A bill aiming to change Colorado’s labor laws sparked outcry among business leaders statewide, but the state’s existing laws have caused their share of anguish too.
Brian Vogt, former director of the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade, said the Colorado Labor Peace Act often sparked confusion among companies that were shopping Colorado as a place to relocate or expand.
“The hardest part was explaining it,” said Vogt. “We had to explain it every time we talked to a company.”
Colorado is considered the nation’s only modified right-to-work state. That means unions have a high hurdle when trying to create all-union workplaces in which all workers pay dues, even if they aren’t union members.
House Bill 1072, vetoed Friday by Gov. Bill Ritter, would have lowered the requirements by eliminating the second vote currently needed to form an all-union workplace.
Vogt, by the way, opposed the bill.
FAST FACTS
Money often not love’s
best friend, survey finds
With Valentine’s Day near, Internet payment giant PayPal took a deeper look at money and love. In an online survey, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” it polled 3,044 people nationwide. Among the findings:
About 82 percent said they hide shopping bags or other purchases from their partners.
Lack of money was the biggest financial fear for 43 percent of respondents.
About 37 percent of young couples fight more about money than cleaning (34 percent) or frequency of sex (28 percent).
IN PRINT
More tough retirement talk
as day of reckoning nears
“The Number: What Do You Need for the Rest of Your Life, and What Will It Cost?” by Lee Eisenberg (Free Press, $15)
Most of us avoid saving for retirement until the end is in sight, or about age 50, and who can blame us? When we’re surrounded by peers who are spending as if there is no tomorrow, it’s hard not to think that’s the norm.
But as the day of reckoning arrives for 75 million American baby boomers and they take a quick peek at their neglected nest eggs, many begin to fret about “the number.” How much will they really need to live comfortably, and how far behind are they?
Author Lee Eisenberg provides the answer, but not before he leads readers through a lively discussion of the grim statistics, the psychology behind procrastination and überspending, and what to look for when picking a financial adviser. Among his ideas:
Debt Warp, or the “whip-it-out credit card” mentality, is the silent “Number” killer. It’s an alternative reality in which we think we’re prosperous, fat and happy, when in fact we’re leveraged to the hilt.
Forty-five percent of Americans saving for retirement say they have put away less than $25,000. Only 18 percent have more than $100,000.
Is it enough? Do the math. Eisenberg recommends spending no more than 4 percent of your nest egg each year if you want to keep it intact. If you’ve saved $100,000, for example, you’ll have $4,000 a year.
It’s never too late. A clear majority of aging boomers say they’ve given up on the goal of old-style retirement. Many realize it’s more fulfilling and interesting to keep working rather than kicking back at age 62.
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
