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Home Archives for General

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

Farewell, Paul Harvey

As the weekend in which the late great news commentator Paul Harvey will be memorialized and laid in his final resting place, I wanted to offer a tiny tribute. Like anyone who turned on an AM radio in recent decades, Paul Harvey's news and "Rest of the Story" segments were almost always irresistible. I didn't get to see him speak in person until he delivered the commencement address at Hillsdale College in 2000, when I watched some of my friends graduate. About that same time, he began singing the praises of my alma mater on his radio program. Subscriptions to Hillsdale's free speech digest Imprimis have soared. Many people I've met in recent years, people of various ages and backgrounds, the only connection they have to Hillsdale … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commemorative, General, Journalism, My Life, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: accounts, alma mater, AM radio, commencement address, condolences, connection, down to earth, example, Family, figures, final resting place, folksy charm, friendly voice, genial, Hillsdale College, Imprimis, influence, irresistible, loved ones, memorialized, microphone, missed, news, news commentator, Paul Harvey, people, praises, public statuture, quintessentially American, radio program, reassuring, rest in peace, rest of the story, subscriptions, tiny tribute, trademark, tremendous reach, vocal delivery, warm personality, weekend, widespread appreciation, work

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Mark Hillman Elaborates on Democrat Shell Game at Colorado State Capitol

Yes, I pointed out to you the Democrat shell game (with your tax dollars, transportation projects, and social welfare spending) taking place at the State Capitol. But leave it to Mark Hillman to explain it more eloquently, and with greater depth and context. Here's the key section:If it sounds like Democrats are talking out of both sides of their mouths, it’s because they are - at least, so far. One day, they say our roads and bridges are unsafe and demand more money from Colorado drivers. The next day, they take a hatchet to transportation funding. Any sane person can be excused for wondering what they’re drinking or smoking at the state capitol. Sadly this is nothing new. Dating back to former Gov. Roy Romer, Democrats’ … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, PPC, transportation Tagged With: Backbone America, Bill Owens, compromise, Democrats, fast and loose, general fund, golden dome, higher taxes, Mark Hillman, Monday, monopoly, one-party rule, Roy Romer, shell game, similar agreement, social welfare, State Capitol, tactic, tax dollars, taxpayer, transportation

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

Tea Parties Today in Denver and Nationwide: Is a Revolution Brewing?

Update, 2/28: Western Slope blogger Gene Kinsey has links to more Tea Party accounts from across the nation. Update, 6 PM: My brother-in-law, an excellent photographer not usually inclined to attend politically-oriented rallies and events, had his pictures from today's Denver Tea Party linked and featured by Instapundit. How cool is that? More than 40 "Tea Party" rallies around the country today: Is there a revolution brewing? (Pun intended) Who knows? But the energy on display today can't be left to simmer away in a lukewarm acceptance of wasteful government spending and mounting, endless debt. Pictures of the Denver Tea Party are up at People's Press Collective and Slapstick Politics (with video to come later). Great pics from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: acceptance, bland, brewing, Chicago, country, coverage, Denver Tea Party, economy, Florida, government spending, Jacksonville, lukewarm, Michelle Malkin, Michigan, NBC, Peoples Press Collective, pictures, rallies, ravaged, revolution, roundup, Sam Adams, simmer, Slapstick Politics, Tea Party, video, Washington DC, wasteful

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Democrat Shell Game: Raise Your Car Fees to Grow State Government

John Ingold at the Denver Post reports, not surprisingly, that Governor Bill Ritter plans to sign SB 108 (aka FASTER) the Democrat bill in the state legislature to raise car fees by an average of $41 a year per vehicle. A reminder for Colorado: You put Democrats in charge, you pay more taxes for bigger government entitlement programs. What, you say? The state has legitimate transportation needs that SB 108 is designed to fund. Those aren't entitlement programs. Except that the so-called "FASTER" bill is merely half of a liberal shell game. The other half is SB 228 - which would rip away limits on state appropriation increases and enable the Democrats to divert hundreds of millions of dollars dedicated to the highway fund (PDF) … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: backfill, bill, Bill Ritter, car fees, Democrats, Denver Post, divert, entitlement programs, FASTER, filibuster, future years, government, government spending, Governor, highway fund, highways, increases, John Ingold, raise, reminder, Republicans, shell game, state appropriations, state legislature, transportation needs, vehicle, violated

2/7/2026 By Ben 3 Comments

“Stand Up for Liberty!”

Update: El Presidente has posted a video recap of the different speakers at yesterday's rally. Earlier today was the kickoff rally for Colorado's new Gadsden Society. About 70 to 80 people showed up on a Sunday afternoon at the State Capitol. Tell your friends to come out and join us for the next one. Check back for updates. Pictures of today's gathering below the fold (more pictures and video of the event should be available soon at Slapstick Politics and the People's Press Collective): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: air guitar, audience, Aurora, candidate, chants, Christopher Gadsden, citizen activists, city councilman, CU Regent, David Williams, Democrat, Denver Post, flag, Gadsden Society, higher education, Jeff Sacco, Jefferson County, Justin Longo, landmark, Lenina Close, Liberty for All, Liberty on the Rocks, Linda Sasenick, Morgan Carroll, Peoples Press Collective, rally, Rand, Republican, Ross Kaminsky, Ryan Frazier, special districts, Stand Up for Liberty, State Capitol, state senator, surreal, Tom Lucero, Transparency, U.S. Senate, Wes Dickinson

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Fitting for a Monday Morning: Rossputin’s Sobering Economic Outlook

Just time for a quick link this morning: Rossputin has a well-informed and sobering outlook on the state of the markets and the economy. Simply put, Barack Obama and the Democrats in Washington are out of control. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Democrats, economy, markets, out of control, outlook, quick link, Rossputin, sobering, Washington

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

Democrats’ Anti-Taxpayer Shell Game Demands a Principled “Party of No”

The other half of Colorado Democrats' shell game rolled through the state senate last night - with one of the longest debates on a state legislative bill in recent memory. Senate Bill 228 would repeal the state general fund's 6 percent spending limit and allow additional funds to be diverted from transportation to pet government programs (now mainly supported by Democrats). It's the latest in a series of actions by Governor Bill Ritter to raise taxes and grow government without asking the people of Colorado first. So much for confidence in his own agenda. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics, PPC, transportation Tagged With: amendments, ask first, Barack Obama, Bill Ritter, children's future, Colorado Democrats, compromise, confidence, debate, debates, Democrats, diverting funds, economy, expense, funding stream, general fund, government expansion, government programs, Governor, grow government, Harry Reid, hog wild, ill, Lefty bloggers, legislative bill, longest, Nancy Pelosi, party of No, programs, raise taxes, repeal, Senate Bill 228, shell game, solve, spending limit, State Capitol, state constitution, state senate, transportation, unfettered, vision, welfare state

2/7/2026 By Ben 3 Comments

RMA Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 8:30: A Look at Fort Collins, Tom Stone

Tune in starting at 8:30 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the 16th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. In the early slot, two candidates for Fort Collins city council join us to discuss issues facing one of the best places to live in the United States, and their vision for the city's future. Later we'll talk with Tom Stone, recently announced candidate for the chairmanship of the Colorado Republican Party. We'll find out his thoughts about where the party has fallen short and lost its way, and what it will take to turn things around. Is it time for a new guard? 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 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Colorado Politics, General, My Life, PPC Tagged With: best places, Blog Talk Radio, candidates, chairmanship, city council, Colorado, Fort Collins, Mount Virtus, podcast, Republican Party, Rocky Mountain Alliance, sidebar, Tom Stone, United States

2/7/2026 By Ben Leave a Comment

RMA Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 8:30: Filmmaker Evan-Coyne Maloney, Nadeem Esmail on Health Care

Gloomy about the Obama administration's intervention halting economic recovery and pushing the markets down so we can party like it's 1997? Then I have just the cure. Tune in starting at 8:30 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the 15th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio, with two very interesting guests. First is Evan Coyne-Maloney, creator of the film Indoctrinate U, which exposes and challenges political correctness run amok on our nation's college campuses. His on-air discuss with the RMA crew comes two days before the movie's showing at Liberty on Film Thursday evening in Denver's LoDo. With proposals to further socialize health care looming at the State Capitol, the second guest is the Fraser Institute's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Health Care, Movie Reviews, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 1997, administration, archive, Barack Obama, Blog Talk Radio, Canadian, college campuses, column, cure, D.C. Examiner, Denver, economic recovery, El Presidente, Evan Coyne-Maloney, film, Fraser Institute, free-market alternatives, Health Care, Independence Institute, Indoctrinate U, intervention, Liberty on Film, LoDo, markets, movie, Nadeem Esmail, neighbors, Patient Power, Paul Hsieh, podcast, political correctness, preview, Rocky Mountain Alliance, shortcomings, single-payer health care, Slapstick Politics, socialize, State Capitol, system, widget

2/7/2026 By Ben 1 Comment

Democrats and Marostica: “Forget the Constitution, California, Here We Come”

When talking politics or economics, it's usually a powerful rhetorical tactic to compare our own Colorado to California - especially these days. In that light, here's a fitting and timely reminder from state senator Ted Harvey:The lesson Colorado’s legislators must learn from this recession is clear: fiscal responsibility works. Even though the legislature collectively fell short of creating a rainy day fund, TABOR and the Arveschoug-Bird 6% spending cap forced Colorado legislators to keep spending low. Had the government enjoyed free rein in ramping up spending – which is a great temptation to many lawmakers tasked with spending other people’s money – Colorado’s budget crisis would be as serious as California’s. [emphasis … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, PPC, transportation Tagged With: 1992, 6 percent cap, Al Jolson, Arveschoug-Bird, best case, budget crisis, California, cap, Colorado, committee, conclude, court, Democrats, Don Marostica, economics, entitlement programs, Face the State, fiscal responsibility, fitting, good idea, government, government growth, legal advisers, legislative prerogative, legislators, lesson, memo, override, politics, recession, reminder, rhetorical tactic, Senate Bill 228, state constitution, state legislature, state senator, TABOR, Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, Ted Harvey, temptation, timely, transportation, voter approval, voters

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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

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