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Home Archives for Denver Post

10/15/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Former Sen. Hank Brown Touts Colorado Amendment 49 Endorsements

Update: Audio embedded The campaign for Amendment 49, the Ethical Standards initiative, has released a new 30-second radio ad featuring former U.S. Senator Hank Brown: Here's the text of the ad:Both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post urge you to vote Yes on Amendment 49. 49 stops government from being the bagman for special interests and lobbyists. This is Hank Brown, and I'm thrilled that nearly every newspaper across Colorado agrees: Yes on 49. The Pueblo Chieftain, the Grand Junction Sentinel, the Colorado Springs Gazette, and yes, the Boulder Camera, just to name a few. Join me and Bill Owens in voting Yes on 49. 49 keeps lobbyists in line. Paid for by EthicalStandardsNow.com. I'm not sure if there is any other … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: Amendment 49, bagman, Bill Owens, Boulder Daily Camera, Colorado, Colorado Springs Gazette, Denver Post, endorsements, Ethical Standards, Grand Junction Sentinel, Hank Brown, Independence Institute, lobbyists, major newspapers, Pueblo Chieftain, radio ad, Rocky Mountain News, special interests

10/15/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Conservative Lesson from CoDA: Time to Latch on to Transparency Issue

We may never know just how authentic the "Educate the Idiots" document is (it's the word of a young, independent man with nothing to lose vs. a web of heavily-funded, Left-leaning organizations with their power and credibility at stake). But, as Jessica Fender's article in today's Denver Post demonstrates, the Colorado Democracy Alliance provides a teachable moment about the Left's sophisticated political organization, and how the conservative side has waited too long to wake up and get it. I am on the same page with Alan Philp on this one:A dearth of lasting conservative infrastructure and more limited resources mean Republicans won't see anything as sophisticated or coordinated for "some time to come," said Alan Philp, who led the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: "Educate the Idiots", Alan Philp, Colorado Democracy Alliance, conservatives, coordination, Dan Haley, Democratic apparatus, Denver Post, editor, electioneering efforts, full disclosure, heavily-funded, insfrastructure, Jessica Fender, Lefties, limited resources, sophisticated political organization, Transparency

10/14/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Voter Fraud ACORN Opposes Colorado Amendment 49, Ethical Standards

ACORN, the increasingly notorious voter fraud group, is part of the Colorado C-3 Roundtable going around "educating" voters about various ballot initiatives. Among the initiatives ACORN hates and opposes (and which the Roundtable won't invite supporters to share their side of the debate) is Amendment 49, the Ethical Standards initiative. This amendment "will prohibit governments from bundling money from public employees’ paychecks and delivering the funds to special interests, like unions. These special interests use the money to lobby the same politicians who just delivered the cash to them." So why is ACORN part of the virulent opposition? We could start with its own ethical lapses, which include not only voter fraud but also an … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics Tagged With: ACORN, Amendment 49, bad precedent, ballot initiatives, Boulder Daily Camera, business groups, civic organizations, Colorado C-3 Roundtable, Colorado Springs Gazette, common sense, community leaders, corruption, Denver Post, ethical lapses, Ethical Standards, good-government measure, investigations, lobbyists, major newspapers, misuse of tax dollars, opposition, politicians, prohibit, Protect Colorado's Future, Rocky Mountain News, special interests, voter fraud

10/13/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Amendment 54 Ad Spotlights Remedy for No-Bid Contract Corruption

Colorado's Amendment 54 proponents have taken their case to the airwaves for the first time [Video Updated]: The case of state senator Abel Tapia receiving hundreds of thousands in no-bid government contracts over 10 years was first brought to light by the Denver Post back in April. But as the ad correctly points out, Amendment 54 would create an electronic database of no-bid government contracts searchable by Colorado citizens. You can find the explanation for my endorsement of Amendment 54 and thumbnail explanations of all the measures on my guide to the 2008 Colorado ballot. ^^^^^^^ Most of the HP2-Q01 servicing HP desktops, workstations and notebooks and Cisco 640-553 implementing IOS network security students are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: 2008 Colorado ballot, Abel Tapia, airwaves, Amendment 54, Colorado, Denver Post, electronic database, endorsement, investigation, no-bid contracts, state senator, YouTube

10/13/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

The Denver Post and Me Both On Board for Campaign Transparency

In his Sunday column, Denver Post editor Dan Haley discussed "cloak-and-dagger" Democrats:The once-stealth cadre, united under the name Colorado Democracy Alliance, has not only heavily influenced state politics, it's become a model Democrats want to replicate nationally. Nothing they're doing is illegal, or at least it doesn't appear to be, but it has changed politics and policy-making in Colorado for years to come. Republicans last week could only stand by, slack-jawed and jealous. It was the type of operation they figured Democrats had. Only bigger. Politically speaking, the operation is genius, as it funnels money from wealthy donors — sometimes tax-free — to push political causes. But, ultimately, all of this skirting of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, My Life Tagged With: "cloak-and-dagger", 2010 amendment, 527s, Amendment 27, cadre, campaign finance laws, Colorado Democracy Alliance, column, Dan Haley, Democrats, Denver Post, editor, illegal, national model, open democracy, scurrilous attacks, state politics, tax-free, transparent, wealthy donors

10/11/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Denver Post Endorses Libby Szabo for Colorado Senate District 19

Three months ago I told readers why it was important to rally behind state senate candidate Libby Szabo, running for the open seat here in north Jefferson County outside Denver. Yesterday the Denver Post - hardly a conservative political organ - published its agreement with my endorsement:Senate District 19 (Jefferson) — The race to replace term-limited Sue Windels is this year's hottest contest. We like Republican Libby Szabo over Democrat Evie Hudak. The choice is close because both candidates are able. Hudak now serves on the Board of Education and has clear views on Colorado's budget and transportation needs. Szabo is an Arvada businesswoman with a solid community record. We lean to Szabo because we would like to see a little more … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General Tagged With: Board of Education, businesswoman, community record, Democrat, Democratic Party platform, Denver Post, Evie Hudak, Libby Szabo, north Jefferson County, open seat, Republican, Senate District 19, State Capitol, state senate candidate, Sue Windels, term-limited

10/6/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

“Real” Public School Teacher Speaks Out for Colorado Amendment 49

The Rocky Mountain News today takes a closer look at Protect Colorado's Future and its use of "real" people in advertisements to foist its deceptive messages on the public:Firefighter Joel Heinemann says he would rather run into a burning building than face a movie camera. Yet it's his face Coloradans are seeing in television ads and home flyers urging a "no" vote on Amendments 47, 49 and 54. Heinemann is a "messenger," one of about a dozen firefighters, police officers, nurses and teachers who volunteered to enter the political limelight to speak against three ballot initiatives they believe are anti-union. Of course, it's also important to note that Joel Heinemann is president of the Littleton firefighters union, and that Denver … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: "real" people, advertisements, Amendment 47, Amendment 49, Amendment 54, anti-union, body armor, Boulder Daily Camera, burning building, Coloradans, deceptive messages, Denver, Denver Post, deputy sheriff, endorsements, episode, Ethical Standards, firefighter, firefighters union, Fraternal Order of Police, host, Independence Institute, Independent Thinking, Jeff Shaw, Jefferson County, Joel Heinemann, Jon Caldara, law enforcement, Littleton, lobbying, Michael Alcorn, movie camera, opposition, politically active groups, President, Protect Colorado's Future, public school teacher, public servants, Rocky Mountain News, safety equipment, safety issues, scare tactics, teacher, television ads, unethical business, union contract, YouTube

10/4/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Time to “Educate the Idiots” about the Authenticity of CoDA Documents?

A controversy is brewing over the authenticity of the Colorado Democracy Alliance (CoDA) documents, specifically the memo discussing their plan to "Educate the Idiots". Ironically, the satire blog by the same name has all the scoop on the controversy - here and here. Can't wait for Sunday's story in the Denver Post. It looks to me like the Lefties in CoDA are scrambling hard to cover up. We'll see. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: "Educate the Idiots", Colorado Democracy Alliance, controversy, Denver Post, documents, Lefties, satire blog, scoop, Sunday story

10/2/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Ted Trimpa: Extortion Negotiator, Gill Adviser, “Educate the Idiots” Insider

Denver attorney Ted Trimpa is being touted as the great mediator, the great savior, in negotiating a compromise between business and labor to remove four anti-business initiatives from the ballot. Who's doing the touting? Why, the liberal Dead Governors blog, of course:For those of you who don't know about Hogan and Hartson's Ted Trimpa, well, you should. He's the one who brought this pact, the most unlikely partnership since Referendum C, together, helping reinforce his growing waterwalker mystique. It's also true that labor wasn't really looking forward to taking the blame for the potentially serious unintended consequences of a couple of these proposals. The infusion of cash to fight the anti-labor initiatives will help, as will the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: "Educate the Idiots", 527 Coordinating Operatives, Amendment 47, Amendment 49, Amendment 53, Amendment 54, Amendment 55, Amendment 56, Amendment 57, Andrew Romanoff, anti-business initiatives, attorney, business, Cole Finegan, Colorado Democracy Alliance, ColoradoPols, compromise, Dead Governors, Denver, Denver Post, disinterested party, economy-busting, glib, Hogan & Hartson, Hogan and Hartson, inner workings, Labor, labor leader, liberal billionaire, lies, mediator, partnership, political advisor, praises, progressive, Referendum C, Rutt Bridges, strategy group, Ted Trimpa, Tim Gill, union power, waterwalker

9/30/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Political Fault Lines Clearly Shifting Around Federal Bailout Bill Debate

One thing that's clear is the Congressional bailout debates have shifted political fault lines in unusual ways. The Denver Post highlights the odd split in Colorado's Congressional delegation: Mark Udall, John Salazar, Doug Lamborn, and Marilyn Musgrave against the bill vs. Tom Tancredo, Diana Degette, and Ed Perlmutter for it. Then, there's my two favorite fiscally conservative national think tanks. Co-authoring an issue brief for the Heritage Foundation, former Attorney General Ed Meese says the bailout bill was "vital and acceptable," while Cato Institute scholar Jagadeesh Ghokale notes:Overall, it's not a pretty picture--but score one for supporters of the free market who insist on allowing market reorganization of the financial … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, National Politics Tagged With: Attorney General, bad debt, bailout, billions, Cato Institute, Colorado, Congress, courage, debate, Democrat, Denver Post, Diana Degette, Doug Lamborn, Ed Meese, Ed Perlmutter, financial sector, free market, freedom, Heritage Foundation, Jagadeesh Ghokale, John Salazar, lesser of two evils, libertarian, Marilyn Musgrave, Mark Udall, policy, political fault lines, Republican, scholar, taxpayers, Tom Tancredo

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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

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