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Home Archives for federal government

5/28/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

San Diego Petty Tyrants: Pay Out the Nose for Permit to Host Bible Study

From Fox News, a reminder that the federal government has nowhere near cornered the market on petty tyranny: Pastor David Jones and his wife Mary have been told that they cannot invite friends to their San Diego, Calif. home for a Bible study — unless they are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to San Diego County. "On Good Friday we had an employee from San Diego County come to our house, and inform us that the Bible study that we were having was a religious assembly, and in violation of the code in the county." David Jones told FOX News. Wow ... simply wow. Just a friendly reminder that we need fellow liberty-loving citizens representing us at all levels of government. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General, liberty, PPC, property rights Tagged With: Bible study, citizens, code, cornered, David Jones, federal government, Fox News, government, levels, liberty-loving, market, pastor, petty tyranny, religious assembly, reminder, San Diego County, violation, wow

4/14/2009 By Ben 3 Comments

Remember the 10th Amendment! (We’ll Worry about the Alamo Later)

God bless Texas:Gov. Rick Perry joined state Rep. Brandon Creighton and sponsors of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 50 in support of states’ rights under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. “I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said. “That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the states’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential 10th Amendment will free our state from undue regulations, and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Labor, PPC Tagged With: 10th Amendment, Alamo, Barack Obama, Brandon Creighton, federal government, Governor, HCR 50, hope, interference, intrusive, liberty, national roots, President, regulations, Rick Perry, states rights, Tax Day Tea Party, Texas, U.S. Constitution

1/13/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Putting State Government’s Checkbook Online Should Take Months, Not Years

I quickly hoorayed last week when Governor Bill Ritter announced his full backing for putting the state's checkbook online. But a follow-up report from Face The State seemed to suggest the process could take a long time:“Putting the budget online will be different because there is too much to put it all,” [state representative Don] Marostica said, adding that legislative staff is working on ways to publish a “simplified” version. While Kennedy was hesitant to commit to a timeline, Marostica said the process could take three years. But - as explained in this iVoices podcast with Sandra Fabry of Americans for Tax Reform - the fact is the federal government has already pioneered this work, along with several other states, and all … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General Tagged With: Americans for Tax Reform, Bill Ritter, Cary Kennedy, cause, Colorado, credit, Don Marostica, excuses, Face the State, federal government, fiscal transparency, four months, hoorayed, iVoices podcast, legislative staff, months, online transparency, open government, pioneered, politicians, Sandra Fabry, searchable budget database, state checkbook, state of Colorado, states, years

1/4/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

How Much Does It Cost to Pay the IRS a Nickel Owed for Federal Taxes?

Did you hear the one about the Internal Revenue Service, a trial lawyer, and loose pocket change? A true - and telling - story in today's Detroit Free Press:In mid-November, [Detroit criminal defense attorney James] Howarth received notice that his FICA account, even after an adjustment, was out of whack. He owed the IRS a nickel. And the IRS was serious. It advised him to act promptly "to avoid additional penalty and/or interest." Howarth started calculating how much that nickel was going to cost him. As he figures it, there is the 5 cents plus the cost of a check -- payment must be made by check or money order. Then there is his CPA's fee, an envelope, his secretary's time, his own time and a 42-cent stamp. "The costs are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, Health Care, property rights Tagged With: adjustment, bureaucracy, CPA, Detroit Free Press, envelope, federal government, FICA, interest, Internal Revenue Service, James Howarth, letter, nickel, penalty, pocket change, refund, sanity, secretary, stamp, story, trial lawyer

12/15/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

“Un-American”? Michigan Bailout Rhetoric Reaches Fever Pitch

I can feel the pain of my home state of Michigan (and no, I'm not referring to the bitter cold temperatures we're experiencing here along the Front Range). The angst coming from the Motor City and its environs is palpable. One of the most poignant examples, at least from my perspective, relates to a scheduled weekend appearance by Kentucky's U.S. Senator (and former Detroit Tigers pitcher) Jim Bunning. Detroit Free Press columnist Brian Dickerson ripped Bunning a new one after the Republican Senator voted against the UAW's federal government bailout deal. Dickerson wrote:He may be losing his marbles, but U.S. senator and ex-Tiger pitching great Jim Bunning still has big brass cojones. After all, most of the GOP senators … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, My Life, Sports and Leisure Tagged With: "un-American", angst, automotive bailout, bitter cold, Brian Dickerson, Canadian, Colorado, columnist, committee room, deal, Democrats, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Tigers, economically inept, event, federal government, former pitcher, Free Speech, Front Range, Gibraltar Trade Center, government takeovers, Governor, hearings, hypocrisy, Interior Department, Jennifer Granholm, Jim Bunning, Joseph McCarthy, Ken Salazar, Kentucky, Lansing, lofty clouds, Michigan, Mitch Albom, Mitch McConnell, Motor City, ownership, pain, palpable, poignant example, powerful contrast, ratcheted up, Republicans, Ron Gettelfinger, temerity, Toyota, Tuesdays with Morrie, U.S. Senator, United Auto Workers, vote, weekend appearance

11/23/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Susan Greene: Conservatives Need Not Apply for CSU Chancellor

Susan Greene at the Denver Post scoffs at the idea of retiring U.S. Senator Wayne Allard serving as president of Colorado State University:The National Education Association has graded him with an "F." And the American Association of University Women has rated his work with a "zero." "Sen. Allard is a kind and humble man. But his voting record on educational issues has not received passing grades," says former at-large University of Colorado Regent Jim Martin. "To appoint him would not be in the best interest of the institution or the state." Allard's environmental record — most notably, his doubts about humankind's part in climate change — also would besmirch the university. In other words, Greene is hanging a sign on the door … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Education, General Tagged With: advanced degree, American Association of University Women, argument, Bruce Benson, cocktail party denizens, Colorado State University, Denver Post, environmental record, federal government, gauche, Jim Martin, National Education Association, qualified, quality of education, regent, scoffs, skepticism, Susan Greene, Wayne Allard

11/11/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

Reasonable, Principled Compromise Needed to Rebuild GOP Coalition

Lately I've struggled for the time and energy to put together some coherent thoughts about what the GOP needs to do to rebuild. Jim Manzi at The Corner said it almost perfectly for me. You need to read the whole post, but here is a key excerpt:While it is always possible to imagine some arbitrary configuration of 51% of voters who have the label “conservative”, Rod’s point [ed: that "no conservative movement that hopes to be successful can do so without religious conservatives"] strikes me as correct as a practical matter. Further, more important than the question of electoral advantage, is the fact that tens of millions of citizens have deeply held beliefs that should be considered in making and enforcing the law. I also believe … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics Tagged With: abortion, abortion debate, almost perfectly, bleak future, coalition, conservative movement, debates, federal funding, federal government, federal law, federalism, fools, gay marriage, good faith, humble, Jim Manzi, libertarians, liberty, life, limited government, local government, national consensus, National Review, Planned Parenthood, pro-life agenda, rallying cry, religious conservatives, Religious Right, Republican Party, Roe decision, social issues, states, strategy, The Corner, thumbnail analysis, tolerate, workable compromise

6/11/2008 By Ben 3 Comments

Dems Obstruct Solution to High Gas Prices, GOP Needs McCain to do Better

"Four bucks a gallon": it's the catchphrase that hits home all across America. Even putting the best face on it that they can, even federal government officials admit that gasoline prices figure to remain high for the foreseeable future. Yet on the same day, Democrats on a Congressional committee kill a proposal that would allow the United States to expand its domestic energy supply. I would say they're stuck on stupid, but it's far more likely that Nancy Pelosi, Mark Udall, and the Democrats are glad to see gasoline prices high, as they kowtow to radical environmentalist special interest groups. To top it off, the Democrats' Presidential candidate Barack Obama makes a ridiculous statement suggesting that rising gasoline prices is a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Energy, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Congressional Democrats, Congressional Republicans, domestic energy production, federal government, gasoline prices, John Hinderaker, John McCain, Mark Udall, Nancy Pelosi, offshore drilling, Powerline, radical environmentalist lobby

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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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