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Home Archives for PPC

5/18/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Quote of the Day

Former state senate leader and former state treasurer Mark Hillman, in his column lambasting the arrogance behind Colorado Democrats' Senate Bill 291, which would strip away state education funds from school districts that opt to reinstitute taxpayer protections:This from the party that claims to do everything “for the children.” In reality, the Democrats do everything “for the government” and aren’t above using your children as hostages in their extortion racket. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, PPC Tagged With: arrogance, Colorado, Democrats, education funds, extortion racket, for the children, for the government, former, leader, Mark Hillman, reinstitute, school districts, Senate Bill 291, state, state senate, state treasurer, taxpayer protections

5/18/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

If the Federal Debt Could Be Imagined as a Map of the United States…

Less than 3 minutes is all it takes for this excellent visual explanation of the rate of our mounting national debt (H/T Gene Kinsey): Brought to you by the same guy who cleverly explained Barack Obama's proposed spending "cuts" in terms of pennies and large containers of water. I hope he keeps these coming. For the record, I'm not comfortable with any rate of speed going westward at this point. Rather than drag-racing to Los Angeles, I'd be happy to see us hitchhiking back to the Big Apple (metaphorically speaking, that is). … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Barack Obama, Big Apple, comfortable, drag-racing, explanation, Gene Kinsey, hitchhiking, large containers, Los Angeles, metaphorically speaking, mounting, national debt, pennies, President, rate, speed, spending cuts, video, visual, water, westward, YouTube

5/18/2009 By Ryan Leave a Comment

Two Problems with Hate Crimes Laws

A hate crimes bill has passed through the US House (H.R. 1913) and is now before the Senate (S. 909).  Basically, a hate crimes bill makes not only actions done against others criminal, but also the motives behind the actions. The bill in question would make it an extra crime to commit crimes against people due to a hatred of their sexual orientation (includes homosexuality, pedophilia, being normally married, etc.), or a number of other things (such as race and religion).  I would like to suggest two basic problems with hate crimes legislation: 1. The hate crimes bill/concept breaks one of the fundamental principles of our country, equal intrinsic human value: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, General, National Politics, PPC

5/15/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Public-Sector Unions vs. Taxpayers: Timely Lesson for Governor Bill Ritter

Quick post, but an important read for a Friday: As clearly and as effectively as I've seen done, Steven Malanga's Wall Street Journal column explains the negative impact of public-sector union strength on the well-being of taxpayers. (H/T Labor Pains) Read it. Maybe it will help clarify the reasons why Governor Bill Ritter ought to veto Senate Bill 180. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Bill Ritter, clarify, column, Friday, Governor, important read, Labor Pains, negative impact, public sector, quick post, reasons, Senate Bill 180, Steven Malanga, strength, taxpayers, union, veto, Wall Street Journal, well-being

5/15/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Cast Vote for Best Slogan to Describe Government Borrow-and-Spend Habits

The Americans for Prosperity Foundation is concluding its Stop Spending Our Future "Give It a Name" contest with the chance for you to vote on which of the five finalists best conveys "the threat of government over-spending and/or excessive debt using 10 words or less". While you're there casting your vote, you can also sign the petition to tell Washington the common-sense truth that we can't borrow and spend our way to prosperity. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Americans for Prosperity Foundation, borrow, contest, excessive debt, finalists, Give It a Name, government, over-spending, petition, prosperity, sign, spend, Stop Spending Our Future, vote, Washington

5/15/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Will Bill Ritter Really Pursue “Best Public Policy” and Veto Big Labor Bills?

So Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has a couple tough decisions to make. That could pose a problem. This morning the Denver Post's John Ingold follows up on the political challenges posed to Ritter from the legislature placing Big Labor bills Senate Bill 180 and House Bill 1170 on his desk. The Governor sure is talking a good game:"This is not a zero-sum game," Ritter said. "The way I approach this is not based upon this notion that somebody wins, somebody loses. The way I approach this is 'What is the best public policy for us?' " In that case, from the standpoint of "best public policy", vetoing the costly and intrusive SB 180 is a no-brainer -- for all the reasons I've previously explained. HB 1170 is problematic for its own reasons, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, PPC, property rights Tagged With: Big Labor, Bill Ritter, Colorado, contract disputes, costly, decisions, Denver Post, desk, Governor, high-minded, House Bill 1170, intrusive, John Ingold, labor unions, legislation, leverage, lockout, no-brainer, political challenges, pose, posturing, problem, public policy, reasons, rhetoric, Senate Bill 180, shameless, standpoint, tough, unbalance, zero-sum game

5/14/2009 By Ben 5 Comments

Colorado Democrats, Journalists Duped by Fraudulent Vet “Rick Duncan”

From 9News:Sure, he stuttered on occasion. He said strange things from time to time. But Rick Duncan was passionate about veterans in the state of Colorado. He told anyone who wanted to listen that he had served in Iraq on three occasions. That gave him an unofficial license to talk to journalists, politicians, and civilians about the war. So, many people simply ate it all up. The only problem was that Duncan wasn't actually a Marine, a Naval Academy graduate, or a wounded Iraq War Veteran, according to those who have looked into his background. His name, according to the Denver Sheriff's Department, isn't even Rick Duncan. It's Rick Strandlof, and as of Thursday afternoon, Strandlof remained inside a Denver County Jail cell. He … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, General, Journalism, media bias, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: 9News, background, believing, bias, bond, candidates, civilians, Colorado, complete fraud, Congressman, curious, damage, Democrats, Denver County Jail, Denver Sheriff's Department, destructive, disavowing, doctor, duped, expose, fact-check, filming, filters, gay marriage, Hal Bidlack, homosexual, Iraq, Jared Polis, journalists, lesson, lie, life, Marine, Mark Udall, Michelle Malkin, missed, Naval Academy, news media, passionate, people, person, play-acting, politicians, recovering, Republican, Rick Duncan, Rick Strandlof, senator, served, shoulders, shrug, slander, traffic warrant, truth, TV ads, uncovering, uniform, veteran, veterans, videos, war

5/13/2009 By Ben 7 Comments

Breaking: Jeffco Teachers Union Calls for Impasse over Pay Dispute

Developing story... Last night the board of the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA)( (Colorado's largest local teachers union and an affiliate of the Colorado Education Association) voted to declare an impasse in negotiations over renewing the collective bargaining contract with Jeffco Public Schools for the 2009-10 school year. This morning JCEA notified the school district of its decision. According to the school district, the core of the dispute revolves around a proposed compensation agreement to address relative funding shortages during the current economic downturn. Under this plan, teachers would continue to receive their automatic steps and levels for acquiring seniority and credit hours. The plan rejected by JCEA … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, PPC Tagged With: 2007, 2009-10, 2009-2010, acquiring, action, additional, agreement, analysis, arbitrators, automatic, backgrounder, bill, board, bonus, budget projections, carefully, Collective Bargaining, Colorado, Colorado Education Association, compensation, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, contention, contract, controversial, core, credit hours, current, decision, declare, developing, dig deeper, dispute, district officials, doubtless, economic downturn, emerge, eminently, expenditures, extra, fair, financial status, footing, funding, grievance, hard times, harmful, healthy, higher pay, impasse, increase, Independence Institute, interested parties, iVoices, JCEA, Jeffco Public Schools, Jefferson County Education Association, job protection, Jon Caldara, listen, mediation, negotiations, no work no pay, notified, occur, offer, official timetable, paid days, permanent, podcast, point, probationary period, probationary teachers, process, proposed, qualified, rejected, relative, report, reserve fund, reserved, seniority, shortages, sides, specify, stance, state funds, stay tuned, steps and levels, story, strike, substantive, taxpayers, teachers, teachers union, tenure, terms, threats, unfold, union leaders, used

5/12/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Joe The Plumber at ATF?

A clear sign that I'm not talking enough to people around the office (or someone is just keeping secrets from me) ... I learn that the Independence Institute is courting a famous speaker for our summertime Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms Party by reading a Bill Husted column in the Denver Post:Institute boss Jon Caldara says he's this close to closing the deal to have Plumber (a.k.a. Samuel Wurzelbacher) as the speaker. [Joe the] Plumber would join a distinguished roster of former speakers, which includes Christopher Hitchens and Fred Barnes. Westword named the party the "Best Place to See a Drunk Conservative." One problem. Joe the Plumber announced last week that he was quitting the Republican Party because he is outraged by GOP … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, liberty, My Life, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms Party, ATF, Bill Husted, Christopher Hitchens, column, Denver Post, Fred Barnes, Independence Institute, Joe the plumber, office, people, Republican Party, Samuel Wurzelbacher, Sarah Palin, secrets, spending, Westword

5/12/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

RMA Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 8:30: Candidates Ken Buck, Scott Gessler

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 26th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. We have two guests on tap - both Colorado Republican statewide candidates in 2010 to discuss their respective campaigns and related issues: At 8:45, U.S. Senate candidate Ken Buck At 9:30, Colorado Secretary of State candidate Scott Gessler If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, PPC Tagged With: 2010, Blog Talk Radio, campaigns, candidates, Colorado, guests, Ken Buck, live show, podcast, related issues, Republican, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Scott Gessler, Secretary of State, sidebar, U.S. Senate

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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

  • AI-Enhanced Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Teen Innovation
  • My Baker’s Dozen of Top 2023 Reads
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