It's been awhile since I've done any sort of book review. But having just completed Adam Schrager's The Principled Politician: The Ralph Carr Story, it seemed an apt time to change that. Those who won't want to miss this book include students of Colorado history, fans of the World War II era (especially the home front), and anyone interested in a sadly forgotten inspirational story that seems foreign in today's all-too-jaded and polarized world of politics. As introduced to readers in The Principled Politician, Ralph Carr (1887-1950) -- Republican governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943 -- was a rare model of statesmanship. Fittingly, he held deep admiration and adulation for our nation's 16th president Abraham Lincoln. He recognized the … [Read more...]
Residents in Wake of Latest RTD Expansion, See Property Rights Project
Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) says it needs to condemn 56 properties in northeast Denver for light-rail expansion. Maybe we can hope RTD has learned some lessons from arousing the ire of property owners on the west side of Denver. The stories of Daniel Gallegos, Kim Snyder, Galen Foster, and others should be instructive. But don't hold your breath. Residents who may be affected by RTD's latest expansion should empower themselves by checking out the resources provided by the Independence Institute's Property Rights Project. … [Read more...]
The Democrat “Stimulus” Bill: “Serious times call for silly, self-serving solutions”
Here's my new slogan for the day: "Serious times call for silly, self-serving solutions." At least as it applies to Democrats and their approach to addressing the current economic downturn . The Wall Street Journal sorts it out very nicely in today's editorial "The Stimulus Time Machine":The stimulus bill currently steaming through Congress looks like a legislative freight train, but given last week's analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, it is more accurate to think of it as a time machine. That may be the only way to explain how spending on public works in 2011 and beyond will help the economy today. According to Congressional Budget Office estimates, a mere $26 billion of the House stimulus bill's $355 billion in new spending … [Read more...]
Blog Talk Radio Links
The following are links to odds and ends I mentioned this evening as co-host of the Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio show: Neal Gabler's ironic Los Angeles Times column on Joe McCarthy and the American conservative movement: a true "triumph of the American imagination" Historian Arthur Herman's sage insights into lessons America should take from the grim Islamist terrorist attacks last week in India Chicago Tribune editorial from 2006 justifying jeers for U.S. Senator Dick Durbin's attempt to secure a pardon for corrupt former Republican Gov. George Ryan - in particular, the tragic but inspiring story of the Willis family - featured in the Tribune editorial - is worth a read And, of course, thanks to guest Todd Bensman - check … [Read more...]