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Home Archives for clean government

5/11/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

The Evidence Mounts Against EFCA, and Michael Bennet Still Can’t Decide

James Sherk of the Heritage Foundation (and a proud fellow Hillsdale College alumnus) breaks down the evidence to debunk the "Employer Advantage" myth at the heart of Big Labor's argument for the card-check bill before Congress:The law stacks the deck against employers in union drives. And – contrary to union assertions – the overwhelming majority of employers obey the law. Which is why unions rack up that impressive 2-1 win rate. The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace is right to say that the government should not tilt the playing field even more heavily in union organizer’s favor. That would hurt workers ability to make a free choice. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: alumnus, American jobs, argument, assertions, Big Labor, bill, binding arbitration, card-check, Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, Colorado, Congress, debunk, economic, EFCA, effective, Employee Free Choice Act, Employer Advantage, evidence, explained, free choice, George McGovern, harmful, Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College, icon, imposition, impressive, influence, James Sherk, liberal, Michael Bennet, myth, newly-selected, opinion, playing field, political money, poorly-named, removal, represent, research, secret ballot, thousands, tilt, U.S. Senate, U.S. Senator, union organizers

5/11/2009 By Ryan Leave a Comment

The Power of the Purse and the Fed

A significant part of the struggle for government that is both limited and run by the people was waged on our behalf by our English forerunners.  The most significant aspect of this battle was English citizens gaining the power of the purse over the Monarchy in a struggle that lasted hundreds of years.  As the monarchy lost the power of the purse, the king became a servant of the People. In our day, we are risking not giving the government the power of its own purse, but the power of the purse over the people.  This would naturally make the people servants of the government. Indeed, we have already taken long strides in the direction of government financing of peoples' lives through Social Security, Medicare, various Federal … [Read more...]

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

5/8/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Colorado LOSES: Represent State Employees, No Union Middleman

Having already won Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's November 2007 executive order allowing exclusive union representation in state government, the table is set for organized labor to push for full-fledged and permanent bargaining legislation by next year. Many of those who would be purported to benefit from such legislation might have a different idea, however. On an iVoices podcast, I talk with state employee Dave Ohmart about his developing plan to provide representation for state employees without the costly union middleman services of Colorado WINS: Dave says he's open to input to refine and improve his plan. You can contact him by leaving a comment at the Colorado LOSES website. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, PPC Tagged With: audio, bargaining, benefit, Bill Ritter, Colorado, Colorado WINS, comment, contact, costly, Dave Ohmart, developing, exclusive, Executive Order, full-fledged, Governor, idea, improve, input, iVoices, legislation, middleman, organized labor, permanent, plan, podcast, purported, services, set, state employee, state government, table, talk, union, union representation, website

5/8/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Is George McGovern Michael Bennet’s Way Out of Card-Check Indecision?

Liberal former U.S. Senator George McGovern smacks down Congressional Democrats again. Last year he spoke out against the so-called Employee "Free Choice" Act for depriving workers of the secret ballot. Yesterday McGovern explains in a Wall Street Journal op-ed why the binding arbitration provisions in the bill is equally bad:Currently, labor law maintains a careful balance between the rights of businesses, unions and individual employees. While bargaining power differs depending on individual circumstances, the rights of the parties are well balanced. When a union and a business enter negotiations, current law requires that both sides bargain "in good faith." … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: angry, arbitrator, Arlen Specter, bargaining power, benefit costs, better graces, binding arbitration, business, business dispute, card-check, Colorado, compelling reasons, Congressional, contract, Democrats, dodge, EFCA, Employee Free Choice Act, fading prospects, George McGovern, good faith, government-appointed lawyers, harmful, hold my breath, indecisive, issue, junior, labor law, Lefty, legislation, liberal icon, local union goons, Michael Bennet, negotiations, nuances, off the table, op-ed, party switch, Pennsylvania, plethora, politician, promotions, provisions, relief, rules, secret ballot, so-called, strike, turncoat, U.S. Senator, unique, unnecessary, unprofitable, unwanted attention, wages, Wall Street Journal, workers

5/7/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

U.S. Senate Candidate Ken Buck Responds to Campaign Rumors

This morning a post appeared on Rocky Mountain Right about the first announced Republican candidate in Colorado's U.S. Senate race:Reports are trickling out that [Ken] Buck has split with Phase Line Strategies, a Republican consulting firm made up of GOP veterans who would have probably been fulfilling most of Buck's fundraising and communications needs, and that his campaign manager may have departed as well. Details are sketchy at this point, but the reports are coming from enough directions that it appears very likely to be true. Earlier this afternoon I called Ken Buck and recorded our conversation, to get a clearer picture of the story directly from the source. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: asset, campaign, campaign manager, candidate, clearer, Colorado, Colorado Pols, Colorado Statesman, communications, consulting firm, conversation, Democratic, Douglas County, Face the State, formal relationship, fundraising, general consultant, GOP veterans, Greeley Tribune, half-right, half-wrong, Jack Stansbery, Ken Buck, Lincoln Day dinner, Michael Bennet, misunderstanding, morning, online polls, opponent, Phase Line Strategies, Picture, polls, Public Policy Polling, quote, race, reporter, Republican, Rocky Mountain Right, Ryan Frazier, Sean Tonner, source, story, straw poll, title, U.S. Senate, unaffiliated, valuable, voters, Walt Klein

5/7/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Enough Already with the Swine Flu Hysteria and Media Obsession, Please

Last week, columnist Jay Ambrose did a fine job swatting down the swine flu hysteria. The Wall Street Journal's Bret Stephens chipped in with the swine-flu hysteria contest winner a couple days ago:Of course the winner of the contest is Mr. Biden, since he lacks even the excuse of a self-interested motive. But standing right behind the vice president is a legion of heavily credentialed panic proliferators. These are the people whose terrifying forecasts you last heard during the avian flu panic of 2005 (deaths to date: 257, according to the World Health Organization) and the SARS panic of 2002-2003 (774 deaths). By contrast, garden-variety flus typically kill upwards of 30,000 Americans a year. You might also have a vague memory of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, General, Health Care, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: avian flu, Boulder Daily Camera, Boy Who Cried Wolf, Bret Stephens, columnist, contagion, disturbing, graph, H1N1, hysteria, Jay Ambrose, Joe Biden, mad cow disease, malaria, SARS, spread, story, strain, swine flu, Wall Street Journal

5/6/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Sine Die

It sounds like a garbled threat, or possibly a song from the High Mass. Sine die means neither, but it is cause for high celebration: The Colorado state legislature is adjourned for 2009, at least for the regular session. (I'm hearing insiders say that the Governor very well may call a special session in the summer.) In one sense, it's a shame to see the legislature walk away from its responsibility: Democrats have kicked the state's fiscal problems a little ways down the road. But then again, the majority Democrats aren't likely to grow a sense of responsibility any time soon. So staunch the bleeding while there's still time. Because, in fact, Democrats are now openly touting a recent state supreme court decision to say they can … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Judiciary, liberty, PPC Tagged With: adjourned, approve, bleeding, capital gains, Clear the Bench Colorado, Colorado, decision, Democrats, deserving, down the road, fiscal problems, garbled threat, Governor, havoc, high celebration, high court, High Mass, insiders, majority, plain language, raise, regular session, responsibility, sense, Sine die, song, soon, special session, state constitution, state house, state legislature, state senate, state supreme court, staunch, summer, support, tax hikes, taxes, vote of the people, walk away, wreak

5/6/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Senator Jim DeMint Sets Up a Great Framework for Rebuilding the GOP

If there is anyone currently in the U.S. Senate of whom I would consider myself a fan, Jim DeMint of South Carolina would be on that short list. I understood where he was coming from but found it a little disconcerting when he said: "I would rather have 30 Republicans in the Senate who really believe in principles of limited government, free markets, free people, than to have 60 that don't have a set of beliefs." What a great relief then to see Senator DeMint's excellent column in yesterday's Wall Street Journal -- what I consider an opportunity to revise and extend his remark. His rhetoric is blunt, and his analysis is clear: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: abortion, analysis, beliefs, big tent, blunt, bolded statements, candidates, center-right coalition, centralized government, clear, coalition, column, Congress, conservative, Constitution, constructively, debate, democratic process, different, disconcerting, diverse, elected officials, electoral defeats, excellent, exceptional nation, extend, faithful few, fan, federal Leviathan, federalism, first impression, fiscal issues, flavor, focus, force for good, Free Markets, government, History, inalienable, individual liberty, isolation, Jim DeMint, limited government, measured disagreement, mind, national party, national security, people, perfect, politician, President, principles, problems, regions, rein in, remark, Republican, respectful, revise, rhetoric, same-sex marriage, short list, social issues, social policies, solved, South Carolina, states, strong poles, U.S. Senate, unelected judges, walk the walk, Wall Street Journal

5/5/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Colorado Union Goon to Republican Operative: “You Gotta Delete That”

El Presidente elaborates on a Complete Colorado exclusive: official 911 audio of Republican operative Matt Milner being threatened for recording a public event featuring newly selected U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Sure, our union goons aren't as bad as Michigan union goons or New Jersey union goons. But they sure aren't making a good name for themselves with this story. El Presidente asks:Are these thuggish tactics--employed by a Democrat constituency, big labor--indicative of what we as Coloradans should expect to influence a vote on EFCW, and a window into things to come with a Democrat win in 2010? In any case, I bet Mr. Milner won't be so inclined to show up in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, PPC, property rights Tagged With: 2010, 9/11, audio, Big Labor, card-check, Complete Colorado, constituency, Democrat, El Presidente, elaborates, exclusive, good name, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Matt Milner, Michael Bennet, Michigan, New Jersey, newly-selected, operative, public event, recording, Republican, sponsored, tactics, threatened, thuggish, U.S. Senator, union goons, union hall

5/5/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Sign of Bill Ritter’s Sagging Popularity

Governor Bill Ritter is wrestling with another veto decision over a labor issue. But there are plenty of other reasons why his popularity has hit the skids with Coloradans. A faithful Mount Virtus reader snapped this photo of a sign near Highway 285 and 291 in Chaffee County: Colorado Republicans are revving their engines in search of a candidate who will lead them down the right road to victory and back to lower taxes and responsible limited government in 2010. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, PPC Tagged With: 2010, Bill Ritter, candidate, Chaffee County, Coloradans, Colorado, decision, Governor, hit the skids, issue, Labor, Mount Virtus reader, photo, popularity, reasons, Republicans, responsible government, sign, veto, wrestling

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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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