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Home Archives for National Politics

3/5/2009 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

3/5/2009 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

3/4/2009 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

3/4/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

“Union in Practice” vs. “Union in Theory” Highlights Card Check Danger

Update: Face The State has more, including Colorado WINS' rude treatment of state representative Amy Stephens. As teased last night to our handful of Blog Talk Radio listeners... If I try to come up with something witty, you can leave it to Mike Antonucci of the Education Intelligence Agency to come up with something even wittier. A few days ago I brought your attention to the most recent exploits of Dave Ohmart and his Colorado Loses, a vocal minority of state employees opposed to Governor Bill Ritter's gold-plated invitation to unionize their workplaces. Apparently, Dave wasn't greeted so kindly by union organizer Ryan when he decided to tag along for last week's Colorado WINS union event at the State Capitol featuring Ritter as … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Bill Ritter, Blog Talk Radio, card-check, Colorado, Colorado Loses, Colorado WINS, Dave Ohmart, Democrats, Education Intelligence Agency, Governor, Mike Antonucci, practice, rally, recent exploits, State Capitol, state employees, theory, unionize, vocal minority, wittier, witty, workplaces

3/3/2009 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

3/3/2009 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

3/2/2009 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

3/1/2009 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

2/26/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Will You Be Visited Next by the Taxpayer Bailout Prize Patrol?

There's lots of bad news out there, which put me in the mood for some timely levity. This must-see video is sure to elicit a laugh (or, at least a smile). From Right.org, the Bailout Prize Patrol visits everyday Americans, large corporate banks, and United States Senators with large checks, colorful balloons, and tacky noisemakers. Oh, come on, you know you want to watch it (H/T Real Debate Wisconsin): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, National Politics, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: bad news, Bailout Prize Patrol, balloons, corporate banks, everyday Americans, large checks, laugh, levity, mood, must-see video, noisemakers, Real Debate Wisconsin, Right.org, smile, United States Senators, video, YouTube

2/26/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

Tell Congress to Read the Bill: Why Not Sign the Online Petition Today?

Transparency (or the lack thereof) is the name of the game these days. After the Generational Theft Act got shoved down our throats in such a hurry - with Congress having a matter of only a few hours to read the mammoth bill - supporting this idea is the most basic sort of common sense we can ask for in our representative form of government. So go ahead and sign the online petition at Read the Bill, a very simple process that will take you one minute or less (H/T Soren Dayton). Why? The Democrats in charge of Congress don't want you to do it It might help the Republicans find a backbone and champion real reform on the issue It's the right thing to do For more on the government transparency movement (at least in Colorado), visit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: backbone, champion, common sense, Congress, Democrats, Generational Theft Act, government, issue, mammoth bill, name of the game, Read the Bill, real reform, representative, Republicans, right thing, Soren Dayton, supporting, Transparency

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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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