Mount Virtus

On Facebook for the past several days, I’ve been counting down my 50 favorite Christmas songs. Coming up with the top 50 songs wasn’t terribly difficult. I’ve identified roughly 375 different contenders, though I’m only familiar with a little more than 200 of them. A good number of the Christmas songs I know were easily disqualified because of the unpleasant visceral reaction they cause.

Ranking the top 50 on the other hand — beyond a few that consistently rise to the top — was a difficult task. Still, there’s a kind of double-edged fun to assembling a list like this one: 1) Comparing and debating the rankings with friends; and 2) The fluid nature of the list, in part because of new songs discovered that upset the balance. If I do this again, the 2013 edition might look somewhat different.

Some of the songs you see below contain video links, either because the song may be less familiar or because it’s a rendition I particularly like. So without further ado, here in descending order is the current list of my 50 favorite Christmas songs: (more…)

We’ve all seen how the waning days of the 2012 national campaign have fixed President Obama and the Democrats on the alliterative petty themes of Big Bird, Bayonets and Binders. It didn’t take long after the first debate for the incumbent’s campaign to pile on the Republican challenger’s mention of the large, lovable Sesame Street character. Team Obama unleashed a laughable commercial and a “four-Pinocchio” fundraising appeal.

Say what you will, but at least the Obama team didn’t tell America that Big Bird was, say, green. For that they might have had to hire the staff of Colorado junior U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. This morning Bennet’s office sent out a fundraising appeal for Congressional candidate Sal Pace. The email message (with the subject line “Grover”) began, well, like this: (more…)

It’s election time. So why write multiple blog posts, when I can condense my state and local endorsements, recommendations, analyses and predictions into one? Exactly.

Let’s start with the obvious. For those who haven’t had the opportunity to drive by our Arvada yard full of signs, here are most of the candidates we’re supporting in 2012:

For those who have questions about state and local ballot issues, as well as nonpartisan candidates and offices, check out my guide to the Colorado ballot 2012.

I’ll tackle predictions of the Presidential and Congressional races later on. For now I will offer up my humble prognostications for the Colorado state house and state senate. I have had neither the time nor the inclination to create the in-depth legislative election analysis that I put forward in 2010.

But I have done some footwork this time around. Good sources cited include takes on 2012′s top races to watch from both the Colorado Statesman and Ed News Colorado. Also helpful are data on the new legislative districts after reapportionment and candidate campaign finance reports.

Without further ado, here are my thoughts: (more…)

This past Saturday many Colorado county political parties held their biennial assemblies for the purpose of approving resolutions and nominating candidates for the primary ballot. For the fifth consecutive time, I attended the Jefferson County Republican Assembly as a voting delegate. The new and spacious Lakewood church venue was needed, with more than 1,200 certified delegates in attendance.

The strong turnout was most impressive in terms of first-time delegates, which an impromptu show of hands revealed made up somewhere around two-thirds of those attending north Jeffco’s Senate District 19 assembly. Similar anecdotes and reports from other districts suggest the large-scale infusion of fresh grassroots political blood was a countywide phenomenon. Not a good sign for the Obama administration from a major swing county in a major swing state.

How that translates to the local county and state legislative races remains to be seen. But the fact that so many showed up to participate in the process on a beautiful Colorado weekend when virtually every race to be determined was uncontested (though getting to hear of County Commissioner John Odom‘s rock-solid fiscally conservative principles and his lighthearted “The Bald Truth” campaign theme idea were a highlight) — well, it speaks volumes.

The only exception of a contested race was House District 22 in south Jeffco, where my conservative friend Justin Everett bested Loren Bauman 58 to 42 percent. The rules of the game state that a candidate must earn at least 30 percent to win a spot on the June 26 primary ballot, or else try to collect signatures to petition on. As a result of the assembly outcome, Everett’s name will appear on the ballot’s top line. From the campaign press release: (more…)

I’m back. This time I mean it. With Colorado’s legislative session in gear and both chambers of the General Assembly up for grabs in this fall’s election, there is no time to dive into the fray like the present. While Mount Virtus may never be as prolific a place as it’s ever been. You can follow some of my other writings as follows:

• Education Policy Center (including the blog Ed Is Watching) for coverage of the world of education policy, school choice and reform issues
• Also occasionally on the Ed News Colorado blog
• Writings on teachers unions and related government labor issues at Public Sector Inc
• A new less-than-regular column on education labor and related issues at Colorado Peak Politics

Nevertheless, this year you can count on this space for more coverage of events at the legislature and analysis of the upcoming state legislative elections — much like these 2010 posts on the state house and senate.

That sort of in-depth analysis will wait ’till later. For now, to whet the appetite, a quick look at House District 27 — 2010′s correctly called #1 pickup for Republicans. Democrats want it back, naturally. But given the recent reapportionment that added to the district’s GOP registration advantage, it’s an uphill climb. A month ago the liberal blog Jeffco Pols reported that Big Labor’s Tim Allport was stepping up to challenge Republican freshman Rep. Libby Szabo: (more…)

Last week I filmed a 14-minute segment with my boss at the Independence Institute, Jon Caldara, on his show Devil’s Advocate. The topic for discussion was the timely news that members of the Colorado Education Association (CEA) have until tomorrow (December 15) to get back money automatically collected with their dues to support (almost completely one-sided) state and local political campaigns.

As I often say, if you like how the union spends your money on politics, you have no reason to complain and absolutely nothing to do. But for those teachers who would rather support their own political causes, or use the money to pay for Christmas shopping or just save for a rainy day, then members need to be informed of their opportunity. One way to find out how to get the Colorado teachers union political refund is to watch the video:

For those who want to cut to the chase, all the information you need on the Every Member Option political refunds ($39 for CEA, up to $24 for some of the CEA locals) is available on the Independent Teachers website. Or you can go directly to CEA’s online refund request form.

In the episode Jon describes the notifications about teacher options as my personal charity work — the kind of charity work where one gets called nasty names. So be it. In the last-minute rush before the holidays, and tomorrow’s all-important December 15 deadline, here’s hoping this post makes the difference for someone out there.

What a week. It may be just enough to motivate me to get this blog back running in full gear. Sorry to disappoint some of you. My election night fresh analysis post got some attention, then Michelle Malkin cited some earlier work I had done on Prop 103 and education funding. Today, it gets better (or maybe worse, depending on your perspective), as my mug is featured in an excellent 8-minute Choice Media TV video feature about the Douglas County Choice Scholarship Program:

You certainly don’t need to watch it for my sake, but please watch it to help keep hope alive… and spread the word. Why? As I wrote in an in-depth post-election analysis for Ed News Colorado, the message has been sent that it’s time to do something different, more effective, more productive with K-12 education. And Douglas County is one of the leading pioneers. (Here’s another post-election piece — about Prop 103 and the teachers union — you might enjoy.)

Now tonight, it’s on to CU-Boulder for a movie premiere panel event, where I figure to be in the minority. Should be fun….

Update, 11/2: Welcome, Michelle Malkin readers… Thanks for the link!

Colorado has one issue on the statewide ballot this year: Proposition 103, a large tax hike sold as a way to increase revenues for K-12 and higher education. Unfortunately, there are two major problems with this proposal that render it unworthy of support.

First, it’s a job-killer that very well could prolong and deepen our state’s current recession. An Independence Institute issue paper by Dr. Barry Poulson finds that more than 11,000 jobs will be killed, a devastating analysis of the Prop 103 “domino” effect most creatively expressed in this amazing 3-minute video:

Second, the case for more K-12 education funding rests on a very weak foundation that lacks valuable context. Mike Rosen cited some numbers I dug up for him from the Colorado Department of Education in his column today for the Denver Post:

Complaints that public education spending in Colorado has been slashed in recent years conveniently ignore the big picture. Ben DeGrow at the Independence Institute reports that total annual expenditures on K-12, adjusted for inflation, from 1999 to 2010 have increased by $3.2 billion or 46 percent. Per pupil spending is up 24 percent. There’s little to show for it in the way of results.

Simply put, that quick one-two punch should inform Colorado voters why Prop 103 deserves to go down in flames. The Independence Institute’s Ed Is Watching blog also has a similar, more lighthearted take.

As the ominous debt ceiling deadline approaches, the release of the winners of the Power Line Prize contest (“$100,000 will be awarded to whoever can most effectively and creatively dramatize the significance of the federal debt crisis”) could not have been better timed. While prominent bloggers are helping the Power Line crew count down the top entries, I have a very special and personal attachment to the 7th place winner, released today:

I’m heavily biased (take time to read the brief credits), so I’m really curious to see what six entries could have finished ahead of this “Fiscal Child Abuse” video masterpiece. Maybe the girls are so cute that they somehow downplay the gravity of the message? I don’t buy it, but that’s the only explanation I can think of why this video didn’t finish even higher.

But anyway, kudos to my Independence Institute colleagues for their creative, production and/or supporting dramatic roles: Tracy Kimball-Smith, Amy Oliver, Todd Shepherd and Jon Caldara. For their sakes and for mine, take the two and a half minutes to watch it all, especially the outtakes at the end. You’ll be entertained and educated!

In my official capacity at the Independence Institute, I helped to create this newly-released video (narration by Mary MacFarlane, editing and production by Justin Longo, consulting and oversight by Jon Caldara and Pam Benigno):

As my juvenile alter ego at Ed Is Watching pointed out:

…it’s a story like 13-year-old Nate Oakley’s that brings to life the need for Douglas County vouchers, and the real threat created by lawsuits filed by the ACLU and other groups.

Find all the resources you’ll need to follow the developments and ins-and-outs of the Douglas County Pilot Choice Scholarship Program on the Education Policy Center website.

In honor of Memorial Day, here is a well-done, two-minute video produced a few years ago by my friends at the Evergreen Freedom Foundation:

(more…)

Update IV, 5:15 PM: For the record and for the sake of full disclosure — yes, the information related to open negotiations that I have requested from Jeffco Public Schools has been done in my professional capacity as a senior policy analyst for the Independence Institute. My personal and professional opinions happen to be in very close harmony on this issue. And both versions of the recording — the low-quality one I deleted and the higher-quality one linked just below — came from a concerned citizen who attended and recorded the public meeting. Thankfully, because the district’s recording of the relevant part of the meeting was not posted due to the aforementioned “system error.”

Update III, 3:40 PM: I have obtained a better 5-minute recording of the Jeffco Board’s discussion and vote. The previous recording has been deleted.

Update II, 3:20 PM: Welcome, Complete Colorado readers:

Update, 2 PM: I received an official response from Jeffco’s communications office about the significance of Thursday’s 2-2 vote: “In answer to your question about the board vote last week on opening/closing negotiations, the 2-2 vote taken by the board has left the bargaining team uncertain as to the wishes of the board majority. Therefore, until the bargaining team receives direction from a majority of the board, scheduled negotiations sessions have been cancelled.” Also, someone has shared a recording of the relevant 5 minutes of last Thursday’s Board meeting. You may find it difficult to hear, but it’s the best I have in lieu of an official recording.

The controversies over government collective bargaining transparency in Colorado are starting to pile up. Last week I brought your attention to the unsuccessful effort of Aurora citizens to open up the city’s police and fire union negotiations. The big story has been from Colorado Springs, as transparency won a partial victory after a citizen lawsuit forced one bargaining session to be open for public observation.

Now the issue has come to life in my own backyard. By all appearances, Jeffco Public Schools officials are doing their best to keep negotiations with the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA) teachers union out of the light of day. Article 5-3-5 of the existing bargaining agreement says:

Negotiations shall be conducted in open sessions, unless both parties agree to the contrary.

On April 11 at a meeting of the Jefferson County Republican Men’s Club — after praising the district for its exemplary efforts at financial transparency — I asked featured speakers Jeffco superintendent Cindy Stevenson and JCEA president Kerrie Dallman whether any of their negotiations would be open to public observation. Stevenson deferred to Dallman, who declared that the parties had decided all negotiations would be closed. But who exactly made the decision, and how? Following up with district officials, the closest thing to a clear answer I received was that the Board of Education “meets in executive session to confidentially give direction to and receive reports from its negotiating team.”

So the school board — and certainly not all members of the school board — meet in private to instruct one group of paid district employees to close their negotiations with another group of paid district employees? It may be legal, but it doesn’t seem like the best policy to me. (more…)

Update, 9:00 PM: Common Cause issued a formal “apology” for the vile behavior of its rally attendees, a statement thoroughly deconstructed by James Taranto, who concludes with the zinger: “For the sake of truth in advertising, Common Cause should change its name to Hypocrisy Hub.” Ouch. That’s going to leave a mark.

Independent new media journalist Christian Hartsock has a compelling piece up at Andrew Breitbart’s Big Government blog. Hartsock went to cover an event sponsored by the Progressive group Common Cause. The goal seemingly was to organize a grassroots protest of the pro-free market billionaire Koch Brothers and conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas for some imaginary collusion on the Citizens United decision, and who knows what else.

Hartsock’s four-minute video (which the Wall Street Journal‘s James Taranto labels “devastating”) poignantly captures a rich example of unintentional irony and psychological projection exhibited by the Left: (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…)

The New Year has arrived, and my long hiatus from serious blogging is over. For any blogger, a long hiatus can be a dangerous proposition — threatening the already tenuously small readership and helping people to forget about you. Look, many of you already were going to forget about me anyway over the Christmas / New Year holiday anyway. And having blogged here for nearly seven years (can you believe that?), I felt secure enough to take the time off.

But one major reason for the break was to gear up mentally and spiritually for the battles that lie ahead. Contributing to all the apparently positive gains in the 2010 elections, in Congress and elsewhere? That took some effort, to be sure. The real challenge lies ahead, however — among other things, in striving to keep our elected leaders in Denver and Washington, D.C., (as well as myself) honest in the fight to limit government power and “to promote the blessings of liberty.”

And while I’m at it, what could be more serious than putting to rest how we name this new year in our everyday conversation: Two thousand eleven or Twenty-eleven? Like this cause, I choose and stand firmly in the camp of the latter. Yes, I’m a year late to the game, but like a new convert I bring a zeal to the “Twenty-eleven” crusade. Watch out!