El Presidente elaborates on a Complete Colorado exclusive: official 911 audio of Republican operative Matt Milner being threatened for recording a public event featuring newly selected U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Sure, our union goons aren't as bad as Michigan union goons or New Jersey union goons. But they sure aren't making a good name for themselves with this story. El Presidente asks:Are these thuggish tactics--employed by a Democrat constituency, big labor--indicative of what we as Coloradans should expect to influence a vote on EFCW, and a window into things to come with a Democrat win in 2010? In any case, I bet Mr. Milner won't be so inclined to show up in … [Read more...]
The Existential Impact of Government Motors on a Native Michigander
The whole sad affair with General Motors, the federal bailout and now the Presidentially-orchestrated dismissal of the company's CEO, strikes a little bit closer to home with me. I grew up in southeast Michigan. My dad worked more than 30 years for the automaker. Many, many people I knew worked for GM or one of the contract suppliers. GM was a significant part of a way of life. So after yesterday's announcement, please forgive me if my head is still spinning this morning. I'm not quite able to put it all into words, but thought I'd give it a first crack. Of course, the firing of CEO Rick Wagoner and the Presidential-backed car warranty are predictable outcomes of the initial bailout I have opposed from the beginning. But because of my … [Read more...]
Tea Parties Today in Denver and Nationwide: Is a Revolution Brewing?
Update, 2/28: Western Slope blogger Gene Kinsey has links to more Tea Party accounts from across the nation. Update, 6 PM: My brother-in-law, an excellent photographer not usually inclined to attend politically-oriented rallies and events, had his pictures from today's Denver Tea Party linked and featured by Instapundit. How cool is that? More than 40 "Tea Party" rallies around the country today: Is there a revolution brewing? (Pun intended) Who knows? But the energy on display today can't be left to simmer away in a lukewarm acceptance of wasteful government spending and mounting, endless debt. Pictures of the Denver Tea Party are up at People's Press Collective and Slapstick Politics (with video to come later). Great pics from … [Read more...]
Unions Lobby State Democrats to Slow Down School Building Inspections
Who's in charge at the Colorado State Capitol these days? Big Labor:A bill whose only aim was to make it easier for local school districts to get their new buildings inspected was blindsided today on the Senate floor by union-led opposition, with all but two of the chamber's Democrats voting to kill the measure. Three of the Democrats who voted with the majority against Senate Bill 64 [PDF]--Sens. Bob Bacon, of Fort Collins, Rollie Heath, of Boulder, and Evie Hudak, of Arvada--had voted in favor of it in the Senate Education Committee only two weeks earlier. What changed their minds? The bill's sponsor, the GOP's Sen. Keith King, of Colorado Springs, says it was the fact that the Journeyman Plumbers and Gas Fitters Union began lobbying … [Read more...]
He Wasn’t Their First Choice, But Wadhams and Hillman Both Pleased with Michael Steele as RNC Chair
Not exactly breaking news: former Maryland lieutenant governor Michael Steele is the new chairman of the Republican National Committee. Polipundit has a blow-by-blow account of the six rounds (and five hours) of yesterday's balloting to achieve a majority of support from the 168 delegates. Five candidates started the day. At the end it came down to Steele and South Carolina's Katon Dawson. Steele prevailed by a count of 91-77. I followed up with two of Colorado's three voting RNC members afterward to get their thoughts, and received very similar reactions to the results. "Michael Steele will be a great spokesperson for our party," said state GOP chairman Dick Wadhams. "Michael Steele is one of the Republican Party's most articulate … [Read more...]
Dig into UAW Golf Course Hijinks Before Obama Ends Union Disclosure
Perhaps you have seen the story about the United Auto Workers-owned golf course in northern Michigan and the controversy about the value of its property and tax history. Well, local blogger Chetly Zarko has dug even deeper to try to figure out why the facility's reported Pension Fund expenses are so high:The only explanation in my mind for this kind of pension fund investment is that the pension contributions are for SOMEONE ELSE other than the workers at the hotel. Just who might be receiving the long-term benefit of those contributions? It's not big enough to pay the pension debt of any serious number of rank-and-file union members - but it is big enough to sauce up a few individual's or union leadership. Or perhaps the UAW is using … [Read more...]
“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...]
Please Accept My Apologies for the Detroit Lions…Who Make Me Laugh
When people learn that I grew up in Michigan, occasionally I hear the question of whether my sports fan loyalties still lie in the land of my childhood. "That depends," I say. "Detroit Tigers? Detroit Red Wings? Yes." "What about the Lions?" "Uh, check please...." I'm pretty sure I've been cured of that disease. How do I know? Well, reading through DJ Gallo's ESPN Page 2 column this evening, I found myself laughing out loud at this segment: … [Read more...]
What I’m Thankful for #10: The Undeniable Beauty of God’s Creation
This is one in a series of daily posts I conceived of writing many weeks ago while the election still raged on, as I looked for something to write about of more lasting value. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving seemed perfectly appropriate for it. Just in case you wondered, the topics introduced are not necessarily in any particular order. I hope the series is of some small encouragement to you, even as my site traffic takes a dive. Living in Colorado, it may be a bit harder than most to take the natural beauty around us for granted. But it can happen. The plethora of mountain vistas practically in our backyard and the numerous days of rich blue, sunny skies would make it difficult for me ever to leave the Centennial State. I … [Read more...]
Disturbing Story: Leftist Group Attacks Michigan Church Service
This story coming out of my home state of Michigan is more than a little disturbing:A gay anarchist group infiltrated the Mt. Hope Church in Eaton County Sunday morning, disrupting a service by pulling a fire alarm, dropping leaflets and yelling at parishioners, a pastor said. … [Read more...]