You can help Big Govt Gary do some serious slimming down. We’re talking about a very serious weight problem. Social Security pounds? Medicare bloat? Pentagon paunch? Check out this clever new video to get started:
Efforts to organize constituent groups to contact and lobby their elected officials have grown more sophisticated in recent years. Many of us like the ease of the online petition that automatically directs messages to our representatives based on our input location data — though I frequently prefer to tailor the pre-fab messages with my own words.
I can’t be the only one who has subjected myself to an onslaught of email messages urging me to call my Congressman or state senator over the latest hideously outrageous or earth-saving piece of legislation. A result of the sheer volume of these messages, combined with limited resources and competing priorities, my eyes long since have glazed over most of them. Have I become too cynical? Perhaps.
But in an amusing development, one state teachers union has contracted with a service to help overcome member apathy:
Why was [Maryland Sen. David Brinkley] getting so many calls? The Maryland State Education Association hired a company to call teachers from throughout the state, and then connect them with their senators.
Unfortunately, there was just one small problem with the approach:
Brinkley, who said he planned to vote against all three tax proposals, said teachers seemed caught off guard and ill-prepared to speak to their senators.
As Mike Antonucci wrote in response, “If you hire a company to call teachers and then connect them to their representative’s office, you might want to make sure the teachers realize what you’re doing.”
Can you imagine any other advocacy group trying so desperately to hold its constituents’ hands like helping a toddler cross the street (do I know a thing or to about that)? Especially a group on the Right? Well, if someone were to follow the MSEA’s strategy, they at least might want to find a better way to prepare members or supporters for that all-important call with their elected representative.
Mothers Against Debt (MAD) has launched a powerful video update about the crushing load of national debt we already face and the danger behind plans to raise the debt ceiling:
Don’t crush the baby! As a dad of two (and soon to be three) young girls, the message hits home with me. Fiscal responsibility and spending discipline, already fixtures in our own household budget, are the watchwords of the day for the federal government Leviathan.
Delaying today’s decisions only magnifies tomorrow’s pain. Let’s start imposing the bitter medicine. Our children will thank us later.
Update II, 4:05 PM: Writing on the Townhall blog, Guy Benson offers up some exclusive video footage of the Wisconsin Democrat senators running away. John Hayward at Human Events offers some fascinating insights and concludes with a bit of powerful advice: “Governor Walker should take a page from the handbook of New Jersey governor Chris Christie, and face the unions down. Every teacher who participated in the illegal strike, or brought students to political rallies, should be fired immediately. The taxpayers of Wisconsin don’t have Hollywood celebrities and millionaire union bosses to brew up angry mobs to press their demands. They don’t have the luxury of slipping away from jobs they’re already nervous about to march around the state capitol. The only thing they’ve got is a determined governor, who should join with his colleagues in other states to level the playing field between tax payers and tax consumers, by breaking the public unions once and for all.”
Update, 2:50 PM: Scott Walker sends out a clear message to runaway Democrat legislators: “Their actions by leaving the state and hiding from voting are disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of public employees who showed up to work today and the millions of taxpayers they represent.”
We can debate whether new Governor Scott Walker and Wisconsin Republicans have chosen a wise course tactically, but there’s no doubt they have demonstrated some serious political fortitude in taking on a major problem. Senate Bill 11 was supposed to come to the floor today. A key part of the solution to a major budget challenge similar to those faced in other states, SB 11 would restrict government union collective bargaining (except for public safety workers) and requiring public employees to pay greater shares of their health and pension benefits.
Yesterday it was union protesters littering signs all over State Capitol property (a press release from U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s office also suggests union members surrounding the governor’s private residence), and today it’s this: All 14 state senate Democrats are on the run from the police to prevent a vote from taking place. Wow. Brilliant strategy.
Of more than historical footnote, Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to grant collective bargaining rights to government workers–just over 50 years ago, in 1959. More than two decades earlier none other than President and Democratic Party icon Franklin D. Roosevelt observed what a bad policy idea that would be: (more…)
Kudos to my friend and colleague Todd Shepherd (of Complete Colorado fame) for catching a surprise exclusive live interview with Colorado’s new governor. In the middle of hosting the Sunday afternoon show on 850 KOA, Todd’s jaw hit the floor when none other than John Hickenlooper heard his name being discussed and called in to the show while en route from Pueblo to an event in Colorado Springs.
Click here for the full hour’s audio: the Hickenlooper call starts about halfway through (not to be completely overshadowed is Todd’s discussion with Colorado RNC committeeman and former state treasurer Mark Hillman at the top of the hour).
Todd took a few minutes to get the softballs out of the way. But then he went to work with a series of polite but pointed questions made with the urgency of someone who believed he may never get a second chance. Among other things, Todd got Hickenlooper to publicly declare an official policy of transparency regarding his use of cell phones (see the controversy with Colorado’s previous Democratic administration), to clear up conflicting stories about his knowledge of Denver’s infamous 2009 LoDo beatings, and to announce he would be willing to make a return visit to the Caplis and Silverman Show after previously ducking the LoDo issue (MP3). (more…)
A preeminent challenge lying ahead for our elected Congress to tackle is the mounting debt and out-of-control spending that grew under Republican leadership and accelerated in the past few years with Democrats in charge. No one is better prepared to help equip you to do your citizen’s part in taking on this challenge than my friends at Mothers Against Debt. Their new video on the idiocy of unemployment benefits as economic stimulus is a real hoot. Enjoy:
So unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past couple weeks, you may have heard Douglas County — one of Colorado’s largest school districts — is considering the adoption of a local voucher-style private school choice program. Independence Institute blogger “Eddie” has covered the story well here and here.
With all the coverage in the Denver Post, it’s not surprising that plenty of readers wanted to weigh in with letters published in Sunday’s Perspective section. I was disappointed to see most of the letters rely on misinformed premises and/or produce shoddy arguments. As a result, I feel impelled to respond. (more…)
Despite the massive negative advertising campaigns and attempts to distract the voters with other issues, a major point that weighs on voters is what candidates want to do vis a vis federal government spending. Nowhere is this concern more salient than in the U.S. Senate race between Republican Ken Buck and appointed Democrat incumbent Michael Bennet (trying to hide his allegiance to President Obama’s agenda from Colorado voters).
You and I may not have time to analyze the details of how the respective candidates’ proposals will affect the already bloated federal budget and the debt my children already face, but the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has done the work for us. Here’s the basic breakdown:
That’s a projected difference of $8.5 billion, frankly not a lot in the scheme of the mammoth federal budget but an indicator nonetheless of some key differences on a major issue. Thanks to NTU for at least clearing up matters a bit.
Update, 10/29: Jessica Corry has a more thorough take on the topic in her latest Huffington Post column. She writes: “Shame on Cary Kennedy, now revealed to be just another typical career politician who will do anything to save her job.” Read the whole thing.
It’s the last week in October. A pro-Republican Tea Party wave is coming through Colorado and the nation, carrying away Democrat officials who broke faith by pouring on their Progressive policies, spending your money recklessly and racking up debt. Some Democrats are more out of touch than others.
For state treasurer Cary Kennedy, there has been her revealing moment of wanting to “drive a stake through” your constitutional taxpayer protections. But generally she has projected a moderate image, even as she often goes to bat for the liberal team.
There is a very real threat that the wave will carry Cary away and that a more fiscally conservative Republican Walker Stapleton — with real-life private sector business experience — will carry the day. Stapleton has a small but genuine lead in the polls heading into Election Day. That’s when you know it’s Democrat Desperation Time. (more…)
Editor’s note: This post is a guest contribution authored by U.S. Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R – CA).
Every two years Americans hold their members of Congress accountable. If they have done a good job representing them they send them back to Washington, but if they fail to lead they can be replaced.
The last few years, we’ve seen the effects of failed Democratic policies. Unemployment is too high, businesses are uncertain about the future and are holding back from hiring and investing, and we’re trillions of dollars deeper in debt.
Americans want fresh, new, conservative leaders to find solutions to these problems. Today in Colorado, I campaigned with one of those new leaders, Young Gun candidate Ryan Frazier.
Over the past couple days the editors of the Denver Post have issued their endorsements for 10 key state house and 5 key state senate races. If we presumed these were the only races to change hands and that all went the way favored by the Post, we’d end up with a deadlocked state house (32-32-1) and a preserved Democrat majority in the state senate (19-16).
In summary, here is what the Denver Post supports as the state legislature’s new Republican freshman class:
From the races they weighed in on, here are a few other Republican freshman state legislators we very well could see, even though the Post didn’t back them: (more…)
This is a great piece of news to read today from my next Congressman Ryan Frazier, and it comes not a moment too soon:
Former 7th CD Rep. Bob Beauprez Backs Ryan Frazier, Declares Perlmutter Corrupt
More evidence Washington has changed Ed Perlmutter
Aurora, CO – Ryan Frazier, candidate for the 7th Congressional District, today announced the endorsement of former 7th Congressional District Rep. Bob Beauprez. Beauprez honorably served in the seat for 4 years before running for governor.
Incumbent Rep. Ed Perlmutter’s (D-Golden) desperate campaign has consistently tried to use Beauprez’s comments in the primary election against Frazier, rather than defend a 98.3% voting record with Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,” Beauprez said. “Ed Perlmutter voted for a health care bill a majority of people didn’t want, a stimulus that didn’t work, bailouts to companies that padded his own campaign funds, and he inserted a sweetheart deal into legislation that benefited a bank in which he owns stock.”
Beauprez is referring to a Washington Times article that reported Perlmutter’s abuse of Congressional power to sneak in an amendment to the Cap-and-Trade bill that would’ve benefited a large bank which he partially owns.
“Perlmutter is not only wrong, he’s corrupt,” Beauprez concluded. “That’s why I’m supporting Ryan Frazier – someone who actually knows what the people of the 7th District want and need.” [link added]
Yesterday it was the 30-second Amendment 63 animation of Obamacare-inspired jailhouse fear. Today, one of my Independence Institute colleagues did it again. Compliments of Mothers Against Debt, sit back and enjoy two minutes worth of educational programming you won’t see on PBS:
Not on PBS, but it does have a little bit of that Schoolhouse Rock flavor — minus the funky 70s music. Regardless, the important message is one we all need to latch onto.
Republican state treasurer candidate Walker Stapleton, fresh off an endorsement from the Colorado Springs Gazette, has unveiled a clever gimmick to drive his message home as we reach the closing weeks of election season. Called Bounce The Bureaucrat, it highlights the campaign’s primary message of Stapleton’s private sector experience versus incumbent Democrat Cary Kennedy’s career in government jobs.
The cute bouncing graphic of Cary Kennedy — who once famously declared her support for a ballot measure to “drive a stake in the heart of” your constitutional taxpayer protections — not surprisingly leads users to Stapleton’s fundraising page. The race could be a close one. As of last week’s campaign financial reports, Kennedy had raised $762,681 and spent most of it to have just over $30,000 on hand. Along with $250,000 in loans, Stapleton had raised $574,028 and was left with nearly $320,000 in the war chest.
Colorado Democratic Attorney General candidate Stan Garnett has unleashed campaign broadsides at incumbent Republican John Suthers for accepting campaign contributions from members of the payday lending industry while fulfilling his legal duty to help write new industry regulations. Certainly not illegal, but Garnett contended that Suthers should avoid the appearance of impropriety and return the contributions.
But should the same standard apply, of all campaigns, to Stan Garnett? What about accepting campaign contributions from attorneys with pending cases before the state, cases the Attorney General will have to defend. Should Garnett return these contributions? (more…)
Colorado Veterans - educate yourself about your VA Loan Requirements and about what the VA Loans Guidelines are for obtaining a VA Loan
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