Public Spending - Rocky Mountain Voice

O’Donnell: One in 20 workers is a state employee—who’s footing the bill?

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories / June 2, 2025 / Administrative state, Bureaucracy, Public Spending, State government, Taxpayer burden

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.

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Denver Mayor Johnston walks back raises, braces city for cuts amid $50M budget gap

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local / May 22, 2025 / City budget, Deficit, Denver, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, Public Spending

Facing a shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is expected to announce significant cuts to the city’s budget at a news conference this morning.

The city is facing a $50 million gap in this year’s budget, while the projected deficit is $200 million next year, according to sources, who shared information with The Denver Gazette.

The city blames an economic downturn, flat revenues and “growing government costs” as reasons for the deficit, according to sources.

To deal with the shortfall, Johnston is proposing furloughs and a hiring freeze, in addition to limiting discretionary spending and reducing and restructuring contracts.

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Denver approves executive pay hikes while facing budget shortfall and reserve drop

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories / May 14, 2025 / Budget deficit, City budget, City workers, Denver City Council, Denver Mayor, Executive pay, Fiscal Responsibility, Homelessness funding, Migrant spending, Public Spending, Public Trust

A set of salary increases for top Denver officials is drawing criticism, as the city faces continued financial strain and modest pay growth for most employees. The raises are included in the 2025 budget—totaling $1.76 billion—which the Denver City Council approved on November 12, 2024.

On May 6, the City Council’s Finance & Governance Committee approved nearly $500,000 in pay increases for 12 charter-appointed department heads.

These changes are expected to add over $216,000 to general fund expenditures this year, with individual increases ranging from 4% up to an eye-catching 43%. The new salaries are scheduled to take effect on July 1.

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Colorado Republicans: Effort to save taxpayers money ‘shredded’ by Democrats this session

denvergazette.com, Approved, State / May 11, 2025 / 75th Colorado Legislature, Democrat Lawmakers, Governor Jared Polis, Parental Rights, Public Spending, State Budget, TABOR, Taxpayer Relief

Republican lawmakers, who are in the minority at the state Capitol, said they saw little success in their campaign to save residents money this year, as Democrats “shredded” that goal.

At the beginning of the session, Republicans unveiled a series of measures that, they insisted, would save the average Colorado family $4,500 each year.

“We had hopes to make life more affordable,” said Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen of Monument.

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