In November I did a cursory search on the Obama administration's Recovery.gov website and found that my own Jefferson County is spending $1.1 million in stimulus money per job created. A couple weeks later, we learned about the phantom congressional districts that could make the $1.1 million figure wrong on the low side. Then, last month, we were treated to a humorous introduction to Connecticut's Fighting 42nd Congressional District. Now today, my Independence Institute colleague Todd Shepherd has uncovered Colorado spending reported on Recovery.gov that has been sent to zip codes that are out-of-state or don't exist:For example, the breakout shows that zip code 87420 has received $5,267,621 in ARRA funds. That zip code corresponds to … [Read more...]
State-Level Education Tax Credits Merit Place Near Top of Pro-Liberty Agenda
While we're busy waging battle on the defensive fronts against Obama Care and cap-and-trade and card check, pro-liberty forces also would be wise in 2010 to continue looking for opportunities to go on offense. Writing at the Washington Examiner, Michael Barone makes at least one point that deserves the attention of activists, strategists and officials:[Tech entrepreneur Jim] Manzi, citing models in Sweden and the Netherlands, calls for "the creation of a real marketplace among ever more deregulated publicly financed schools -- a market in which funding follows students, and far broader discretion is permitted to those who actually teach and manage in our schools." Democrats are prevented by their teacher union paymasters from pursuing … [Read more...]
Recent Plights of Penry and McDaniels Give Me a Little Pause about 33
There's no stopping the forward press of time. I'm not so sure about turning 33 today, but at least my name isn't Josh. A few months ago the combination of age and name seemed so charmed. They were a pair of Colorado wunderkinds: one 33-year-old Josh making strides towards one of Colorado's most powerful positions, the other 33-year-old Josh newly occupying the other. Josh Penry was making giant strides toward the Republican nomination for governor. Then one day in November the plug suddenly was pulled on his campaign. Now he isn't even running for re-election to his own state senate seat in 2010. What's going on? But he's on Cloud Nine compared to Josh McDaniels, who yesterday felt the bitter sting of missing the playoffs in his … [Read more...]
Night Twister Comes Through Again with Colorado Political Analysis 2010
Randy Ketner, aka The Night Twister, has outdone himself once again. He started off the year back in January with an encyclopedic blog post for political activists titled Getting Connected in Colorado. Now, to close down 2009, on the eve of a most crucial election year, he has created the thorough and aptly titled "Colorado Political Analysis: 2010". Red State's Erick Erickson describes the analysis as "masterful." Once again, we agree wholeheartedly. Anyway, read the post from cover to cover. Skim it for specific information. Follow the links you find useful. Jump into the conversation in the comments. Whatever you do, recognize that Randy has performed a valuable service. … [Read more...]
Josh Penry Closes Out 2009 with Good News … and a Head Scratcher
As 2009 winds down, some half-good, half-headscratching Colorado political news reported by the Grand Junction Sentinel:State Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, said he isn’t interested in joining the ticket of his onetime rival, Scott McInnis, as the candidate for lieutenant governor. “If I were hell-bent on being on the ticket, I’d still be in the race,” Penry said last week when asked about reports that he might be interested in the lieutenant governor slot. Penry, however, didn’t tip his hand on a question that has five Republicans watching closely — his decision whether to run for a second term in the state Senate. … [Read more...]
Kevin Miller’s National Freedom Initiative: A Reincarnation of Frank Meyer’s Fusionism?
In his latest offering, former state legislative leader Mark Hillman praises the "freedom nationally, virtue locally" National Freedom Initiative of Colorado's own Kevin Miller -- not the first time it has crossed my path. It was last year about this time I wrestled a lot with the role social conservatism should play, and something that never strays too far from my mind. Therefore, I'm very intrigued by this initiative -- which, of course, is not altogether new, but rather a very sensible clarification and reformulation for our current political context. The opportunity definitely is there: To educate many social conservatives on the vital and wholly compatible value of liberty and limited government To build a strong bridge between … [Read more...]
Barone: Current Health Care Fiasco Resembles 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act
Writing for the Washington Examiner, Michael Barone makes an astute historical observation:It's time to blow the whistle on two erroneous statements that opponents and proponents of the health care legislation being jammed through Congress have been making. Republicans have been saying that never before has Congress passed such an unpopular bill with such important ramifications by such a narrow majority. Barack Obama has been saying that passage of the bill will mean that the health care issue will be settled once and for all. The Republicans and Obama are both wrong. But perhaps they can be forgiven because the precedent for Congress passing an unpopular bill is an old one, and the issue it addressed has long been settled, though not … [Read more...]
Is Our Side Silly Enough to Make “Mark Udall Sits Silently…” Headlines?
Two days 'till Christmas -- which apparently means it's time to practice our jolly laughter. Huffington Post's Sam Stein looks like he is auditioning to fill the local void left by the departure of Colorado Media Matters. What a doozy (H/T Complete Colorado):Appearing at a recent coffee-shop event with Colorado voters, Norton sat silently while a female attendee declared twice that President Barack Obama is a Muslim and while a male attendee insisted that the president -- who he deemed "an idiot" -- wanted to let babies die on the side of the road "with the garbage." "Well as you can tell there is a lot of passion around what is happening in our own country," Norton responded to the crowd, rather than correcting either individual. "And … [Read more...]
A Little Holiday Cheer: PJTV’s Crowder Examines Detroit Blight Up Close
Three days 'till Christmas, this will give you some holiday cheer. PJTV's Steven Crowder takes an up close & personal look at Detroit, the once proud Motor City a mere hollow shell of what it once was (H/T Red State). The recent Clint Eastwood flick Gran Torino gave you a glimpse of what Detroit has become. But Crowder goes even deeper into the hollowed-out blight, pervasive poverty and unemployment, and the worst schools in America in his didactic tale concerning the fruit of decades of welfare state policy, Big Labor cronyism, and corrupt city government: … [Read more...]
Erick Erickson: Lean Not on “Beltway Wisdom” in GOP Senate Primary
For having an outside perspective, Red State editor Erick Erickson makes one of the most insightful observations about Colorado's Republican Senate primary:Why exactly must we support Jane Norton in Colorado instead of Ken Buck? I’m not saying I am or am not, but why must I? Lots of people think we must because the same guys in Washington who said Charlie Crist was our best hope in Florida say she is in Colorado.... ...Ken Buck has a very real shot and Norton is about to suffer some very serious high dollar blows about her support for suspending TABOR a while back. We need not go with the inside the beltway wisdom just because the beltway wisdom wants us to go with Norton. We should watch, study, observe, and see where things are heading … [Read more...]
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