Comprehensive cancer care that sets us apart.

deaths are officially recorded.

The reason we stop the analysis at 1980 is because that’s how far back CDPHE has data on firearmspecific causes of death.

The state does have data on suicides going back to 1940 and homicides back to 1970. But, because those numbers do not record whether a gun was involved in the deaths, they are not comparable to post-1980 numbers.

Gun deaths are increasing across most age groups in the state. The only age group where a trend is difficult to discern is for children from birth through age 9. Deaths in that age range can be few enough in a given year that CDPHE won’t release the actual numbers — it is common in health statistics for small numbers to be withheld for privacy reasons. is will not be easy. First you have to know which districts you pay taxes in. en you have to learn which of them is holding elections, who is running for board positions, where to go to vote, or how to request an absentee ballot. e elections are run by each district, not by Je erson County, and you might have to go to more than one location in order to cast your ballots. Learn-

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This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, a protest over taxation without representation. It’s been 30 years since Colorado voters approved the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which requires a vote of the people before any tax increase. Ballot issues related to taxes face us at every general election.

If we care so much about taxes, why do so few of us pay attention to our property taxes? Possibly because we are often not aware of what they are. For renters and for people with a mortgage, the sum of those taxes is rolled into their monthly payment. ey seldom, if ever, see the list of all the entities their tax dollars support.

Many of our property taxes are levied by special districts, which are formed by law to provide speci c services like water and sewer, re protection or recreation. Elections for Directors of these districts will be held May 2. I urge you to get informed and to vote.