Over at the Colorado Index, one of my new favorite bloggers Civil Sense clues readers in to a new taxpayer-funded television ad, starring our hapless Gov. Bill Ritter:The ads range from 10 to 30 seconds, and they send a simple message: Turn down the thermostat, unplug unused appliances, turn off lights and use alternative transportation. Good advice. I think I'll be turning off the television whenever this commercial comes on my set. … [Read more...]
Feeling Out of the Loop: John Lerew (not LeGrew) and CCM Comes to Denver
Oh joy, I've finally figured out who my Republican Congressional candidate is: John Lerew, not John LeGrew (how bad is it when your name gets misspelled in a key publication that introduces your candidacy to a key audience of activists?). Longtime Colorado blogger Jack Ott, whom I met back in 2004, has posted information about Mr. Lerew. Certainly, he seems an ardent and passionate conservative, but it's apparent the GOP went pretty deep onto the bench to bring him forward as the candidate. Or, as one Lefty blogger quite accurately put it, Mr. Lerew is "the sacrificial lamb" to run against incumbent Rep. Ed Perlmutter. (I feel out of the loop to have taken so long to learn about this one. But it also speaks ill of the candidate's … [Read more...]
Bad News for Colorado Lefties
From Face The State's latest "Buzz":Americans for Prosperity, a center-right grassroots organization currently focusing on encouraging responsible energy policy, has announced that it is opening shop in Colorado with its 22nd chapter. The effort is being headed up by social conservative Jim Pfaff, a former president of the Colorado Family Council known and praised for his ability to make nice with social libertarians. This can't be seen as a positive development by Colorado's liberal Tim Gill-Pat Stryker-Mark Udall-Bill Ritter axis. Whenever the fiscal conservatives and social conservatives start playing nice, working behind a savvy and respected person like Jim Pfaff, that means the Left can't fall back so easily on its "divide and … [Read more...]
Bill Ritter, Tax Increases, Unions, and the Colorado Supreme Court
With a little shameless self-promotion, I tie it all together on the longest day of the calendar year. First, news broke earlier this week that Gov. Bill Ritter has done the inevitable, by agreeing to appeal a district court ruling that came to the clear and appropriate conclusion that Ritter erred in raising school property taxes without voter permission. Sure, I could link to lots of articles that highlight this news, but only the one in the Denver Daily News quotes the author of this blog:"I believe the district court judge did the right thing by recognizing that Colorado voters should be asked before they endure a tax increase," said Ben DeGrow, a policy analyst at the Independence Institute. "It's simply a matter of honoring the … [Read more...]
Right-to-Work States Outpace Forced Union States in Economic Growth
A couple days ago I had the pleasure of pointing out the defects in Denver Post editorialist Bob Ewegen's arguments against Right-to-Work. I wrote:Even more telling than comparisons of static earnings are rates of growth. In both job growth and in overall economic growth, Right-to-Work states have performed better. I therefore found it interesting that another insightful blogger only last week posted an analysis of new economic growth data. Here's the chart Will Franklin produced showing just how much Right-to-Work states outperform states that allow union coercion: Combined with the other flaws in Bob Ewegen's argument, this interesting find only makes the case for Right-to-Work look even stronger. … [Read more...]
Bill Ritter: MORE Campaign Violations?
From KRDO in Colorado Springs:Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has notified prosecutors that more spending violations have been uncovered from his 2006 campaign, and that a former aide has written his campaign a check for $10,340 to correct the problem. Sure, it's not as much as the $200,000+ illegally spent out of Bill Ritter's inaugural fund that got him into hot water in the first place. But every time another one of these campaign violations trickles out - or word spreads that a computer with key facts pertaining to the investigation conveniently disappeared - it further calls into question the governor's leadership. If Bill Ritter can't provide oversight to his own campaign funds, how can he provide oversight to the state budget and … [Read more...]
Bob Ewegen Uses Less Than Complete Facts to Attack Right-to-Work
In his weekend column, liberal Denver Post editorialist Bob Ewegen carried the water for Big Labor leaders who are working to undermine Colorado's Right-to-Work initiative. Once you move past his weak attempt at irony, you find problems with the facts he chose to use to make his case:If you're lucky enough to find a job at all, the only right the Coors plan gives you is the right to work for less. Quite a bit less, actually. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that an average worker in the 22 states with right-to-work laws earns about $7,131 a year less than workers in free bargaining states ($30,656 versus $37,787). Nationwide, union members earn $9,308 a year more than non-union workers, $41,652 versus $32,344. These facts … [Read more...]
Mark Hillman’s Turn to Ask Taxpayers’ Nagging Question for Bill Ritter
In a column for the Sterling Journal-Advocate, newly elected Republican National Committeeman Mark Hillman (be ready to be greeted by his smiling face) asks the nagging question on the minds of many Colorado taxpayers:Is it typical political spin or something more tangible that makes Gov. Bill Ritter so incredibly confident that the Colorado Supreme Court will vindicate his strategy to raise your property taxes without your permission? If you get a chance, read the whole thing. Last week I similarly asked what Bill Ritter knows about the court's coming ruling that makes him so confident to wager taxpayer money on the previous ruling being overturned. I'll second Mark Hillman's question, but I'm not very confident the governor is … [Read more...]
“Don’t give a crap” WINS Bill Ritter’s State Employee Union Elections
Gov. Bill Ritter's November 2007 executive order at last has successfully completed the loop in unionizing state government in a very un-democratic fashion. Today's Denver Post reports:At least 22,500 secretaries, prison guards and other state employees will soon fall under a union contract following a vote tallied Wednesday, though the majority of eligible workers didn't cast a ballot.... About 6,900 state workers from a pool of 22,500 who were eligible participated in the election, which gave them a choice between Colorado WINS [editorial comment: "Big Labor WINS, Colorado LOSES"] or no union representation. Of those, 5,481 supported the union. That's right. Fewer than one-quarter of eligible state employees voted to be unionized. … [Read more...]
Brighton Blogger Tells Commissioners to Return Money from No-Bid Contractor
Last week I highlighted the story of two Adams County commissioners on the take from the owner of a company with $12 million in no-bid county government contracts. I've since discovered another local blogger, who has offered some strong, unsolicited advice to commissioners Skip Fischer and Alice Nichol:Accepting a contribution from the beneficiary of the no-bid contract creates, at the least, an appearance of graft. If you aren't going to do your job properly, at the minimum you, should act shocked that it happened, promise to get to the bottom of it and take the appropriate punitive and corrective actions. And make it completely obvious that you do not benefit in any way from the misdeed. Colluding with another Commissioner on … [Read more...]
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