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The Scoop on Colorado’s 65 Percent Plan

Check out my latest for School Reform News on an upcoming Colorado ballot proposal to define how much public education money is spent "in the classroom." (Also known as the "65 percent plan") If nothing else, it may be an interesting read based on the number of colorful quotes I was able to cite for the story, like this one from Ken DeLay, executive director of the Colorado Association of School Boards: "We don't have administrators so they can sit in hot tubs and feather their nests." Or this little "exchange" between Deborah Fallin, the spokesperson for the Colorado Education Association, and Tim Mooney, the executive director of First Class Education: "It's about educating people about the measure," said Fallin. "We are … [Read more...]

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Immigration Reform Rally Thursday

Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman will be a featured speaker at an immigration reform rally, sponsored by Defend Colorado Now, on the west steps of the State Capitol. Date: Thursday, April 27 Time: 11 AM Check it out! The only remaining question to see is whether the Denver Public Schools will dismiss kids for the rally and send buses to pick them up afterward, like they did at last week's anti-reform parade. … [Read more...]

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A Mess for Madden

There's an interesting new Web site on the Colorado political scene - MaddenMess.com. No, it has nothing to do with Monday Night Football broadcasts. If you want to sign an online petition to investigate a serious potential conflict of interest on the part of Colorado House Majority Leader Alice Madden (D - Boulder), however, then what are you waiting for? Accountability in government demands nothing less. Oh, and have we mentioned "office accounts" lately? … [Read more...]

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Memo to Haley: Keep an Eye on HD 29

The Denver Post's Dan Haley has one of the sharpest eyes on Colorado politics of any blog out there right now. Yesterday he scouted the 10 most significant state legislative races of the 2006 season - 5 each from the House and from the Senate - as the Republicans fight to regain majority status. (HT: Dead Governors) Admittedly, Haley had to stretch to come up with 5 Senate races, as only 3 (and more likely 2) have a legitimate shot of changing hands: a potential pickup for the Dems in SD 11 in Colorado Springs and a potential pickup for the GOP in SD 21 in Jefferson County (the special election necessitated by Lakewood Democrat Sen. Deanna Hanna's resignation following attempted extortion). You can make a case for my district - SD … [Read more...]

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Tapping into the Oil Discussion

I'm back at last ... after some serious technical problems and an out-of-town jaunt for business purposes. When I woke up this morning to read that Republican Senator Arlen Specter has joined Democrat colleagues in a call for a "windfall profits" tax on oil companies, I realized it's time to pour a barrel of cold water on the conversation. Gas prices indeed have soared. But is the problem price-gouging? Or perhaps could it be a matter of supply and demand? I'm not a professional economist, so I am not able to offer an in-depth analysis here. However, I can tell you to read this piece from the Tax Foundation by Scott Hodge and Jonathan Williams. The piece was written last November when talk of a "windfall profits" tax started … [Read more...]

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Latest Survey Shows Holtzman Momentum

The latest reliable Rasmussen poll shows momentum is with the Marc Holtzman campaign. Back in February, Rasmussen showed these numbers in matchups between the sole Democrat candidate and his two Republican contenders: Bill Ritter (D) - 40% Bob Beauprez (R) - 33% Bill Ritter (D) - 41% Marc Holtzman (R) - 28% The March results show positive movement for the Republicans, while Ritter is stuck standing still: Bill Ritter (D) - 41% Bob Beauprez (R) - 40% Bill Ritter (D) - 41% Marc Holtzman (R) - 36% And Rasmussen concludes with this summary: The rolling average of the last three Rasmussen Reports polls shows Ritter leading Beauprez by 3 percentage points, 40% to 37%. Ritter leads Holtzman in the three-poll average by … [Read more...]

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If Congress Will Listen…

If Congress will listen to the people more than the magnified voices of left-wing and business interest groups, there may be a way toward a reasonable, workable immigration policy solution. From GOPUSA: The U.S. government is not doing enough to curb illegal immigration, 81 percent of respondents said in a Time magazine poll published Monday. The telephone poll of 1,004 U.S. adults conducted last week also showed 75 percent would deny illegal immigrants government services such as healthcare and food stamps, and 51 percent said children who are in the United States illegally shouldn't be allowed to attend public schools. Yet there was a less harsh attitude when it came to expulsions, with 78 percent favoring allowing citizenship … [Read more...]

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Results from Jeffco GOP Assembly

I just returned from the Jefferson County Republican Assembly, and have some interesting developments to report for the political insiders. The following candidates made it onto the primary ballot: State Senate SD 20 - Dick Sargent was recruited at the last minute to challenge Moe Keller. SD 21 - Rep. Matt Knoedler announced his candidacy today and won the only spot on the ballot, beating out former Rep. Penn Pfiffner. SD 22 - In a four-way race, only three candidates pursued a ballot spot through the Assembly. Mike Kopp was the only candidate to win a spot on the ballot. Justin Everett bypassed the process and will petition on. Rumors suggest that current Senator Kiki Traylor, who was appointed by a vacancy committee to replace … [Read more...]