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Home 2009 Archives for February 2009

Archives for February 2009

2/28/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Democrat Shell Game: Raise Your Car Fees to Grow State Government

John Ingold at the Denver Post reports, not surprisingly, that Governor Bill Ritter plans to sign SB 108 (aka FASTER) the Democrat bill in the state legislature to raise car fees by an average of $41 a year per vehicle. A reminder for Colorado: You put Democrats in charge, you pay more taxes for bigger government entitlement programs. What, you say? The state has legitimate transportation needs that SB 108 is designed to fund. Those aren't entitlement programs. Except that the so-called "FASTER" bill is merely half of a liberal shell game. The other half is SB 228 - which would rip away limits on state appropriation increases and enable the Democrats to divert hundreds of millions of dollars dedicated to the highway fund (PDF) … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: backfill, bill, Bill Ritter, car fees, Democrats, Denver Post, divert, entitlement programs, FASTER, filibuster, future years, government, government spending, Governor, highway fund, highways, increases, John Ingold, raise, reminder, Republicans, shell game, state appropriations, state legislature, transportation needs, vehicle, violated

2/27/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Tea Parties Today in Denver and Nationwide: Is a Revolution Brewing?

Update, 2/28: Western Slope blogger Gene Kinsey has links to more Tea Party accounts from across the nation. Update, 6 PM: My brother-in-law, an excellent photographer not usually inclined to attend politically-oriented rallies and events, had his pictures from today's Denver Tea Party linked and featured by Instapundit. How cool is that? More than 40 "Tea Party" rallies around the country today: Is there a revolution brewing? (Pun intended) Who knows? But the energy on display today can't be left to simmer away in a lukewarm acceptance of wasteful government spending and mounting, endless debt. Pictures of the Denver Tea Party are up at People's Press Collective and Slapstick Politics (with video to come later). Great pics from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: acceptance, bland, brewing, Chicago, country, coverage, Denver Tea Party, economy, Florida, government spending, Jacksonville, lukewarm, Michelle Malkin, Michigan, NBC, Peoples Press Collective, pictures, rallies, ravaged, revolution, roundup, Sam Adams, simmer, Slapstick Politics, Tea Party, video, Washington DC, wasteful

2/27/2009 By Ben 14 Comments

Last Chance: Sign Up Now for Leadership Program Retreat

Today is absolutely the last day you can sign up to attend the annual Leadership Program of the Rockies retreat in Colorado Springs on March 6-7 - featuring speakers Bill Kristol, Jonah Goldberg, Michelle Malkin, Mike Rosen, Congressman John Shadegg (R-AZ), and more. What are you waiting for? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: liberty, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Bill Kristol, Colorado Springs, John Shadegg, Jonah Goldberg, Leadership Program of the Rockies, Michelle Malkin, Mike Rosen, retreat, speakers

2/27/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Eagle County’s Tom Stone Tosses Hat into Ring for State GOP Chairmanship

On March 21, Colorado Republicans convene to select party leadership for the next two years. Before today, it seemed the only real competition would be for party vice chair between Nathan Chambers incumbent Perry Buck [editorial correction based on updated information] and Leondray Gholston. An official announcement today from former Eagle County commissioner Tom Stone means there also will be a challenge for Dick Wadhams' position in the top spot. Here is the pledge Stone has posted on his site: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, PPC Tagged With: activists, collaborative leadership, Colorado, commissioner, conservative, Dick Wadhams, Eagle County, leadership, Leondray Gholston, Mount Virtus, Nathan Chambers, official announcement, Peoples Press Collective, process, real competition, Republican, Republicans, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Tom Stone, top spot, vice-chair, vision, worthwhile reading

2/27/2009 By Ben 4 Comments

Ask Colorado LOSES Why the Union Card-Check Bill is Such a Bad Idea

Do you still need more reason to understand why union bosses are so keen on taking away the secret ballot from workplace elections? On the Colorado LOSES website, state employee Dave Ohmart gives an account of his experience trying to attend the Colorado WINS union's rally / lobbying event at the State Capitol on Wednesday:Ryan Webber, a union organizer, immediately came to me and asked, “You’re not going to say anything, are you Dave? I’ll have to toss you out of here if you do.” Another security-type person came over and stood behind me. Ryan then asked, “You’re not going to write more lies about me, are you Dave?” (Don’t think I ever have!) I assured him I was not there to make a scene. Governor Ritter spoke … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Bill Ritter, card-check, coerce, Collective Bargaining, Colorado, Colorado Loses, Colorado taxpayers, Colorado WINS, contact, Dave Ohmart, dissent, e-mail accounts, economic condition, Employee Free Choice Act, employees, Examiner, experience, Governor, intense pressure, lobbying event, monthly access, no bargain, party line, pushy, questions, rally, Republicans, Ryan Webber, secret ballot, signs, State Capitol, state employee, state senate, toe, union bosses, union organizers, union pressure, vandalized, Washington state, website, Wednesday, workplace elections

2/26/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Will You Be Visited Next by the Taxpayer Bailout Prize Patrol?

There's lots of bad news out there, which put me in the mood for some timely levity. This must-see video is sure to elicit a laugh (or, at least a smile). From Right.org, the Bailout Prize Patrol visits everyday Americans, large corporate banks, and United States Senators with large checks, colorful balloons, and tacky noisemakers. Oh, come on, you know you want to watch it (H/T Real Debate Wisconsin): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, National Politics, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: bad news, Bailout Prize Patrol, balloons, corporate banks, everyday Americans, large checks, laugh, levity, mood, must-see video, noisemakers, Real Debate Wisconsin, Right.org, smile, United States Senators, video, YouTube

2/26/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Tell Congress to Read the Bill: Why Not Sign the Online Petition Today?

Transparency (or the lack thereof) is the name of the game these days. After the Generational Theft Act got shoved down our throats in such a hurry - with Congress having a matter of only a few hours to read the mammoth bill - supporting this idea is the most basic sort of common sense we can ask for in our representative form of government. So go ahead and sign the online petition at Read the Bill, a very simple process that will take you one minute or less (H/T Soren Dayton). Why? The Democrats in charge of Congress don't want you to do it It might help the Republicans find a backbone and champion real reform on the issue It's the right thing to do For more on the government transparency movement (at least in Colorado), visit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: backbone, champion, common sense, Congress, Democrats, Generational Theft Act, government, issue, mammoth bill, name of the game, Read the Bill, real reform, representative, Republicans, right thing, Soren Dayton, supporting, Transparency

2/26/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

RIP, Rocky Mountain News

Update (3:15 PM): Here is a hot-off-the-presses iVoices podcast, with Jon Caldara and Dave Kopel discussing the end of the Rocky Mountain News era: Only one more edition of a 150-year-old Denver journalistic institution before the axe falls. We knew the day was coming, but the sudden realization is still striking. More often than not, the Rocky's editors have provided a sensible, Rightward-leaning balance to the liberal Denver Post. That will be missed. It's a sad day for many good people - some of whom I have agreed with much more than others - who only have left the guarantee of one day of work and two months of pay. Here's wishing them all the best in landing on their feet somewhere soon. Even as we reflect back, the local … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, Journalism, My Life, PPC Tagged With: balance, Denver, Denver Post, edition, editors, El Presidente, Joshua Sharf, journalistic institution, lament, liberal, local media landscape, opportunities, rapidly, reflect, Rocky Mountain News, sensible, shifting, striking, sudden realization, untimely demise

2/26/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Charles Chaput Observes Obamessiah Phenomenon — Really a Big Deal?

The observations made by the Denver's archbishop are hardly anything new or unreasonable, but the Rocky Mountain News reports that his words are stirring up the blogs (which ones? not clear):Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput told a Canadian audience this week that some Catholics are treating President Barack Obama with a "spirit of adulation bordering on servility." "In democracies, we elect public servants, not messiahs," he said. [link added] And:"Americans, including many Catholics, elected a gifted man to fix an economic crisis. That's the mandate. They gave nobody a mandate to retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life and abortion," he said. [emphasis … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: abortion, adulation, American culture, archbishop, bailouts, Barack Obama, blogs, Canadian, Catholics, Charles Chaput, commonsense, consumer confidence, Denver, Denver Tea Party, economic crisis, economic plans, economy, electoral success, Family, freedom-based, gifted man, inept, intervention, investor confidence, mandate, marriage, messiahs, observation, public servants, reforms, Republicans, Rocky Mountain News, Rossputin, servility, sexuality, solutions, start, statist

2/25/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Add Dave Schultheis to the List of GOP Lawmakers with Foot in Mouth

Update (2/26): El Presidente weighs in, along with Rocky Mountain Right and David Harsanyi. A little good judgment, please? Perhaps an apology or two? The list of Republican state legislators over the past week with foot in mouth reaches three: Don Marostica Scott Renfroe Dave Schultheis There's much I could say about Senator Schultheis' comments and rationale, but for the sake of time I'll limit it to this: The best way to expose the pro-abortion Democrats' hypocrisy on the issue would be to cast a vote in favor of life, not in favor of a confused moral message. There is much, much, much room for the Republican Party to be the conservative party, the predominantly pro-life party, to welcome and encourage social conservatives … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life Tagged With: behavior, brush, comments, confused, conservative, Dave Schultheis, Democrats, Don Marostica, elevating, foot in mouth, honoring, hypocrisy, isolated minority, issue, Lefty, manipulators, message, money, moral message, political, politically incorrect, pro-abortion, pro-life, rationale, Republican, Republican Party, rhetoric, Scott Renfroe, silly, spend, state legislators

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Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

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