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

11/16/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

What I’m Thankful for #9: Even the Surprises God Sends My Way

This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. It's only fitting that I wasn't planning to write this one at all, much less for this weekend. But then, Friday afternoon I wasn't planning for a failed fuel pump and fuel gauge to bring my car to a halt on the way home from work yesterday, nor for the mechanic's tab that followed. Not easy to be thankful … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General, My Life Tagged With: Bible, car, chastise, Christ-like character, circumstances, Denver Post, difficult, dire, faithfulness, fuel gauge, fuel pump, impatient attitude, Job, matter of faith, mechanic, nice treat, op-ed, our good, promises, publication, repairs, selfishness, surprises, thankfulness, tow truck, weekend, wife

11/15/2008 By Ben 5 Comments

Whimsical Case for a “Progressive” Third Party to Replace the GOP

Are you up for a little distracting whimsy? A former elected official, Boulder attorney and self-proclaimed "former Republican" (one of the more popular descriptors being bandied about these days) offers this (over) dose of elitist smugness, painful self-indulgence, overwrought rhetoric, and selective historical knowledge:I was a Republican for 28 years. Like so many others who now vote Democratic, I didn’t leave the party — it left me. Based on the analyses of this month’s election, it also left college graduates, suburbanites and Hispanics in the red-state dust. The sad fact is that a map of the few counties that voted more Republican than they did in 2004 neatly overlays maps showing the nation’s highest rates of obesity, poverty … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, History, National Politics Tagged With: aging former politicians, bad earmark habit, Bill Kaufman, Bill O'Reilly, Bob Greenlee, Boulder attorney, buyers' remorse, Congress, credibility, daily dose, distracting whimsy, Don Ament, Dottie Wham, elected official, emergence, fiscal conservatism, former Republican, gays, God, GOP, guns, Hank Brown, healthy chuckle, historical knowledge, humorous, inversion of reality, John Buechner, liberty, Nancy Spence, Norma Anderson, Pat Hayes, Paul Schauer, permanent tax increase, platform, profligate spending, Progressive Party, quixotic crusade, reasonable people, reasonable voters, rebuilding, Referendum C, Republican Party, rhetoric, Rush Limbaugh, Scott McInnis, Sean Hannity, self-indulgence, self-inflicted wound, sell-out, smugness, third party, Tom Norton

11/15/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Great Resource: Election Neutrality Now

At Founders' Night I briefly met former Denver elections official Jan Tyler. She introduced me to her website Election Neutrality Now, a great resource on conducting clean and fair elections, as well as issues related to voter fraud. Jan had a Speakout in the Rocky Mountain News published a few days ago. It's also worth a read. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, My Life Tagged With: clean elections, Denver elections official, Election Neutrality Now, Founders Night, Jan Tyler, resource, Rocky Mountain News, Speakout, voter fraud

11/15/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

A Promising Step to Test the Bounds of Colorado Teachers Union Power?

My post-election commentary on the impact for teachers unions and education reform was published today in the Denver Post. A key section to whet your appetite:Peter Groff's Democratic peers voted to re-elect him as state Senate president, and Rep. Terrance Carroll was selected to become the new speaker of the House. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General, Labor, My Life Tagged With: anti-teacher, associations, Bernie Buescher, bipartisan issue, bold choice, boundaries, charter schools, citizens, coercion, Colorado, Colorado Education Association, criticisms, Democrats, Denver Post, education reform, fear, honest, honest look, House Education Committee, Laura Bradford, leadership, legislative attacks, leverage, monopoly model, outside observers, outside the box, parents, Peter Groff, post-election commentary, practitioner, profession, professional guilds, promising step, public school choice, question, Republican, scholars, seminar, source, Speaker of the House, state legislature, state senate president, status quo, students, teacher organization, teacher unionism, teachers unions, Terrance Carroll, union power

11/14/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Podcast Recapping Big Labor’s Multi-Million Dollar Colorado Ballot Battles

Just in case you want to hear another recap of Colorado's recent ballot battles - specifically, Big Labor's well-heeled campaign to sink Amendments 47, 49, and 54 - I was the guest on an Evergreen Freedom Foundation podcast with Scott Dilley to explain just that very thing to the primarily out-of-state audience: I know, it's not exactly "DeGrow Gone Wild" on the podcast. But what did you expect? Anyway, moving on now.... … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, My Life Tagged With: Amendment 47, Amendment 49, Amendment 54, ballot battles, Big Labor, Colorado, Evergreen Freedom Foundation, podcast, Scott Dilley, well-heeled campaign

11/14/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

Founders’ Night 2008: Michelle Malkin Charges Colorado’s Freedom-Fighters

Update: The Daily Blogster and Face The State have more. Last night, at the Independence Institute's 24th Annual Founders' Night Dinner, conservatives and libertarians didn't waste much time moping. Sure, Mike Rosen's election commentary was a bit more sobering than usual. But with Jon Caldara as emcee - and receiving recognition for 10 years as Independence Institute president, a tenure he hopes to continue with his self-professed "lack of marketable skills" - it was hard to get too down. Fred Holden, longtime hard-working and outspoken advocate for liberty and author of Total Power of ONE in America, won the Vern Bickel Award for Grassroots Leadership. This was certainly a well-deserved honor. The inspiring and energetic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, My Life Tagged With: advocate, Beltway, blogosphere, Colorado, Colorado bloggers, community, conservatives, David D'Evelyn Award, dinner, educational opportunity, El Presidente, election commentary, entrepreneur, first-generation American, Founders Night, Fred Holden, freedom-fighters, Grassroots Leadership, highest honor, Independence Institute, Jon Caldara, Joshua Sharf, keynote speaker, libertarians, liberty, Michelle Malkin, Mike Rosen, Mr. Bob, President, principles of liberty, resident, Rossputin, Seeme Hasan, sobering, Total Power of One in America, Vern Bickel Award, warm welcome

11/14/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

What I’m Thankful For #8: A Liberal Arts College Education

This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. If my mission in life were to go forth and make as much money as possible, I'd have to be considered a fool and a failure by now (some think the same of me, anyway). One of my first missteps would have been choosing to be a history major at a small liberal arts college of somewhat unique renown. But I have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, General, My Life Tagged With: answers, cafeteria, debates, discussions, dorms, dull, grateful, Hillsdale College, history major, humble, lectures, liberal arts education, life, lifelong learning, listless moments, mission, money, professors, questions, scholarships, thankfulness, the beautiful, the good, the true, thirst for knowledge

11/13/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Bad Bill of the Decade Nominee: The So-Called Employee Free Choice Act

With Barack Obama as President and a growing Senate Democratic majority that seems to tick up with each passing day, it looks like the union bosses may get their disastrous and poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act after all. Here is the latest video offering (compliments of the Employee Freedom Action Committee) to remind everyone what we very well could be in store for: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, creative, Democratic majority, Employee Free Choice Act, Employee Freedom Action Committee, President, Senate, union bosses, video, YouTube

11/13/2008 By Ben 3 Comments

Survivor Corps Operation Survivor: A Worthwhile Cause to Consider

In honor of Veterans Day being this week, I'd like to bring your attention to a worthwhile private program that benefits our troops and veterans, especially those affected by some of the invisible wounds of combat. Please consider if you are able to help Survivor Corps' Operation Survivor:Survivor Corps launched Operation Survivor in 2008 to help American service members returning home from war. This program enables these brave men and women to overcome the debilitating effects of trauma and to reintegrate into their families and communities. You can read more about it here. God bless America! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: American, combat, communities, families, invisible wounds, Operation Survivor, private program, service members, Survivor Corps, trauma, troops, veterans, Veterans' Day

11/13/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

Who is the “Least Favorite” Person on the Right? And Whom Did I Vote For?

Breaking: The annual center-right blogger poll of "Least Favorite People on the Right" - brought to you by John Hawkins at Right Wing News - has been released. Each of the 46 center-right bloggers who participated submitted an unranked list of 12 nominees. The top 25 names - from "McCain staffers" to John McCain - have been released as part of the poll. For the first time I was a participant in the poll. Of the 12 names I suggested, 11 appear in the top 25. Personally, I don't consider a few of the other names to be "on the Right" - a loose designation, to be sure, and of necessity. Anyway, thought you may find the results interesting. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, General, National Politics Tagged With: bloggers, John Hawkins, John McCain, Least Favorite People, McCain staffers, poll, Right Wing News, unranked list

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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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