Legislative Preview with Representative Don Marostica
Colorado’s economy will be front and center during the state’s legislative session that starts in January. As part of our series previewing the session, Statehouse reporter Bente Birkeland talked to a northern Colorado lawmaker who sits on the powerful joint budget committee. He says 2009 is going to be a tough year when it comes to money.
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The high cost of health care in America is a real drain on businesses. Every year the cost of insuring employees rises by double digits, that’s far faster than the general rate of inflation. So now, some of the country’s biggest businesses are trying something new – paying doctors more. It may not sound like a logical way to reduce costs, but it’s getting a big buy-in in Colorado. 
Like many other cities around the country, Denver is trying to deal with rising numbers of residential foreclosures. And while the latest figures indicate a decrease in the number of overall foreclosures in Colorado this past quarter, certain neighborhoods are seeing rising numbers of homeowners not able to pay their mortgages. As part of a statewide economic series from Rocky Mountain Community Radio, 
State government officials are bracing for a legislative session fraught with financial uncertainty in the midst of a national recession. Lawmakers say it’s still not clear just how bad things will get for Colorado, or how quickly the state’s economy may recover. As part of a regional series on the economy from Rocky Mountain Community Radio, Bente Birkeland reports from Denver.
Colorado resorts are hoping that skiers and snowboarders pay closer attention to the weather than the economy this winter. But bookings remain far behind last season’s numbers. While it’s doubtful that resorts will match last season’s record-setting number of skier days, there’s still reason for hope. In Telluride, Stephen Barrett reports for 
As last minute shoppers hit the stories today, holiday retail sales are shaping up to be the weakest since the early 1990s. As part of a statewide economic series from Rocky Mountain Community Radio,