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Home Archives for 2009

Archives for 2009

11/5/2009 By Ben 6 Comments

Help Steer the Local Political Discussion: It’s Time for the November Survey

Mount Virtus readers, this post will remain sticky through the end of the survey (November 13). For newer postings, please scroll down. It's that time again. Yes, El Presidente and I have commissioned and fashioned another survey that we hope you will take 10 minutes or so to complete — especially if you’re from Colorado. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill quick-hit polls. Once again we’ve gone a little more in-depth. Some of the questions are the same. Some are new. One interesting added follow-up is asking what the most important factor is for you in choosing to support a Republican primary candidate for governor and U.S. Senate. Click here to take the November 2009 Colorado online political survey Your opinion counts. Take a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC

11/5/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

What Happened in NY-23?

Everyone and his brother (a particularly strange piece of slang I picked up from my childhood) has been offering spin to explain why on an election night so good for Republicans and conservatives, insurgent Conservative Doug Hoffman came up short against Democrat Bill Owens. I think that's looking at it the wrong way: given the facts and observations provided by Michael Patrick Leahy, it's fairly remarkable Hoffman came as close as he did. I spot three major factors Leahy cites that determined the outcome. First: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC

11/4/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Kent Lambert’s Announcement Thursday: Going for Senate District 9?

Yesterday Republican state senator Dave Schultheis announced he would be retiring from office in 2010. This evening a press release went out from (and about) one of my Leadership Program of the Rockies classmates:Representative Kent Lambert, House District 14, will make a short public political announcement on Thursday, November 5, at 12:00 at the El Paso County Republican Headquarters, 205 Sutton Road, Colorado Springs, CO, 80907. An opportunity for media Q&A will follow. [link added] Connection between the announcements of Schultheis and Lambert? It would be hard to speculate as anything else. You didn't think Tom McDowell would go unchallenged in his quest for Senate District 9, did you? No one has a stronger 2009 rating from the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, liberty, My Life, PPC

11/4/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Colorado Supreme Court & School Funding: Case to Clear the Bench

Despite all the hoopla (much of it well-deserved) about the election results, let's not lose focus on an easily overlooked issue that should factor into some of our important decisions for 2010 -- namely, the Colorado Supreme Court delving into political questions of how our schools are funded in Lobato v State. You now can listen to my recent 8-minute interview on this very topic with Brad Jones on Face The State Weekend edition. Whether or not you get to listen, let me explain -- no, let me sum up: The case for Clear The Bench Colorado is now overwhelming. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Judiciary, PPC

11/4/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Election 2009, From Va. to Local School Board: Mixed Bag, More Good Than Bad

Quick reflections on last night's election results ... National The Bad: In what was a late insurgent campaign, conservative Doug Hoffman loses New York 23 (though Erick Erickson tries to spin it into a favorable light). Tax-limitation initiatives in Maine and Washington went down in flames. The Good: Obviously, the Republican sweep in Virginia -- governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, seven more seats in the state assembly -- is the big national victory. And a Republican governor in New Jersey? Priceless. Colorado Local The Bad: Pro-union, anti-reform forces strike back and claim a narrow majority on the Denver school board Reformers Amy Attwood and Natalie Menten both narrowly lose Lakewood city council … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC

11/3/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Josh Penry Effectively Calls Out Governor Bill Ritter for “Hiring Farce”

Channel 7 investigative reporters Arthur Kane and John Ferrugia have exposed Democrat Governor Bill Ritter's so-called "hiring freeze" for what it really was:Gov. Bill Ritter promised a hiring freeze last year to help bridge the budget gap, but a CALL7 investigation found that as many as 2,300 employees were hired during the “freeze.” As much as a year ago I called out Ritter's phony "freeze". In January Denver Post reporter Jessica Fender described Bill Ritter's so-called "freeze" as "more of a chill". Back then I asked "Doesn’t anyone want to run for governor against this guy?" … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, PPC

11/3/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

GOP Surprise: Dave Schultheis to Retire, Tom McDowell to Succeed Him?

From CBS4 Denver, foot-in-mouth State Senator David Schultheis (R-Colorado Springs) has pulled a surprise and announced he's not running for re-election in 2010. Does this make former blogger and self-proclaimed "big tent" Republican candidate Tom McDowell the frontrunner in Senate District 9? It's no secret that Tom once was a frequent visitor to this blog, and has left his share of comments that speak for themselves. All I can say is he seems to like to pick fights over imagined disputes. If nominated and elected, I hope he shows more tact than his predecessor. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, My Life, PPC

11/3/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Rally With the Tea Party Express in Denver’s Civic Center Today at 5 PM

The Tea Party Express rolls into Denver today for a 5 PM Election Day 2009 rally featuring Joe The Plumber. Angry about the Pelosi-Obama health care monstrosity? Fed up with the billions in "stimulus" money that's done so little for jobs and the economy? Here's your chance to show your support for limited government, liberty and fiscal responsibility:Date/Time: Tuesday, November 3rd at 5:00 pm Rally Location: Civic Center – Greek Theater 100 W 14th Ave Denver, CO 80204 As Joshua points out, today is a busy day of important elections (not to mention the school board election here in Jefferson County) here in Colorado and back East. If you are able to vote in one of these important races (or know someone who is) and haven't … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Health Care, liberty, National Politics, PPC, property rights

11/3/2009 By Ben 3 Comments

Wow: Obama Stimulus Spending in Jefferson County at $1.1 Million Per Job

In a recent diary at Rocky Mountain Right, Mike Robinson finds that the Obama stimulus bill created 654 jobs in Douglas County at a cost of $131,548 per job. Using the same Recovery.gov website, I learned that Douglas has nothing on my own Jefferson County. According to my calculations, $244,783,814 in ARRA "stimulus" money has been spent in Jeffco. How many jobs created? 221.39 ... For a total of $1,105,667.89 per job. As bad as $230,000 per job nationwide (presuming no union featherbedding is going on) is for stimulus spending, Jeffco really has felt the short end of the stick. Kind of like construction jobs anywhere. Far and away the biggest single Jeffco award went to Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, in Golden: nearly $160 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC

11/2/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Pelosi’s Version of Obama Care “Worst Bill Ever”? Close Enough to Reject

Is Nancy Pelosi's 2,000-page version of Obama Care "the worst bill ever" -- as the editors of the Wall Street Journal describe it? I doubt it. After all, that's some pretty stiff competition. But if you're busy having to defend the so-called health care reform legislation from the charge of "worst bill ever," the Democrats in charge of Congress risk a massive political backlash in 2010. Will my own Congressman Ed Perlmutter vote for the deficit spending, middle-class taxes, rationed care, and greater government control of medicine? If so, he'd better be watching out for Republican Ryan Frazier -- who quite ably lays out the top 12 reasons to reject Nancy Pelosi's health care monstrosity. Check out the Patient Power Now blog to find … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Health Care, liberty, National Politics, PPC

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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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