Mount Virtus

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

Ben on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • 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
Home Archives for employees

3/26/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

More Reasons to Make Sure Senate Bill 180 Doesn’t Simply Stall, But Dies

It's encouraging news that the Colorado state senate keeps putting off a vote on Senate Bill 180. The Democrats would seem not to have confidence in the votes to override local control, impose collective bargaining, raise the cost of government services, and threaten the rights of our state's police officers and firefighters. If you need more reason to understand why SB 180 is a bad idea, and why you should keep the pressure on and tell your state senator to vote against it, you should listen to this new iVoices podcast I recorded with Stan Greer from the National Institute of Labor Relations Research: What might seem on the surface like a nice thing to do for our public safety employees is really bad public policy when you take a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, PPC Tagged With: amok, bad idea, bad public policy, closer look, Collective Bargaining, Colorado, confidence, cost, Democrats, Democrats Gone Wild, employees, encouraging news, firefighters, government services, impose, iVoices, legislative session, local control, National Institute of Labor Relations Research, override, podcast, police officers, pressure, public safety, Reason, rights, Senate Bill 180, special labor interests, Stan Greer, State Capitol, state senate, threaten, understand, vote

2/27/2009 By Ben 4 Comments

Ask Colorado LOSES Why the Union Card-Check Bill is Such a Bad Idea

Do you still need more reason to understand why union bosses are so keen on taking away the secret ballot from workplace elections? On the Colorado LOSES website, state employee Dave Ohmart gives an account of his experience trying to attend the Colorado WINS union's rally / lobbying event at the State Capitol on Wednesday:Ryan Webber, a union organizer, immediately came to me and asked, “You’re not going to say anything, are you Dave? I’ll have to toss you out of here if you do.” Another security-type person came over and stood behind me. Ryan then asked, “You’re not going to write more lies about me, are you Dave?” (Don’t think I ever have!) I assured him I was not there to make a scene. Governor Ritter spoke … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Bill Ritter, card-check, coerce, Collective Bargaining, Colorado, Colorado Loses, Colorado taxpayers, Colorado WINS, contact, Dave Ohmart, dissent, e-mail accounts, economic condition, Employee Free Choice Act, employees, Examiner, experience, Governor, intense pressure, lobbying event, monthly access, no bargain, party line, pushy, questions, rally, Republicans, Ryan Webber, secret ballot, signs, State Capitol, state employee, state senate, toe, union bosses, union organizers, union pressure, vandalized, Washington state, website, Wednesday, workplace elections

2/10/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Growing Labor Clout Puts Michael Bennet in Bind Over Card-Check Bill

The first big line in the sand this year for Colorado's selected U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and not-so-senior partner Mark Udall was the vote in favor of the massive federal spending (so-called "stimulus") bill. Next on the docket is the poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would take away employee secret ballots in workplace election and impose costly binding arbitration procedures. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: Al Sharpton, Ariella Bernstein, article, bailout, ballot measures, binding arbitration, boondoggle, campaign contributions, candidates, card-check, co-sponsor, coercive, Colorado, Congress, costly, cynical, data, decline, Democratic, Denver Post, docket, EFCA, Employee Free Choice Act, employees, failing businesses, failing labor unions, federal spending, George McGovern, government, independent backbone, influential voices, John Holcomb, Karen Crummy, kowtow, Labor Department, labor leaders, line in the sand, listen, Mark Udall, members, Michael Bennet, National Institute on Money in State Politics, party line, political dynamics, poorly-named, pressure, private sector, procedures, professor, public sector, researchers, secret ballots, selected, senior partner, stagnant, state-level races, statistics, stimulus, U.S. Senator, union membership, Unions, University of Denver, vote

1/15/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Phony Hiring “Freeze” Latest Example of Bill Ritter Really Stepping in It

Governor Bill Ritter's political future looks bleaker and bleaker. It sure looks like the phony hiring "freeze" issue will come back to haunt him. If you think I was hard on Ritter, check out Rossputin's hard-hitting essay:I think it's just one more step toward Bill Ritter being a one-term governor. He ran as a "pro-business Democrat." In fact, what he really is is a "pro-business-as-usual Democrat," something rational people knew we couldn't afford before and someone whom I hope the rest of the voters are coming to realize is clueless, ineffective, and reckless with their money. Clueless. Ineffective. Reckless. I see the wheels turning in Republican strategists minds as they imagine campaign ads for 2010. Meanwhile, the Denver Post - … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General Tagged With: 2010, bad news, Bill Ritter, bleaker, campaign ads, clueless, Colorado bloggers, controversy, Denver Post, employees, endorsed, good news, government, Governor, hard-hitting, haunt, heartburn, hiring freeze, hiring practices, ineffective, non-essential workers, one-term, political future, pro-business, pro-business-as-usual, public records, recession, reckless, Republican strategists, Right-leaning, Ritter administration, Rossputin, state, taxpayers, wheels

12/1/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Democrat Leader Tapdances Around His Party’s Push to Kill Secret Ballot

After their impressive electoral victories, the Democrats on Capitol Hill are feeling their oats. Can you blame them? It's payback time to the Big Labor leaders who have bankrolled the campaigns of many a Congressional Democrat. Top of the list therefore? The unpopular and poorly-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would take away workers' rights to a secret ballot in union elections. Watch how House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland), appearing on Fox News Sunday, tapdances around Chris Wallace's question contrasting the union bill with the House Democrats' own procedures for electing officers within the caucus: "Why is a secret ballot okay, and desirable, for Congress, but you want to take it away from workers?" (H/T … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics Tagged With: administration, bankroll, Betsy Markey, Big Labor, bon voyage, campaigns, Capitol Hill, caucus, Chris Wallace, Christmas, Colorado, Congress, Democrats, EFCA, elder statesman, elections, electoral victories, Employee Free Choice Act, employees, feeling their oats, fighting chance, filibuster, Fox News Sunday, George McGovern, Georgia, high priority, House Majority Leader, John Salazar, Kaiser, Karen Mayhew, Ken Salazar, leaders, Left, lottery jackpot, Mark Udall, Maryland, materials handler, Mike Ivey, Minnesota, Nancy Pelosi, Norm Coleman, payback, poorly-named, question, real workers, recount, Saxby Chambliss, secret ballot, Senate, Steny Hoyer, Strike One, trial lawyers, union bill, union elections, unpopular, video, workers' rights, Workplace Fairness Institute, YouTube

10/27/2008 By Ben 6 Comments

Mark Hillman Cuts Through Deception Used Against Amendments 47, 49, 54

Another prominent, respected Colorado voice joins the chorus of those denouncing the nonsensical attacks against Amendments 47, 49, and 54. Former state treasurer Mark Hillman makes a couple of terrific points in his piece:Amendment 49 (”ethical standards”) prohibits state and local governments from intercepting a worker’s paycheck to collect dues or contributions for unions, lobbyists or any other special interest. It simply requires all interest groups to ask supporters directly for their contribution, rather than use government payroll systems as their collection agency. Groups from the National Rifle Association to the Sierra Club rely on voluntary contributions, so why can’t labor unions and other special … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: Amendment 47, Amendment 49, Amendment 54, ask directly, attacks, Big Bad Wolf, Coloradans for Middle Class Relief, Colorado, commercial, Denver Post, dishonest, dues, employees, Ethical Standards, firefighter, government payroll system, greedy owners, indentured servants, labor unions, lobbyists, Mark Hillman, membership, National Rifle Association, Political contributions, profit motive, Protect Colorado's Future, respected voice, Sierra Club, special interest groups, state treasurer, voluntary contributions, white noise

Inside

  • About Ben
  • Archives
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
    • Colorado Ballot 2014
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • 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

  • Top Books I Read in 2020
  • The All-New Christmas Music Countdown: Bigger, Better and Brighter Than Ever
  • Does the USA Face Future Divorce?
  • Resources for Veterans and their Families Amid the COVID-19 Outbreak
  • How To Keep Your Children Engaged While Learning from Home

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 © 2021 RSS Feed · WordPress · Log in