By Mike O’Donnell | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
Communism, socialism, Marxism, Maoism, post-Mao Chinese-ism, and fascism may wear different uniforms, but they all march to the same beat—state control. One-party rule, diminished freedoms, political prosecutions, judicial overreach, hostility to markets, and the slow suffocation of private enterprise under the weight of public bureaucracy.
Over the past decade, Colorado’s ruling class has embraced a philosophy that echoes these themes—what academics have dubbed “Radical Markets.” Promoted by groups like RadicalxChange, the idea is that centralized systems and enforced redistribution can solve economic inequality and displace what they see as the instability of free markets.
Whether Coloradans voted for this or not, that’s what they’ve been given.
Since 2019, one party has held unchecked control over state government. As a result, Coloradans now endure a growing maze of fees (you aren’t allowed to call them taxes) they have to pay as they’re just trying to get by. These fees disproportionately burden working and middle-class families.
The outcome? Since January 2021, Colorado has suffered the highest inflation rate in the nation. And today, Colorado households carry the highest average debt burden in America.
But here’s another number that deserves attention: One in every 20 workers in Colorado is now employed by the state government.
Let that sink in. It’s not a typo, not an exaggeration. In April 2025, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 5.0% of all workers in Colorado were state government employees. That’s a record high. And it’s not just a pandemic artifact—it’s the continuation of a steady climb that’s accelerated in recent years.
In contrast, federal employment in Colorado has stayed roughly flat since 2000, hovering around 2% of the workforce. Local government jobs (county and municipal) have also remained relatively stable, just under 10%.
But state government jobs have surged, now making up a far larger slice of the employment pie than ever before.
It gets worse: during the first four months of 2025, Colorado added 4,400 total jobs—but 1,800 of those (41%) were in state government. Nearly half of all new job growth was on the public payroll. That doesn’t happen by accident.
The implications are serious. Fewer private sector wage-earners now support more public employees. The tax base shrinks while the state’s dependency burden grows.
Every regulatory expansion, every new office or commission, requires more revenue—driving up the cost of living for those still trying to run a business, raise a family, or simply afford groceries in this once-proud state.
And what’s the payoff for this growing army of bureaucrats? Well, as any driver navigating a pothole-ridden road can tell you, it’s probably not better infrastructure. (Road maintenance, it seems, isn’t the booming division.)
According to national rankings, Colorado is now the 12th most bureaucratic state in the country based on its ratio of state workers to residents—about one state employee for every 38,787 Coloradans. At this rate, that rank will climb quickly.
The people of Colorado need to ask: Who’s footing the bill for this swelling administrative state?
And is the return on that investment making life better—or simply more expensive and less free?
Unless voters demand accountability and realignment, the machine will keep growing—and your paycheck will keep shrinking.
Mike O’Donnell is a small business advocate, nonprofit executive and economic development leader based in Kirk, Colorado. He currently serves as Executive Director of Prairie Rose Development Corp., a mission-driven lender supporting underserved entrepreneurs across the state.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.