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Home Archives for 2008

Archives for 2008

5/27/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Introducing The Next Right

The Next Right is officially launched today. From the About page:The Next Right is the place for wired activists to build a new Republican Party and conservative movement. As a community-driven grassroots action website for the right, we'll feature in-depth political analysis, on-the-ground reports, and strategic discussion and debate. The site's founding editors are Soren Dayton, Jon Henke, and Patrick Ruffini. Read each of their posts announcing this new venture here: Soren | Jon | Patrick These are the brightest minds in new media that our side has to offer. I encourage all limited government conservative bloggers and blog-readers in Colorado to sign up and join The Next Right network. Our state has been on the front line of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, National Politics Tagged With: Colorado, conservative, Jon Henke, limited government, Patrick Ruffini, Republican Party, Soren Dayton, The Next Right

5/26/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Memorial Day 2008

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine. Today, pay your respects to a fallen soldier, sailor, airman, Marine - and to their loved ones still with us. And don't forget to thank the troops you meet for their service to us all. Happy Memorial Day! Other local Memorial Day written and visual remembrances from Michael at Best Destiny, Jim at Thinking Right, Joshua at View from a Height, and Rossputin. From farther afield, Maggie Thurber shares the history of Memorial Day, Fort Hard Knox posts the President's Prayer for Peace, and Chuck Muth recounts the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commemorative, General, History Tagged With: America the Beautiful, Best Destiny, Chuck Muth, Fort Hard Knox, Memorial Day, military cemetery, Thinking Right, Thurber's Thoughts, View from a Height

5/23/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Ethiopian Journalist Tells Story of His Persecution and Flight to U.S.

A month ago I made a very unique friend in Habtamu Dugo, the persecuted Ethiopian journalist who had just fled to the United States from the repressive regime in his homeland. Today, the Independence Institute has released a 5-minute video in which Habtamu tells his compelling story. More on the video at Jon Caldara's blog. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, My Life, World Events Tagged With: Ethiopia, Habtamu Dugo, Independence Institute, Jon Caldara, journalist, persecution, YouTube video

5/23/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Conflicted Interests Behind Lawsuit Against Online Charter School?

Face The State has an interesting story today about possible conflict of interest behind a school district's attempted lawsuit to get rid of an innovative online public charter school:An education official involved in a lawsuit against an online charter school and the state school board is acting with conflicted interests, say some of those impacted by the legal action. Critics charge that Michael Poore, the assistant superintendent for Colorado Springs School District 11 and chairman of Colorado's Online Learning Advisory Board, faces a conflict when it comes to his district's legal action against Hope Online Learning Academy and the Colorado State Board of Education. Specifically, they object to the fact that he has been permitted … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General Tagged With: Colorado Springs, Colorado State Board of Education, Face the State, Hope Online, Lisa Villanueva, Michael Poore, online charter school, Online Learning Advisory Board, School District 11

5/23/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Another Reason for Right-to-Work… from a Union Leader’s Own Words

Denver Post business writer Al Lewis made an interesting revelation yesterday (H/T Labor Pains blog):What's so great about being in the union? Half of Colorado's United Food and Commercial Workers would stop paying union dues if they could, according to the group's local president. In a May 1 letter to members, Ernest Duran warns that the right-to-work initiative headed for Colorado's November ballot would decimate his ranks of dues-paying members. "If this amendment passes, we will enter all future negotiations divided," Duran wrote. "In my opinion, we will enter with less than 50 percent of the workers as union members." Do you wonder now why union leaders are so frightened of Amendment 47, the statewide ballot initiative that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: Al Lewis, Amendment 47, choice, competition, Denver Post, Ernest Duran, freedom, freeloaders, Labor Pains, representation, right-to-work, United Food and Commercial Workers

5/23/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Remember Weld County Tornado Victims and Give to Help Those in Need

The hearts of Coloradans are struck by the extensive destruction wrought by yesterday's Weld County tornado. The Rocky Mountain News has a rolling feed of live coverage on events in Windsor and the surrounding areas - truly a 21st century newspaper feature. Fellow blogger Bob Agard has posted video from the opening of last night's MSNBC News coverage - reminding us how truly amazing it is that the storm resulted in only one fatality. Meanwhile, of most importance, if you are able to do anything to help our neighbors in need - the Centennial Chapter of the American Red Cross is collecting donations for local relief. And please remember to utter a prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. We should also be reminded … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General Tagged With: American Red Cross, Bob Agard, Caring for China, Centennial chapter, China earthquake, local relief funds, MSNBC News, Myanmar cyclone, Rocky Mountain News, tornado, Weld County, Windsor, World Vision

5/22/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Colorado State Workers Get Union Ballots, Rocky Reprints Ritter’s Error

Yesterday, as reported by the Rocky Mountain News, ballots were mailed out to 21,000 Colorado state employees for the purposes of choosing exclusive representation. Workers vote yes to be represented by the Colorado WINS labor coalition or vote no to keep the status quo and the right to represent themselves if they so choose. Unfortunately, the Rocky ended their story with a misleading statement:[Gov. Bill] Ritter has emphasized that his order bans strikes, prohibits binding arbitration and bars unions from charging dues to nonmembers. It makes you wonder whether Bill Ritter has read his own executive order. The order does not bar unions from charging dues to nonmembers - it leaves the door open to coercive fees being charged on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, Labor, My Life Tagged With: ballots, Bill Ritter, binding arbitration, Colorado state employees, Colorado WINS, Denver Post, iVoices podcast, Rocky Mountain News, strikes, union agency fees, union partnership elections

5/21/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Deconstructing Republican Folly, Reconstructing Constitutionalist Hope

Two of Colorado's most established center-right bloggers weigh in on what's happened to the Republican Party brand and what can be done about it. Michael at Best Destiny takes a look at a Face The State story on the Republican's recent plight in Denver's northwest suburbs and opines loudly about what needs to be done to overcome messaging problems:. . . .TALK TO EVERYBODY, NOT JUST THE BASE; TALK TO THEM ABOUT KITCHEN TABLE ISSUES, NOT GOP MEAT AND POTATOES; KNOW WHAT MATTERS TO PEOPLE like the economy, stupid; like education, stupid;... Michael should get paid for his political consultant's work. I concur that messaging is part of the problem, but in some ways the problem runs even deeper. Meanwhile, Joshua at View from a Height … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics Tagged With: Best Destiny, Conservatism, political parties, Republican Party, View from a Height

5/21/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Chantell Taylor Watch: Part IV

Is this really a story? A government watchdog group criticized the state's attorney general for stepping in as legal counsel to the new Independent Ethics Commission, saying in a statement Tuesday that the setup presents unavoidable conflicts of interest. Attorney General John Suthers on Monday told the commission, responsible for forming ethics rules, that his office would do its lawyering unless lawmakers allow an outside attorney. Suthers' office by law acts as counsel for all state agencies, an attorney general spokesman said. Then we see who the "government watchdog group" is:Chantell Taylor, head of the nonprofit Colorado Ethics Watch, said the commission should be independent of the executive branch. [emphasis added] Yes, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics Tagged With: Chantell Taylor, Colorado Ethics Watch

5/20/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Barack Obama: Man of Contradiction

Powerline has the goods: Within less than 24 hours, the Obama messiah completely contradicts himself:Barack Obama, last night in Portland, on Iran: "They don't pose a serious threat to us." Barack Obama, today, in Billings, Montana, on Iran: "I've made it clear for years that the threat from Iran is grave." Powerline also has video. So which is it: Is Iran a serious threat, or not? Or is it beyond us mere peons to dare question the great Obama? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, contradiction, Iran, Montana, Oregon, Powerline

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Inside

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    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
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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.

Recent Posts

  • AI-Enhanced Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Teen Innovation
  • My Baker’s Dozen of Top 2023 Reads
  • Common Learning Disabilities in Children
  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition

Colorado News

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National News and Politics

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Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
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  • E!! The True Conservative Story
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  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
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  • NRO's The Corner
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Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
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  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
  • Historical Conversations
  • IMAO
  • Jay P. Greene
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Christian Commentary et al.

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Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
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Colorado Blogs

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  • Rossputin
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Other Sites

  • Technorati
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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
  • The Business Word
  • The Daily Blogster
  • View from a Height

To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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