Every day is seeking to rise to the challenge, 'neath the shadow of the mighty Rockies.
Professional Teacher Organization Leader Condemns Denver “Sick-Outs”
In a letter at the Denver Post, the executive director of the Professional Association of Colorado Educators (PACE) offers his opinion about the recent "sick-outs" in Denver Public Schools:It is disheartening to see some Denver teachers abandon the children they teach, instead choosing to participate in “sick-outs†and “park-outs†to protest the district’s generous and unprecedented offer. Sadly, for these individuals the education of children is not a priority. Districts and communities deserve the opportunity to invest in hard-working, quality teachers who are committed to educational excellence and should be able to reward teachers for the important work they do. Teachers deserve an association which promotes the … [Read more...]
Another Reason for Right-to-Work… from a Union Leader’s Own Words
Denver Post business writer Al Lewis made an interesting revelation yesterday (H/T Labor Pains blog):What's so great about being in the union? Half of Colorado's United Food and Commercial Workers would stop paying union dues if they could, according to the group's local president. In a May 1 letter to members, Ernest Duran warns that the right-to-work initiative headed for Colorado's November ballot would decimate his ranks of dues-paying members. "If this amendment passes, we will enter all future negotiations divided," Duran wrote. "In my opinion, we will enter with less than 50 percent of the workers as union members." Do you wonder now why union leaders are so frightened of Amendment 47, the statewide ballot initiative that … [Read more...]
Remember Weld County Tornado Victims and Give to Help Those in Need
The hearts of Coloradans are struck by the extensive destruction wrought by yesterday's Weld County tornado. The Rocky Mountain News has a rolling feed of live coverage on events in Windsor and the surrounding areas - truly a 21st century newspaper feature. Fellow blogger Bob Agard has posted video from the opening of last night's MSNBC News coverage - reminding us how truly amazing it is that the storm resulted in only one fatality. Meanwhile, of most importance, if you are able to do anything to help our neighbors in need - the Centennial Chapter of the American Red Cross is collecting donations for local relief. And please remember to utter a prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. We should also be reminded … [Read more...]
Colorado State Workers Get Union Ballots, Rocky Reprints Ritter’s Error
Yesterday, as reported by the Rocky Mountain News, ballots were mailed out to 21,000 Colorado state employees for the purposes of choosing exclusive representation. Workers vote yes to be represented by the Colorado WINS labor coalition or vote no to keep the status quo and the right to represent themselves if they so choose. Unfortunately, the Rocky ended their story with a misleading statement:[Gov. Bill] Ritter has emphasized that his order bans strikes, prohibits binding arbitration and bars unions from charging dues to nonmembers. It makes you wonder whether Bill Ritter has read his own executive order. The order does not bar unions from charging dues to nonmembers - it leaves the door open to coercive fees being charged on … [Read more...]
Deconstructing Republican Folly, Reconstructing Constitutionalist Hope
Two of Colorado's most established center-right bloggers weigh in on what's happened to the Republican Party brand and what can be done about it. Michael at Best Destiny takes a look at a Face The State story on the Republican's recent plight in Denver's northwest suburbs and opines loudly about what needs to be done to overcome messaging problems:. . . .TALK TO EVERYBODY, NOT JUST THE BASE; TALK TO THEM ABOUT KITCHEN TABLE ISSUES, NOT GOP MEAT AND POTATOES; KNOW WHAT MATTERS TO PEOPLE like the economy, stupid; like education, stupid;... Michael should get paid for his political consultant's work. I concur that messaging is part of the problem, but in some ways the problem runs even deeper. Meanwhile, Joshua at View from a Height … [Read more...]
Chantell Taylor Watch: Part IV
Is this really a story? A government watchdog group criticized the state's attorney general for stepping in as legal counsel to the new Independent Ethics Commission, saying in a statement Tuesday that the setup presents unavoidable conflicts of interest. Attorney General John Suthers on Monday told the commission, responsible for forming ethics rules, that his office would do its lawyering unless lawmakers allow an outside attorney. Suthers' office by law acts as counsel for all state agencies, an attorney general spokesman said. Then we see who the "government watchdog group" is:Chantell Taylor, head of the nonprofit Colorado Ethics Watch, said the commission should be independent of the executive branch. [emphasis added] Yes, … [Read more...]
Barack Obama: Man of Contradiction
Powerline has the goods: Within less than 24 hours, the Obama messiah completely contradicts himself:Barack Obama, last night in Portland, on Iran: "They don't pose a serious threat to us." Barack Obama, today, in Billings, Montana, on Iran: "I've made it clear for years that the threat from Iran is grave." Powerline also has video. So which is it: Is Iran a serious threat, or not? Or is it beyond us mere peons to dare question the great Obama? … [Read more...]
Colorado Supreme Court: Unions Get a Pass from Electioneering Laws
Are Coloradans awakened yet to the union takeover of Colorado? On this site, I've covered Big Labor's controlling influence on the legislature (last year's House Bill 1072) and on Gov. Bill Ritter (union "partnership" executive order, anyone?). One that hasn't received as much play is the unions' controlling influence on the Colorado Supreme Court. What, you say? There's hardly any other way to explain the Court's 5-2 ruling yesterday that the teachers union is exempt from certain campaign finance restrictions in the state constitution. … [Read more...]
Debunking Medicaid Job Creation Myth
Linda Gorman from the Independence Institute (where I work), in a recent posting on John Goodman's Health Policy Blog, highlights a myth from the advocacy group Families USA being cited as facts in the current health care policy debate:Medicaid spending, the group says, creates jobs. By their reasoning, a law diverting the entire GDP of the United States to the Medicaid program would leave the U.S. awash in jobs. By contrast, the group claims the Bush administration's efforts to rein-in Medicaid spending will leave tens of thousands of people unemployed. Gorman quickly picks apart the assertion in four points, using a little fact-checking and basic economic analysis. First:Roughly speaking, for every four jobs created by spending, five … [Read more...]
The Rocky Mountain Alliance is Back
The Rocky Mountain Alliance of Blogs is back, with a new look:Some of the original cast remain, strengthened by the fresh blood of some high-quality newcomers. The goal of the Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0 is to promote our shared conservative vision of limited and accountable government, freedom, and personal responsibility - in Colorado and in our nation, the result of the most brilliant and noble political experiment in human history. You also may have noticed the updated logo and running feed of latest posts from RMA 2.0 members on my sidebar. Experienced and consistent center-right Colorado bloggers with at least a passing interest in state or local issues who are willing to collaborate with others and improve their effectiveness are … [Read more...]
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