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Home Archives for liberty

4/28/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Stand Up Today Against Government Health Care Takeover Attempt

Over at We Stand FIRM, Dr. Paul Hsieh brings attention to an attempt by Washington D.C. Democrats to fast-track a major expansion of government control of health care. If you've been looking for a chance to speak out for liberty, or you are just enraged by the political tactics, as well as the harmful and costly end-game on health care policy, Hsieh provides some great evidence and a couple sample letters you can use to formulate your own letter to Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet. The time to stand up is today ... not tomorrow, not next week. Make your voice heard for individual freedom, personal responsibility, and affordable, free market health care! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Health Care, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: affordable, Colorado, costly, Democrats, end-game, enraged, evidence, fast track, formulate, free market, government control, harmful, Health Care, individual freedom, letter, liberty, major expansion, Mark Udall, Michael Bennet, next week, Paul Hsieh, personal responsibility, policy, political, sample letters, speak out, tactics, tomorrow, U.S. Senators, voice, Washington DC, We Stand Firm

4/27/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Limited Government Week: An Awareness Raiser To Rally Behind

No day, week, or month passes that isn't officially commemorated for some reason. Take April, the month we're in for a few more days: What have you done the last 27 days to honor National Poetry Month, Stress Awareness Month, or even Fresh Florida Tomato Month? That's what I thought ... In the meantime, there are important causes that definitely deserve greater awareness, like this one: Limited Government Week. If you can get down to Colorado Springs anytime in the next few days, you may find one or more valuable events to attend. The highlight is a Tuesday dinner with keynote speaker Amity Shlaes, author of The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression (an excellent book). For more details on the week's activities, go … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Commemorative, Cultural Conservatism, General, liberty, PPC Tagged With: Amity Shlaes, angels, April, assessment, author, Barack Obama, believe, CASE, causes, Colorado Springs, commemorated, controls, crowd, devout, dinner, elements, Federalist Papers, Fresh Florida Tomato Month, greater awareness, highlight, honest, hopey-changey, human nature, important, James Madison, Limited Government Week, men, National Poetry Month, principle, Stress Awareness Month, The Forgotten Man, Tuesday, understanding

4/23/2009 By Ben 7 Comments

On Socialism and Ron Paul: Two Timely Essays for Lovers of Liberty

A quick-hit double-link in the form of two recent essays I recommend as timely and relevant reading for thoughtful lovers of liberty: "The Welfare State and the Meaning of Life" by Greg Forster, whose work I have come to know through his excellent research and analysis of school choice issues, but in this case makes a strong moral case against socialism "Ron Paul's Secession Lies on Video" by libertarian lawyer and thinker Tim Sandefur, a college classmate of mine who delivers a remedial lesson in United States history and the Constitution to the Congressman and former presidential candidate ... It's one thing to speak up loudly against federal overreaches and for a renewed respect of the 10th Amendment, it's quite another to call for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Cultural Conservatism, General, History, liberty, National Politics, PPC, property rights Tagged With: 10th Amendment, analysis, articulate, critical times, discerning, essays, federal overreaches, Greg Forster, History, lawyer, lesson, libertarian, lovers of liberty, moral case, reading, recommend, remedial, research, Ron Paul, school, secession, socialism, Texas, thinker, thoughtful, Tim Sandefur, U.S. Constitution, unilateral, union, welfare state

4/23/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Earth Day Hysteria Ignores Progress

Update, 3:00 PM: Michelle Malkin has a great video and some informative links about the eco-indoctrination so many American children have to bear. Yesterday was Earth Day. Where were all the Green folks celebrating four decades of remarkable progress in reducing air pollution (for example)? Yes, that's the sound of clean air-breathing crickets chirping. Taking a day off work for reasons other than the holiday itself, my family took a day trip to the Denver Zoo, where we were treated to a mild dose of eco-crisis hysteria from indoctrinated schoolchildren. When a little girl stopped us and sweetly asked if we wanted to learn more about penguins, I was gullible enough to believe we might learn some facts about the creatures' diet, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Climate Hysteria, Colorado Politics, Education, General, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: agenda, air pollution, Bill Ritter, bombarded, celebrating, chirping, conservationist, crickets, daughter, Denver Zoo, diet, difference, Earth Day, eco-crisis, encounter, enviro-religion, environmentalist, facts, feathers, folks, Green, gullible, habitat, hysteria, important, indoctrinated, learning, lifespan, mild dose, mother Earth, multiplication tables, penguins, priorities, progress, public schools, random facts, reaping, result, scaremongering, schoolchildren, table, teach, waste, well trained

4/20/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

HB 1342 Hearing Tuesday: Democrats’ Latest Attempt to Bypass TABOR

We have heard Democrats in the state legislature talk out loud about exploiting a partisan Colorado Supreme Court overreach to violate the state constitution and repeal tax credits without a vote of the people. Via an emergency update from the Republican Study Committee, the Democrats' first real attempt to test their theory comes up for a hearing tomorrow: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, PPC Tagged With: adjournment, Colorado Supreme Court, Democrats, Dennis Apuan, emergency update, exploiting, HB 1342, hearing, illicit, overreach, partisan, repeal, Republican Study Committee, state constitution, state legislature, tax credits, tax revenue, test, theory, tobacco, violate, vote of the people

4/17/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Ryan Frazier Fires Up Crowd at Colorado Tax Day Tea Party

El Presidente has posted video of the Denver Tax Day Tea Party, but the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel has the video coverage of Colorado's largest Western Slope gathering. The apparent highlight of the event was the rousing speech of Ryan Frazier, who also announced a formal step toward a U.S. Senate campaign (watch the video below the fold): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: American League Central, automotive bailouts, beloved team, campaign, Colorado, Denver, Detroit, Detroit Tigers, dismal, economic doldrums, El Presidente, event, first place, football, formal step, gathering, Grand Junction, Grand Junction Sentinel, highlight, performance, persistent, rousing speech, Ryan Frazier, Tax Day Tea Party, U.S. Senate, video coverage, wayward path

4/17/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

A Chance for Denver Tax Day Tea Party Protestors to Clarify the Record

Update, 9:40 AM: Rossputin has a more thorough and comprehensive debunking of the ProgressNow nonsense. It's simply a must-read. Also, Joshua explains the "astroturfing" myth and why the Left is pushing it. Here's a shock: the local Soros-funded Lefty media hack is completely misrepresenting the Tax Day Tea Party here in Denver and as a nationwide movement. What else would you expect? Mike Huttner has to earn his keep from the sugar daddy somehow. The vapid silliness coming from ProgressNow includes: Selectively finding the few offensive signs of the common sense-challenged out of thousands to paint the crowd with a broad brush of ignorance and hatred (here's a video that helps give lie to this tactic) Parroting discredited CNN … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, PPC Tagged With: astroturf, clarification, CNN, common sense, corporate, courteous, Denver, George Soros, grassroots, hatred, ignorance, Lefty, media hack, Mike Huttner, misrepresenting, movement, nationwide, offensive signs, partisan attack, Peoples Press Collective, press release, ProgressNow, public figure, response, silliness, spoke, stereotype, sugar daddy, talking points, Tax Day Tea Party, transparent, vapid, video

4/16/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Months Later, Michael Bennet Still Vacillating Over Union Card-Check Bill

More than two months ago I noted that the union card-check bill had put newly selected U.S. Senator Michael Bennet in a bind. Three weeks ago I observed that Bennet might be finding relief in the fading prospects of the legislation. But Big Labor proponents haven't backed down, and business leaders are in the fight for the duration. So where does that leave Michael Bennet? As indecisive as ever, reports the Denver Post:"The issue is an important issue. We have lots of important issues," he said. "I'm in a much better position to be helpful to a constructive conversation by not having taken a position on the existing language in the legislation than I would be if I had." I wasn't sure what to expect when Governor Bill Ritter … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: ambitious, backed down, Big Labor, bill, Bill Ritter, bind, business leaders, candidate, card-check, challenge, Denver Post, duration, fading prospects, fight, fundraising, Governor, indecisive, issues, legislation, Michael Bennet, newly-selected, proponents, relief, Ryan Frazier, talented, U.S. Senator, union, vacillation, vacuousness

4/16/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Good News, Bad News Today at Colorado State Capitol

This morning, good news comes from the Colorado State Capitol: the state house approved House Bill 1288 (PDF), the Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act, by the overwhelming margin of 61-4. This legislation will create a detailed online searchable database of state government revenues and expenditures. The bad news? Among the four (all Democrats) voting against open government are my own representative Sara Gagliardi and Gwyn Green, also from Jefferson County. Rest assured, I will do my part to make it known their No votes will not be forgotten. And I will be watching how the senate votes, as well. In other bad news, Senate Bill 180 (PDF) squeaked past the finish line in the state senate, 18-17. This union-backed bill is bad for a host … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, PPC Tagged With: bad news, bill, Bill Ritter, Colorado, consequences, costly, Democrats, desk, difference, elections, expenditures, fail, finish line, good news, good sense, Governor, Gwyn Green, House, House Bill 1288, intrusive, Jefferson County, Jim Isgar, Joyce Foster, legislation, measure, Moe Keller, not forgotten, online searchable database, open government, pass, positive note, rest assured, revenues, Sara Gagliardi, Senate, Senate Bill 180, Senate District 26, signature, State Capitol, state government, Taxpayer Transparency Act, union-backed, votes

4/16/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Tax Day Tea Party, Colorado

Update VI, 4/16: Here are some pictures taken by Jimmie H. Butler at yesterday's rally in Colorado Springs. Re-posted with permission: Update V, 4/16: My brother-in-law has a great set of photos from yesterday's Denver event. Slapstick Politics has begun to post video from the well-attended festivities at the West Steps of the Capitol. Rossputin has some "Post-Tea Party Thoughts" that includes photos, video, and an interactive poll question. Here is a great site that is tallying attendance reports from Tea Party events all across the country. I've already notified the site operator with a few reports from Colorado locations he hadn't yet received. Update IV, 10:00 PM: Over at Free Colorado, Ari has a good … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: advice, After the Tea Party, blogger, budget, Colorado, compelling, concerned, constituents, debate, Democrats, details, disturbances, doorstep, El Presidente, follow-up, Getting Connected in Colorado, lawmakers, Lefty, legislative calendar, links, majority, mourn, Night Twister, Pinnacol, printable, pro-liberty activist, protest, rally, Randomridge, reasons, resource, Rocky Mountain Alliance, state house, Tax Day, taxpayers, Tea Party, theft

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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.

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