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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....

7/17/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

From the Front Pages of the Lefty Political Playbook

Here's a little insight for the day ... Recently, I posted at the Schaffer v Udall blog a response to the latest trumped-up faux controversy heaped against the Republican U.S. Senate candidate. Rossputin followed it up at Politics West with an even abler and more thorough refutation of the charges - using relevant facts and evidence. I got a chuckle today when my friend pointed out to me the first comment added to Rossputin's post:when are you going to stop dodging my question about your work for the Heartland Institute? "DeGrow points out a few subsequent articles which show the attack to be erroneous as well as discussing how two of the "big names" leading the attack, former high-level diplomats, are now Democratic activists and at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, My Life, National Politics Tagged With: anonymity, guilt by association, Heartland Institute, Independence Institute, Lefties, name-calling, political playbook, Rossputin, tactics

7/16/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Congrats and Welcome Home, Jared

Congratulations and welcome home, Jared! Sounds like a lot of waiting on God and just plain waiting has been rewarded. It brought a smile to my face to see the picture with your new son. All the best and richest blessings to you and your family! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General, My Life Tagged With: Congratulations, Exulatate Justi, Jared

7/15/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Colorado Officials Can Act Wisely to Quash Anti-Taxpayer Rumors

A watcher writes:I heard a rumor that some (unnamed) someone had offered the State Supreme Court a promise of a new building if only the Court would find the illegal property tax imposed by Governor Ritter and his Democrat legislature was constitutional. That would explain why Bill Ritter seems so confident that the State Supreme Court will rule his way. If the Court is dumb enough to appear to be bought and if the legislature is dumb enough to send a hundred million their way immediately after the ruling, Colorado will have a black eye for years to come. Again, this is a rumor, but a rumor that might have some substance. I've seen this one come through the grapevine, too. Gov. Bill Ritter's actions have only made the rumor more … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General Tagged With: Bill Ritter, Colorado General Assembly, Colorado Supreme Court, grapevine, Property Tax Increase, rumor, The Colorado Index

7/15/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Bob Schaffer-Mark Udall Debate Coverage Roundup

Here's a roundup of new media coverage of Monday's premier public debate between Colorado U.S. Senate candidates Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall. From Schaffer v Udall... - Schaffer v Udall Debate: Update, Quick First Impressions - Bob Schaffer's Clear Debate Victory over Mark Udall Sways Uncommitted Voter - Schaffer v Udall Debate Photos - Missing the Point of Bob Schaffer's Powerful Zing on Mark Udall's Iraq Record - Mark Udall Healthcare Quips From Rocky Mountain Right... - Pictures from the Schaffer-Udall Debate - Breaking News from the RMN: Udall Staffer Approves of Udall's Debate Performance! Also check out Face The State's slideshow of the debate. And, of course, though it's not new media, 9News has a report from the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, National Politics Tagged With: Bob Schaffer, debate, Face the State, Mark Udall, Rocky Mountain Right, Schaffer v Udall, U.S. Senate

7/14/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Live-Blogging First Campaign Debate between Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall

Today I'm taking a few personal hours from work to go cover the first debate of Colorado's 2008 U.S. Senate campaign. Hopefully, El Presidente and I will be live-blogging the event between Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall over at the Schaffer v Udall blog. Doors open to the public at 9:30 AM local time, with the debate scheduled to take place from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, My Life, National Politics Tagged With: Bob Schaffer, Colorado, debate, El Presidente, live blogging, Mark Udall, Schaffer v Udall, U.S. Senate

7/12/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Rest in Peace, Tony Snow

Sad news today about a man with integrity, decency, and affability uncommon to contemporary public life, who finally succumbed in his long bout with colon cancer. Via American Thinker, here is quotable wisdom Tony Snow shared in a May 2007 commencement speech, advice to "live boldly, to live a whole life": 1. Think; use your brains. 2. Take risks; don't be content with what you know. 3. Commit to God. Faith is as natural as the air we breathe. Religion is the introduction to the ultimate extreme sport. 4. Get out and experience life. Get your fingernails dirty... and laugh, a lot, at yourselves. ..the pain, the poignancy, the aches are essential; they bring us together. 5. Love. It is everything...to love is to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Commemorative, General, National Politics Tagged With: American Thinker, colon cancer, commencement speech, faith, Fox News, obituary, Tony Snow

7/11/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

AFL-CIO Tells IRS with a Straight Face It Spends No Money on Politics

Do you ever wonder why there's such skepticism about Big Labor's support of legislation that attacks workers' ballot privacy, not to mention Big Labor's opposition to legislation that gives workers more freedom over their earnings? Underreported news like this from the Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF) would give a satisfactory answer. Here's the letter from AWF to the Internal Revenue Service:On behalf of the Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF), and rank-and-file working Americans, I urge you to investigate the apparent incongruence contained within the 2005-2006 tax filings by the AFL-CIO. According to their annual LM-2 financial disclosure form filed with the Department of Labor, the AFL-CIO spent $41,620,583 on political activities … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Labor, National Politics Tagged With: AFL-CIO, Alliance for Worker Freedom, Big Labor, corruption, Department of Labor, fair elections, Internal Revenue Service, LM-2, National Education Association, political activities, political expenditures, tax evasion, workers' funds

7/11/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Bill Ritter’s Property Tax Hike May Work Against Funding Aurora Schools

The Denver Post reports good news from Aurora - with a catch:The Aurora school district and its teachers union have reached an agreement on a new contract that calls for a 2 percent increase in pay for all employees this coming school year. But there's a hitch: The school board must agree to put a property-tax hike on the November ballot to fund it and voters must approve it or else there will be no raises. Aurora Public Schools hasn't asked for a mill levy increase since 1990 but feels that is the only way it can fund salary increases for the 2008-09 school year, said chief personnel officer Kari Allen. The timing isn't good. School property taxes for Aurora homeowners and business owners already increased about 6 percent this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General Tagged With: Aurora Public Schools, Bill Ritter, business owners, Democrats, Denver Post, homeowners, Kari Allen, property tax hike, school board, school property tax, teachers union

7/11/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Phil Gramm’s Foot-in-Mouth Problem vs. Barack Obama’s Ongoing Elitism

Did you hear what Phil Gramm - former U.S. Senator, McCain for President economic adviser - said? If you're reading this blog, it's almost impossible to have missed it. (Hey - don't whine at me if you haven't heard what Gramm said!) It's become so bad that less than 24 hours into the story the big media is referencing the extent of its own coverage:Remarks by former Sen. Phil Gramm (R), a top economic advisor to Sen. John McCain, are drawing heavy negative attention for the candidate in the latest media cycle. 1996 was a long time ago - it was the first Presidential election in which I was eligible to vote. Yesterday helped to remind me why the Phil Gramm campaign never left the ground. The man is an economic whiz and one of the most … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Democrats, double standards, economic elitism, foot-in-mouth disease, John McCain, Phil Gramm, recession, U.S. News and World Report

7/10/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Democrat Gwyn Green, Poster Child for Economic Illiteracy, Strikes Again

Liberal Democrat Rep. Gwyn Green, whose state house district covers part of Denver's western suburbs, is a poster child for economic illiteracy. This fact has only been reconfirmed today by a Face The State report on her ill-informed but zealous refusal to attend a party sponsored by the Colorado Oil and Gas Association:"I see no point in attending the COGA Conference," she wrote. "Your announcement does not indicate any desire to moderate the ungodly profits the oil and gas companies are reaping at the costs for [sic] consumers." Of course, the report goes on to explain her fallacy:According to the American Petroleum Institute, statistics through the first quarter of 2008 show that, on average, only 7.4 percent of each dollar paid at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Energy, Fiscal Policy, General Tagged With: American Petroleum Institute, Bill Owens, brain-gouging, COGA Conference, Colorado Oil and Gas Association, consumers, Democrat, economic illiteracy, Face the State, gasoline stations, Gwyn Green, House Bill 1251, price-gouging, Republicans, Rocky Mountain News, Vince Carroll

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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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Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

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To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

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