Protect Colorado’s Future is a group of Coloradans who’ve come together to work on the important issues facing our state like creating good jobs and providing access to affordable health care.

We’re made up of progressive groups and individuals around Colorado, who are working to support good measures and protect Colorado from policies that would set us back.

So far, Protect Colorado’s Future is supporting two ballot initiatives this year.

• Corporate Fraud initiative initiative to hold corporate executives accountable for committing fraud
• A Just Cause initiative that stops companies from firing employees without giving a reason.

Protect Colorado’s Future is also opposing three initiatives.

• Amendment 47 increases interference with the way Colorado employers and employees do business and reduces the ability of employees, like nurses and firefighters, to have a conversation with employers about better working conditions and higher staff levels that keep us safe
• Initiative 53 attempts to take away Coloradans first amendment rights and prevent Coloradans from making voluntary dues payments through their paychecks. A similar proposal has been rejected by California, Oregon, and Nevada voters on multiple occasions.
•Initiative 59 would handcuff working Coloradans and increase the power of the few over the many by taking away the rights of people, like substitute teachers, firefighters and nurses, to participate in the political process.

At Protect Colorado’s Future, we’re committed to supporting measures that will protect our future and opposing policies that will set us back.

• WE SUPPORT the Corporate Fraud initiative that will hold corporate executives accountable for committing fraud.

• WE SUPPORT the Just Cause initiative that stops companies from firing employees without simply giving a reason.

• WE OPPOSE the so-called “Right-to-Work” initiative that would lead to more government interference in our economy.

• WE OPPOSE the Paycheck Deception initiatives.

Read about the issues below. If you have an idea for an issue that Protect Colorado’s Future should focus on, please e-mail us at IdeastoProtectCO@gmail.com

CORPORATE FRAUD

In Colorado, we’ve paid the price for greedy CEOs and companies who break the rules to get ahead. According to the FBI, white-collar fraud costs Colorado taxpayers billions of dollars every year.

But too often, corporate criminals end up walking free, while taxpayers are left holding the bag. While Coloradans continue to pay the price for Qwest’s widely reported troubles, former CEO Joe Nacchio recently escaped jail time on a technicality.

The Colorado Corporate Fraud initiative would hold corporate criminals accountable for the fraud that happens in their companies. This means that accomplices to criminal fraud can’t play dumb any more. This initiative, which is on its way to the ballot in 2008, would make Colorado a leader in the nation in cracking down on corporate crime.

The corporate fraud initiative, proposed by former Qwest employee Lew Ellingson, would make CEOs and company executives criminally liable if they broke the law or stood by as others committed crimes. This means that accomplices to criminal fraud — like Qwest’s — can’t play dumb any more. The initiative would also allow any Colorado resident to sue the executives under such circumstances, with proceeds from successful suits going back to the state.

Polls show that 8 out of 10 Coloradoans agree with the Corporate Fraud initiative. Read news coverage of the initiative in the New York Times or watch a report from Channel 9.