Mount Virtus

"Happy to come back to Michigan, but I miss the mountains!"

Ben on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About Ben
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Writer / Editor For Hire
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
  • Archives
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
  • The Westfield Gardener
Red Mountain View

Mount Virtus?

Every day is seeking to rise to the challenge, 'neath the shadow of the mighty Rockies.

Colorado Capitol

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....

5/7/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Enough Already with the Swine Flu Hysteria and Media Obsession, Please

Last week, columnist Jay Ambrose did a fine job swatting down the swine flu hysteria. The Wall Street Journal's Bret Stephens chipped in with the swine-flu hysteria contest winner a couple days ago:Of course the winner of the contest is Mr. Biden, since he lacks even the excuse of a self-interested motive. But standing right behind the vice president is a legion of heavily credentialed panic proliferators. These are the people whose terrifying forecasts you last heard during the avian flu panic of 2005 (deaths to date: 257, according to the World Health Organization) and the SARS panic of 2002-2003 (774 deaths). By contrast, garden-variety flus typically kill upwards of 30,000 Americans a year. You might also have a vague memory of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, General, Health Care, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: avian flu, Boulder Daily Camera, Boy Who Cried Wolf, Bret Stephens, columnist, contagion, disturbing, graph, H1N1, hysteria, Jay Ambrose, Joe Biden, mad cow disease, malaria, SARS, spread, story, strain, swine flu, Wall Street Journal

5/6/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Sine Die

It sounds like a garbled threat, or possibly a song from the High Mass. Sine die means neither, but it is cause for high celebration: The Colorado state legislature is adjourned for 2009, at least for the regular session. (I'm hearing insiders say that the Governor very well may call a special session in the summer.) In one sense, it's a shame to see the legislature walk away from its responsibility: Democrats have kicked the state's fiscal problems a little ways down the road. But then again, the majority Democrats aren't likely to grow a sense of responsibility any time soon. So staunch the bleeding while there's still time. Because, in fact, Democrats are now openly touting a recent state supreme court decision to say they can … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Judiciary, liberty, PPC Tagged With: adjourned, approve, bleeding, capital gains, Clear the Bench Colorado, Colorado, decision, Democrats, deserving, down the road, fiscal problems, garbled threat, Governor, havoc, high celebration, high court, High Mass, insiders, majority, plain language, raise, regular session, responsibility, sense, Sine die, song, soon, special session, state constitution, state house, state legislature, state senate, state supreme court, staunch, summer, support, tax hikes, taxes, vote of the people, walk away, wreak

5/6/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Senator Jim DeMint Sets Up a Great Framework for Rebuilding the GOP

If there is anyone currently in the U.S. Senate of whom I would consider myself a fan, Jim DeMint of South Carolina would be on that short list. I understood where he was coming from but found it a little disconcerting when he said: "I would rather have 30 Republicans in the Senate who really believe in principles of limited government, free markets, free people, than to have 60 that don't have a set of beliefs." What a great relief then to see Senator DeMint's excellent column in yesterday's Wall Street Journal -- what I consider an opportunity to revise and extend his remark. His rhetoric is blunt, and his analysis is clear: … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, My Life, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: abortion, analysis, beliefs, big tent, blunt, bolded statements, candidates, center-right coalition, centralized government, clear, coalition, column, Congress, conservative, Constitution, constructively, debate, democratic process, different, disconcerting, diverse, elected officials, electoral defeats, excellent, exceptional nation, extend, faithful few, fan, federal Leviathan, federalism, first impression, fiscal issues, flavor, focus, force for good, Free Markets, government, History, inalienable, individual liberty, isolation, Jim DeMint, limited government, measured disagreement, mind, national party, national security, people, perfect, politician, President, principles, problems, regions, rein in, remark, Republican, respectful, revise, rhetoric, same-sex marriage, short list, social issues, social policies, solved, South Carolina, states, strong poles, U.S. Senate, unelected judges, walk the walk, Wall Street Journal

5/5/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

“Conservativism Is Not a Dirty Word” Event at University of Denver, May 9

As promised in the closing moments of this week's edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio, here is information on this Saturday's event "Conservatism Is Not a Dirty Word" (PDF), co-sponsored by the Denver University College Republicans and Denver Women's Republican Club. When? Saturday, May 9, 10 AM to noon Where? Lindsay Auditorium, Sturm Hall, University of Denver What? Panel discussion, followed by Q & A Who? The panel features Republican National Committeeman and former state senator Mark Hillman, Aurora city councilman and likely U.S. Senate candidate Ryan Frazier, talk radio host and assertiveness trainer Karen Kataline, past chairman of the Colorado Republican Business Coalition Jim Noon, Step 13 founder Bob Cote, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, General, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: Aurora, Blog Talk Radio, Bob Cote, candidate, city councilman, co-sponsored, College Republicans, Colorado Republican Business Coalition, Conservatism, Denver University, Denver Women's Republican Club, edition, founder, Jim Noon, Karen Kataline, Mark Hillman, Republican National Committeeman, Rocky Mountain Alliance, Ryan Frazier, state senator, Step 13, U.S. Senate, yours truly

5/5/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Colorado Union Goon to Republican Operative: “You Gotta Delete That”

El Presidente elaborates on a Complete Colorado exclusive: official 911 audio of Republican operative Matt Milner being threatened for recording a public event featuring newly selected U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Sure, our union goons aren't as bad as Michigan union goons or New Jersey union goons. But they sure aren't making a good name for themselves with this story. El Presidente asks:Are these thuggish tactics--employed by a Democrat constituency, big labor--indicative of what we as Coloradans should expect to influence a vote on EFCW, and a window into things to come with a Democrat win in 2010? In any case, I bet Mr. Milner won't be so inclined to show up in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, PPC, property rights Tagged With: 2010, 9/11, audio, Big Labor, card-check, Complete Colorado, constituency, Democrat, El Presidente, elaborates, exclusive, good name, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Matt Milner, Michael Bennet, Michigan, New Jersey, newly-selected, operative, public event, recording, Republican, sponsored, tactics, threatened, thuggish, U.S. Senator, union goons, union hall

5/5/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Sign of Bill Ritter’s Sagging Popularity

Governor Bill Ritter is wrestling with another veto decision over a labor issue. But there are plenty of other reasons why his popularity has hit the skids with Coloradans. A faithful Mount Virtus reader snapped this photo of a sign near Highway 285 and 291 in Chaffee County: Colorado Republicans are revving their engines in search of a candidate who will lead them down the right road to victory and back to lower taxes and responsible limited government in 2010. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, PPC Tagged With: 2010, Bill Ritter, candidate, Chaffee County, Coloradans, Colorado, decision, Governor, hit the skids, issue, Labor, Mount Virtus reader, photo, popularity, reasons, Republicans, responsible government, sign, veto, wrestling

5/5/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

RMA Blog Talk Radio at 8:30 Tonight: Blue Collar Muse and More …

Tune in tonight at 8:30 PM local Mountain time for the 25th edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. Our confirmed guest for this week is Ken Marrero, an entrepreneur and one of the leading bloggers on the Right, better known to many as Tennessee's Blue Collar Muse. A possible guest from the Colorado state legislature also may join us, but these being the final hectic hours of the session we're playing it by ear. If you miss the live show, you can go back and download the podcast, or just use the handy widget on my sidebar to listen directly from Mount Virtus. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Blog Talk Radio, bloggers, Blue Collar Muse, Colorado, entrepreneur, hectic, Ken Marrero, legislative session, playing it by ear, podcast, Right, Rocky Mountain Alliance, state legislature, Tennessee

5/5/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Bob Beauprez Eyeing 2009 Fundraising for Ryan Frazier and Ken Buck?

The Hill provides a birds-eye Beltway view of the Republican primary challenge shaping up to take out the indecisive and vulnerable Michael Bennet, Colorado's newly selected junior U.S. Senator. Writes Aaron Blake:Republicans lately have been talking a lot about fresh faces, with mixed success in actually obtaining them. While the GOP has lined up current and former House members in most other open primaries, Colorado stands out as the one where they may be content to go with a wholly new brand. That change would be particularly stark with [Ryan] Frazier, a 31-year-old African-American city councilman who has opened an exploratory committee for the race and appears set to run. But it’s also apparent with [Ken] Buck, a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Aaron Blake, Attorney General, Beltway, Bob Beauprez, calendar year, campaign contribution, Cleve Tidwell, Colorado, Dan Caplis, decision, former Congressman, guess, indecisive, John Suthers, Michael Bennet, numbers, open primaries, radar, The Hill, threshold, U.S. Senator, underwhelm, vulnerable, wait-and-see approach

5/4/2009 By Ben 5 Comments

Senate Bill 180: Another Big Labor Veto Dilemma for Vulnerable Bill Ritter

Two years ago Governor Bill Ritter came right out of the gate and ran smack into a tough veto choice that caused friction with his Big Labor supporters. Ritter made up for the nixing of House Bill 1072 later in 2007 with an executive order giving union organizers a gold-plated invitation into Colorado state government. Now, to some extent, history is replaying itself. As the Denver Post's John Ingold reports, the choice Bill Ritter is confronted with now is whether to sign or veto the bad policy that is Senate Bill 180. The bogus argument used for SB 180 -- which narrowly passed the Democrat-controlled legislature -- is that firefighters need greater union bargaining rights to ensure they get needed safety equipment. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, PPC Tagged With: alienate, approval ratings, argument, Aurora, bad policy, bargaining agreements, bargaining rights, benefits, Big Labor, Bill Ritter, bogus, business community, choice, Colorado, Colorado Municipal League, confronted, costly, curry, decide, Democrat, Denver Post, disses, Drop dead, Englewood, evidence, Executive Order, favor, fire departments, firefighters, Fort Collins, friend, gold-plated, government, Governor, Greeley, heroes, higher, History, House Bill 1072, invitation, issues, John Ingold, legislature, little attention, local communities, local officials, management rights, mountain communities, narrowly, nemesis, opposition, overwhelmingly, passed, political, political side, power, Pueblo, rejected, reports, safety equipment, safety records, Senate Bill 180, sign, state government, state mandate, statement, sunk, union organizers, uphold, veto, wages, wise course

5/4/2009 By Ryan Leave a Comment

UNCRC: Foreign Tyranny over American Families?

(Editor's note: Welcome back, Ryan!) "Best interests provides decision and policy makers with the authority to substitute their own decisions for either the child's or the parents', providing it is based on considerations of the best interests of the child.  Thus, the Convention challenges the concept that family life is always in the best interests of children and that parents are always capable of deciding what is best for children." [underline added] Unfortunately, this quote is not from a discredited radical talking about a theoretical idea.  It is Geraldine Van Bueren, an original drafter of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), talking about one aspect of the treaty.  According to the above-linked … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • …
  • 267
  • Next Page »

Inside

  • About Ben
  • Archives
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
    • Colorado Ballot 2014
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • The Westfield Gardener
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Writer / Editor For Hire

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

Colorado News

  • Colorado Senate News
  • Complete Colorado
  • Independence Institute
  • Loveland Politics
  • The Colorado Observer

National News and Politics

  • Drudge Report
  • Hot Air
  • National Review
  • Politico
  • Real Clear Politics
  • Reason
  • The Washington Times
  • TownHall
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Weekly Standard
  • World Magazine

Blogs Extraordinaire

  • American Thinker
  • David Harsanyi’s Blog
  • E!! The True Conservative Story
  • EIA Intercepts
  • Evangelical Outpost
  • Hugh Hewitt
  • Instapundit
  • LaShawn Barber
  • Lileks
  • Little Green Footballs
  • Michelle Malkin
  • NRO's The Corner
  • Power Line
  • Red State

Completing the Blogroll

  • Alarming News
  • Black Five
  • Blogs of War
  • Eduwonk
  • Flypaper
  • Fraters Libertas
  • Historical Conversations
  • IMAO
  • Jay P. Greene
  • Mike Anderson
  • Mullings
  • Professor Bainbridge
  • Right Thinking
  • Right Wing News
  • Right Wing Nuthouse
  • Shot in the Dark
  • Talking Points Memo
  • Virginia Postrel
  • Volokh Conspiracy

Christian Commentary et al.

  • Kevin Pierpont
  • Sharper Iron

Conservative and GOP Sites

  • Backbone America
  • Cal Thomas
  • Colorado Republican Party
  • Colorado Republican Study Committee
  • Dennis Prager
  • Denver Metro Young Republicans
  • Free Republic
  • Heritage Foundation
  • Jefferson County Republican Party
  • Mackinac Center for Public Policy
  • Mark Steyn
  • Michael Medved
  • Rush Limbaugh

Colorado Blogs

  • American Kestrel
  • Bob Agard
  • Colorado Charter Schools
  • Colorado Peak Politics
  • Colorado Pols
  • Colorado Right
  • Conservative Libertarian Outpost
  • Coyote Gulch
  • Ed Is Watching
  • Free Colorado
  • Jeff Crank Show
  • Mark Hillman
  • Patient Power
  • PirateBallerina
  • Protein Wisdom
  • Reagan Girl
  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 1.0 (Archive)
  • Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0 (Archive)
  • Rossputin
  • Stop the ACLU Blog
  • The Spot (Denver Post)
  • We Stand Firm

Other Sites

  • Technorati
  • Word Press

Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

  • Reclaim the Blue
  • The Business Word
  • The Daily Blogster
  • View from a Height

To Contact Me:
bendegrow-at-gmail.com

Copyright © 2025 RSS Feed · WordPress · Log in