National Politics

2/26/2018 By Jenn Mullin Leave a Comment

Las Vegas Schools in the Grips of a Drug Crisis

“Sin City” didn’t get its name by being chaste. Las Vegas, Nevada, has been a mecca for those wanting to experience life on the wild-side for decades. Unfortunately, this has also opened the door to a massive push of illegal and prescription drugs within city limits—often targeting high school students and young adults. According to a National Geographic investigation of the city, Las Vegas claims a violent crime rate that’s roughly 120% higher than the national average. This has been largely attributed to drug sales and the securing of the Mexican black tar heroin market. Drugs are sold in a way that mimics a basic retail transaction, and the casual attitude towards illegal substances has created a huge and ever-growing number of … [Read more...]

1/13/2018 By Jenn Mullin Leave a Comment

Net Neutrality: Where Do We Go from Here?

The freedom of the internet was recently thrown into uncertainty at the end of last year. There were measures put into place that secured the freedom to browse the internet freely and without any restrictions. You could sign up for service through a number of providers, and once you had access to the web that was it — no road blocks or restricted sites. That can all very well change. Without the security of Net Neutrality, companies such as Comcast, Verizon, Spectrum, can now alter the way you browse the internet. Nothing has yet changed, other than the fact that a change can happen very soon. The repeal of Net Neutrality had good numbers to oppose it, yet somehow it still passed. While many are looking for other ways to get neutrality … [Read more...]

12/19/2017 By Brooke Faulkner Leave a Comment

Tax Reform and You: What Will 2018 Bring?

Image Source: Pexels 2017 has seen a number of different tax reform proposals, most significantly a revision of the current tax brackets and modification of various deductions, depending on the state where you live. Now, the Senate has passed a bill to drastically reform federal taxes. While it still has to be approved by the House of Representatives before it goes through, the bill holds massive potential to benefit businesses. While the proposed tax bill drew strong, controversial reactions from Democrats, there is no doubt that it would help increase businesses growth and success. Here’s how it could affect your next tax season if it passes. Business Tax Changes It’s no secret that Obama era tax reform did nothing to help … [Read more...]

8/18/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Social Media Buzz Cannot Be Safely Disregarded

In today's fast-paced social media world, disengagement is simply not an option. Whether it's an independent author like myself monitoring what people are saying about my eccentric title character, or a large corporation with millions of dollars of profits on the line, there is no excuse to lose track of what's being said about your brand on Facebook, Twitter, or other outlets. In this way, business and marketing are a lot like democratic politics -- a prominent topic on this site. It doesn't matter if the buzz is true or not. Our famous 16th president Abraham Lincoln once said about statesmanship: "A universal feeling, whether well or ill-founded, cannot be safely disregarded." Despite what some satiric Lincoln memes might suggest, Old … [Read more...]

1/5/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

How to Train Your Politician: Conservative Ed Hanks Urges Intentional Voting

On December 20, 2014, I chatted by phone with Ed Hanks about his new book How to Train Your Politician: Intentional Voting as a Path to Tea Party and Constitutional Victory. Hanks, an acquaintance and Jefferson County conservative activist who has been one of Colorado's leading voices for Personhood, graciously shared a Kindle copy of his book for me to read prior our conversation. We talked in the wake of the lame-duck Congress passing the corporatists' dream bill, known as Cromnibus, fueling the fires of populist conservative discontent (including yours truly). A mounting frustration definitely brings a growing interest in the strategy Hanks endorses. Yet what I find most appealing about the book and its author is his historical … [Read more...]

12/26/2014 By Ben Leave a Comment

Medical Malpractice Problems Still Exist, Call for Real Solutions

No system is perfect. Even the relatively well-run U.S. health care system includes its share of practitioner error. In some instances, the results can be devastating. While the top-down, convoluted Obamacare model contains its own fundamental flaws and costly contradictions, that doesn't mean American health care status quo ante was anywhere close to ideal. As the infographic below (by School Matters.com) demonstrates, medical malpractice remains a real concern in the overall scope of our health care system. The call to repeal Obamacare carries with it a strong political appeal, for many reasons, but at best such a move brings us back to square one. We need to look at real solutions, and be willing to think outside the box, to help … [Read more...]

10/16/2014 By Ben Leave a Comment

Election Day Is Nearly 3 Weeks Away… Must Mean It’s Time to Vote!

The mail-in ballot arrived at the humble homestead yesterday. My 2014 personal guide to the Colorado ballot is posted. Check it out. Remember... While you want to cast the most informed and thoughtful ballot you can, it's also vital to vote sooner rather than later. Electioneering communications quickly will stop, and campaigns can conserve scarce resources. … [Read more...]

6/21/2014 By Ben Leave a Comment

June 21: Week in Review

As I type this, the season officially changes with the day's longest stretch of sunlight for 2014. It's officially summertime: What better way to kick it off then with a two-day garage sale? Lots of hassle. Net profit? $50. Glad I got that out of my system for quite awhile. From the Ed Is Watching blog Study Gives Another Jeffco Anti-Charter Myth a Serious Blow Title I Funds Closer to Following Colorado Kids after State Board Vote CER Completes Trifecta of Helpful Scholarship Tax Credit Studies Top Facebook Links of the Week Lamest Phony Political Apology Ever?: Governor Hickenlooper Reignites Mayor Bloomberg Controversy (Complete Colorado) School Board Takes Opportunity to Step Up: DPS Could Teach Jeffco a Lesson on … [Read more...]

6/14/2014 By Ben Leave a Comment

June 14: Week in Review

It was the biggest week of the year for birthdays here. Nearly a full week ago, the youngest member of the clan blew out the "3" candle. And yesterday the lovely Mrs. Virtus celebrated a birthday that begins with the number "3" and ends with another. In between my league softball team not only won a game but actually did so in convincing fashion, while last night brought the rare Friday the 13th plus full moon combination. All that, and today is both Flag Day and the 239th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Soon, the season will officially change to fit what we already start to feel: Summertime is here! From the Ed Is Watching blog Denver Builds on Low-Income Charter Success Stories: Will Jeffco Follow Suit? High Fives All Around: … [Read more...]

5/23/2014 By Ben Leave a Comment

Senators Chastise NFL’s Redskins, Ignore Colo. High School Redskins

Both of Colorado’s U.S. Senators have publicly called for a professional sports team in the nation’s capital to renounce a mascot deemed offensive by some. But if a Colorado high school opts to renounce the same nickname, local leaders will have done so without yet having heard from their elected leaders in Washington, D.C. …Read the rest of my article at Watchdog Wire Colorado…. … [Read more...]