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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....

9/21/2005 By Ben Leave a Comment

Why You Should Votes for C and D

You have to love this tidbit caught by Rocky Mountain News political columnist extraordinaire Peter Blake: You've seen the TV ad a dozen times by now. A couple of teachers are promoting the Vote Yes on C and D campaign. While a teacher identified as Elizabeth Henry is talking, the yellow caption on the ad says: "Kids takes [sic] the hit." Better vote yes. Maybe the state will collect so much extra money there will be enough left over to subsidize the return to syntax school of big-time copywriters and media producers. Fodder for ScrappleFace or some other talented Web satirist? The ad's producers could have been less subtle and said: "Vote for C and D so the state can spend more money on remedial education." Though, of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General

9/19/2005 By Ben Leave a Comment

The Bible or the Axe: A Review

The following review is made possible by the hard work of Stacy Harp at Mind and Media. Your mind trapped in a world that ends at the United States borders? Living a life of relative comfort and ease? William O. Levi's The Bible or the Axe might be just the wake-up call the average Christian in America may need. The Bible or the Axe recounts Levi's early life journey, which began with a large, tightly-knit, strongly-rooted Messianic Jewish family in east Africa before he endured persecution at the hands of Sudan's Islamic regime in the 1980s and ultimately escaped to the United States. He later founded Operation Nehemiah, a mission still actively helping the Christian community in Sudan rebuild its broken walls. Levi tells … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Christianity and Faith, General

9/19/2005 By Ben Leave a Comment

Underpaid Union Picketers

This story in the Las Vegas Weekly has some of the richest irony I have ever seen: The shade from the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market sign is minimal around noon; still, six picketers squeeze their thermoses and Dasani bottles onto the dirt below, trying to keep their water cool. They're walking five-hour shifts on this corner at Stephanie Street and American Pacific Drive in Henderson—anti-Wal-Mart signs propped lazily on their shoulders, deep suntans on their faces and arms—with two 15-minute breaks to run across the street and use the washroom at a gas station. Periodically one of them will sit down in a slightly larger slice of shade under a giant electricity pole in the intersection. Four lanes of traffic rush by, some drivers honk … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Random and Miscellaneous

9/16/2005 By Ben Leave a Comment

Pigs in a Poke

The release of a new report from the Independence Institute (formerly known as Piglet) detailing wasteful government spending, and an emotionally-charged rally at the State Capitol yesterday featuring a large, pink papier-mache pig, have taken the campaign over the forever tax increase to a new level. Yesterday, pro C & D spokeswoman Katy Atkinson, a self-described "homegrown flack," made some inappropriate personal attacks against gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman for his televised opposition to the "pork"-laden measures. Atkinson set the model for others who have taken the pig reference personally. Officials' scare tactics have frightened people into believing that without C and D, legislators' hands will be completely tied as … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General

9/14/2005 By Ben Leave a Comment

Statehouse Dems Want MORE Tax Dollars

Reading this story in today's Rocky Mountain News, I'm reminded that I wasn't the only one who sat and suffered all day through yesterday's School Finance Interim Committee meeting at the State Capitol. Weeks before, the Interim Committee (under the direction of State Senator Sue Windels, D - Arvada) charged a task force of school officials, school finance experts, and a variety of interest group representatives to come up with a report making recommendations for a new way to fund K-12 public education in Colorado. The Task Force has sat through the series of meetings, as have I, listening to a variety of presentations, the details of which I will not bore you with. But today's story in the Rocky reflects the problem with the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General

9/12/2005 By Ben Leave a Comment

RMA Back in the MSM

Devoted fans of Clay Calhoun and View from a Height finally get to see what two of the Denver area's finest bloggers look like in the flesh (or at least in digital photography), thanks to the Denver Post today with a Jim Hughes article on "Colorado activists" playing a role in the Judge Roberts confirmation hearings. Here's one interesting graf in the story: In addition to NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado, the coalition includes the American Association of University Women, the Colorado Education Association teachers group, the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains and the Colorado National Organization for Women. [emphasis mine] I can't be the only one bold enough to ask why the state's largest teachers union (and why … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General, National Politics

9/12/2005 By Ben 3 Comments

Sitting Down with Beauprez

As Joshua Sharf has already ably recounted, he and I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Rep. Bob Beauprez last Friday. The Republican gubernatorial candidate graciously shared an hour of his time with us and addressed our questions with candor and confidence. Rather than rehash Joshua's assessments (too much), I'll supplement his remarks with some of my own. Beauprez confidently asserted his conservative bona fides to strengthen his case for why he deserves the Republican nomination: his executive experience, his Washington connections, his traditional Colorado values. I believe the candidate's assessment is correct that "the governor's race is ground zero" for reestablishing Republican leadership in other areas of Colorado … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General

9/8/2005 By Ben 3 Comments

C and D: A False Step and the “Great March South”

Could supporters of Referenda C and D be so desperate as to try to exploit the hurricane tragedy to sell their forever tax increase? So then, creating a parody Web site that compared sound arguments against the tax increase with calls to deny aid to Katrina victims seemed like a good attempt at political discourse? The perpetrator of the now-defunct tasteless screed is, according to the Denver Post, a Web developer for and devotee of the Rocky Mountain Progressive Network, Colorado's congregation of left-leaning political activists. At least someone in the group deserves commendation for pulling the plug on the phony Web site. Meanwhile, supporters of the tax increase have undertaken the less controversial but much more symbolic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General

9/7/2005 By Ben Leave a Comment

Making Common Cause Against Teachers Unions?

Is Pete Maysmith, the man that gave us Amendment 27, interested in defending the spirit of the campaign finance laws he masterminded and supported, or will he and his group show themselves to be loyal Democrats? Now that Wayne Rutt and Paul Marrick have appealed the administrative law judge's decision in their complaint against the Poudre Education Association and Colorado Education Association, will Colorado Common Cause file an amicus brief supporting the complaint? Or will they say it's okay for Democrats and unions to coordinate on candidate campaigns but not for Republicans and outside groups? Read Peter Blake's column today in the Rocky Mountain News. Great stuff for political junkies, and for anyone interested in the rule of law … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General

9/6/2005 By Ben Leave a Comment

Spot-on Analysis of Government Response to Katrina

In case you missed this, here is a must-read: a Wall Street Journal editorial titled "Blame Amid the Tragedy" by Evergreen Freedom Foundation president Bob Williams. Here's a key section: The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his/her emergency operations center. The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established evacuation plans of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General

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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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  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
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