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Below are "Quick Links" to key pages, initiatives and forms on this site for Colorado Citizens who want Economic Development Reform NOW !
 
You can help us financially as a Sponsor or as an active Small Business Member, or engage with us as a Council Member or Advisor to help us shape our initiatives.
 
Or, you join as a Public Citizen and let your voice be heard.
 
(The What, Where, Why...)
 
(4 Ways to Participate)
 
(Submit a Reform Idea)
 
(Join in the Discussions)
 
(Using an eMail Form)

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Initiative List

Economic Development Reform Ideas & Initiatives...   

 
CIO Colorado invites everyone to submit concepts for improving economic development within the State of Colorado.  If you have an idea, please write it out and include the following information:
 
  • A specific act (amend the State Constitution, pass a law, create a fund, etc.)
  • A description of the economic development activity
  • A desired outcome (reduced cost of operation for a small business, creation of a new resource, etc.)
  • The expected benefit to small businesses and the State of Colorado
  • The expected cost to implement the idea.
 
You can submit your idea to us using our online form:  Idea Submission Form
 
Upon receipt of your idea, we will:
 
1.    Review the idea
2.    Select those ideas that have merit
3.    If selected, form a Team of Small Business Members, Advisors and a Council member
4.    Research the problem and past efforts to solve the problem
5.    Develop a strategic plan to implement the idea
6.    Publish each Initiative on the Discussion page on this website and on a dedicated page on this website
7.    Invite the public to comment and make suggestions for improvement
8.    Refine the strategic plan
9.    Submit all strategic plans for all Initiatives to the Small Business Members to vote on the Top 10 Initiatives
10.    Report the Top 10 Initiatives to the State of Colorado as well as federal and local economic development officials
 
As Initiatives are published a link to each Initiative will be established on this page.
 
Ideas for economic development Initiatives that have already been received include:
  

Category Initiative
Collaboration Establish an Internet Portal for presenting business opportunities
for buying, investing or using innovations of Colorado businesses
Collaboration Analyse all job positions for all employers within State and create
list of needed job skills
Category Initiative
Economic Development State of Colorado should invest in and/or adopt regulations enabling the construction of a facility to convert coal to a form of liquid fuel
Category Initiative
Education Raise at least one university in Colorado to world class status
Education Add financial education as a mandatory class for elementary and high
school students
Education Offer courses on entrepreneurship in Colorado high schools and colleges
Education Change curriculum of middle schools and high schools to teach skills
needed for 21st century
Education Have all colleges and universities put all of their lecture (not lab
classes) online with only one class per subject for whole State
Education Require colleges and universities teach courses that address needed job skills
Education Abandon quarter and semester class structure and require that all
high education classes be no more than one hour.
Education Repurpose instructors at colleges and universities to teach how to learn
Education State colleges and universities should engage in production of online courses
Education State of Colorado should enable/estabish education funds which are
paid back by students out of a percentage of their earnings
Category Initiative
Funding Create an investment fund for new Colorado businesses
Funding Establish a Colorado limited stock exchange
Funding Establish a private investment fund for Colorado small businesses through a direct to public offering (DPO)
Funding Enable the State of Colorado to directly invest in businesses
Funding Set aside a percentage of State pension funds for investments in new Colorado businesses
Funding Require a set aside of of all pension funds of all businesses in Colorado that is directed to small businesses
Funding Establish a securities license with minimal regulation enabling an individual to sell private offering securities to accredited investors and earn a commission
Funding The State will provide a business with 100% match of any funds
invested directly by the owners (not banks) in a small business (that
can be proven...Accounting, IRS etc) as a 5 year, (interest only,
annually paid) with balloon at end. $50,000 minimum, meaning business
must have invested at least that much before applying. Up to a max of
one million.
Funding The State will grant a business $$ when you implement a non-service
sector business enterprise. (Nothing against service type businesses
like restaurants, fast food, dry cleaners, liquor stores, etc... just
that there are already incentives in place for these kinds of
businesses). We are looking to develop new types of manufacturing and
resource and supply businesses using this incentive. Amounts and
strings to be determined
Funding The state will grant a business $$ when you start a clean tech
business (to be defined in detail) and financially reward that
business each year based on a dual metric of sales $ and the sum of
Colorado employees wages.
Funding The state will grant a business $$ for pure R&D in the clean tech
sector, must apply and be selected, max $250K. Leverages CO claim to
being the clean tech capital of the world.
Funding The state will pay up to 50% of the costs (max $50,000 per company)
in licensed patent attorney fees for a single business for researching
and filing patents. No litigation aspects. Builds fundamental value of
the business and competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Funding Assuming appropriate disclosure, any citizen, not just the wealthy,
should be able to invest in any private venture
Category Initiative
Healthcare Make health insurance available across state lines
Category Initiative
International Trade Establish a formal relationship between the State of Colorado and a
city with a seaport (within the United States or another country) to
facilitate international trade
International Trade Create program to support manufacturing within the State of Colorado
that can compete internationally
Category Initiative
Labor and Employment Make employees responsible for managing their own employment benefits
Labor and Employment Raise retirement age for government programs
Category Initiative
Regulation Waive new regulations (grandfather to the date of formation) for the
first 5 years of new Colorado business operations
Regulation Adopt an intra-state commerce clause that forbids any city or local
government from adopting any law or regulation that unduly inhibits
the conduct of business in multiple cities within Colorado
Regulation Create an office within the State of Colorado that allows filing for
permits required by the State as well as any city or local government
Regulation Establish a single point online with the State of Colorado for
obtaining any needed license or building permit
Regulation Establish a website with latest legislative proposals where small
businesses may vote and provide feedback before a bill is passed
Regulation End all subsidies, credits or other forms of business welfare and
switch to government investments where the government get's something
for its money or waiver of taxes
Regulation Create a team of 'regulation busters' who can address specific
problems of Colorado businesses
Regulation Require Internet posting at a single site all State and local laws
before they can become effective
Category Initiative
Taxation Unify sales taxes across the State of Colorado - single filing with State
Taxation Waive State corporate taxes for the first 5 years of new Colorado business operations
Taxation Waive Unemployment taxes for the first 5 years of new Colorado business operations
Taxation Abolish personal property taxes on businesses
Taxation Raise the State tax on gasoline by $.44/gallon with 100% of money dedicated to road repair (not new roads)
Taxation Abolish head taxes in Colorado cities
Taxation No capital gains taxes on investments in startup or pre-revenue companies
Taxation Shares of common stock issued to founders and key employees of early-stage companiew should be exempt from capital gains taxation
Taxation Investors that contribute the first $5 million of equity financing to any new company should get a dollar for dollar tax deduction for the year in which the investment was made
 
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