Breaking News, Senate Democrat doesn’t blame Bush

by Mr. Bob | 10:42 am, March 19, 2009

#tcot #gop #hhrs In stunning fashion Senate Banking committee Chairman Christopher Dodd told CNN’s Dana Bash and Wolf Blitzer Wednesday that he was responsible for adding the bonus loophole into the stimulus package that permitted AIG and other companies that received bailout funds to pay bonuses.

This is something I did not think we would see for at least another three years. Someone check hell and see if the freezing over has begun sooner than expected.

Source

UPDATE; HolyCoast.com reports that Dodd’s stunning honesty also extends toward the current Commander-in-Chief.

Chris Dodd must be pretty concerned about this chances for re-election next year. He’s already been blamed, and rightfully so, for blocking reforms to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that led to the banking crisis, and he’s also been fingered as they guy who put language in the TARP bailout protecting AIG’s much-maligned bonuses.

However, Dodd enjoys his cushy job in D.C. and will do whatever he can to keep it, including throwing the president under the bus:

March 19 (Bloomberg) — Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said the Obama administration asked him to insert a provision in last month’s $787 billion economic- stimulus legislation that had the effect of authorizing American International Group Inc.’s bonuses.

Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, said yesterday he agreed to modify restrictions on executive pay at companies receiving taxpayer assistance to exempt bonuses already agreed upon in contracts. He said he did so without realizing the change would benefit AIG, whose recent $165 million payment to employees has sparked a public furor.
READ Dodd Throws Obama Under the Bus

Response to Denver Post: Medicaid and Medicare are not insurance

by Brian Schwartz | 1:30 am, March 19, 2009

Linda Gorman does a great job pointing out the misconceptions in a Denver Post news article:

“Patients on Medicare or Medicaid do not have insurance. They have government provided health care.”
“[S]ince when is it a “major flaw” in the US health care system when people in it withdraw their labor because they are not paid enough?”

Read [...]

Our very own Wesley Mouch

by Rossputin | 12:38 am, March 19, 2009

In Atlas Shrugged, one of the main villains is Wesley Mouch, who is described in the Wikipedia entry on the book’s characters as “Initially Wesley Mouch is the least powerful and least significant of the Looters – the other members of this group feel they can look down upon him with impunity. Eventually he becomes the most powerful Looter, and the country’s economic dictator, thereby illustrating Rand’s belief that a government-run economy places too much power in the hands of incompetent bureaucrats who would never have positions of similar influence in a private sector business.”

And now we have our very own Wesley Mouch:

Barney Frank is a petty bureaucrat-cum-dictator of the worst sort, whose Congressional snivelings simply reinforce the view of all sane Americans that no politician from Boston is to be trusted (whether they’re drunk or not.) Doesn’t he even look like he could/should be named “Wesley Mouch”?

In another pathetic performance on Wednesday, Barney Frank was grilling AIG CEO Edward Liddy, demanding the names of employees who received retention bonuses which the company agreed to before Mr. Liddy became CEO. Liddy said he would provide the names if Mr. Frank would agree to keep them confidential because AIG employees have been receiving death threats. Mr. Frank said he was not persuaded that the threats were significant, that he would not guarantee confidentiality (meaning he wants to use a current or former AIG employee to score political points), and that he would subpoena the names if he has to.

If there is anyone whom this country should be repudiating, it is Barney “Mouch” Frank.

In another fine moment, Mr. Frank demanded to know the names of people who received their bonuses after they no longer worked at AIG. This happened after Mr. Liddy repeatedly explained that the retention bonuses were given to people who were assigned to close down certain parts of AIG’s business. Mr. Frank demanded to be provided with a list of former employees who received such bonuses and how long they stayed at AIG before leaving and then getting the bonus. The implication of course is that Mr. Frank thinks someone who wasn’t at AIG for long shouldn’t be getting a bonus. But of course if the goal of the employee is to wind down an area of business quickly, one could just as easily argue that the people who left the fastest might have the best argument for a bonus. Now, I’m not exactly arguing that, but just making the point that Frank is a perfect example of a man who knows enough to be dangerous but not enough to be useful – and that suits his political ambitions just fine.

While Mr. Frank continues his anti-capitalist ranting on the House side, soon to be ex-Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) was crying crocodile tears about the AIG bonuses, seemingly forgetting that it was his amendment to Obama’s “stimulus” bill which explicitly protected bonuses such as AIG’s, specifically that there would be an “exception [from the stimulus’ bill’s executive compensation restrictions] for contractually obligated bonuses agreed on before Feb. 11, 2009″. Mr. Dodd says the language of his amendment was changed in conference or elsewhere and that he didn’t actually propose that, yet somehow it became law as part of his amendment. On Thursday morning, Dodd was pointing the finger at the Obama Administration for the language change.

It should come as no surprise, that just as Chris Dodd and Barack Obama were the biggest Senate recipients of “bonuses” (aka campaign contributions) from Fannie Mae, they were also the two biggest recipients from AIG, who gave more than three times as much to Democrats as to Republicans in 2008.

And then, there’s the Democrats’ version of “The Architect” (the nickname for Karl Rove), Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, the man by most accounts primarily responsible for the bailout of AIG and largely responsible, along with Hank Paulson and Ben Bernanke for the entire bailout craze. Earlier this week, Geither offered feigned outrage at the AIG bonuses, sending a letter to Congressional leaders saying that the government will get the money back from the company. While it’s possible that Geither wasn’t made aware of the bonus payments, the fact that the Treasury Department was told by the New York Federal Reserve about the bonuses more than two weeks before the money was paid means one of two things: Either Geither knew about them and let Congress believe he didn’t, or his Department is so disfunctional under his “leadership” that they left him swinging in the wind. In either case, adding in Geithner’s central role in bailing out AIG, in crafting the “stimulus”, and in his utter failure to competently run the financial and economic arm of the executive department during the most critical time for our economy since before my parents were born, it is a travesty that he still has his job.

I guarantee we’ll start hearing more and louder calls for Geithner’s resignation, not least from Democrats in Congress who would like to find a Democrat in another building to deflect blame on to. (Chris Dodd will probably lead the charge, as he’s already started the blame game.) My prediction: Barack Obama will offer his “full confidence” in Geithner, and then “reluctantly” accept his resignation. It would be particularly ironic if Geithner’s last day was April 15th, tax day, so that he could go off and file another false tax return…apparently a prerequisite toward getting an Obama cabinet position but hopefully not a strong enough qualification to keep him there.

Follow Me: You Can Help in Thursday’s Fight for Transparent School Spending

by Ben DeGrow | 9:52 pm, March 18, 2009

Tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon is the moment of truth at the Colorado state legislature for Senate Bill 57, a measure that would require school districts to open up their financial books online so citizens can search them. It goes before the House Education Committee.
Here are things you can do:

Starting at sometime shortly after 1:30 PM local [...]

Paid Political Hacks Sent Packing: Colorado Media Matters Abandons State

by elpresidente | 2:51 pm, March 18, 2009

Other states better saddle up and prepare for a “Rocky Ride” . . .

Apparently someone somewhere else in the United States has just a little too much liberty, so Media Matters’s Colorado outpost is being repositioned elsewhere:

One of Colorado’s liberal watchdogs has ceased to bark.

Colorado Media Matters on Monday closed its doors as its parent organization in Washington, D.C., plans more efficient expansions into more states, state editorial director Bill Menezes told The Post.

A new model “will allow us to launch this in other states where they were clamoring for it,” he said.

The Colorado office, home to five employees at its closure, spent three years red flagging “misinformation and conservative information not labeled as such,” in newspapers, television and radio, Menezes said.

One of their most frequent targets was Libertarian thinktank leader Jon Caldara, who hosts a radio show.

Caldara said he was “absolutely heartbroken” and quipped that the Media Matters staff made up half his audience.

“I feel like I’m losing a stalker girlfriend,” Caldara said.

Not much of a “watchdog” if there are no permanent plans to continue operations. If the progressive group were truly interested in Colorado’s political well-being (from a leftist perspective), wouldn’t they continue to monitor the outrageously pro-conservative bias in the Colorado media (I think I just threw up there a little)?

Paid political hacks dance to the piper’s well-funded tune.

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

The fight for government accountability and transparency continues…

by David K. Williams, Jr. | 12:27 pm, March 18, 2009

Hearings on two government transparency bills will be held tomorrow, Thursday, March 19, 2009. 

The fight is far from over. If these issues matter to you, TAKE ACTION.

Senate Bill 57 – the School District Transparency Act – public input will be heard at 1:30 p.m.

Senate Bill 87 – the Special District Accountability Act – public input will be heard “upon adjournment.” Which could be as early as 9:30 a.m.

More information direct from each bill’s sponsor:

From Senator Ted Harvey:

As you know, Senate Bill 57 — the School District Transparency Act — passed the Senate last month with bipartisan support. 

Now the bill faces its next major hurdle in the House Education committee. My co-sponsor in the House, Representative Amy Stephens, is a skilled legislator who is the best possible advocate to get this bill through the House. 

Amy will be presenting the bill in the House Education committee this Thursday at 1:30 pm. It is vital that the committee members witness the strong public support for government transparency. 

You can help Amy pass SB 57 in two ways: 

You can attend the committee hearing this Thursday to testify in favor of the bill. Your testimony does not have to be detailed – you can simply state why you support government transparency, or share any experience you have about this issue. 

The hearing will take place in House Committee Room 0112 in the basement of the capitol. If you cannot attend but would still like to listen to the debate, you can stream live audio through this link:

http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2009a/cslFrontPages.nsf/Audio?OpenForm

I also encourage you to call or e-mail the members of the House Education committee and urge them to support Senate Bill 57. I’ve included the names and e-mails of the committee members below.

I hope you can help pass this important piece of legislation. I’ll keep you updated.

Sincerely,

Ted Harvey

House Education Committee members: 

Mike Merrifield – 303-866-2932 – Michael.merrifield.house@state.co.us

Judy Solano – 303-866-2918 – judy.solano.house@state.co.us
Randy Baumgardner – 303-866-2949 – randy.baumgardner.house@state.co.us
Debbie Benefield – 303-866-2950 – Debbie@debbiebenefield.org
Tom Massey – 303-866-2747 – tom.massey.house@state.co.us
Karen Middleton – 303-866-3911 – Karen@karenmiddleton.com
Carol Murray – 303-866-2948 – murrayhouse45@gmail.com
Cherylin Peniston – 303-866-2843 – cherylin.peniston.house@state.co.us
Kevin Priola – 303-866-2912 – kpriola@gmail.com
Christine Scanlan – 303-866-2952 – Christine.scanlan.house@state.co.us
Sue Schafer – 303-866-5522 – sue.schafer.house@state.co.us
Ken Summers – 303-866-2927 – ken.summers.house@state.co.us
Nancy Todd – 303-866-2919 – nancy.todd.house@state.co.us

 

=======

SB – 87 The Special District Accountability Act

 From Representative Cherylin Peniston:

 Dear all, I was given your names by Senator Carroll because you have been involved in helping pass SB 087.  I am the House sponsor and will present this bill to the House Local Government Committee on Thursday, March 19.  It meets upon recess on Thursday morning.  Recess means whenever we finish working on the floor of the House, so it is not very convenient, I’m afraid.  We could start as early as 9:30 or somewhat later.  Would any of you be available to come down and testify as to the need for this bill?  It would really help get it passed.

Thanks, 

Rep. Cherylin Peniston

 If you can’t attend, please contact the members of the committee and tell them you SUPPORT SB 87 and want to reign in the abuses of Special Districts.

 Members of the House Local Government Committee

 Cherylin Peniston, Chairman - 303-866-2843 - cherylin.peniston.house@state.co.us

John Soper, Vice-Chairman - 303-866-2931 -  john.soper.house@state.co.us

Cindy Acree - 303-866-2944 - cindy.acree.house@state.co.us

Laura Bradford - 303-866-2583 - laurabradford55@gmail.com

Larry Liston – 303-866-2965 - larry.liston.house@state.co.us

Wes McKinley - 303-866-2398 - wes.mckinley.house@state.co.us

Karen Middleton -  303-866-3911 - karen@karenmiddleton.com

Sue Schafer - 303-866-5522 - sue.schafer.house@state.co.us

Scott Tipton - 303-866-2955 - COHD58@yahoo.com

Edward Vigil - 303-866-2916 edvigil1@gmail.com

Mark Waller -303-866-5525 mark.waller.house@state.co.us

 Let freedom ring.

=============

 

Please forward this message to friends and family who are concerned about defending our freedoms!

 

 

My contact information:

David K. Williams, Jr.

President, Gadsden Society of Colorado

cell 303-588-2731

The Mission of Daniel Pearl Continues

by Mr. Bob | 11:16 am, March 18, 2009

#tcot #gop #hhrs Uncovering Jihad in the U.S. I wrote on Daniels mission yesterday here.

Sirota’s misunderstanding of the “free-market” concept.

by David K. Williams, Jr. | 9:05 am, March 18, 2009

Tell Your State Senator NO on HB 1299: Save the Electoral College

by Ben DeGrow | 8:15 am, March 18, 2009

Coloradans need to wake up to the threat of House Bill 1299, which would spit on the U.S. Constitution and render Colorado irrelevant in national political elections. The Left is pushing the issue forward because it can, hoping to prey on the ignorance and apathy of the general populace. But perhaps they forgot what happened [...]

Bill Ritter Has an Official Republican Challenger for 2010: Who?

by Ben DeGrow | 7:47 am, March 18, 2009

I agree with Rocky Mountain Right: Who? I’ve been reasonably involved in the Jefferson County Republican Party for six years, and have never heard of this fellow from Evergreen. Methinks he’s not the Republicans’ best hope to take on Bill Ritter.

Obama Drinking Game

by zombiehunter | 7:14 am, March 18, 2009

Let’s play a drinking game.   Trust me, this will be fun – espeicially for all of you Liberty on the Rocks folks (come to the Uptown Tavern at 17th/Pearl tonight if you haven’t hung out with us before, we’re lots of fun.  Promise.).  First, go get a bottle of your favorite liquor (I recommend staying [...]

AIG: “A Mistake at the beginning”

by Rossputin | 1:29 am, March 18, 2009

The media and political furor of the week is the employee bonuses paid by AIG under contracts that existed prior to the government’s effective takeover of the company. And while the President as well as politicians of both parties are fulminating about the payouts, voter anger should be directed more at those very politicians than at AIG.

In a truly remarkable statement yesterday, GOP Senator Charles Grassley (R-Farm Subsidies, or R-Iowa) said this of AIG executives: “The first thing that would make me feel a little bit better towards them if they’d follow the Japanese model and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say I’m sorry, and then either do one of two things – resign, or go commit suicide.”

And NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo demanded (and presumably received) a list of everyone who received a “bonus” check. Think about that for a minute…

And then Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said of the people who received the bonuses, “If you don’t return it on your own we will do it for you.” Think about that for two minutes…

I’m not saying that these bonus contracts were wise or even that they weren’t a minor level of corruption in their own way. But they shouldn’t distract us from the fact that it was politicians and bureaucrats who gave AIG your money and mine.

By now we all know (and by “we”, I’m including idiots like Grassley) that the bonuses were due to current and former employees based on pre-existing contracts…and that the top management of the company is not receiving them.

But even after that was clear, politicians from the President on down are trying to figure out how to block or recover those payments, including some Democrats suggesting a special surcharge tax on bonuses from firms which are receiving TARP money with the effect of creating a 100% tax rate on those payments.

Of course, just two years ago, the President’s Press Secretary said the administration was “confident” they knew where AIG was spending taxpayer money.

The upcoming government program called the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (“TALF”), which was already delayed once, is now getting the cold shoulder from many would-be participants over the level of government interference in their business which they may be subject to if they participate. Not just the risk that government may retroactively try to change employment or other contracts, which would make it more difficult to attract quality employees who would prefer to go to a non-participating firm without that risk. But also other know-nothing protectionist measures such as the provision in the stimulus bill that restricts the ability of recipients of government “rescue” money to hire foreign workers on H-1B visas. These are not tomato pickers we’re talking about here. They are educated, important members of the American economy who will simply leave the US and go to compete against us because of Congress’ boneheaded “America First” nonsense.

There’s another very important point about the money that went to AIG. It seems that AIG tried to keep secret (probably for both legitimate and illegitimate reasons) just where it sent the tens of billions of taxpayer dollars it received. The majority of payments to AIG were distributed to other banks and investment banks, each of which was made whole on contracts at taxpayer expense even though almost all of those banks could have withstood losing much or all of the amount paid. In other words, American taxpayers just covered nearly $100 billion in potential losses, including at least $58 billion which went to foreign banks, especially in France and Germany!

Goldman Sachs, which has had tremendous impact on and some might say control of the US Treasury for much of the time since Robert Rubin was Bill Clinton’s second Secretary of the Treasury, received about $13 billion! No wonder Hank Paulson wanted AIG bailed out. And no wonder he appointed as the new CEO of AIG Edward Liddy…who serves on the Board of Directors of Goldman Sachs. Anyone smell a rat?

While nobody likes to lose money, these giant American and foreign institutions could have withstood losing a few billion dollars each. Instead, the government simply paid out $100 billion of our money to cover their potential loses.

While part of me thinks government should demand a return of part of that money from all the AIG counterparties so that they’re at least sharing in the loss, another part of me says that would just be further government meddling in existing contracts. Hindsight is 20/20, but clearly the government should have let AIG go into bankruptcy protection and then work out an orderly closing-down of the company, including letting its counter-parties take all, or at least much, of their losses.

And now the politicians want to scream about $165 million actually paid to employees?

To put it another way, dividing the $165 million in bonuses over the roughly 6,400 people who will receive them, we’re talking about an average of just under $26,000 per person. But these are the same politicians who passed an economic stimulus plan that Democrats claim will cost around $100,000 per job created and stimulus opponents claim will cost over $200,000 per job created.

It’s truly amazing for a President who is proposing a budget with a $1.75 trillion deficit (and it will be higher than that) and a Congress that passed a “stimulus” bill that will likely end up costing over $3 trillion in the next decade (not the $800 billion nominal price tag on the disastrous piece of legislation) is complaining about $165 million going to Americans who are due it under contracts.

They’re simply tried to cover their asses for being responsible for the single biggest waste of taxpayer money in American history. We must not let them get away with it.

The Treasury Department and the Fed, either knowingly or unknowingly (my guess is the former) simply redistributed your money and mine to Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Societe Generale, and Deutsche Bank, just to name a few. They made the argument (which I believed, to a degree) that the counter-party risk could take down the entire financial system. But it turns out that the counter-party risk was so widely distributed that it would have been just a small bruise on an industry which was being so severely beaten for other reasons that the additional losses from AIG would have been little more than a minor additional nuisance.

Barney Frank is one of the key villains in the whole financial meltdown, but he got one thing right this week, speaking of how the government threw more than $100 billion of taxpayer money at AIG with no strings and no oversight: “Clearly there was a mistake at the beginning.”

And today, if I understood him right, Barack Obama is saying that he will be proposing legislation to allow government to regulate executive compensation. It is an all-out war on capitalism, but unfortunately for those of us who prefer capitalism to the current trend toward economic fascism, the left is using AIG as the poster boy for free-markets when any true capitalist would have said “let them fail.”

It’s far past time to insist on an end to government bailouts, to stop accepting “too big to fail” and instead to consider some thing “too big to save.” And it’s time to hold our elected officials accountable for wasting our money on a nearly unimaginable scale.

Book Club Alert: Liberty in the Books

by infinity3 | 10:12 pm, March 17, 2009

Starting a brand new book is like embarking on an adventure. This is the case with the new group I’m involved with called Liberty in the Books. It is a book club that meets once a month to discuss the issues and ideas encapsulated in the chosen…

Supreme’s Rule Against Taxpayers – the Video

by Jon Caldara | 4:27 pm, March 17, 2009

Here’s the video of some of my remarks at our press conference yesterday at the Capitol.  Colorado taxpayers got SUPREMELY hosed.  (get it?)

How to understand liberals

by Mr. Bob | 3:25 pm, March 17, 2009

Hat tip to Stop the ACLU

Colorado Senate Votes to give away state’s electoral votes -UPDATED-

by Mr. Bob | 3:02 pm, March 17, 2009

#redco #tcot #hhrs #gop DENVER — The House has approved a bill that would change the way Colorado’s presidential electoral votes are cast. Under the measure approved Tuesday, Colorado’s nine electoral votes would go to the candidate who receives the most votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The current system awards all of Colorado’s electoral votes to the candidate that wins the statewide vote. The law would take effect only when enacted by enough states to reach a majority of the electoral votes. The bill now goes to the Senate.

FROM 7 NEWS.

**Updated ; Read Tell Your State Senator NO on HB 1299: Save the Electoral College at Mount Virtus for a more thorough explanation and more links.

call your lawmakers…

RMA 2.0: Rocky Mtn Blogs Radio Show #18

by elpresidente | 11:30 am, March 17, 2009

**Every Tuesday–next show March 17, 8:30 pm.

The Blog Talk Radio version of the Rocky Mountain Alliance. A weekly discussion about politics–national, state, and local–featuring RMA members bloggers led by featured host and producer Joshua Sharf, with rotating co-host duties from Ben DeGrow of Mount Virtus, Randy Ketner of Night Twister, and Michael Alcorn of Best Destiny.

March 17 lineup–State Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry is our first guest, followed by Nathan Chambers, candidate for Colorado Republican Party state vice chair.

Last week (all shows archived): March 10 lineup–From 8:45 to 9:15, Colorado Republican Party Chair Dick Wadhams and at 9:30 Hassan Daioleslam.

March 3 lineup–two candidates for Fort Collins City Council, Aislinn Kottwitz (District 3) and Andrew Boucher (District 5), and Tom Stone, who is challenging Dick Wadhams for state party chairmanship.

Next week–TBD.

February 24 lineup–Evan Coyne Maloney of Indoctrinate U, whose film of the same name was shown at the inaugural Liberty on Film last Thursday, and Nadeem Esmail of the Fraser Institute, discussing the dangers of single-payer (socialized) medicine from first hand experience.

Indoctrinate U trailer:

Plus two special editions of RMA Radio–the Pork Roast/anti-stimulus rally edition from the steps of the state capitol, as well as extensive coverage of the Larimer County Lincoln Day dinner.

February 17 lineup–Denver-based political activist Chris Maj, also an affiliate of Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty, and a look back to today’s anti-stimulus/pig roast rally at the state capitol.

February 10 lineup–State Rep. Cory Gardner (R-63), probable candidate in the CD-4 GOP primary, and Leondray Gholston, Republican activist and candidate for state GOP vice-chair.

February 3 lineup–Daveed Gartenstein-Ross from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Mike Saccone of the Grand Junction Sentinel.

January 27–Guests included elections expert Jan Tyler and State Sen. Greg Brophy.

January 20–Guests included Todd Shepherd, Independence Institute, and Mark Hillman, Colorado Republican National Committeeman.

January 13–State Rep. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango (HD 59) and State Senator Mike Kopp, SD 22, R-Littleton.

January 6–CU Regent Tom Lucero, chairman of the successful Amendment 54 campaign and a candidate for CD 4 in 2010.

December 30–RMA took a look back at a dismal year in their 2008 year-in-review.

December 23–Joshua and fellow commentators (including yours truly) hosted Jim Pfaff of Americans for Prosperity Foundation and Opinion Times. Pfaff discussed the AFP Colorado report “Keeping Colorado Competitive” and bridging the Christian/libertarian gap.

On December 16 we hosted State Rep. Kevin Lundberg (District 49), and discussed the Salazar appointment as the Secretary of the Interior in the Obama cabinet.

The December 12 edition featured Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier.

**Bookmark the new RMA Radio home page, with embedded player and calendar of upcoming shows and featured guests.

Stream the show live, or play/download the podcast at your convenience.

I’ll update co-host and guest info for each episode as it becomes available. Stay tuned . . .

RMA’s shows are archived–if you missed any of them, be sure to check out the archive page to stream or download, or scroll down this page a bit, for the embedded archive player.

It’s not the cash, it’s the Constitution, Part IX

by Jon Caldara | 10:51 am, March 17, 2009

When we filed suit in 2007 we knew the Colorado Supreme Court had never missed an opportunity to rule against the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights in the state constitution.  But nothing has ever come close to the re-writing of the constitution that came out of the high court yesterday.  (Our attorney Richard Westfall, who did [...]

RMA Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 8:30: Senator Josh Penry, Nathan Chambers

by Ben DeGrow | 8:30 am, March 17, 2009

Tune in starting at 8:30 PM local Mountain Time this evening for the special Saint Patrick’s Day edition of Rocky Mountain Alliance Blog Talk Radio. From 8:45 to 9:15, state senate minority leader Josh Penry will join us to discuss yesterday’s supreme court ruling, the ongoing debate about lifting state spending limits, and other goings-on [...]

Ivory tower reporters should keep quiet about economics

by Rossputin | 3:35 am, March 17, 2009

[This blog note is being published well after the appearance of the NY Times article because the Times does not permit letters which have been previously published elsewhere, including the web.]

re “Ivory Tower Unswayed by Crashing Economy”, NY Times, 3/4/09
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/books/05deba.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq=ivory%20tower&st=cse&scp=1

If Keynes were as neglected in university economics departments as the NY Times implies, why are a few universities (i.e. Chicago and George Mason) known for being bastions of free-market and “Austrian” economics? They must be unusual to be famous for disagreeing with Keynesianism.

To the Editor:

The implication that Keynsian economists should be proud of being “unswayed by the crashing economy” is like saying that we would be proud of having biologists who still believe Lamarck or astronomers following Ptolemy. The reason that none of those men generally gets more than a passing reference is that they were proven wrong.

Since the election of our avowedly Keynsian president, the S&P 500 is down by over 30%, a greater percentage than from the top of the market to election day. It is only “ivory tower” economists who believe that they must be right and the stock market wrong. If I were a Keynsian economist, I’d stay in my ivory tower, blissfully ignoring the real world collapsing around me.

Attack of the First Amendment

by Eileen McGuire-Mahony | 1:53 am, March 17, 2009

One thing I love about being a student is the endless lectures and events readily available to me. This doesn’t mean I go to all of them – but to each their own. I truly do treasure being in the midst of a world where knowledge is loved for its own sake.  This is not [...]

Outrage at Our Sorry Court

by Constructively Reasonable | 11:35 pm, March 16, 2009

The Colorado Supreme Court has marked itself again as the most partisan court in our nation. When it had the chance to choose the constitution or cash– it chose the cash. I have not been this outraged at our court since last summer’s land-grabbing decision in the Telluride case. News coverage here and here. Mount Virtus also had an excellent post on this case.

Today’s case is Mesa County Board of County Commissioners v. Ritter (slip. op. 08SA216) (this was the first site to have the full opinion).

The Colorado Supreme Court was asked a simple question (paraphrased): Whether SB 07-199s constitutes a “tax policy change” resulting in more revenue for the government, and thereby requiring consent of the people under article X, section 20 of the Colorado Constitution (The “Taxpayer Bill Of Rights” or TABOR).

The Colorado Constitution is clear: when deciding if something is tax policy change, the presumption favors the lower taxes (“[i]ts preferred interpretation shall reasonably restrain most the growth of government.” Colo. Const. art. X, § 20(1)).

The majority chose to ignore this mandate of the constitution and instead put one of the most onerous standards of proof on the tax payer: beyond a reasonable doubt. (See also Barber v. Ritter 196 P.3d 238 (Colo. 2008)). As you fans of Law & Order know, BRD is a very difficult hurdle to clear– indeed it is easier for the state to take your children away (clear and convincing evidence) or make a corporation pay millions of dollars if their product kills people (preponderance of the evidence– more likely than not).

The majority chose to presume that the tax change was constitutional. Justice Eid, the only rational voice on the court, put it best:

“In my view, the presumption of constitutionality cannot be used as a cover to excise article X, section 20 from our Constitution. The wisdom of that constitutional provision is a question for the voters, not this court, to decide.”

Now to the heart of the case: TABOR requires a vote of the people for any tax policy change that results in a net gain for the government. Put simply the government needs to ask before taxing more. (See Colo. Const. art. X, § 20(4)(a) and §20(7)). Attorney General Suthers, on behalf of the people, argued that the plain, easy meaning of the text be given full effect. If the government wants money, then it should ask, as our constitution requires.

But the Colorado Supreme Court did not want to read the plain meaning of the text– they wanted the money for the state. The majority chose to not read the text with specificity (a shock to anyone who knows lawyers: what? Read a word loosely? What lawyer does that?). Further, the majority cared more about the “practical” effect on government– that it would be difficult to raise taxes otherwise. That is precisely the point of TABOR!

Justice Eid’s final words on the case are perfect:

“The purpose of article X, section 20 “is to require that the voters decide for themselves the necessity for the imposition of new tax burdens.” [. . .] Today the majority deprives the voters of this opportunity regarding SB 07-199. I therefore respectfully dissent.”

Except I do not respectfully dissent. I shake my head in shame that our highest court is so partisan as to ignore the constitution. They would make Justice Taney (who wrote Dread Scott) proud.

Has State Representative Don Marostica Wandered Off the Political Cliff?

by Ben DeGrow | 9:09 pm, March 16, 2009

Update, 3/17: Link added – check out “Keep The Cap Colorado”
Saying state representative Don Marostica is not the future of the Colorado Republican Party was one of the blog understatements of the year. As if latching on to the Democratic caucus to support California-like spendthrift policies wasn’t enough by itself, Marostica had to go and [...]

Undeterred by Plain Reading of Constitution, State Supremes Stick It to Colorado Taxpayers

by Ben DeGrow | 4:02 pm, March 16, 2009

Update, 3/17: Law student Constructively Reasonable says the decision is a cause for “outrage”. A watcher says Colorado may not as well even have a constitution.
The Colorado Supreme Court has done it again, showing its disdain for taxpayer protections in the state constitution. From the majority opinion:
When it issued its declaratory judgment order, the district [...]

Churchill Trialpalooza Week 1 Recap, Week 2 Preview

by elpresidente | 1:01 pm, March 16, 2009

The Drunkablog continues his extensive virtual liveblog coverage of the Ward Churchill lawsuit:

Tuesday March 10–“Ordeal by trial”

Wednesday March 11–Vince Carroll’s pessimism on the Churchill lawsuit; ex-CU President Betsy “C-word is a term of endearment” Hoffman deposed on video, speaking on then-Gov. Bill Owens’ “plan” for Churchill

Thursday March 12–pro-Churchill testimonials from CU faculty, former students; former CU President Hank Brown’s testimony

Friday March 13–Churchill’s lawyer David Lane’s call for “mistrial” rebuffed

Monday March 16–Prof. Marianne “Mimi” Wesson, chair of investigative committee on academic misconduct, accused of bias

The Boulder Daily Camera continues to liveblog as well, and the usual expansive links at PirateBallerina.

Bonus–“Ward Churchill was the hazardous waste dumped in the reservoir”

Churchill, Holocaust deniers–what’s the difference?

Could Churchill sycophant Glenn Spagnuolo’s own case put a nail in his idol’s coffin?

Churchill lawsuit–insubstantial MSM coverage but still substantial interest?

Chinese Harassment of the US Navy

by Mr. Bob | 11:02 am, March 16, 2009

#tcot
News Report at Pajama’s TV

Rep. Anne McGihon (D-Denver) Resigns

by elpresidente | 10:50 am, March 16, 2009

**Breaking** Details are coming in from the capitol, but it appears that Rep. Anne McGihon (D-Denver) of House District 3 will be rejoining her old law firm, spending more time in DC, and has already been missing votes. Stay tuned for more–effective March 27.

Beer Bill Bash At Capitol Takes Aim At Protectionism In The Market

by elpresidente | 10:45 am, March 16, 2009

Free competition or beer protectionism–HB 1192 killed in committee:

A House committee killed House Bill 1192 — which would have allowed grocery stores and supermarkets to sell full-strength beer — on Wednesday. After the legislation’s defeat, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Buffie McFadyen, D-Pueblo West, brought up the idea of taking the issue to the voters on the November 2010 ballot.
. . .
“Competition is competition,” said John G., who wouldn’t disclose his last name. “If liquor stores can’t compete with the big bucks stores, then that’s just the nature of capitalism.”

Ari Armstrong, publisher of FreeColorado.com, is a vocal advocate of getting a version of HB 1192 on the Nov. 2010 ballot. The Web site publisher staged an event at the Capitol on Friday where he smashed bottles in protest of the grocery limits, arguing that not allowing grocery stores to sell full strength beer is “using the force of the government to harm competitors and favor certain businesses.”

“Protectionism is wrong,” he said. “What we want instead of protectionism is a free market, where merchants and customers can come together voluntarily of their own choice and associate in the way that they deem best. What we need, in a word, is liberty.”

Armstrong has much more at his own site on the difference between liberty (competition) and the use of government force (protectionism) in beer sales in Colorado.

Bonus beer-smashing video from the protest at the capitol:

Now, smashing things (in this case bottles of beer) at the capitol isn’t the point of the protest, but illustrates a good way of drawing attention to a cause through a unique photo/video opportunity. With MSM withering through loss of competition and budget cuts, the usual dog-bites-man protest will garner little, if any, media attention. Simply distributing press releases for a stated cause is also unlikely to stir any sense of urgency in the local media. Smashing bottles won’t be appropriate in almost all cases, but for this situation, it just seemed to fit.

Breaking News: Rep. Anne L. McGihon Resigns on House Floor

by David K. Williams, Jr. | 10:35 am, March 16, 2009

Rep. Anne L. McGihon, (D – Democrat), resigned her seat today on the house floor.

Backlash against costly government DNA database builds

by David K. Williams, Jr. | 9:51 am, March 16, 2009

March 16, 2009 Denver – Colorado Senate Bill 09-241, which would mandate the use of government force to take DNA samples from innocent citizens, made it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 5-1 margin on March 11, 2009. A wide range of groups have joined together to fight this un-American bill, which would cost taxpayers over $1.7 million to implement.

The Libertarian Party of Colorado, the Colorado ACLU, the Gadsden Society, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar and the Colorado Public Defenders Office, among others, all oppose this costly Orwellian expansion of government power over innocent Americans.

David K. Williams, Jr., Legislative Director for the Libertarian Party and President of the Gadsden Society is among those against the bill.

“The backers of this bill claim it will help law enforcement. Undoubtedly it would,” Williams said. “So would the repeal of the Fourth Amendment. So would micro chipping newborns so the government knows where they are all at times, from cradle to grave. So would putting video cameras in every house.

“The point is that helping law enforcement is not the only concern Americans should have. Protecting the Constitution and preventing government abuse of power should also be a concern of all Americans.”

The next stop for the bill is the Senate Appropriations Committee, where a hearing date has not yet been set. If the Appropriations Committee decides it is a good idea to spend $1.7 million of taxpayer money to implement the proposed DNA database, the bill would move to the floor of the Senate for debate.

Senator Morgan Carroll (D – Aurora) was the lone “no” vote in the Judiciary Committee.

Resources

SB 09-241 language:

http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics/CLICS2009A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/A33C46D1F9F4F2EC87257553007F530D?Open&file=241_01.pdf

SB 09-241 Fiscal Impact note:

http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2009a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/A33C46D1F9F4F2EC87257553007F530D?Open&file=SB241_00.pdf

SB 09-241 Senate Judiciary Committee Roll Call vote:

http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics/CLICS2009A/csl.nsf/BillFoldersSenate?openFrameset

 

About the Gadsden Society

The Gadsden Society is a non-partisan public advocacy group, fighting for the preservation and expansion of individual liberty throughout Colorado.

The Gadsden Society monitors bills pending in the state legislature and advocates on behalf of legislation that expands individual liberty and opposes legislation that contracts individual liberty.

Contact information

David K. Williams, Jr.
President, The Gadsden Society
4155 East Jewell Avenue
Suite 401
Denver, CO
Telephone 303-588-2731
Facsimile 303-753-4599

« go back — keep looking »

Featured Posts

• Judge Rules Americans Can Be Forced to Testify Against Themselves

  In order to protect our rights, our security must be protected. In order to protect our security, our rights must be invaded. Nothing wrong with that, is there?

• World Economic Forum in Switzerland: Global Elites Celebrating Hypocrisy
• SCOTUS decision on warrantless GPS surveillance produces an expected friend of privacy
• You didn’t want your Fifth Amendment rights, anyway, did you?
• Keynesian Economists Finally Catch Up and Agree: China to Have Hard Landing
• The Beauty of Private Property—from China?
• Regime Uncertainty, Regulatory Surge, and Unemployment Numbers