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Home Archives for Hank Brown

11/15/2008 By Ben 5 Comments

Whimsical Case for a “Progressive” Third Party to Replace the GOP

Are you up for a little distracting whimsy? A former elected official, Boulder attorney and self-proclaimed "former Republican" (one of the more popular descriptors being bandied about these days) offers this (over) dose of elitist smugness, painful self-indulgence, overwrought rhetoric, and selective historical knowledge:I was a Republican for 28 years. Like so many others who now vote Democratic, I didn’t leave the party — it left me. Based on the analyses of this month’s election, it also left college graduates, suburbanites and Hispanics in the red-state dust. The sad fact is that a map of the few counties that voted more Republican than they did in 2004 neatly overlays maps showing the nation’s highest rates of obesity, poverty … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, History, National Politics Tagged With: aging former politicians, bad earmark habit, Bill Kaufman, Bill O'Reilly, Bob Greenlee, Boulder attorney, buyers' remorse, Congress, credibility, daily dose, distracting whimsy, Don Ament, Dottie Wham, elected official, emergence, fiscal conservatism, former Republican, gays, God, GOP, guns, Hank Brown, healthy chuckle, historical knowledge, humorous, inversion of reality, John Buechner, liberty, Nancy Spence, Norma Anderson, Pat Hayes, Paul Schauer, permanent tax increase, platform, profligate spending, Progressive Party, quixotic crusade, reasonable people, reasonable voters, rebuilding, Referendum C, Republican Party, rhetoric, Rush Limbaugh, Scott McInnis, Sean Hannity, self-indulgence, self-inflicted wound, sell-out, smugness, third party, Tom Norton

10/30/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Front Range County Sheriffs Refute Campaign Lies against Amendment 49

Readers of this blog are now well familiar with the orchestrated deception by a group called Protect Colorado's Future (PCF) against Amendment 49, the Ethical Standards initiative. In addition to numerous Colorado newspaper editorial boards, respected public figures like former U.S. Senator Hank Brown and former state treasurer Mark Hillman have refuted the lies. Many of PCF's false claims center around purported negative effects on the ability of law enforcement and public safety workers to do their jobs. Who better to refute the lies than respected law enforcement officials whose jurisdictions already have an Ethical Standards policy in place? In today's Denver Post, three Colorado county sheriffs took their turn at batting down the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: Arapahoe County, audio, body armor, Boulder County, Boulder Daily Camera, county sheriffs, David Weaver, deceptive attacks, Denver Post, Douglas County, El Paso County, Ethical Standards, Hank Brown, Jeff Shaw, Jefferson County, John Cooke, law enforcement, letter, lies, Mark Hillman, modern equipment, multi-million dollar ad campaign, orchestrated deception, Protect Colorado's Future, public safety workers, refuted, Rocky Mountain News, Sheriff, similar theme, Ted Mink, Weld County

10/16/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Sen. Ken Salazar Repeats Discredited Anti-Amendment 49 Talking Point

Colorado U.S. Senator Ken Salazar made the mistake of letting his name appear on a letter recently published in the Fort Morgan Times, a letter that repeats at least one special interest group lie:Amendment 49 targets public employees, including law enforcement officials, fire fighters and teachers, who provide vital services for all of us. Amendment 49 will interfere with the personal choice of working Coloradans over how they want to spend their hard-earned paychecks. This echoes the deceptive flyers distributed by the well-heeled committee Protect Colorado's Culture of Corruption Future (the issue committee known for its perpetual deception), in which they falsely state that Amendment 49 dictates how firefighters and other public … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, Labor Tagged With: 850 KOA, Amendment 49, audio, Boulder Daily Camera, Colorado, deception, deceptive flyers, Ethical Standards, firefighters, Fort Morgan Times, freedom of choice, government restriction, Grand Junction Sentinel, Hank Brown, Ken Salazar, law enforcement, letter, Mike Rosen Show, nonsense, paychecks, personal choice, Protect Colorado's Future, public employees, Rocky Mountain News, special interest group, spend, talking points, teachers, U.S. Senator, vital services, well-heeled

10/16/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Lobbyists Against Amendment 49? Former Sen. Hank Brown Explains Why

I ran across this satire site someone created, called Lobbyists against Amendment 49. But seriously, why would many of Colorado's political lobbying groups be against Amendment 49, the Ethical Standards initiative? Likely because they have grown quite accustomed to the special privilege of the government serving as their banker, collection agent, and bookkeeper for free. That's a gig I wouldn't want to end either. Unfortunately, I think the people of Colorado may be of a different opinion. While appearing recently on 850 KOA's Mike Rosen Show, former U.S. Senator Hank Brown explained the problem pretty concisely: Here's the transcript:Taxpayers have to pay for the cost of transferring the money, collecting the money, accounting … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: 850 KOA, Amendment 49, audio clip, banker, bookkeeper, broad coalition, collection agent, Colorado, Ethical Standards, gig, good government, government, Hank Brown, Lobbyists against 49, Mike Rosen Show, satire site, special privilege, taxpayers

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

9/18/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Rocky Mountain News Supports Amendment 49 for Basic “Fairness”

The editors of the Rocky Mountain News slam the deception of Protect Colorado's Future (previously covered here and here), and give a major thumbs up to Amendment 49 on Colorado's ballot:As you may have guessed, we support Amendment 49 - just as we previously supported various versions of this policy at the local level. It would block state and local government agencies from deducting dues or fees from employee paychecks for unions or other membership groups.... The free deduction and collection of dues is a special benefit denied to most other worthy civic organizations. Should Amendment 49 pass, unions and other organizations benefiting from free collections would simply share the same fundraising challenges that other groups … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, My Life, World Events Tagged With: Amendment 49, Arapahoe County, automatic withdrawals, basic fairness, Bill Owens, civic organizations, Colorado ballot, Colorado Springs Gazette, community leaders, deception, Douglas County, dues deductions, editorial, employee paychecks, Ethical Standards initiative, free collections, fundraising, Grand Junction Sentinel, Hank Brown, local version, persuasive, private banking, professional organizations, Protect Colorado's Future, Pueblo Chieftain, retirement contributions, Rocky Mountain News

8/16/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Hank Brown on Video: “Amendment 49 Keeps Lobbyists in Line”

Earlier I linked to the audio of former Governor Bill Owens and former U.S. Senator Hank Brown giving their endorsements of Amendment 49, Colorado's Ethical Standards initiative. Compliments of Ethical Standards Now, here is a longer version of the Hank Brown Amendment 49 radio ad set to YouTube video - "Amendment 49 keeps lobbyists in line": (Full disclosure: I also happen to work for the Independence Institute, which has provided the intellectual ammunition behind Ethical Standards.) … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: Amendment 49, Amendment 49 keeps lobbyists in line, Bill Owens, Colorado, endorsement, Ethical Standards initiative, Ethical Standards Now, Hank Brown, Independence Institute, YouTube

8/14/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

Hear Bill Owens, Hank Brown Endorse Amendment 49 on Colorado Ballot

Two of Colorado's most respected political heavy hitters - former Gov. Bill Owens and elder statesman former U.S. Senator Hank Brown both have endorsed Amendment 49 (Ethical Standards Initiative) on the November ballot:Government should not be the bagman for special interests. Amendment 49 will prohibit governments from bundling money from public employees' paychecks and delivering the cash to special interests who use it to lobby politicians. Government should be using our tax dollars to provide crucial public services, not to funnel money to political organizations. Amendment 49 keeps lobbyists in line. Bill Owens gave a thumbs-up to Ethical Standards when he guest-hosted the Mike Rosen Show last week: Listen to the audio here. You … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General Tagged With: Amendment 49, audio, bagman, Bill Owens, Ethical Standards, former Governor, former U.S. Senator, Hank Brown, Independence Institute, keep lobbyists in line, Mike Rosen Show, November ballot, public employees, radio ad, special interests, tax dollars

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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

  • 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

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