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Welcome to the “Tunnel of Oppression”

Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and get ready for a ride through the "Tunnel of Oppression," the latest multi-sensory, feel-not-so-good liberal method to promote an agenda - and 100% free of reason, logic, or coherent argument. But what else did you expect? Gina Garcia, one of the tunnel coordinators, said the shock value is part of the intent of the display. "If you just provide a lot of factual stuff, you're only connecting with people cognitively. This is supposed to be very much of the effect, we're supposed to be getting to people's emotions," she said. A conservative could try to start a conversation about many of the topics graphically depicted in the Tunnel and automatically receive a negative label. But be … [Read more...]

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Denver Teachers Sated

Any last outside chances that there would be a teachers strike in Denver this year all but evaporated yesterday as 1,767 members of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) voted to accept the bargained contract and only 617 voted against. Roughly 600 DCTA members did not vote. Of the district's 4,200 teachers, about 3,000 belong to DCTA. Teachers get back a lost step on the salary schedule, a pay increase, more planning time, and more say in areas of professional development and instruction. Meanwhile, the district and union have planned to phase out the salary schedule with the new ProComp performance-based pay plan, the funding of which has to be approved by voters in November. The brewing tensions within the district … [Read more...]

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First Hearing on Teachers’ Union Complaint Today

Wayne Rutt and Paul Marrick, the co-founders of Parents for Truth, have their first appearance before a judge today at 1 p.m. in Denver. The hearing was originally scheduled for 9 a.m. today but was postponed in favor of hearing a series of procedural motions. Marrick and Rutt, who filed the original complaint against Poudre Education Association (PEA) - the local Fort Collins teachers' union -, for violating a series of state election laws have filed a motion to expand the complaint to include both the statewide union (CEA) and the local Poudre School District. Their lawyer also filed for a continuance (a delay of hearing), citing that the school district dragged its feet in responding to their subpoenas and Open Records request for … [Read more...]

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This Might Just Leave You Scratching Your Head

I received the following report concerning the latest meeting of the Denver Metro Young Republicans: Karen Bauer, one of three people removed from President Bush’s Social Security meeting posed as a Rocky Mountain News journalist while grilling Jay Bob Klinkerman at a regular meeting of the Denver Metro Young Republicans. Klinkerman is chair of the Colorado Young Republicans, a group unaffiliated with the Denver Metro Young Republicans. Ann Imse, staff writer for the Rocky Mountain News and photographer Evan Semon, escorted Bauer into the meeting. "They were waiting in the restaurant area until our meeting began. They then joined our meeting in progress in a private room. They declined signing our guest form or to introduce … [Read more...]

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Not the Best News for Prospective Home Buyers

News like this could put a damper on the search to buy a first home. But then again, since most of the prices listed in the article are outside of our range, it could be best just to ignore the story and move on. Motto for the cost-conscious House Hunter searching through endless listings and making visit after visit: "I only need to find one." And it ain't going to be in Cherry Hills... NOT EVEN CLOSE! … [Read more...]

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Calling Out the Fearmongers on “Theocracy”

This article in today's Rocky Mountain News on the organized Family Research Council rally against the judicial filibuster highlights an event that will likely prove to be further fodder for the fearmongering Left, but it was good to see some pre-emptive remarks at the rally: "This is a way of Salazar and these people on the left of trying to silence debate," [President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Bill] Donohue said. "When you use, 'theocracy,' that's saying we're like a bunch of ayatollahs, (that) we're radicals. Who's using the incendiary language? He is. . . . What Salazar is doing (is) he's muddying the whole concept of the First Amendment." "We're not going to be a theocracy, so stop with the scare … [Read more...]

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Unveiling Parents for Truth in Education

Remember Paul Marrick and Wayne Rutt, the Fort Collins parents who were disgusted to see the electioneering the teachers' union did at the expense of their children and decided to do something about it? Well, these days they've taken their determined efforts even further by launching the organization Parents for Truth in Education to raise awareness and to raise funds for their formal complaint against the teachers' union. You can also get up to speed concerning the facts and issues by reading their news clippings. Check out their brand-new website. To top it all off, Wayne and Paul have been given a microphone and a platform to get the message out not only about this particular case but about any future issues that may arise. Tune … [Read more...]