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Home Archives for General

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

RMA Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 8:30: Dick Wadhams, Hassan Daioleslam

Tune in starting at 8:30 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the 17th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. From 8:45 to 9:15, Colorado Republican Party chairman Dick Wadhams joins us to discuss the upcoming state officer elections and what can be done to turn the party's fortunes around. Starting at 9:30 we'll talk with Hassan Daioleslam about what the Iranian mullahs' lobby is up to in the United States, as well as the mounting nuclear crisis in his native country. Don't forget. If you miss the live broadcast of tonight’s show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Principal of Jay Bennish’s Overland High School Secures National Post

An interesting tidbit from Cherry Creek Schools:Jana Frieler, principal of Overland High School in the Cherry Creek School District since 2005, was voted president-elect of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) at the organization’s national conference in San Diego February 27, 2009. Frieler will lead the 30,000- member organization in 2010-2011. Frieler has been active in principal leadership through national-level committee work and service on the NASSP Board of Directors. Congrats to Jana Frieler on her new position. What's the big deal with this announcement, you say? You may remember Frieler as the principal who during her first year was thrown into the fire of national controversy over teacher Jay … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, General, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: big deal, blast from the past, Board of Directors, Cherry Creek Schools, conference, controversial, effective leadership, fact-challenged, faculty member, fiasco, geography class, growth model, interesting tidbit, Jana Frieler, Jay Bennish, math, National Association of Secondary School Principals, outrageous, Overland High School, press conference, principal, reading, San Diego, School Accountability Report, school choice, student, tirade, writing

2/7/2026 By Ben 3 Comments

The Colorado Blogosphere is on a Roll … and It’s Only Wednesday

Too much good stuff out there, too little time. Here's a quick Wednesday morning roundup of the best from the Colorado blogs (in no particular order): Rocky Mountain Right brings attention to Governor Bill Ritter's lavish overseas business trip on Colorado taxpayers' dime during a very tight budget situation Now your 10 dollars (or more) can go a lot further in helping the Independence Institute promote transparent government in ColoradoRossputin points to a hilarious Scott Ott spoof on embryonic stem cell research and global warming (did he read yesterday's post?) Michael at Best Destiny observes some irony from Al Gore concerning global warming and moon landings Rossputin also points to Gateway Pundit's detailed litany of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Climate Hysteria, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Energy, Fiscal Policy, General, Journalism, liberty, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Will Colorado Democrats Really Line Up and Bow to Big Labor on Card-Check?

Is Colorado's Democratic Congressional delegation really going to play Pavlov's dog to Big Labor officials? News came out earlier today that Colorado Democratic Congresswoman Betsy Markey has agreed to co-sponsor - just as U.S. Senator and former Congressman Mark Udall did in the recent past - the poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) -- aka card-check. Or as my colleague and fellow blogger Amy Oliver put it: "Markey pays back labor unions". If not for the money, why else would Markey leap into action as an EFCA co-sponsor? As policy, it's terrible for business and the rights of workers. As 4th Congressional politics goes, it's equally bad - opening the door wide for a strong, credible, business-backed challenge in 2010. At … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 2010, 4th Congressional District, AFL-CIO, Amy Oliver, bad legislation, Betsy Markey, Big Labor, blame, business, card-check, co-sponsor, colleague, Colorado, Congressman, Congresswoman, Democratic, Ed Perlmutter, EFCA, email reminder, Employee Free Choice Act, labor unions, letter, Mark Udall, Michael Bennet, Pavlov's dog, payback, politically, response, take a stand, U.S. Senator, workers' rights

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Michael Bennet Can’t Be Counted On to Challenge Obama’s Wasteful Spending

Colorado's newly selected U.S. Senator Michael Bennet is seeing his chances to stand up as an independent-minded, moderate Democrat slipping away. Even a group of 14 Senate Democrats (including Indiana's Evan Bayh) now have emerged to say "enough is enough" with Barack Obama's destructive massive intervention in the U.S. economy - his pork-laden, wild spending spree. Michael Bennet is not among the 14 Democrats showing a shred of fiscal sanity. The Denver Post's Chuck Plunkett - hardly a right-wing fanatic - asks the question on Colorado's mind: "Where are our moderates?" While Michael Bennet remains dazzled by the Obama glow, his "senior" Senate colleague Mark Udall shows what a farce his campaign as a centrist really was. Udall … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Barack Obama, campaign, centrist, Chuck Plunkett, Colorado, compelling story, dazzled, Democrat, Denver Post, Denver Public Schools, destructive, economic agenda, enough is enough, Evan Bayh, farce, fiscal sanity, glow, independent, Indiana, intervention, Left, Mark Udall, massive, Michael Bennet, moderate, moderates, newly-selected, pork-laden, powerful message, primary challenge, right-wing fanatic, Ryan Frazier, shred, silly putty, spending spree, strong principles, superintendent, taken down, tremendous style, U.S. economy, U.S. Senator

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

SB 228 a Sure Way to Lower Colorado’s High Economic Freedom Ranking

Sean Paige (the American Contrarian) points readers to a recent study from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University that shows Colorado ranks 3rd among the states in economic freedom. Apparently, statehouse Democrats, along with the occasional useful Republican, strongly feel Colorado ranks too high. How else do you explain Senate Bill 228? One of the leading arguments against SB 228 - including among the moderate sectors of the business community - has been the threat posed to a reliable stream of transportation funding. But a watcher makes the case that the real winning argument is simply to demonstrate the outrageous growth of government caused by repealing the 6 percent spending cap. I say: Give me both arguments. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, PPC, property rights Tagged With: against, American Contrarian, arguments, Colorado, economic freedom, George Mason University, growth of government, Mercatus Center, ranks, readers, Sean Paige, Senate Bill 228, spending cap, states, study, transportation funding

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

At Least Agnes Sobczyk Didn’t Come Out for a Republican Candidate

"And people wonder why union card-check legislation is such a problem for workers" Exhibit # 2863. From the Chicago Sun-Times (via The Union Label):[United Food and Commercial Workers staff employee Agnes Sobczyk] said she passed a letter to a co-worker detailing her concerns about State Rep. John Fritchey, the candidate the union has endorsed to replace [Rahm] Emanuel. She passed the letter to her co-worker on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning, she said Union President Ron Powell called her into his office. "He shoved this in my face and said, 'Explain this!'" she said. Sobczyk said she told Powell she was concerned about some stories she read about Fritchey and that she thought [Victor] Forys was a better candidate. "Then I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Agnes Sobczyk, candidate, card-check legislation, Chicago Sun-Times, co-worker, Colorado Loses, danger, Dave Ohmart, Democrat, employee, endorsed, fired, John Fritchey, letter, office, President, problem, Rahm Emanuel, Republican, Ron Powell, sympathy, UFCW, union, Union Label, Victor Forys, workers

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Study: Union Card-Check Could Cost Thousands of American Jobs

A new study released gives you one more reason to write your Congressman and Senators to tell them to vote No on the poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Economist Anne Layne-Farrar's quantitative analysis finds that "for every 3 percentage points gained in union membership through card checks and mandatory arbitration, the following year's unemployment rate is predicted to increase by 1 percentage point and job creation is predicted to fall by around 1.5 million jobs." Let's simplify: EFCA (or union card-check legislation, if you prefer) will keep many, many Americans from a productive job and a paycheck - an especially devastating effect in the midst of our current economic turmoil. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: American, Anne Layne-Farrar, arguments, Barack Obama, binding arbitration, card-check, challenge, Congressmen, devastating effect, economic turmoil, economist, Ed Morrissey Show, Employee Free Choice Act, employment, holding my breath, Hot Air, job creation, Labor Pains, Labor Relations Institute, massive threat, Michael Bennet, money, mouth, newly-selected, paycheck, poorly-named, productive job, quantitative analysis, rights, secret ballot, senators, sound research, U.S. Senator, unemployment rate, union, wasteful spending, workers, write

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

How Does a Federal Agency Lose So Many Computers, Cameras, & Forklifts?

You hear a lot of talk about waste in government, especially in the bureaucracies at the federal level. But then you see an investigation by my Independence Institute colleague Todd Shepherd (also the founder of Complete Colorado), and that waste sort of comes to life. It becomes a little less abstract. If the headline doesn't draw you to take a peek, I'm not sure what will: "Excuse me, Homeland Security Department, how do you lose two forklifts?" (H/T Amy Oliver) During one calendar year, the Customs and Border Patrol Agency by itself lost $7.1 million of material, including 171 desktop computers, 28 motion picture cameras, and - yes - 2 forklifts. Check it out for yourself, then do what the Independence Institute did: write members … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Fiscal Policy, General, Journalism, Labor, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Amy Oliver, bureaucracy, calendar year, Complete Colorado, Congress, Customs and Border Patrol Agency, desktop computers, federal level, forklifts, founder, government, headline, Homeland Security Department, Independence Institute, investigation, material, members, motion picture cameras, take a peek, talk, Todd Shepherd, waste

2/7/2026 By Ben 3 Comments

TGIF: Obama as Urkel

From Michelle Malkin and Right Wing News (take your pick): The Obamessiah meets one of the more well represented figures on all-time "most annoying TV characters" lists. The first person who can accurately identify the reference in the title of the post, please leave a comment below to win the prize ... ... of a satisfying job well done. Win or lose, here's hoping you enjoy the humor and smile today. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: annoying, Barack Obama, lists, Michelle Malkin, Obamessiah, Picture, post, prize, reference, Right Wing News, Steve Urkel, TV characters

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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
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