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Home Archives for Ben

2/7/2026 By Ben 2 Comments

How Much Does It Cost to Pay the IRS a Nickel Owed for Federal Taxes?

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 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, Health Care, property rights Tagged With: adjustment, bureaucracy, CPA, Detroit Free Press, envelope, federal government, FICA, interest, Internal Revenue Service, James Howarth, letter, nickel, penalty, pocket change, refund, sanity, secretary, stamp, story, trial lawyer

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Yo, Ho, Ho! A UAW Boss’s Life for Me…

Here's another small log to throw into the automotive bailout fiasco: A local Detroit TV news station tracks the well-paid lifestyle of a couple UAW union plant officials. See if you can count the number of stops at the liquor store made while on the clock, being compensated from their line workers' mandatory dues funds. (H/T Labor Pains) … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: automotive bailouts, Detroit, liquor store, mandatory dues, TV news station, union officials, United Auto Workers, well-paid lifestyle

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio with Tom Lucero Tonight at 9 PM

Tune in at 9 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the eighth edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio, the first of 2009. Tonight's guest is Tom Lucero - University of Colorado Regent, chairman of the recently successful Amendment 54 campaign, and already a declared Republican candidate for Colorado's 4th Congressional race in 2010. 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. More information on past and future episodes is posted at Slapstick Politics. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General

2/7/2026 By Ben 2 Comments

“Un-American”? Michigan Bailout Rhetoric Reaches Fever Pitch

I can feel the pain of my home state of Michigan (and no, I'm not referring to the bitter cold temperatures we're experiencing here along the Front Range). The angst coming from the Motor City and its environs is palpable. One of the most poignant examples, at least from my perspective, relates to a scheduled weekend appearance by Kentucky's U.S. Senator (and former Detroit Tigers pitcher) Jim Bunning. Detroit Free Press columnist Brian Dickerson ripped Bunning a new one after the Republican Senator voted against the UAW's federal government bailout deal. Dickerson wrote:He may be losing his marbles, but U.S. senator and ex-Tiger pitching great Jim Bunning still has big brass cojones. After all, most of the GOP senators … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: "un-American", angst, automotive bailout, bitter cold, Brian Dickerson, Canadian, Colorado, columnist, committee room, deal, Democrats, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Tigers, economically inept, event, federal government, former pitcher, Free Speech, Front Range, Gibraltar Trade Center, government takeovers, Governor, hearings, hypocrisy, Interior Department, Jennifer Granholm, Jim Bunning, Joseph McCarthy, Ken Salazar, Kentucky, Lansing, lofty clouds, Michigan, Mitch Albom, Mitch McConnell, Motor City, ownership, pain, palpable, poignant example, powerful contrast, ratcheted up, Republicans, Ron Gettelfinger, temerity, Toyota, Tuesdays with Morrie, U.S. Senator, United Auto Workers, vote, weekend appearance

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

Blog Silence: RIP, Jim Cannon

I'll be maintaining blog silence for a little while, having received the news earlier today of my friend Jim Cannon's premature passing. His loss is our pain, but his relief from great suffering, at home with the Savior. Speaking personally, my life is richer for having known Jim - one of the founding members of the old Rocky Mountain Alliance. He leaves me with fond memories of his courage, graciousness, and compassion, in the face of extremely trying physical struggles. Please keep Jim's family in your prayers most of all. More to come later. In the meantime, Snaggletooth also has some kind words to share. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Commemorative, My Life Tagged With: blog silence, compassion, courage, fond memories, founding members, graciousness, Jim Cannon, kind words, news, physical struggles, premature passing, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Snaggletooth

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio On the Air Tonight at 9 PM

Remember, Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio is on the air tonight at 9 PM local Mountain Time. El Presidente - one of tonight's co-hosts - has the details. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, My Life Tagged With: Blog Talk Radio, El Presidente, Rocky Mountain Alliance

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

If You Think the Auto Bailout is Bad, Wait for the Price Tag from Card-Check

I've written before about the bad deal for workers if Congress passes the poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act (aka union card-check legislation). But what kind of impact could it have on the economy? In a recent 8-minute iVoices podcast interview, Barbara Comstock of the Workforce Fairness Institute says it's "more of a threat" than the proposed bailout of the Big 3 auto makers: As my good friend Joshua Sharf frequently remarks about putting the Democrats in charge:Progressively more intrusive. Progressively more expensive. Progressively more restrictive. Sadly, the disease is all over Washington D.C., with no apparent hope for recovery any time soon. Hold on to your hats. And your wallets. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, National Politics Tagged With: Congress, economy, Employee Free Choice Act, impact

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Pre-Christmas Friday Laughs

It's Friday, so I'm keeping it light and to the point. Besides the close proximity to the Christmas holiday and other reasons, I'm just too mad about our lame-duck President Bush copping to the auto bailout and too mystified by the intensity of the Senate appointment process for Governor Ritter to replace Ken Salazar. So here goes an opportunity for a few laughs: Yesterday, a friend introduced me to the It's Lovely! I'll Take It blog, which glibly pans bad real estate listing photos (something in the spirit of this humorous masterpiece of a book). If you're looking for something a little more Christmas-y, you ought to read "Twas the Night Before Single-Payer" posted by Dr. Paul Hsieh over at the We Stand FIRM blog. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Health Care, National Politics, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: auto bailout, Bill Ritter, Christmas holiday, Friday, George Bush, Interior Desecrations, It's Lovely I'll Take It, Ken Salazar, lame-duck president, laughs, light, parody, Paul Hsieh, real estate listing photos, Senate appointment process, single-payer health care, We Stand Firm

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Freedom-Loving Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

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. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, National Politics, property rights, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: cathartic, government bailout, Happy New Year, Liberty on the Rocks, Merry Christmas, YouTube

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Complete Colorado: Mayors Asking for $2.25 Billion in Federal Pork Handouts

Complete Colorado is breaking a story about 10 different Colorado mayors requesting a total of $2.25 billion in federal pork. The biggest ask (go for the gusto, right?) comes from Colorado Springs at $1.25 billion. But the most interesting request hails from the People's Republic:The city of Boulder asked for $6 million to "...[p]rovide funding to convert 60 hybrid electric vehicles to Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles with Vehicle to Grid technology. The cars are part of the City of Boulder, Boulder County, and the University of Colorado fleets." The retrofit of each vehicle, therefore, would cost $100-thousand dollars a piece. I haven't seen a cost-benefit analysis, but how much is really gained by switching to the Plug-In Hybrid Electric … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics, transportation Tagged With: Arvada, Boulder County, breaking story, bridge repair, Colorado Springs, Complete Colorado, federal pork, funding streams, hybrid electric vehicles, investigation, mayors, People's Republic of Boulder, Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, projects, relatively modest, retrofit, street, University of Colorado

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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

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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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  • Hugh Hewitt
  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
  • Lileks
  • Little Green Footballs
  • Michelle Malkin
  • 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
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Christian Commentary et al.

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Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
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  • Colorado Republican Party
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Other Sites

  • Technorati
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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
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To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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