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Home Archives for General

2/7/2026 By Ben 49 Comments

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...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Bill Ritter Thanks the Independence Institute (No Pigs Seen Airborne)

More than one late-morning Denver metro area commuter nearly may have swerved out of their lane of traffic and into danger today, just from the shock of what they heard on the airwaves. What do I mean? During his monthly interview with 850 KOA's Mike Rosen, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter acknowledged that the Independence Institute's recent investigation into his administration's ethical shortcoming was right on: About 2 minutes into the clip, you hear Governor Bill Ritter say: "Thank you to Jon Caldara and the Independence Institute." Hope no one crashed their vehicle as a result. As for the office where I work, we're ready to frame the statement and hang it on the wall. Still no word from Colorado Ethics Watch, though. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, liberty, My Life, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Strong Fundraising by GOP Treasurer Hopefuls: Race On to Oust Kennedy

As Rocky Mountain Right already has reported, Republican Walker Stapleton for the second straight quarter outraised incumbent Democrat state treasurer Cary Kennedy -- narrowly this time, by a margin of $106,000 to $103,000. Stapleton points out in his press release that he is "the first candidate for Colorado State Treasurer ever to raise more than $100,000 in each of two consecutive fundraising quarters." Clearly impressive. The Republican hopeful has a roughly 3-to-2 cash-on-hand advantage over Kennedy, too: $215,000 to $141,000. Stapleton's GOP primary rival J.J. Ament -- who won out over Stapleton in our most recent survey of Colorado's political temperature -- brought in a very respectable $86,000. No cash-on-hand amount was … [Read more...]

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

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

Restoring Some Substance to the Political Junk Food Menu at Mt. Virtus

With the nearly never-ending election cycle, those of us here in the trenches can sometimes too easily lapse into the day-to-day tussles of the news without enough time spent in more serious reflection. (Or maybe it's just those of us with small children whose attention spans are so easily distracted.) Earlier this year I wrote several more reflective essays, most of which have ended up ignored by now. But while I still plan to write about the immediate issues of the day and follow events leading up to the 2010 election, I am also interested in engaging once more in deeper discussions about the status and future of the conservative movement -- albeit, as dictated by the limits of my own time, occasionally. What (besides the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cultural Conservatism, General, History, liberty, My Life, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Obama’s Solons of Racial Politics Overrule Local N.C. Voters’ Decision

Update, 12:30 PM: Rossputin also offers up some cogent thoughts on this outrageous story. From a Washington Times story yesterday (H/T Red State), in which the Obama Justice Department overruled a North Carolina city's popularly-approved decision to have nonpartisan local elections:The department ruled that white voters in Kinston will vote for blacks only if they are Democrats.... As noted by American Thinker essayist Ed Lasky, the good intentions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that enabled this federal power grab have been turned on their head:Racism - and partisan politics and a prejudiced view of the South - seem alive and well in Eric Holder's Justice Department. A local twist? The notion "that white voters...will vote for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

Luke Korkowski Out of U.S. Senate Race … Then There Were Seven?

Received a press release at noon local time, announcing that Luke Korkowski has withdrawn from Colorado's Republican primary for U.S. Senate. An excerpt:Unfortunately, it is time to call this campaign to a close and to wish all the best to the other Republicans in the race. We have some good and decent folks competing for the Senate position, and Colorado is lucky to have such a selection of choices. With your help, we'll see a solid conservative take office in January 2011, and I strongly encourage you to stay engaged in the race and to support your favorite candidate. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, liberty, PPC

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Another Norton-McCain Connection?

(H/T Complete Colorado) The Colorado Independent reports on another connection between Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jane Norton and our last presidential nominee John McCain -- thanks for the links. In the race for a little more than five weeks now, the former lieutenant governor has been hitting the campaign trail on the Western Slope recently. As the Grand Junction Sentinel notes, Norton certainly is hitting the right talking points early on. This blogger still has some skepticism, some questions to be answered. An interview may be in the near future: Stay tuned.... … [Read more...]

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

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Bill Ritter Needs Public Shame to Ensure Ethical Disclosures from Cabinet

Yesterday I brought to your attention the fact that Colorado Governor Bill Ritter publicly thanked the Independence Institute -- and speaking of thanks, thankfully no one (to the best of my knowledge) was hurt from overreacting to the shock while driving a vehicle or operating heavy machinery. Read Jessica Corry's new piece in the Denver section of the Huffington Post to find out exactly what sort of ethical shortcoming Bill Ritter had:Ahh, wouldn't it be nice? When you fail to comply with a law, just rewrite it. This is the strategy of Gov. Bill Ritter, a Colorado Democrat and former elected district attorney, who was questioned publicly this week after failing to enforce a major ethics executive order. Under the mandate, put into place … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, PPC, property rights

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Rasmussen: Marco Rubio More Electable than Charlie Crist in Florida

Red State's Dan McLaughlin reports interesting news from my second favorite 2010 Senate race: A new Rasmussen poll shows limited government conservative Marco Rubio faring slightly better (46-31) in the general election matchup against leading Democrat Kendrick Meeks than sitting governor Charlie Crist fares (46-34). Incidentally, Crist's projected lead is dwindling while Rubio's projected lead is growing. It's exciting to see so much momentum behind the Marco Rubio campaign. And as McLaughlin points out, the case for Crist's nomination pretty much is evaporating right before our eyes:The Crist campaign is all about a balancing act between two disparate narratives: an air of inevitability in the primary and sufficient desperation about … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, National Politics

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

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...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC, property rights

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    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
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About Me

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.

Recent Posts

  • AI-Enhanced Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Teen Innovation
  • My Baker’s Dozen of Top 2023 Reads
  • Common Learning Disabilities in Children
  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition

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Completing the Blogroll

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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

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bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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