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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Colorado Ballot Reviews

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

Writer / Editor For Hire

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

11/3/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Sarah Palin is Cleared in Troopergate

Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin's reputation is salvaged from scurrilous charges in a faux scandal (H/T Fort Hard Knox). Given its 11th hour release, you can just about guarantee the media establishment will bury her exoneration. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, General, National Politics Tagged With: candidate, faux scandal, media establishment, Republican, Sarah Palin, Troopergate, vice presidential

11/3/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Rehashing Obama’s Equivocations

Mary Katherine Ham's excellent video reminds us in just a few short minutes why Barack Obama's long string of equivocations on issues great and small adds up to a lack of leadership. Let me also pass on American Princess' warning to her readers: "Prepare to vomit." … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics, property rights, Second Amendment, World Events Tagged With: American Princess, Barack Obama, equivocations, leadership, Mary Katherine Ham, video, vomit, warning, YouTube

11/3/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

U.S. Supremes Hear Idaho Case One Day Before Amendment 49 Vote

The day before Colorado voters go to the polls (or at least the few that haven't cast ballots already) to decide Amendment 49 - the Ethical Standards initiative concerning the use of government payroll systems - the U.S. Supreme Court today heard oral arguments (PDF) in Ysursa v. Pocatello Education Association (H/T Liberty Live). What's the connection? The Ysursa case is reviewing a law known as the Idaho Voluntary Contributions Act. As I pointed out many weeks ago, Amendment 49 is a better version of this clean government payroll law. I previously discussed this issue with Mike Reitz of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation on an iVoices podcast: It likely will be several months before our nation's highest court renders a verdict … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, My Life Tagged With: Amendment 49, clean government, Colorado, deceptive, Ethical Standards, government payroll systems, Idaho, illegal, Liberty Live, local governments, multi-million dollar, onslaught, oral arguments, PAC collections, polls, U.S. Supreme Court, verdict, Voluntary Contributions Act, voters, Ysursa v Pocatello Education Association

11/3/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

A Few Things to Look for in Election Results in Colorado and Nationwide

Are you interested in tracking the election results as they come in tomorrow evening? Rocky Mountain Right has the essential guide for tracking the performance of Barack Obama and John McCain here in Colorado, with the four key counties to watch. Nationally, for the Presidential race, all eyes should be on Pennsylvania and its 21 electoral votes - so astutely says Erick Erickson at Red State and Jim Geraghty's pseudonymous mentor Obi-Wan (who also has loads of other great information). After Pennsylvania, Colorado & Nevada here in the West will be bellwethers. If Pennsylvania is where it's at, the McCain-Palin team had better continue hounding this theme: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Energy, General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, bellwethers, coal production, Colorado, election results, electoral votes, Erick Erickson, Jim Geraghty, John McCain, key counties, mentor, Nevada, Obi-Wan, Pennsylvania, performance, Red State, Republicans, Rocky Mountain Right

11/2/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Move Over, Tina Fey

The Daddy in me - along with the political junkie - says this is too cute not to post (H/T Polipundit): … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, National Politics, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: cute, Polipundit, Sarah Palin, Tina Fey, YouTube

11/2/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Looking for a Silver Lining? Help Bill Russell Take Out John Murtha

Republicans in Colorado and nationally don't have many bright spots to look forward to this Election Day (and conservatives have even fewer). But one silver lining that I hope for is the defeat of Pennsylvania Democrat Congressman John Murtha. If you have a little cash you are willing to play with to help someone at the tail end of this campaign season, please consider helping Republican challenger Bill Russell (no, not this Bill Russell) as he fights to send Murtha to the retirement home. You can contribute here. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, National Politics Tagged With: Bill Russell, bright spots, campaign season, challenger, Colorado, Congressman, conservatives, contribute, Democrat, Election Day, John Murtha, national, Pennsylvania, Republican, retirement home, silver lining

11/1/2008 By Ben 3 Comments

Amendments 47, 49, & 54 Good as Grandma’s Freshly-Baked Cookies

Update: Link added below First, there was the real-life absurd "Godzilla" flyer created by Protect Colorado's Future. Then the Denver Metro Young Republicans fired back with the "Kittens for Amendments 47, 49, and 54" ad - famously featured in the sidebar of today's Rocky Mountain News print edition Rocky Mountain News Stump blog. To keep the spirit alive, here's my own contribution to the cause: *WARNING* Satire *WARNING* Satire *WARNING* … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Amendment 47, Amendment 49, Amendment 54, contribution, cookies, deceptive, Denver Metro Young Republicans, don't be stupid, flyer, Godzilla, grandma, Kittens, Protect Colorado's Future, Rocky Mountain News, satire

11/1/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Colorado’s Amendment 47 Poster Child Living High off Workers’ Dues

Face The State reports on the poster child for Amendment 47:Ernest Duran, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, paid himself and two of his children combined salaries of over $430,000 in 2007. Duran collected a salary of $162,368 for 2007, according to records with the U.S. Department of Labor. Two of Duran's children also work for the UFCW Local 7. His daughter Crisanta Duran, an associate counsel, pulled in $133,410 in 2007. His son, Ernie Duran, III, earned $134,378 in 2007 as an executive staffer. According to Salary.com, a Denver-area grocery cashier can earn about $24,377 annually, an assistant manager at the same store earns approximately $48,950, and a store manager earns about $66,800 a year. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: agency-fee payers, Amendment 47, anti-47 campaign, assistant manager, associate counsel, Craig Daily Press, Crisanta Duran, Dominic Brazzale, doomed, dues, earnings, Ernest Duran, Ernie Duran, executive staffer, Face the State, grocery cashier, law-breaking, polls, poster child, right-to-work, Safeway, salary, Salary.com, six-figure salary, store manager, Tuesday, U.S. Department of Labor, UFCW attorney, unexpected miracle, union contract, union members, union official, United Food and Commercial Workers, workers' voice, writer

10/31/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Yes, I Am “Uncle Charley”

I am the pseudonymous conservative gadfly blogger on a local education new site. At least that's what 9News would have you believe:Not everyone agrees. An online blogger named "Uncle Charley" has written several entries for Education News Colorado trying to get readers to think about the need before they act. One blog is entitled, "More Tough Questions on DPS Bond," which talks in part about the individual items that would be funded by this bond issue and series of property tax hikes have agreed to in Denver over the past two decades. "Uncle Charley" is actually the pseudonym for Ben DeGrow, with the Independence Institute, a non-partisan conservative political think tank. DeGrow says spending $13 million dollars on athletic fields … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life Tagged With: 3A campaign, athletic fields, Ben DeGrow, blogger, Colorado Education Association, conservative blogger, current recession, Denver voters, Ed News Colorado, education site, identity, Independence Institute, largest school bond proposal, legitimate needs, line-item veto, North High School, pseudonym, student performance, tax increases, think tank, tiny splash, Uncle Charley, Ward Churchill, whole package, William Ayers

10/31/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Brandon Shaffer? Evie Hudak is the “Extraordinarily Partisan” Candidate

Laughable quote of the day from Democrat state senator Brandon Shaffer, as reported in Politicker:In state Senate District 19, Shaffer gave Democrat Evie Hudak the edge over Republican Libby Szabo, saying Szabo is "extraordinarily partisan." "Eventually, there's enough of a base there, enough unaffiliated voters who are looking for more of a collaborative approach to getting things done across party lines, that they'll come home to Evie," Shaffer said. More of a collaborative approach from Evie Hudak? The Evie Hudak who publicly stated "I support the entire Democratic party platform"? I guess one would have to be "extraordinarily partisan" himself to think that represents a "collaborative approach". Yes, I'm still laughing. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: Brandon Shaffer, collaborative approach, Democrat, Democratic Party platform, Evie Hudak, extraordinarily partisan, laughable, Libby Szabo, party lines, questionable truth value, Republican, state senator, truth, unaffiliated voters, whopper

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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
  • 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

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Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
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  • Lileks
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  • NRO's The Corner
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Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
  • Eduwonk
  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
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  • Jay P. Greene
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Christian Commentary et al.

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Other Sites

  • Technorati
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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
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  • View from a Height

To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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