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Home Archives for clean government

2/25/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Does God Oppose the Secret Ballot?

Hey, who knew intimidating and badgering workers was a religious virtue? Or that God opposes the secret ballot in workplace elections? Well, apparently, so say "55 Colorado faith leaders" who signed a letter and sent it to Congress on behalf of the deceptively-named Employee Free Choice Act. (Or maybe they haven't actually read the bill to see what it does.) I don't deny the Religious Left's right to petition the government. They just happen to be terribly wrong on this issue. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Colorado, Congress, Employee Free Choice Act, faith leaders, God, government, issue, letter, opposes, petition, Religious Left, religious virtue, secret ballot, workplace elections, wrong

2/24/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Democrats and Marostica: “Forget the Constitution, California, Here We Come”

When talking politics or economics, it's usually a powerful rhetorical tactic to compare our own Colorado to California - especially these days. In that light, here's a fitting and timely reminder from state senator Ted Harvey:The lesson Colorado’s legislators must learn from this recession is clear: fiscal responsibility works. Even though the legislature collectively fell short of creating a rainy day fund, TABOR and the Arveschoug-Bird 6% spending cap forced Colorado legislators to keep spending low. Had the government enjoyed free rein in ramping up spending – which is a great temptation to many lawmakers tasked with spending other people’s money – Colorado’s budget crisis would be as serious as California’s. [emphasis … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, PPC, transportation Tagged With: 1992, 6 percent cap, Al Jolson, Arveschoug-Bird, best case, budget crisis, California, cap, Colorado, committee, conclude, court, Democrats, Don Marostica, economics, entitlement programs, Face the State, fiscal responsibility, fitting, good idea, government, government growth, legal advisers, legislative prerogative, legislators, lesson, memo, override, politics, recession, reminder, rhetorical tactic, Senate Bill 228, state constitution, state legislature, state senator, TABOR, Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, Ted Harvey, temptation, timely, transportation, voter approval, voters

2/23/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Good News: Night Twister Spins Liberty on the Rocks into Fort Collins

Kudos to fellow Rocky Mountain Alliance member Randy Ketner (aka Night Twister) for taking the initiative to launch the Fort Collins chapter of Liberty on the Rocks. (Of course, you would already have known this if you were listening to Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio.) The movement continues to grow. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, General, My Life, PPC Tagged With: chapter, Fort Collins, grow, kudos, Liberty on the Rocks, member, movement, Night Twister, Randy Ketner, Rocky Mountain Alliance

2/21/2009 By Ben 3 Comments

Poetic License: A Lefty Blogger’s Dilemma, the Week in Review

With too much time on my hands, here's a fun set of rhyming couplets to recapitulate the week just passed from the perspective of a hypothetical Lefty Colorado blogger:Do I write about Marostica, Or the dude with the Swastika? A Republican lawmaker mocking his peers, Or some guy to abuse for a few Josh Penry jeers? I must blog on one or the other, 'Cause what is there really to say about Suthers? Do I write about Marostica, Or the dude with the Swastika? One gives our free-spending values that bipartisan glow, The other had fun stealing Michelle Malkin's show. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Barack Obama, Big Government, Bill Ritter, bipartisan glow, Bob Beauprez, debt, dilemma, Don Marostica, elephants, inspiration, John Suthers, Josh Penry, Lefty bloggers, Liberty on the Rocks, Marc Holtzman, Mark Udall, Michael Bennet, Michelle Malkin, mistakes, Nutroots, Obamessiah, pretensions, Progress Now, propaganda machine, rally, Republicans, right-wing, Senate, State Capitol, swastika, tasteless sign

2/20/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Don Marostica Apologizes – Still Not the Vanguard of a Brave, New GOP Future

State representative Don Marostica reportedly has apologized for yesterday's bizarre comment that Mark Hillman, Jon Caldara, and other fiscally conservative Colorado leaders are "losers" and "has-beens". The apology was a public sign of good behavior and good taste, and perhaps a political necessity. In light of new developments, I conducted a follow-up ad hoc poll: "Are you clamoring to support Republican leaders who want to remove sensible limits on government growth, no matter how apologetic they may be for rudely calling names of those who disagree with them?" Once again, completely silent. One respondent scratched his forehead, but insisted on clarifying he was not raising his hand as a Yes. Don Marostica can go his own way if … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, PPC Tagged With: apologized, bizarre comment, brand, Colorado, complete silence, Don Marostica, fiscal responsibility, fiscally conservative, good behavior, good taste, has-beens, informal poll, Jon Caldara, limited government, losers, Mark Hillman, political necessity, public sign, Republicans, state representative

2/19/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Michael Bennet to Colorado Taxpayers: Porkulus is Merely the Beginning

Selected Senator Michael Bennet to Colorado taxpayers: "The beatings will continue until moral improves". So reports the Fort Morgan Times on Bennet's visit yesterday:Government has to find some kind of answer to the economic woes which are besieging the country, he said. The stimulus package is just the beginning, but it can bring some relief, Bennet said. [emphasis added] What's next? The Obama housing plan? You know, rewarding irresponsible behavior, paying your neighbor's mortgage. Does Michael Bennet have a position on the Obama housing plan? Or maybe he just expects Colorado's hard-working taxpayers to assume the position again (you know, hand in wallet).... Is there anything Bennet will support or oppose without the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics, PPC, property rights Tagged With: beatings, beginning, Colorado, economic woes, Fort Morgan Times, hard-working, irresponsible behavior, Michael Bennet, morale, oppose, permission, position, relief, senator, stimulus package, support, taxpayers, visit, White House

2/19/2009 By Ben 13 Comments

Obama “Stimulus” Overreaches, But Republicans Still Have Much to Prove

A candid word from liberal Mickey Kaus about a major effect of the Pelosi-Reid-Obama Generational Theft Act:But the reference to liberalism isn't irrelevant, because the now-undermined welfare reform was the key to rebuilding confidence in (liberal) affirmative government. As Bill Clinton recognized, voters may well have been willing to let government spend, but they didn't trust old style liberals not to spend in actively destructive ways, like subsidizing an isolated underclass of non-working single mothers with a no-strings cash dole. It's a 75-25 values issue. Work yes. Welfare no. Even if welfare spending was only a tiny portion of the liberals' spending agenda, it poisoned the rest of it. Only when Clinton's New Democrats put an … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: anti-"stimulus", backbone, Barack Obama, beginnings, big plans, Bill Clinton, bloated, candor, chairman, Congress, day care, Denver, dependency, destructive ways, early, Earned Income Tax Credit, federal largesse, fiscal conservatives, fiscal responsibility, fortified pensions, Gateway Pundit, Generational Theft Act, government, governors, hard work, Health Care, liberal, liberty, limited government, major effect, Michael Steele, Mickey Kaus, newfound, political opportunities, positive signs, public confidence, rallies, reform, Republican majority, Republican National Committee, Republicans, restoring trust, rhetoric, right direction, rousing speeches, saying no, serious, Social Security, spend, state legislators, state level, trust, welfare reform, wisely

2/18/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Better Late Than Never: A Few More Photos of Denver’s Anti-“Stimulus” Rally

Everybody else has posted their pictures from yesterday's anti-"stimulus" rally at the Colorado State Capitol: Michelle Malkin Slapstick Politics (photos) Slapstick Politics (complete video) Peoples Press Collective Face The State Ari Armstrong, Free Colorado Rocky Mountain Right Rossputin El Marco, Looking at the Left Roger Fraley As for me, better late than never. Here are my photographic contributions, trying to avoid too much redundancy with the others above: … [Read more...]

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

2/16/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Come Roast a Pig – and the Porkulus Bill – Tomorrow at the State Capitol

You don't want to miss this! From a note just sent out by the Independence Institute's Jon Caldara:President Obama is flying his corporate jet to Denver to sign a bill putting my children into debt. I want to give him a proper mile high welcome. The Independence Institute, along with Americans for Prosperity and other groups promoting sanity, are organizing a protest tomorrow, Tuesday, at noon at the west steps of the state capitol, and I hope you'll be there. We'll have over-sized checks you can sign to show your family's $30,000 commitment to the bill. I'll be joined by Michelle Malkin, Mike Coffman, Bob Beauprez, Jim Pfaff from AFP and many others. I'm not usually one for public protests, because like so many on our side, I have a day … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: alternative, Americans for Prosperity, Amy Oliver, Barack Obama, Bob Beauprez, children, comments, commitment, corporate jet, day job, debt, Denver, Family, hell no, huge push, Independence Institute, Jim Pfaff, Jon Caldara, kosher, Michelle Malkin, Mike Coffman, Mile High, Night Twister, on the record, over-sized checks, Peoples Press Collective, pertinent, pork roast, President, protest, sanity, Slapstick Politics, slippery slope, socialism, State Capitol, world

2/13/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Gazette Columnist: Democrat Senators Bowing to Plumbers Union Lobby

Last week I brought to your attention an organized labor power play at the State Capitol that shot down a simple effort to make school plumbing inspections more efficient. Today in the Colorado Springs Gazette, guest columnist Daniel Cole tells the story at greater length and offers a forceful conclusion:The unpleasant reality is that Democratic campaigns in Colorado are often financed by unions, so only the strongest Democrats dare defy a union's wishes. Union camaraderie means that a Democrat who votes against a single union can earn a reputation for disloyalty and untrustworthiness. Considering that unions gave [state senators Bob] Bacon and [Evie] Hudak $90,000 for their most recent campaign - [Senator Keith] King's entire war chest … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, General, Labor, PPC Tagged With: Bob Bacon, careers, Colorado Springs Gazette, commonsense, conservative, contrast, Daniel Cole, Democrat, Democratic campaigns, efficient, Evie Hudak, federal stimulus package, forceful conclusion, guest columnist, heated debates, Keith King, laid over, legislation, mindless bullying, organized labor, organized plumbing, plumbers, plumbing inspections, power play, pro-liberty, Republican, Rollie Heath, school, simple effort, special interests, state budget crisis, State Capitol, state level, state senator, story, union, votes, welcome addition, whim

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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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