blogging

3/13/2018 By Jenn Mullin 1 Comment

Examining California’s Drug Problem

The opioid epidemic has hit the U.S. in a way that’s shaken our population to its very core. California has been no stranger to addiction in the past. The large size of the state combined with its proximity to the border has made it a prime target for drug traffickers and any number of different manufacturing labs. The state has also taken a more relaxed stance on the medicinal use of substances like marijuana, creating an air of controversy around drug use for many. Prescription drug abuse has skyrocketed, and the more populated areas are seeing an increase in overdose deaths. The primary problem right now revolves around prescription drug abuse and opioids. There’s a gap between available rehab facilities and the number of people … [Read more...]

8/18/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Social Media Buzz Cannot Be Safely Disregarded

In today's fast-paced social media world, disengagement is simply not an option. Whether it's an independent author like myself monitoring what people are saying about my eccentric title character, or a large corporation with millions of dollars of profits on the line, there is no excuse to lose track of what's being said about your brand on Facebook, Twitter, or other outlets. In this way, business and marketing are a lot like democratic politics -- a prominent topic on this site. It doesn't matter if the buzz is true or not. Our famous 16th president Abraham Lincoln once said about statesmanship: "A universal feeling, whether well or ill-founded, cannot be safely disregarded." Despite what some satiric Lincoln memes might suggest, Old … [Read more...]

1/18/2014 By Ben Leave a Comment

January 18: Week in Review

I wrote an op-ed for the Greeley Tribune titled "Education Spending Transparency Doesn't Require Massive Tax Hike":Giving Coloradans open government should be more than an applause line. Whatever reassurance skeptical voters may need, it’s not because officials have withheld financial information from online disclosure. The question is whether they have done enough. More from the Independence Institute I’ll Stick My Toe into the Fordham-Cato School Choice Argument… for Five Minutes (Ed Is Watching) Denver State’s New Largest School District; Falcon 49 Open Enrollment Soars (Ed Is Watching) School Funding at Forefront of K-12 Legislative Business (Podcast) Twitter Verse of the Week Joel 2:13 Return to the Lord your God, for he … [Read more...]

1/11/2014 By Ben Leave a Comment

January 11: Week in Review

I was cited by Watchdog education reporter Mary Tillotson in her latest piece titled "New Orleans Tops School Choice Index":Closing unpopular schools contributed to the increase. A reform-minded majority on the school board probably helped the district implement choice-friendly policies such as the common application, said Ben DeGrow, senior education policy analyst at Colorado’s Independence Institute. More from the Independence Institute "If I've Told You Once": K-12 Financial Transparency Isn't New to Colorado (Ed Is Watching) Evidence Doesn't Back Keeping Kids "English Language Learners" Longer (Ed Is Watching) Amy Oliver Show: The Latest Colorado School Grades Are Out (Podcast) Finished Two Good(reads) Books This … [Read more...]

5/5/2011 By Ben Leave a Comment

FOX 31 FAIR AND BALANCED ON EDUCATION? We Report, You Decide Part Two

Originally posted at Colorado Peak Politics. Re-posted here with permission. As author, I am solely responsible for the content. I know the timing is impossible for it to be true, but you'd almost think my first School Cuts 101 response piece triggered some interest from the FOX 31 team with my cryptic closing:Anyway, looking for real ideas for how to make education spending more productive and promote better outcomes for students? One good place to start is my chapter on K-12 for the Independence Institute's Citizens' Budget. Or check out what Colorado school districts like Douglas County and Falcon 49 are up to. More on that later... [emphasis added] In hindsight, we're probably just on the same wavelength. Or maybe it's impossible … [Read more...]

5/4/2011 By Ben Leave a Comment

FOX 31 FAIR AND BALANCED ON EDUCATION? We Report, You Decide

Originally posted at Colorado Peak Politics. Re-posted here with permission. As author, I am solely responsible for the content. Local FOX 31 Denver News and reporter Eli Stokols are to be commended for wanting to look at the effects of K-12 education spending cuts and innovative ideas for addressing the challenge. But the first edition of the televised series cries out for context and correction. First of all, it's important to stress that yes, for the past couple years Colorado schools have been experiencing real budget cuts -- after years of steady increases in per-pupil funding. And of course, the cuts will have an impact, albeit an impact that can be heavily mitigated and overcome in the long run by re-thinking how our school system … [Read more...]

11/1/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

2010 Election Predictions

ELECTION DAY NOTE: I will be providing Election Night coverage here, including quotes and photos as available. I am working with a collaborative of organizations on this project -- including Independence Institute, People's Press Collective, Complete Colorado, Who Said You Said, Mothers Against Debt and National Review Online. Go here for the relevant details (including a live video feed), and stay tuned for the best in Colorado grassroots conservative political coverage! Update, 9:00 AM: Despite all appearances, the latest Fox News/Public Opinion Research poll and I did not crib answers off each other. If we're both off the mark, we're off the mark together. Update II, 12:30 PM: Minor tweak to the governor's race … [Read more...]

10/29/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

Daniel the Maes-siah: “Thou knowest that the only true prophet is the voice that speaketh on the Day of Election”

After seeing deeply flawed and failed Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes "get biblical" on Facebook (H/T Complete Colorado), I had a late-night moment of "inspired" political satire that ended up as this. Please enjoy: … [Read more...]

10/21/2010 By Ben Leave a Comment

Slaphappy Democrat Ed Perlmutter: LA Times Top 10 Weird Campaign Moment

In this weird political season, the Los Angeles Times political blog compiles the Top 10 weirdest moments of the 2010 political campaign. Coming in at number 10, from my own backyard: Only two of the top 10 moments came from U.S. House races, and my own Colorado 7th CD made the list. I'm not sure whether to be astounded or proud or embarrassed... or maybe just amused. I'll save the satisfaction until Election Night. Of course, it was the prolific National Review Colorado blogger Michael Sandoval who first brought attention to Ed Perlmutter's slaphappy moment that well may go down as part of the closing chapter of the liberal Democrat's Congressional career. Can you see the political wave a-comin'? Update / Clarification: … [Read more...]

10/19/2010 By Ben 1 Comment

Evidence Indicates Any Deal-Seeking Came from Dan Maes’ Direction

Why exactly is minor party-Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and his dwindling cadre of political backers trying to foist on Colorado a story that he bravely resisted efforts to buy him out of the race? It sure looks like the victim card is being played, unfortunately without the truth to back it up. The bottom line is that any proposed deal came from Maes and his allies, and that at all points Tom Tancredo and his closest advisers have communicated clearly that no job will be given to 10-point Dan Maes to buy him out of the race. What started out as an innuendo-laden note from Dan Maes insider Joe Harrington's Facebook page (and echoed on Maes' own page) was effectively disinfected by the sunlight of Rossputin's clarifying … [Read more...]