visas. All persons should receive fair treatment under the law.

The League supports federal immigration law that provides an efficient, expeditious system (with minimal or no backlogs) for legal entry of immigrants into the U.S.

To complement these goals the League supports federal policies to improve economies, education, job opportunities, and living conditions in nations with large emigrating populations.

In transition to a reformed system, the League supports provisions for unauthorized immigrants already in the country to earn legal status

The League supports federal payments to impacted communities to address the financial costs borne by states and local governments with large immigrant populations.

Criteria for Legal Admission to the U.S.

The League supports the following criteria for legal admission of persons into the United States:

Family reunification of spouses or minor children with authorized immigrants or citizens;
Flight from persecution or response to humanitarian crises in home countries;
Economic, business and employment needs in the U.S.;
Education and training needs of the U.S.;
Educational program opportunities; and
Lack of a history of serious criminal activity.

Administration and Enforcement

The League supports due process for all persons, including the right to a fair hearing, right to counsel, right of appeal and right to humane treatment.

The League supports:

Improved technology to facilitate employer verification of employee status;
Verification documents, such as status cards and work permits, with secure identifiers;
Significant fines and penalties for employers who hire unauthorized workers;
Improved technology for sharing information among federal agencies;
More effective tracking of individuals who enter the United States; and
Increased personnel at borders.


The League also supports programs allowing foreign workers to enter and leave the U.S. to meet seasonal or sporadic labor needs.

Unauthorized Immigrants Already in the U.S.

In achieving overall policy goals, the League supports a system for unauthorized immigrants already in the country to earn legal status, including citizenship, by paying taxes, learning English, studying civics and meeting other relevant criteria. While policy reforms, including a path to legal status, remain unachieved, the League does not support deporting unauthorized immigrants who have no history of criminal activity.