Low-wage workers in resort country
Behind the gold medals at the FIS world championships, thousands of low-wage workers just barely scraping by in the Vale Valley. Erika Gonzalez, who works at Subway, told CPR News she has no choice but to rent out bedrooms in her small trailer in Edwards. “We earn very little. The money is just enough to survive,” she said in Spanish. More here.
Just me, or is it warm in here?
We're barely halfway through May April February but we're already on track for a month of record-breaking warmth. We're currently more than 12 degrees above the average February temperature of 31 degrees. Fret not though, winter enthusiasts, cooler weather is on its way next week. More here.
Tough road from foster care to college
Just over a quarter of foster kids graduate from high school in Colorado. Even fewer graduate from college. One Colorado senator is trying to change that. "If we don’t get a grasp on it, we are going to pay not only humanely, but also pay fiscally," said State Sen. Linda Newell. More here.
Hippies' contribution to Colorado: More than just weed
Back in 1968, "Drop City" near Trinidad was the unlikely center of hippie culture in this part of the U.S. B. Erin Cole, an assistant state historian, told CPR News' Ryan Warner that "hippie capitalists” helped shape Colorado’s economy, from the rise of natural foods to the embrace of new art. More here.
Hey schools, don't count on any marijuana tax money
Unless the Legislature acts soon, the marijuana tax revenue that was supposed to go to schools and prevention programs will end up in other pockets. That's the confusing result of a quirk in the state constitution, CPR News' Ben Markus explains. Here’s the issue: the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, requires the state to ask voters to approve any new taxes. When doing so, the state must estimate the money the tax would raise, and estimate the overall tax collections without it. If either one of those estimates is off, the new revenue must be refunded. More here.
