Mount Virtus

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Mount Virtus?

Every day is seeking to rise to the challenge, 'neath the shadow of the mighty Rockies.

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Sometimes the choices are daunting or confusing, sometimes they're as clear as a Mile High view.

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If I had five more writers just like him, I think my job would be the easiest in journalism....

12/10/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Jared Polis: A Better Idea than the Government Auto Bailout Proposal

Newly-elected Congressman Jared Polis shows he has a lot more sense than your average Democrat - at least on one great issue of importance in our day. From the opinion page of today's Wall Street Journal, Polis writes about the proposed automotive bailouts:Most members of Congress and staffers on the Hill are smart people, but we should not pretend that we are better at what are so clearly other people's jobs. One of the tremendously difficult tasks that we are ill-equipped to successfully orchestrate is restoring these three failing companies to health. As one of the members of Congress with a strong business background, I know what I don't know in business. While I hold my colleagues in great esteem, I doubt their abilities as turnaround … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, National Politics Tagged With: automotive bailouts, average Democrat, Boulder, business background, Congress, Congressman, failing companies, government bailout, insincere rhetoric, issue of importance, Jared Polis, opinion page, smart people, taxpayers, turnaround artists, Wall Street Journal

12/10/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Blago and Bailouts Connected in Anger-Inducing Big Government Theme

Economist Steve Horwitz ties the thread between the two mammoth stories running through the blogosphere right now (H/T Brian Doherty, Reason):I can't help but note that yet another politician is indicted on corruption charges at the very same time we are handing over unprecedented power to the political class as we partially nationalize the banking system and, apparently, the Big Three auto companies. I simply do not understand how those who are in favor of giving government all of these new powers because they sincerely believe that doing so will work out the way their blackboard designs intended can keep a straight face. What kind of cognitive dissonance must it take to believe that the people YOU are handing power over to are "not … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, clean government, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, National Politics Tagged With: auto bailout, average citizen, bailout, Big Government, Big Labor, Big Three auto companies, blogosphere, car, complicit role, Congress, consumer, corruption, Democratic majority, destructive, destructive economic agenda, domestic production, economic pain, economist, exacerbate, expansive regulatory powers, fewer choices, footing the bill, government, high labor costs, human nature, irony, jobs, Joe Taxpayer, key player, less money, major example, mammoth stories, more taxes, new powers, officials, pay-to-play scandal, political scandal, President-elect, problems, rationality, Rod Blagojevich, scandal, Service Employees International Union, Steve Horwitz, swamp-like conditions, ties together, TV, United Auto Workers, victim

12/9/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

4th Edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 9 PM

Tune in at 9 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the fourth edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. Confirmed hosts are Joshua Sharf and yours truly. Our guest will be Aurora city councilman Ryan Frazier, one of the leading voices behind the recent statewide Right-to-Work campaign and a rising Republican star in Colorado. 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, Colorado Politics, General, My Life Tagged With: Aurora, Blog Talk Radio, city councilman, Colorado, guest, hosts, Joshua Sharf, live, podcast, Republican, right-to-work, rising star, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Ryan Frazier, voices

12/8/2008 By Ben 3 Comments

Talking Education with Amy Oliver Live on Air Tuesday at 10 AM

For anyone interested, I am scheduled to be live on the Amy Oliver radio show on 1310 KFKA this Tuesday at 10 AM local Mountain Time. The topics will include school choice, the Obama administration's education agenda, and the inimitable Washington DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. If you have a moment to spare, please tune in via your radio or the Internet. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, General, My Life Tagged With: 1310 KFKA, Amy Oliver Show, Barack Obama, education agenda, Internet, Michelle Rhee, radio, school choice, Washington DC

12/8/2008 By Ben 5 Comments

Corleone-Like Cronyism Another Reason to Shun Huckabee’s Leadership

Regular readers of this blog know I'm no fan of Mike Huckabee. If you need a refresher: Huckabee surge is bad news for serious, coherent conservatives Why not Huckabee? The slime Colorado GOP should heed Kafer and Hillman, not Parker and Huckabee Today, Dr. Jay Greene brought my attention to a story from Arkansas that further highlights the problem. Mike Huckabee's populist themes, identity politics, and underhanded tactics are complemented by his dedication to old-fashioned Southern cronyism. Conservatism and the movement it represents appear to be little more than tools in Huckabee's political toolbox. Or, as Jay Greene puts it:The Huck’s indifference to ideas and obsession with building his personal political network, make … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, General, National Politics Tagged With: Arkansas, civil service, coherent, conservative movement, cronyism, Don Corleone, identity politics, Jay Greene, leader, Mike Huckabee, old-fashioned, personal political network, political toolbox, populist, problem, refresher, Republican Party, standard-bearer, successful, television career, underhanded tactics

12/8/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Stevens, Jefferson Down: Very Small but Promising Signs of Health

First, corrupt Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was narrowly taken out in his umpteenth re-election bid. More recently, corrupt Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson was ousted in Saturday's run-off election. Let me say these are both very small but genuinely promising signs for the health of the Republic - as it were. A first-generation Vietnamese-American lawyer and political novice, Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao, defeated lifetime pol and Democrat incumbent Jefferson in a heavily Democratic district. Michelle Malkin has more. Cheery thoughts for a Monday in December, in which the world of politics further drifts into the background, though hopefully not beneath too much snow here on Colorado's Front Range. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, General, National Politics Tagged With: Alaska, Anh Cao, corruption, December, Democratic district, drifting, lawyer, Louisiana, Michelle Malkin, Monday, ousted, political novice, promising signs, re-election bid, Republic, Republican, run-off election, senator, small signs, snow, Ted Stevens, Vietnamese-American, William Jefferson

12/7/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

What I Want to See for the United States, Conservatism, and the GOP

Looking ahead to 2010 and beyond, this is what I want to see in the United States of America: A biblical, spiritual revival ... something for which I pray to God The revitalization of conservatism (a shared value in the Founders' "constrained vision") in American public life ... something of which I seek to persuade others A Republican Party more informed by conservative, limited government principles ... also something of which I seek to persuade others A governing Republican Party majority ...something for which I volunteer and vote Where incompatibilities between the above priorities can be proven with a reasonable degree of likelihood, the higher priority wins. (And no, I can't think of any situation where voting for or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, History, My Life Tagged With: 2010, aborition, agenda, belittle, biblical, boundaries, broader principles, clarification, Colorado, common opponent, compatible, Conservatism, conservative coalition, Constitution, constrained vision, debate, demonize, disagreements, discrepancy, educate, effective, electoral success, eschewed, exhaustive, falter, federal legislation, fidelity, fiscally conservative, Founders, governing majority, healthy, History, hollow badge, incompabitilities, incremental, lasting changes, limited government, Mark Hillman, national level, nostalgia, obsess, persuade, political illusion, political sphere, pragmatic issues, pray, pre-emption, principled humility, principles, priorities, productive conversation, promises, public life, purity, Reagan Republican, reasonable degree, religious aspiration, religious speech, Republican Party, respectful, restrictions, revitalization, revival, Right, Ronald Reagan, school choice, slash-and-burn politics, smile, social conservatism, social moderates, socialism, strong dose, taxpayer funding, tested, thoughts, throw under the bus, unaffiliated voter, United States, United States of America, vocal minority, volunteer, vote

12/6/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Obama Voters, CNN and Network TV Viewers More Poorly Informed

John Ziegler is to be commended for his post-election polling work. At first we learned how ridiculously ill-informed Obama voters were, leading us to some conclusions about how Obama got elected. Ziegler took upon himself a challenge that the misguided critics on the Left - who (all too predictably) attacked the questioners rather than deal with the substance of the findings - would not do. He commissioned a second poll with even more telling results (H/T Granite Grok): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Bill Ayers, challenge, CNN, commended, commissioned, conclusions, critics, education reform, elected, findings, FoxNews, Granite Grok, ill-informed, John McCain, John Ziegler, Left, media, misguided response, MSNBC, national newspapers, network news, Obama voters, polling, questioners, real factor, Republicans, results, Sarah Palin, talk radio

12/6/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

GOP Leader Mark Hillman Speaks Reason to the Conservative Coalition

Former Republican legislative leader Mark Hillman once again shows why he deserves a leading position in Colorado's GOP, by speaking reason to the conservative coalition. It's a must-read from beginning to end, but here's the key thought:If the goal is winning elections, rather than purging membership rolls at the country club, throwing social conservatives under the bus is a catastrophically bad idea. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, bedroom, belittle, Colorado, conservative coalition, crouthouse, debates, divide, government, Harry Reid, involved, key thought, legislative leader, liberal activists, Mark Hillman, must-read, Nancy Pelosi, principles, purge, Reason, Rebuild the Party, recommend, Republican, right spirit, social conservatives, social moderates, taxpayer funding, unite

12/5/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Questions Linger as Colorado Supremes Sit on Ritter Tax Hike Decision

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and Governor Bill Ritter are defendants in a case filed by the Independence Institute (disclosure: where I work) and numerous aggrieved taxpayers over a 2007 law that raised property taxes without a proper vote of the people, as required by the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. Denver District Court Judge Christine Habas came down on the side of the people nearly seven months ago, but the Colorado Supreme Court has been silent since - despite reasonable expectations that critical tax revenue issues be addressed in a timely manner. As Face The State reports, CDE needs the Supreme Court to "hurry up":In June, Ritter, a defendant alongside CDE, appealed the decision to the state's highest court. Oral … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, property rights Tagged With: aggrieved taxpayers, attorney, Bill Ritter, CASE, chaos, Christine Habas, cockiness, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Supreme Court, decision, defendants, Denver, Denver District Court, Evan Gluckman, exact science, Face the State, gamble, Governor, hurry up, Independence Institute, Jason Dunn, judge, landmine, Main Street Cafe, oral arguments, owner, plaintiffs, political insiders, property taxes, questions, reasonable expectations, revenue, Richard Westfall, Rocky Mountain Right, taxpayer dollars, Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, timely manner

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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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To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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