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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
RMA Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 8:30: Legislative Session, Rep. Kent Lambert
Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 27th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. We hope to dedicate this episode to a review of the good, the bad, and the ugly from the recently concluded legislative session in Denver. Our special guest will be Representative Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, vice chair of the Republican Study Committee of Colorado. 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...]
Big Labor Ramps Up Pro-EFCA Efforts with Biased Report, Religious Lobbyists
Update, 10:00 AM: Labor Pains' Justin Wilson has a more thorough refutation of Big Labor's new report here. In an effort to ramp up their efforts to pass the Employee Forced Choice Act (EFCA), Big Labor is touting a new report that suggests employers are rampantly breaking the law (PDF) during union organizing elections. The problem? The report's data all are based on interviews with union organizers -- hardly an unbiased source. But anything goes. While Big Labor appeals to EFCA apologists who need rational cover with impressive-sounding reports, it seems they also think they must appeal to the populist masses of religious believers. So they have sent clergy member lobbyists to Washington, DC, to insist that card-check legislation is … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]
Senator Jim DeMint Sets Up a Great Framework for Rebuilding the GOP
If there is anyone currently in the U.S. Senate of whom I would consider myself a fan, Jim DeMint of South Carolina would be on that short list. I understood where he was coming from but found it a little disconcerting when he said: "I would rather have 30 Republicans in the Senate who really believe in principles of limited government, free markets, free people, than to have 60 that don't have a set of beliefs." What a great relief then to see Senator DeMint's excellent column in yesterday's Wall Street Journal -- what I consider an opportunity to revise and extend his remark. His rhetoric is blunt, and his analysis is clear: … [Read more...]
Colorado LOSES: Represent State Employees, No Union Middleman
Having already won Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's November 2007 executive order allowing exclusive union representation in state government, the table is set for organized labor to push for full-fledged and permanent bargaining legislation by next year. Many of those who would be purported to benefit from such legislation might have a different idea, however. On an iVoices podcast, I talk with state employee Dave Ohmart about his developing plan to provide representation for state employees without the costly union middleman services of Colorado WINS: Dave says he's open to input to refine and improve his plan. You can contact him by leaving a comment at the Colorado LOSES website. … [Read more...]
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