Lawmaker blasts A. 46

Says it would be terrible for women, minorities

Gene Davis, DDN Staff Writer

Thursday, July 17, 2008

CARROLL

A Democrat lawmaker yesterday called Amendment 46, the proposed ballot initiative that would end affirmative action in Colorado the “worst thing we could do” and would be a big step away from progress.

“I think it’s going to hurt women, minorities and small business,” said Rep. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora. “Affirmative action is about making sure we have the same rights as everyone else.”

Carroll made the comment after a roundtable discussion on Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) plan to help working women in Colorado. The proposed plan includes keeping affirmative action programs in place and fighting to close the gender wage gap.

Flawed plan?

The Colorado Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI), the group behind the controversial anti-affirmative action Amendment 46, said many of Obama’s plans to help Colorado women, specifically in regards to affirmative action, are flawed.

“The assumption that (women and minorities) can’t make it without the government is offensive to the strides we have made,” said Jessica Peck Corry, CCRI’s executive director. “Discrimination, even when done with the best of the intentions, is still discrimination.”

Gender wage gap false?

A central part of Obama’s economic plan to help Colorado’s working women is to close the gender wage gap. The plan alleges that for every dollar earned by Colorado men, women earn 79 cents, Hispanic women earn 52 cents and black women earn 61 cents.

However, Corry said these statistics are patently false. The policy analyst attributed women often working less hours a week and choosing lower paid professions as reasons for the alleged income difference.

“The so-called gender wage gap is a myth composed to make women think they are oppressed,” she said.

Angela Williams, the owner of an All State insurance agency, disagreed and said the gender wage gap is real and that it drove her to start her own small business.

“I have lived and understand the disparities of wages between women and men,” she said. “I think (Obama’s) plan would close the disparities of income.”

Close the gap?

Expanding affordable after-school programs, raising the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2011 and improving college opportunities for women and minorities were listed as ways Obama would help close the gender wage gap.

Other parts of Obama’s plan are:

• Expand child care tax breaks to an additional 135,000 working mothers in Colorado and 7.5 million nationally.

• Guarantee seven days of paid sick leave.

• Provide a tax cut of up to $500 or $1,000 per family.

• Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit.

McCain camp not impressed

A spokesman for John McCain seemed unimpressed with most of Obama’s ideas.

“Barack Obama has voted to raise taxes on people making as little as $32,000 a year, he continues to support increasing taxes on business and proposed over $90 million dollars in wasteful spending,” said Tom Kise in a statement. “That is not the type of change we need in America and that is not the type change that will create jobs in Colorado.”

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