President Obama's nomination of Stephanie Villafuerte to be Colorado's next U.S. Attorney has put Governor Bill Ritter in an unwanted situation. Serious questions remain unanswered about Villafuerte's role in the political smear of federal ICE agent Cory Voorhis during the 2006 election that led to his near conviction. But Ritter thinks it's too much trouble for us to bother with the questions now:She also declined to answer questions this week about whether she provided the FBI with a complete accounting of any contacts she had with the DA's office about [illegal immigrant Carlos] Estrada-Medina. A message and detailed e-mail left by The Post for Villafuerte were returned instead by Evan Dreyer, spokesman for Ritter. He said Villa fuerte, … [Read more...]
Support for Education Reform Funds = Support for Bill Ritter’s Re-Election?
Update, 10/24: Received a third pro-Obama Care email from Bill Ritter (and Mark Udall and Michael Bennet) today, still nothing on education reform ... Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has a page set up where you can sign a petition to support the state's effort to receive federal Race to the Top competitive grant dollars that support education reform. If you sign the petition, you end up on some sort of mailing list for Ritter's re-election campaign. In the two weeks since I signed the petition I've received two mass emails urging me to back Obama Care! Here's the complete text of the online petition: … [Read more...]
Laura Boggs for Jeffco School Board
Update, 10/29: Rumors have spread, including in my own comment section, that candidate Laura Boggs has plans to close down Green Mountain and Wheat Ridge high schools. There is no truth to these rumors, and the candidate herself has debunked them. Furthermore, in today's Denver Post story about Jeffco Schools considering closures, it reads: "Closing an elementary school building saves about $300,000 a year on fixed costs; closing a middle school saves $800,000 to $1 million; and shutting down a high school — which is not one of the district's 45 options — saves $3 million a year." [emphasis added] Several people this week have asked for my insights on whom to support for school board here in Jefferson County -- Colorado's largest school … [Read more...]
Rumors Okay as Long as School Board Candidates Not Backed by Union?
In the world of K-12 education politics, when you are trying to do something right and shake up the status quo a little bit, it's very hard to avoid flak. And anyone running for local school board deserves careful scrutiny. But when silly rumors start flying and supposedly serious news agencies report them, I suppose it's time for someone else to step up and take on the challenge. Hey, no problem: I'm used to being called silly names by teachers unions. In case you're not aware, I'm talking about the upcoming elections for Douglas County Board of Education, an area south of metro Denver for the uninitiated. The story begins last December when the local teachers union -- affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers -- endorsed and … [Read more...]
Thank ACORN: Subsidized by Federal Taxpayers, Teachers’ Union Dues
I'd like to take the opportunity this morning to thank ACORN -- Say what? Yes, thank ACORN ... not only for exposing your own corruption but also for helping to remind us that the federal government is overflowing in tax dollars far beyond any rational sense to redistribute the money in any sensible (much less constitutional) way and that one hand of the D.C. bureaucratic monster scarcely knows what the other is doing. From today's Washington Times:Nearly $1 million in Homeland Security funding typically earmarked for fire departments has been awarded to ACORN, despite a clear signal from Congress that it intends to cut off federal funding to the embattled group. … [Read more...]
Boulder Teachers Prepare to Walk Over Strike Precipice … For What Now?
Update, 1:40 PM: Westword's Michael Roberts notes that the Boulder Valley Education Association president is sending different messages about the possibility of a strike to members and the media. (H/T Complete Colorado) The Daily Camera reports today that the Boulder Valley Education Association has filed official notice of the intent to strike. Which doesn't necessarily mean a strike will happen or will happen imminently, but raises the specter of crossing picket lines to get to classrooms. Colorado's Labor Peace Act (PDF) requires a 40-day notice in the filing of intent to strike. That puts us right into early November. In the meantime, the director of the state's Department of Labor is obligated to issue a ruling whether he … [Read more...]
Rasmussen: Michael Bennet Vulnerable, Running Even with Ryan Frazier
On the eve of Jane Norton's official entry into Colorado's U.S. Senate fray comes from Rasmussen Reports what figures to be the last poll of the race without her for awhile. In this survey, the top two early Republican contenders were paired up separately against Bill Ritter's incumbent appointee Michael Bennet. The biggest clear takeaway from Rasmussen? Whether attributable to an unfriendly climate for Democrats, to his own lackluster performance, or to both -- the indecisive Bennet is vulnerable. Other insights? The ascendant but still little-known Ryan Frazier fares better than Ken Buck, standing even with the Democrat:The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds Bennet ahead of Buck 43% to 37%. With Frazier as the … [Read more...]
Jane Norton Is In U.S. Senate Race: It’s Kind of Like Deja Vu All Over Again
Eighteen days ago I told you Jane Norton was in the U.S. Senate race. Today it flies back at me like a bad case of deja vu. So goes the world. Politico's Josh Kraushaar notes:She announced her candidacy on her newly-launched campaign website, and said that she will formally kick off the campaign next week after talking to supporters across the state. I look forward to hearing about the events in which she talks to supporters across the state, who and where her supporters are, and how she addresses Republicans' questions and concerns. Because as Westword blogger Michael Roberts points out, her Web bio is long on former lieutenant governor resume (much longer than her Wikipedia entry) but largely short on details that concern … [Read more...]
Help Reveal Colorado’s Political Temperature: It’s Survey Time Again!
We're back at it again. After the results and analysis from the July 2009 survey in which we are grateful that more than 600 of you participated, we're at it again. Yes, El Presidente and I have commissioned and fashioned another survey that we hope you will take 10 minutes or so to complete -- especially if you're from Colorado. These aren't your run-of-the-mill quick-hit polls. Once again we've gone a little more in-depth. Some of the questions are the same. Some are new. One interesting added follow-up is asking what the most important factor is for you in choosing to support a Republican primary candidate for governor and U.S. Senate. Click here to take the September 2009 Colorado online political survey Your opinion … [Read more...]
Obama Speaks to School Children: Sharing My Thoughts with the Post
The Denver Post this morning has up a story by Jeremy Meyer filled with local reaction to the news of Obama speaking to school children next Tuesday. Meyeer quotes several people in the story, but my remarks to him yesterday didn't make the cut. Here's more or less what I said:This has all the signs of the Obama cult of personality. Parents who don't want to subject their children to the organized hero-worship of a controversial political figure certainly can't be blamed for wanting to pull them out. The decision should be made at the local school level, but in any case the parents at least should have the opportunity to opt out. That's perfectly appropriate. … [Read more...]
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