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Home Archives for 2007

Archives for 2007

12/13/2007 By Ben Leave a Comment

“So What” Report Confirms Ritter’s Solution in Search of Problem

Doing its duty in support of the Left-liberal Colorado coalition, the Bell Policy Center released a report today that expends a lot of megabytes (and ink?) to say almost nothing relevant. The Rocky Mountain News first picked up on the story:Labor-management partnerships such as the one Gov. Bill Ritter ordered for state government are positive on balance, according to a report by the Bell Policy Center — a group that consulted with Ritter's staff as he launched his partnership plan. However, such agreements mostly have been used to turn around adversarial labor-management relations in already unionized workplaces with collective bargaining, the report points out. [emphasis added]The report presents zero evidence of so-called … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: Backroom Bill Ritter, Bell Policy Center, Collective Bargaining, Partnerships

12/12/2007 By Ben 6 Comments

The Time for a Fred Comeback Would Be Now

Erick at Red State charts a path for Fred Thompson's tired campaign to come back and make a surprising resurgence. And let me tell you, I'd be pleased to see him do it. If Colorado's caucus were held today, Fred would get my vote. The most recent Rasmussen results show the Centennial State is a wide open playing field for Republican candidates, as a lot of GOP members like myself are adopting a wait-and-see attitude:Which of the following Republican candidates is most in tune with the attitudes and needs of Colorado? 19% John McCain. 14% Rudy Giuliani 14% Fred Thompson 12% Ron Paul 9% Mike Huckabee 8% Mitt Romney 16% None of the above 8% Not sure So here's hoping Fred has really found his stride. Today's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, National Politics Tagged With: Fred Thompson, presidential primary

12/12/2007 By Ben 4 Comments

Take a Step Back in Looking at Murderer’s Upbringing

The journalistic peep show into the life of a murderer continues, as witnessed in this morning's Denver Post:The ultra-religious home-school curriculum that Matthew Murray ranted about in Web postings before he opened fire at two Christian centers forbids dating, rock music and "wrong clothes." It advises young men and women to live at home until their parents release them and counsels parents to choose marriage partners for their offspring. I suppose this information is interesting as far as it goes, but needs to be carefully qualified with three other vital insights, some of which are covered in the article: 1. The clearly misguided and inappropriate approach of the highlighted facets of this home-school curriculum represent the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Education, General, Random and Miscellaneous

12/11/2007 By Ben Leave a Comment

More Unions Jockeying to Get a Piece of State Employee Action

From this week's edition of the always insightful & entertaining Education Intelligence Agency Communique:2) Colorado Public Employees Union Hooks Up with CWA. Organized labor in Colorado is about to become very volatile. The dust has yet to settle from Gov. Bill Ritter's executive order establishing "partnerships" between state agencies and labor unions, which is clearly the prelude to public sector collective bargaining. The plans of Colorado WINS, a coalition of SEIU, AFSCME and AFT, are in evidence in the new organization's founding documents, first released exclusively by EIA on November 19. But Colorado WINS will have some competition. The formerly AFT-affiliated Colorado Federation of Public Employees has dissolved and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, Labor

12/9/2007 By Ben 4 Comments

Sick Moonbat Spits on Fresh Graves of Murder Victims

Brought to you solely in the interest of heightening awareness of what kind of perverse hatred is out there... El Presidente is keeping close tabs on the twin violent shooting incidents at Christian facilities today, including the murder of Tiffany Johnson and Philip Crouse. The first - and fatal - attack occurred within close proximity of my home, and thus elicits a strong reaction in itself. Even so,most disgusting so far is the comment attached to El President's post, a comment written by an obviously deranged and perverted coward who gives a whole new meaning to "freedom of religion":So the shooter killed only two and wounded two others. Too bad he didn't have more time to get some more. Religious missionaries are very legitimate … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General

12/9/2007 By Ben 7 Comments

Huckabee Surge is Bad News for Serious, Coherent Conservatives

I have written little here about the Presidential campaign. While I have no horse in the race, I do have some clear opinions and preferences. For the most part I've been sitting back and watching things unfold as the frontrunners vie for my support. However, the recent overpublicized "Huckabee Surge" has stirred me from my silence. That's because the thought that the former Arkansas governor and would-be Preacher-in-Chief could actually secure the Republican nomination is quite disturbing. Largely well known has been Huckabee's very apparent fiscal liberalism and economic populism. The problem is about more than taxes and spending - his positions on trade, regulation, and school choice leave a lot wanting, as well. (Not to mention … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, National Politics Tagged With: Mike Huckabee, presidential primary

12/3/2007 By Ben Leave a Comment

On a Transparency Kick

In case you care to read them, below are my two latest published pieces for your perusal, and they strike a common theme: transparency in government. On Nov. 24, the Rocky Mountain News published (printed in the Sunday Denver Post, of all places) my Speakout submission in response to Gov. Ritter's unionization executive order. This Sunday, the Pueblo Chieftain published my op-ed calling for greater online transparency of school district budgets. Want to figure out as a taxpayer just how much your local schools are spending on different items? Think it's easy? Hence, the purpose of the op-ed. So yes, I've been writing on a transparency in government kick lately. It's an important issue more people on both sides of the aisle might … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, General, My Life Tagged With: Executive Order, Gov. Ritter, school finance, Transparency

12/3/2007 By Ben Leave a Comment

Blackfive: Polis Trip to Iraq “Showboating”

Two weeks ago I wrote about Congressional candidate Jared Polis' impending visit to Iraq: Look, Polis’ trip to Iraq may turn out to be all for show. But then again he may be genuine, in which case I hope he takes time to meet with some of our enlisted troops, our young officers, as well as local Iraqi leaders and tribal chiefs. Was the trip all for show? Blackfive has the answer: So, here's Mr. Richie Rich, scratching for Congress, looking for an 'in', and decides to fund a trip to Iraq; see the natives, bash the Bush, just to say 'been there, seen that'. Unfortunately, about all HE saw was the inside of a hotel and the view from a car window. So, he's ready to be ambassador, now? So why do I care about this? Because I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, World Events Tagged With: Blackfive, Iraq, Jared Polis

12/1/2007 By Ben 1 Comment

College Football Playoffs Needed Now!

This is off topic from what I usually write about here. But after tonight's 1-2 knockout of Missouri & West Virginia, I think college football fans of all political stripes can agree that the time for a playoff system is now! No matter who ends up being selected for the BCS Championship Game at the end of this wackiest of all seasons, unending controversy will ensue. If it leads us to a playoff system next year, it will be well worth the result. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Sports and Leisure

11/30/2007 By Ben 3 Comments

How About a Real Republican Presidential YouTube Debate?

The folly that was the CNN-YouTube debate needs to be answered not only with sharp criticism but with an exemplary alternative: A great idea has been put forward by Human Events and the conservative blogging community over at RedState. Check it out. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, National Politics Tagged With: Republican Presidential debate

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About Me

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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