Mount Virtus

"Happy to come back to Michigan, but I miss the mountains!"

Ben on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About Ben
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Writer / Editor For Hire
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
  • Archives
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
  • The Westfield Gardener
Home Archives for PPC

3/25/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Join Me in Shining Light on Democrat Attempts to Destroy Electoral College

Starting sometime after 2 PM this afternoon (pending a preceding hearing on another bill) I will be keeping tabs on the vital state senate committee testimony on HB 1299 - which statehouse Democrats are proposing to destroy the electoral college and render Colorado politically impotent. You can follow me on Twitter. You also can listen online here (click on Senate Committee Room 353). … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: afternoon, Colorado, committee, Democrats, destroy, electoral college, follow, keeping tabs, listen, online, politically impotent, proposing, state senate, statehouse, testimony, Twitter

3/24/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Card Check Bill’s Fading Prospects a Relief for Colorado’s Michael Bennet

Big Labor is really bummed out today with the news that U.S. Senator Arlen Specter won't be backing their Orwellian-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) (you can watch his floor speech here) -- at least for this year. No Republican votes (and many shaky Democrats) means union officials won't be able to invoke the 60 votes needed for cloture to take away workers' rights to the secret ballot and impose costly binding arbitration. This has got to spell a little relief for Colorado's newly selected U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. EFCA has put Bennet in a bind, but if the political signals are clear that the legislation won't pass he might have the cover he needs. At this point, my guess is Bennet will take the path of least resistance within … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: actual damage, Arlen Specter, Big Labor, binding arbitration, Bob Beauprez, boondoggle, business leaders, card-check, challengers, clear, cloture, Colorado, costly, EFCA, Employee Free Choice Act, floor speech, high-profile, invoke, least resistance, legislation, likely result, Michael Bennet, moderate, newly-selected, Orwellian, political campaign, political signals, preclude, primary, relief, Republican, rights, Ryan Frazier, secret ballot, shaky Democrats, slate, target, U.S. Senator, union officials, votes, workers

3/23/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

President Obama, Please Spare Us from Further Diplomatic Embarrassments

From Gateway Pundit, more evidence of the kind of "change" in diplomacy we voted for: Barack Obama writes to FORMER president of France Jacques Chirac saying he looks forward to working together "in the coming four years" -- while altogether snubbing current president Nicolas Sarkozy. More at EuroPumas. (Here's the original Le Figaro story, in case you're interested. It's not every day I get to link to something en Francais.) Way to go. Just one more in a string of diplomatic embarrassments emanating from the Oval Office. But keep on laughing, Mr. President. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, National Politics, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous, World Events Tagged With: Barack Obama, change, current president, diplomacy, diplomatic, embarrassments, en Francais, EuroPumas, evidence, former president, France, Gateway Pundit, Jacques Chirac, laughing, Le Figaro, link, Nicolas Sarkozy, Oval Office

3/21/2009 By Ben 7 Comments

Leondray Gholston Brings Fresh Blood Beside Experienced Dick Wadhams in Colorado GOP Leadership

Update: El Presidente has more of the details surrounding what went down at today's state party officer elections. I was not able to attend today's Colorado Republican state central committee meeting in Castle Rock, but I've had a chance to follow developments remotely. As reported at Rocky Mountain Right, Dick Wadhams was comfortably re-elected to the chairman's position. The more competitive race was for vice-chair, in which DougCo GOP reports on Twitter that Leondray Gholston beat out Nathan Chambers on the 3rd round of voting. For many conservative grassroots supporters, Gholston's election represents a new and exciting direction for the state party. Let's hope their optimism is justified. Certainly, Gholston's passion, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: archived, attendance, Blog Talk Radio, candidate recruitment, Castle Rock, central committee meeting, chairman, Colorado, competitive, conservative, dedication, developments, Dick Wadhams, direction, DougCo GOP, elected officials, enthusiasm, episodes, exciting, fundraising, gentlemen, grassroots, high-tech communications, justified, Leondray Gholston, limited government, Nathan Chambers, national defense, new, office, optimism, passion, personal responsibility, plans, proceedings, re-elected, reports, Republican, Republican Party, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Rocky Mountain Right, state, strength, strong, supporters, Twitter, unify, vice-chair, voter registration, work together

3/20/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Few Tears Shed for Disappearance of Colorado Lefty Propaganda Machine

(Cue music to "Mrs. Robinson") "Where have you gone, Colorado Media Matters? A state barely notices you're through ... Woo, woo, woo...." Nice ("don't let the door hit you on the way out") post-mortems from Slapstick Politics and Rossputin. Curious silence from the various Lefty blogs I've read, though. Maybe they are just relieved that the embarrassment is gone. As for me, I feel bad I've already wasted the last 5 minutes of my life... … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, My Life, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: 5 minutes, Colorado Media Matters, embarrassment, gratitude, Lefty blogs, life, Mrs. Robinson, music, post-mortems, relieved, Rossputin, Slapstick Politics, state, wasted

3/20/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Bad Legislation Parade’s SB 180 Would Harm Taxpayers, Employee Rights

Today brings a chance to review another member of the bad legislation parade down at the Colorado State Capitol. Senate Bill 180 (PDF) would override the local will of voters and impose collective bargaining on all local police and fire departments. After making it through the Democrat-controlled State, Military, and Veteran Affairs Committee, the bill is on the slate to be heard by the full senate any day now. From the Denver Daily News:Concerns are being raised that collective bargaining leads to overtaxing government budgets through increased payroll costs, which ends up hitting taxpayers hard. The last time the issue raised so many conservative eyebrows was in 2007 when Gov. Bill Ritter issued an executive order authorizing state … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, PPC Tagged With: automatic, bad legislation parade, bargaining, Bill Ritter, budgets, coercion, Collective Bargaining, Colorado, committee, communities, compensation, concerns, conservative eyebrows, costly, Democrat, Democrat-controlled, Denver Daily News, equipment, fire departments, fire fighters, full senate, gem, hard truth, higher salaries, impose, law enforcement, local will, Lois Tochtrop, member, negotiating, override, overtaxing, paid, payroll costs, police departments, police officers, policy, political activities, political power, procure, public servants, public services, Pueblo, review, SAFE, safety equipment, Senate Bill 180, services, slate, State Capitol, support, taxpayer premium, taxpayers, Thornton, tools, uniform, union dues, union fee, union officials, union representation, Unions, voters

3/18/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Follow Me: You Can Help in Thursday’s Fight for Transparent School Spending

Tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon is the moment of truth at the Colorado state legislature for Senate Bill 57, a measure that would require school districts to open up their financial books online so citizens can search them. It goes before the House Education Committee. Here are things you can do: Starting at sometime shortly after 1:30 PM local Mountain time, listen to the hearing online (House Committee Room 0112) Follow me on Twitter during the proceedings, or join the Tweeting yourself Show up at HCR 0112 and testify yourself, or just pack the room and provide moral support - nothing like an extra concerned citizen or two to remind lawmakers whom they serve Call or email members of the House Education Committee to make your voice … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, PPC Tagged With: accountability, call, citizen, Colorado, Denver Post, email, endorsed, expenses, financial, follow, hearing, House Education Committee, involved, kill the bill, lawmakers, listen, lobbying groups, members, message, moral support, online, pack the room, Peoples Press Collective, proceedings, quietly, revenues, right thing, Rocky Mountain News, salaries, school administrators, school districts, schools, searchable format, Senate Bill 57, serve, Show me the money, small part, taxpayer-funded, terminate, testify, Transparency, Twitter, voice

3/18/2009 By Ben 8 Comments

Tell Your State Senator NO on HB 1299: Save the Electoral College

Coloradans need to wake up to the threat of House Bill 1299, which would spit on the U.S. Constitution and render Colorado irrelevant in national political elections. The Left is pushing the issue forward because it can, hoping to prey on the ignorance and apathy of the general populace. But perhaps they forgot what happened with Amendment 36 in 2004, which voters rejected nearly two-to-one. HB 1299 is worse than that: Rather than divide up Colorado's electoral votes proportionally based on our own state's popular vote, this bill would sell all our electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Colorado truly would be political flyover country, our state's interests all but forgotten. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, History, National Politics, PPC

3/18/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Bill Ritter Has an Official Republican Challenger for 2010: Who?

I agree with Rocky Mountain Right: Who? I've been reasonably involved in the Jefferson County Republican Party for six years, and have never heard of this fellow from Evergreen. Methinks he's not the Republicans' best hope to take on Bill Ritter. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, My Life, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Bill Ritter, Dan Maes, Evergreen, Governor, Jefferson County, Republican Party, who

3/17/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

RMA Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 8:30: Senator Josh Penry, Nathan Chambers

Tune in starting at 8:30 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the special Saint Patrick's Day edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. From 8:45 to 9:15, state senate minority leader Josh Penry will join us to discuss yesterday's supreme court ruling, the ongoing debate about lifting state spending limits, and other goings-on under the Golden Dome. Starting at 9:30 we'll talk with Nathan Chambers, candidate for Colorado Republican Party vice chair. We previously interviewed his opponent Leondray Gholston. Don't forget. If you miss the live broadcast of tonight’s 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, clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life, PPC

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • …
  • 82
  • Next Page »

Inside

  • About Ben
  • Archives
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
    • Colorado Ballot 2014
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • The Westfield Gardener
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Writer / Editor For Hire

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
  • Common Learning Disabilities in Children
  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition

Colorado News

  • Colorado Senate News
  • Complete Colorado
  • Independence Institute
  • Loveland Politics
  • The Colorado Observer

National News and Politics

  • Drudge Report
  • Hot Air
  • National Review
  • Politico
  • Real Clear Politics
  • Reason
  • The Washington Times
  • TownHall
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Weekly Standard
  • World Magazine

Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
  • David Harsanyi’s Blog
  • E!! The True Conservative Story
  • EIA Intercepts
  • Evangelical Outpost
  • Hugh Hewitt
  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
  • Lileks
  • Little Green Footballs
  • Michelle Malkin
  • NRO's The Corner
  • Power Line
  • Red State

Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
  • Eduwonk
  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
  • Historical Conversations
  • IMAO
  • Jay P. Greene
  • Mike Anderson
  • Mullings
  • Professor Bainbridge
  • Right Thinking
  • Right Wing News
  • Right Wing Nuthouse
  • Shot in the Dark
  • Talking Points Memo
  • Virginia Postrel
  • Volokh Conspiracy

Christian Commentary et al.

  • Kevin Pierpont
  • Sharper Iron

Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
  • Cal Thomas
  • Colorado Republican Party
  • Colorado Republican Study Committee
  • Dennis Prager
  • Denver Metro Young Republicans
  • Free Republic
  • Heritage Foundation
  • Jefferson County Republican Party
  • Mackinac Center for Public Policy
  • Mark Steyn
  • Michael Medved
  • Rush Limbaugh

Colorado Blogs

  • American Kestrel
  • Bob Agard
  • Colorado Charter Schools
  • Colorado Peak Politics
  • Colorado Pols
  • Colorado Right
  • Conservative Libertarian Outpost
  • Coyote Gulch
  • Ed Is Watching
  • Free Colorado
  • Jeff Crank Show
  • Mark Hillman
  • Patient Power
  • PirateBallerina
  • Protein Wisdom
  • Reagan Girl
  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 1.0 (Archive)
  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0 (Archive)
  • Rossputin
  • Stop the ACLU Blog
  • The Spot (Denver Post)
  • We Stand Firm

Other Sites

  • Technorati
  • Word Press

Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
  • The Business Word
  • The Daily Blogster
  • View from a Height

To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

Copyright © 2025 RSS Feed · WordPress · Log in