A great video from the People's Press Collective (H/T Slapstick Politics): An intriguing idea: Stay tuned... … [Read more...]
Legislation to Unionize Colorado State Government: Coming 2010 Battle?
Via the Right to Work blog comes news that the new Republican Governor of Arizona Jan Brewer has repealed her predecessor's executive order granting union powers to state workers. This scenario (and others like it before - witness Missouri and Indiana as examples) is precisely why the Colorado WINS labor coalition will not rest satisfied with Bill Ritter's November 2007 executive order that introduced collective bargaining to our state government. Odds are strong that the political winds will favor Big Labor pushing a broad piece of government employee collective bargaining legislation in 2010. The question is whether the Democrats in charge at the State Capitol by then will have backed off the cliff's edge, and from governing away their … [Read more...]
Denver Tax Day Tea Party vs. Democrats’ Overreach on State Budget
It's almost time for the Tax Day Tea Party at the State Capitol in Denver (with a great idea for an official logo, compliments of Ben Hummel). Here's where it gets good: While we citizens will be standing outside, protesting government overreach and proclaiming our rights, inside the members of the state house will be wrestling with the tough decisions of a budget vote. Funny thing is, the decisions wouldn't be nearly so tough if the Democrat-led legislature had voted three years ago to create a rainy day fund (PDF) proposed by Representative Cory Gardner and Senator Josh Penry. Instead, the same day as the Tea Party takes place, the Democrats will be trying to avoid tough decisions by raiding hundreds of millions of dollars from the … [Read more...]
BREAKING: ColoradoPols Behind the Curve on Local GOP Politics
"Breaking" news from the Dead Governors: Marc Holtzman won't be running for governor. Hey, don't yawn at me like that. -- Oh, I see ... you're yawning at their headline? -- So what you're trying to say is the Dead Guvs aren't exactly the source of breaking news for things happening on the Republican side of the aisle here in Colorado? -- Okay, okay, call me Captain Obvious. But I'm not the only one around here.... Sources also have shared with Mt. Virtus a sneak peek at some possible upcoming headlines from the Democrat Pols blog:Breaking: Bill Owens Says He Doesn't Want Governor's Job Again Breaking: Jane Norton 'Not in the Mix' to Take On Ritter Breaking: Bruce Benson to Stay at CU, Won't Vie for Governor's … [Read more...]
Democrats Gamble State Finances, Majority Status, on Pinnacol “Gimmick”
The budget debate at Colorado's State Capitol heads into full throttle this week. In a tough year, the linchpin to the Democrats' plan is a raid on the privately-funded Pinnacol Assurance Company. Even the Denver Post recognizes this as a bad idea:If lawmakers can't get money from Pinnacol, higher education could be cut by more than $400 million — more than half the state's allotment to colleges and universities. Pinnacol offers guaranteed workers' compensation insurance, and Republicans have argued that because the insurer's assets were funded by businesses paying premiums, the state should keep its hands off. [Attorney General John] Suthers, a Republican, clearly, agrees. The Pinnacol idea is dubious at best. It is a gimmick, a … [Read more...]
Perlmutter Earmarks Ahoy!
Unfortunately, Congressman Ed Perlmutter is on the earmark bandwagon. His requests for my hometown of Arvada were: $6,000,000 - Garrison St flood control $600,000 - Wadsworth Trail $1,400,000 - 56th Avenue bypass $2,600,000 - Clear Creek Overflow project These sound like fine projects that need funding, but they aren't a federal concern. Instead of using federal funds in this way (raiding our savings accounts through inflation and our wallets through taxation), Ed Perlmutter should leave us to solve local issues locally. … [Read more...]
Dress Down: Bill Ritter’s Big Idea
Let it never be said that Governor Bill Ritter is not a man of big ideas:In a recent letter to state employees in the state publication Stateline, Ritter talks about the hard economic times and thanks employees for their hard work. He then applauds a stress-reducing move by the Department for Health Care Policy and Financing to extend “‘dress down Fridays’ to every day of the week.†Senator Ted Harvey wondered whether it might be an April Fools Day joke. I'm wondering if it was an idea hatched as the result of his executive order authorizing collective bargaining -- er, employee partnerships. Whatever it is, somehow methinks this wasn't the dressing down being cited by our governor. Five days a week of that would make most … [Read more...]
Which Party Will Miss Peter Groff as Senate President More: GOP or Dems?
It seems almost certain that Democrat Senate President Peter Groff has tried to remain mum about the news of his impending departure to join the Obama administration in Washington to avoid distraction from an especially difficult budget process in the state legislature this year. But the cat's out of the bag now. Kind, classy words in the Denver Post from the Republican opposition:"Washington's gain is our loss," said Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray.... "I hope that President Obama gives him a job with a lot of power in the Department of Education," said Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction. It's hard to say which party will miss him more at the helm of the state senate in 2010. For Republicans, he's a strong ally on … [Read more...]
Is It Time to Step Up Advertising on Colorado Conservative Blogs?
Over at RedState, Erick Erickson makes a great point about rebuilding the conservative movement that can be applied to Colorado:In the past few years, SEIU, AFL-CIO, NEA, DCCC, and a host of other left-wing organizations have been buying ads on left of center blogs keeping those blogs going — allowing the bloggers on the left some financial incentive to keep blogging for the left.... In addition to all of that, you’ve got the Soros gang and SEIU engaging in a host of left-wing activities online that recruit and fund online writers — bloggers, journalists, etc.... Every day in Washington, there is some right-wing group somewhere bemoaning the efforts of the right online. Sadly, for them and the rest of the right, their first … [Read more...]
RMA Blog Talk Radio Solo Hosting Stint: Helpful and Humorous Links
Last night I was honored to host Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio by myself. I was blessed to have three great conversations - including an update on the Fort Collins city council elections with Randy Ketner, a discussion on a range of fiscal issues with prospective state treasurer candidate J.J. Ament, and 12 minutes with my wife and Independence Institute colleague, the lovely Mrs. Virtus, to talk about parental rights and homeschooling freedoms. A rank amateur flying solo by the seat of my pants, I filled in the rest of the time with a monologue referencing several stories. Here are the links for anyone who is interested: Vince Carroll's excellent "Blowing the lid off TABOR" column in yesterday's Denver Post -- which Ament … [Read more...]
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