Face The State follows up on a Complete Colorado lead about Democrat State Representative Dennis Apuan. He is the lead sponsor of a resolution honoring fallen soldiers (PDF), but he also has been arrested as an anti-war protester.

Jeff Crank, former Republican Congressional candidate and current Colorado Springs radio host, wants to know why Apuan is hiding from his 2003 arrest. The following response was fired back from the Democrats’ press office:

Statement from Rep. Dennis Apuan (D-El Paso)

Date: Fri, Mar 6, 2009

“Six years ago, long before I was an elected official, I participated in a peaceful prayer vigil at Peterson Air Force Base.

With a group of religious leaders, I peacefully expressed my opposition to the use of nuclear weapons. We had hoped to hand out prayer cards to soldiers and we chose to step over the line marking Peterson Air Force Base property. After just a few feet, four of us were arrested for trespassing. I was sentenced to 48 hours of community service, which I completed at my church teaching Sunday school.

I was peacefully exercising my first amendment rights to free speech.”

Crank tells Face The State: “He should come on my show and make a statement saying he stands by that decision or that it was a long time ago and dumb and now he supports the men and women in the military.”

Fair enough. I think Representative Apuan could put this issue to rest rather quickly by answering questions in the open, instead of hiding behind a prepared statement and sponsorship of a resolution. Maybe he still could be called “Boulder‘s own representative in El Paso County,” or maybe his views have changed.

Inquiring minds (especially the Fort Carson military personnel who live in his district) want to know.

Sean Paige (the American Contrarian) points readers to a recent study from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University that shows Colorado ranks 3rd among the states in economic freedom.

Apparently, statehouse Democrats, along with the occasional useful Republican, strongly feel Colorado ranks too high. How else do you explain Senate Bill 228?

One of the leading arguments against SB 228 – including among the moderate sectors of the business community – has been the threat posed to a reliable stream of transportation funding. But a watcher makes the case that the real winning argument is simply to demonstrate the outrageous growth of government caused by repealing the 6 percent spending cap.

I say: Give me both arguments. Whatever the case, SB 228 is bad policy and a sure way to chip away at Colorado’s proud and hard-earned high ranking in economic freedom.

Selected Senator Michael Bennet to Colorado taxpayers: “The beatings will continue until moral improves”. So reports the Fort Morgan Times on Bennet’s visit yesterday:

Government has to find some kind of answer to the economic woes which are besieging the country, he said.

The stimulus package is just the beginning, but it can bring some relief, Bennet said. [emphasis added]

What’s next? The Obama housing plan? You know, rewarding irresponsible behavior, paying your neighbor’s mortgage.

Does Michael Bennet have a position on the Obama housing plan? Or maybe he just expects Colorado’s hard-working taxpayers to assume the position again (you know, hand in wallet)….

Is there anything Bennet will support or oppose without the White House’s permission?

Tune in starting at 8:30 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the 14th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. The show will feature an extended review of President Obama’s visit to Denver to sign the Porkulus bill (aka Generational Theft Act) and the organized response at the State Capitol (please join us for the noontime event).

Tonight’s scheduled guest is Denver-based political activist Chris Maj, also an affiliate of Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty. Here is the bio he offered:

Chris Maj (pronounced May) is a self-employed computer programmer in the telecommunications industry, avid sportsmen and home brewer. After recovering from many different political parties back east in tax shackled upstate New York, he and his wife found amazing opportunities for economic, personal and spiritual growth in Colorado. Holiday dinner conversations back in Buffalo are often brought to a halt when he mentions that citizens get to vote on any and all tax increases in Colorado thanks to TABOR. That fiscally conservative approach led his libertarian leaning activism to the Republican party principles of Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, and Ron Paul. Now residing in southeast Denver, Chris Maj worked on George Lilly’s Congressional campaign last year and looks forward to working to get Republicans elected to office by focusing on less government, lower taxes and more freedom and liberty.

Don’t forget. If you miss the live broadcast of tonight’s show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus.

Happy Valentine’s Day. I’m sick, and it isn’t lovesickness. It does include the nauseous feeling I got learning that Barack Obama plans to sign the trillion-dollar-plus Generational Theft Act right here in our own backyard. Yeah, just stick it in our eye. No thanks, Mr. President.

The symbolism of the action won’t be forgotten in our independent state, and should serve as a nice prelude to the Rally for Personal Freedom.

The newly-formed Gadsden Society of Colorado – so named for Colonel Christopher Gadsden who popularized the Revolutionary “Don’t Tread On Me” flag – is hosting a “Rally for Personal Freedom” on Sunday, March 1, at the State Capitol in downtown Denver. Rising star and voice of liberty Ryan Frazier will be the keynote speaker.

El Presidente has the details. Spread the word. Hope to see you there.

And Colorado is a step closer to once again being safe for democracy:

The bag ban was the brainchild of a teacher and a group of students at Kent Denver School, who approached lawmakers with their idea. Sen. Jennifer Veiga and Rep. Joe Miklosi, both Denver Democrats, agreed to sponsor the measure.

Maybe we can poll some children for the best way to balance the budget, too.

And maybe Senator Veiga and Representative Miklosi could help carry all those re-usable bags into Wal-Mart (oh wait, not that evil store where people can save money….) Because we know they don’t want to create a renaissance of paper bags and destroy the forests.

Over at Ed News Colorado, I authored a post today titled “The Absurdity of Zero-Tolerance Zealots” – about the incident at Cherokee Trail High School. (Just in case you wanted to see my thoughts on the matter.)

Mr. Bob wonders if the crackdown is coming on the Color Guard next.

Meanwhile, the state senate minority office reports proposed legislation may be coming to address the overreach of “zero-tolerance” policies on students in military-oriented youth groups: (more…)

Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) says it needs to condemn 56 properties in northeast Denver for light-rail expansion. Maybe we can hope RTD has learned some lessons from arousing the ire of property owners on the west side of Denver. The stories of Daniel Gallegos, Kim Snyder, Galen Foster, and others should be instructive.

But don’t hold your breath. Residents who may be affected by RTD’s latest expansion should empower themselves by checking out the resources provided by the Independence Institute’s Property Rights Project.

Interested in a lively and informative presentation and discussion of some of the worst U.S. Supreme Court decisions in our history, and ideas for the federal judiciary to get back on a more Constitutional path? Are you still looking for something to do this Tuesday evening (February 3) and live in the Denver area?

Well, here’s an event for you.

Institute for Justice president William “Chip” Mellor, one of the co-authors of the new book The Dirty Dozen: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom will be speaking at the Independence Institute (directions here).

Tomorrow evening’s event starts with a 5:30 reception, followed by the program at 6:00. Go here to RSVP. I hope to see you there.

So I’ve heard the State Capitol has become a rough place these days (yes, Denver truly is the Wild West!), but I had no idea it had come to this, as disclosed in the Headline of the Week: “Brophy bill to protect homeowners killed in committee”.

My first thought was, How many homeowners have been killed in committee meetings lately? I especially have reason to be concerned, seeing as how I plan to be under the golden dome tomorrow to speak on a new media/blogger luncheon panel to the Senate GOP Caucus.

I will be joined by the famous Vodkapundit (aka Stephen Green), Zombyboy, Rossputin (aka Ross Kaminsky), Charles Martin, and Face The State editor Brad Jones. Frankly, I’m humbled to be with this group of accomplished bloggers / new media gurus, and hope to represent the Rocky Mountain Alliance and People’s Press Collective well. (more…)

Did you hear the one about the Internal Revenue Service, a trial lawyer, and loose pocket change? A true – and telling – story in today’s Detroit Free Press:

In mid-November, [Detroit criminal defense attorney James] Howarth received notice that his FICA account, even after an adjustment, was out of whack.

He owed the IRS a nickel. And the IRS was serious.

It advised him to act promptly “to avoid additional penalty and/or interest.”

Howarth started calculating how much that nickel was going to cost him.

As he figures it, there is the 5 cents plus the cost of a check — payment must be made by check or money order. Then there is his CPA’s fee, an envelope, his secretary’s time, his own time and a 42-cent stamp.

“The costs are several hundred percent over the nickel,” he said.

But then a second letter arrived. This one said Howarth had a refund coming.

The amount? Four cents. But to get it, Howarth would have to ask for it because it was less than $1.

“When I owe them a nickel, I must pay them,” he said. “It’s not optional. But when they owe me, I have to ask for it.”

When someone insists on a service being administered by a federal government bureaucracy, you have to question their sanity.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from my freedom-loving friends at Liberty on the Rocks:

Singing along with the chorus can be quite a cathartic experience, given all the recent federal government bailouts.

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and Governor Bill Ritter are defendants in a case filed by the Independence Institute (disclosure: where I work) and numerous aggrieved taxpayers over a 2007 law that raised property taxes without a proper vote of the people, as required by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Denver District Court Judge Christine Habas came down on the side of the people nearly seven months ago, but the Colorado Supreme Court has been silent since – despite reasonable expectations that critical tax revenue issues be addressed in a timely manner.

As Face The State reports, CDE needs the Supreme Court to “hurry up”:

In June, Ritter, a defendant alongside CDE, appealed the decision to the state’s highest court. Oral arguments for the case were heard on Sept. 11. Political insiders predicted the decision would be delivered almost immediately following the Nov. 4 Election, but they have grown increasingly disappointed as the weeks have passed and there is still no ruling.

“I’m not reading anything into the delay beyond that it is a big case,” said Richard Westfall, attorney for the plaintiffs.

[Denver attorney Jason] Dunn noted the delay in handing down a decision could be because there are multiple opinions being written or there is a swing vote on the bench. “Predicting supreme court decision-making is a little like going to Vegas,” he said. “It’s not an exact science.”

That’s true. But taxpayers like Main Street Cafe owner Evan Gluckman, one of the plaintiffs, also have good reason to get an uneasy feeling about the delay:

Gluckman said “both sides have been pushing for an answer.” He believes the freeze was a tax increase and he isn’t sure why it has taken months for the Supreme Court to mull its decision.

“It’s so clear on what happened to me,” Gluckman said.

In recent months, Gov. Ritter has demonstrated a little cockiness about the whole affair, prompting questions about what he knows about the Supreme Court to gamble taxpayer dollars. (Makes the Vegas analogy apt, doesn’t it?)

Either way, Rocky Mountain Right could be correct that Ritter is “about to step on another landmine”. Meanwhile, however, for a variety of reasons this decision can’t be held up for much longer without creating further chaos.

Mary Katherine Ham’s excellent video reminds us in just a few short minutes why Barack Obama’s long string of equivocations on issues great and small adds up to a lack of leadership. Let me also pass on American Princess’ warning to her readers: “Prepare to vomit.”
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