The Progressives and the Tea Parties

by Joshua Sharf | 2:59 pm, February 6, 2011

I love essays.  I love the essays of E.B. White and Joseph Epstein.  Some authors who have fine bodies of work in other fields, I know mostly through their essays: Cynthia Ozick and Stephen King come to mind.  They are enough to stimulate, while leaving enough room as an exercise to reader to keep from [...]

Obama clueless, distant, "manic"

by Rossputin | 12:11 pm, February 6, 2011

H/T Mike R.

This is a truly fascinating note, not least because it’s so believable:

http://newsflavor.com/politics/world-politics/white-house-insider-obama-is-clueless-totally-clueless/

Group Forced to Cancel Event Due To "Negative Rhetoric" Against Speaker

by PerlStalker | 9:39 am, February 6, 2011

From the Denver Post:

Saying it received an “onslaught of personal attacks,” a Colorado nonprofit announced in a news release Saturday that it was canceling a scheduled May appearance in Glendale by former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

….

Denver’s New Leadership May Be More Important Than It Knows

by Joshua Sharf | 10:09 pm, February 5, 2011

Congratulations to the new leadership of the Denver Republican Party, Danny Stroud as Chairman, Michelle Lyng, Jeff Krump, and Pauline Olvera as Vice Chairmen, and Brett Moore as Secretary.  I had the chance to get to know them all during the last two election cycles, and they all bring unmistakable strengths to their new roles.  [...]

Calling Al Gore (to Mexico)

by Rossputin | 7:42 pm, February 5, 2011

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110205/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_frigid_weather_animals

Movie Ticket Tax (er, “fee”) coming soon to a theater near you?

by CTBC Director | 4:11 pm, February 5, 2011

Apparently, some folks still haven’t gotten the memo…
As reported in the Denver Post (”Bill proposes 10-cent fee on movie tickets“) online Friday afternoon,
Two Republican lawmakers introduced a bill today that would impose a 10-cent fee on every movie ticket sold in the state, beginning July 1, to help fund an incentive program for promoting film [...]

Challenge for Sal Pace: Rethink Colorado spending on jobs

by Michael Sandoval | 3:51 pm, February 5, 2011

“We’re all with you, but you’re a Democrat. Your party wants more government spending. But you, a Democrat, can’t find out where the money spent has gone. Does that make you rethink the whole idea of government spending to create jobs”

Tax-and-Spend Republicans Loose in Colorado Assembly

by PerlStalker | 11:06 am, February 5, 2011

It’s that time again on PerlStalker’s Ramblings where I smack around some Republicans.

Two Republican lawmakers introduced a bill today that would impose a 10-cent fee on every movie ticket sold in the state, beginning July 1, to help fund an incent…

Irony, Hypocrisy (and Independence?) in Lefties’ Anti-Koch Brother Campaign

by Ben DeGrow | 1:55 pm, February 4, 2011

Update, 9:00 PM: Common Cause issued a formal “apology” for the vile behavior of its rally attendees, a statement thoroughly deconstructed by James Taranto, who concludes with the zinger: “For the sake of truth in advertising, Common Cause should change its name to Hypocrisy Hub.” Ouch. That’s going to leave a mark. Independent new media [...]

ObamaCare Ruled Unconstitutional Again

by Jon Caldara | 1:42 pm, February 4, 2011

On tonight’s Devils Advocate, I am hosting two living legends of constitutional law to discuss the most recent ruling on ObamaCare coming out of a lower federal court in Florida. Professor Rob Natelson and Independence Institute Research Director Dave Kopel will be joining me to examine this decision in light of the past three decisions. [...]

ObamaCare Ruled Unconstitutional Again

by Jon Caldara | 1:42 pm, February 4, 2011

On tonight’s Devils Advocate, I am hosting two living legends of constitutional law to discuss the most recent ruling on ObamaCare coming out of a lower federal court in Florida. Professor Rob Natelson and Independence Institute Research Director Dave Kopel will be joining me to examine this decision in light of the past three decisions. [...]

How About School Choice for Everyone?

by Ari Armstrong | 12:53 pm, February 4, 2011

The following article by Linn and Ari Armstrong originally was published by Grand Junction Free Press.While President Obama delivered the State of the Union address in the District of Columbia, pundit and author Michelle Malkin discussed school choice …

CCCAP: Registered Sex Offenders in Same Addresses as Subsidized Day Care Facilities?

by T.L. James | 12:11 pm, February 4, 2011

Todd Shepherd at Independence Institute reports today on his investigation of registered sex offenders and CCCAP-subsidized day care facilities: Convicted sex offenders are registering addresses with the state, which, in some cases, are identical to locations for state-subsidized child care providers, database research by Independence Investigates shows.  Whether the offender is actually under the same roof [...]

Your Chance to Say “Yes” to Falcon 49’s Bold, Cost-Saving Innovation Plan

by Eddie | 11:38 am, February 4, 2011

Colorado Springs Gazette editor Wayne Laugesen posted a great piece last night urging citizens to give District 49 leadership a chance with its bold plan that favors students over bureaucrats:
The school board has decided the large district will go forward without a superintendent — an experiment educators are sure to watch throughout the United States. [...]

Paul Ryan takes the first axe swing at government spending

by Rossputin | 9:01 am, February 4, 2011

Operating under new Republican rules that give him unilateral authority to set the maximum discretionary spending levels for the federal government for the rest of this fiscal year (though not how the money will be spent), House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) last Thursday proposed total discretionary federal spending for this fiscal year of $1.055 trillion. (Those rules were made possible by the Democrats’ failure to pass a budget in the last Congress.)

As a senior staffer for the congressman put it, Ryan’s spending limit allocation “is like an allowance that will guide the appropriations process for the current fiscal year. The federal government has been misbehaving as of late, so Paul cut their allowance.”

Please see the rest of my article at the web page of the American Spectator:
http://spectator.org/archives/2011/02/07/ryans-opening-pitch

Pinnacol Scandal’s first casualty: Ethics committee chair ousted

by Michael | 7:46 am, February 4, 2011

Earlier this month, COST profiled the excellent investigative reporting conducted by The Denver Channel’s Tony Kovaleski in discovering the profligate spending practices of Pinnacol Assurance’s board of directors, who had spent in excess of $300,000 in posh golf and span junkets.
The subsequent row over the expenses stirred up calls for board resignations, and now COST [...]

Mail-in Ballots: A Bad Idea

by Al Maurer | 11:32 pm, February 3, 2011

Mail-in ballots invite fraud and continue to be a bad idea.

Jimmy Carter is sued for lying about Israel

by Mr. Bob | 5:42 pm, February 3, 2011

#israel, #carter #tcot #teapartyJimmy Carter is sued for lying about Israel http://is.gd/ZL8Ig5Tweet

New Education Honorees: Colorado Superheroes & a Ladner-Burke Bunkum

by Eddie | 11:48 am, February 3, 2011

February is a big month for awards. There’s the Oscars for movies and the Grammys for popular music. Before both of them comes the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the winner of the most-watched sporting event: the Super Bowl. So I thought today would be a great opportunity to highlight a couple of freshly-announced education-related awards.
First [...]

The left misunderestimates importance of Obamacare repeal vote

by Rossputin | 10:41 am, February 3, 2011

Yesterday, on a 47-51 party line vote – with Senators Lieberman (CT) and Warner (VA) not voting – Senate Republicans followed their House colleagues in coming through with their promise to get a vote on repealing Obamacare.

Despite the rhetoric of the left, the vote was far more than symbolic as it forced some key vulnerable Democrats, including Claire McCaskill (MO) and Ben Nelson (NE) to show whether they stood with the citizens of their states or with the arm-twisting of Harry Reid and Barack Obama.  In a vote in August, 71% of those Missourians who cast ballots voted to prohibit the government from requiring that a person purchase health insurance, the lynchpin of Obamacare’s takeover of the American health insurance system. McCaskill gave those 71% of voters the finger and, I predict, sealed her fate in the 2012 elections, as did Ben Nelson whose state is 2–to-1 against Obamacare.

“Conservative” Democrat Joe Manchin (WV) also voted with the Democrats to preserve Obamacare, proving right his Republican challenger in the 2010 Senate race who said that Manchin’s late-in-the-race conversion to being against Obamacare was a lie and that his earlier support of Obamacare represented who Manchin really is.  A Rasmussen Reports poll of West Virginia likely voters in August, 2010 showed 69% of the state opposed to Obamacare, with 80% of those “strongly opposed” and almost twice as many supporting the state suing to block the law’s health insurance mandate as opposing such a lawsuit.  &%^$! the people, says Manchin!

Please read the rest of my article at the web site of the American Spectator:
http://spectator.org/archives/2011/02/04/repeal-appeal

Carlotta LaNier of the Little Rock Nine in College Radio Exclusive TONIGHT

by Jimmy Sengenberger | 8:00 am, February 3, 2011

Youngest member of the Little Rock Nine, Carlotta Walls LaNier, joins Jimmy Sengenberger in a media exclusive Tonight at 6pm at krcx.org ————————— Tonight at 6pm online at krcx.org, host Jimmy Sengenberger of the Regis University Seng Center radio show will be joined by a Voice from History in another jam-packed special edition show! Little [...]

Earthquake on Post Ed. Board, Petitions Still Dead

by Jon Caldara | 6:21 pm, February 2, 2011

The Denver Post editorial board has a policy manual, a dusty old thing full of important policy positions to which they strictly adhere.  Right after “all tax increases are good,” but before “Pimp transit projects like it is a cure for cancer,” is this tried and true gem, “Whatever side Caldara is on, we’re on [...]

Education Next Editors Duke It Out over Reformers’ Success in Battle of Ideas

by Eddie | 12:09 pm, February 2, 2011

If you want to stay informed about school reform and wrestle with some stimulating insights along the way, Education Next is an invaluable publication. To celebrate its 10th anniversary (wow, that seems old!), the Education Next editors paired off into two different teams to take stock of a decade of reform and debate what the [...]

Reason #173 to despise Obama’s friends

by Rossputin | 10:41 am, February 2, 2011

(and by extension, Obama himself.  After all, if you can’t judge a man by his friends – or enemies – how can you judge him?)

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/wh%E2%80%99s-valerie-jarrett-asks-uniformed-officer-to-top-off-her-drink/

Feb. 7th Meetup-”Follow the (State’s) Money”

by redrocks | 10:24 am, February 2, 2011

Walker Stapleton – Up On The Roof!

“Colorado’s Financial Snapshot”

Got cash?

Find out where your Colorado tax dollars go, and how they are invested and dispersed. Bring your questions about state investments, expenditures, revenues, PERA, and other state finance and budget issues for our guest, Colorado State Treasurer, Walker Stapleton.

Learn more about the office of the state [...]

The ‘Dirty Dozen’ Tax Increases: How the 2010 Colorado Legislature exploited a Colorado Supreme Court ruling to (unconstitutionally) take more of your money without asking

by CTBC Director | 9:12 am, February 2, 2011

The following article was written for, and originally appears in, The Constitutionalist Today (February edition).
“No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.” – Mark Twain (1866)
As another legislative session begins, the Colorado General Assembly once again faces a hefty budget shortfall; the projected gap between expected revenue and planned [...]

John Lothian: Speculators are Heroes

by Rossputin | 6:52 am, February 2, 2011

Financial newsletter writer John Lothian penned this fantastic note about a week ago.  I’ve written similar things in the past, but Lothian’s take is particularly good. Furthermore, this is a view which should be repeated often to the ignorant members of the media and the “elite” who have no understanding of markets or liberty.  You can see Lothian’s web site and sign up for daily e-mails HERE.

———-

A recent Bloomberg article included a quote from CME Group Executive Chairman Terry Duffy that “speculators” were being made into “scapegoats” for rising prices. And so the beat goes on.

Let me be clear, speculators can and do influence prices. In fact, some speculators are specifically buying and holding long positions via passive funds, ETFs and other means because they believe prices are too low. They are putting their money where their mouths are because they believe we need higher prices in order to spur investment in additional production and processing capacity. At the highest level of economic motivation for their actions and most generous interpretation of them, they are trying to influence prices in a way that benefits mankind and they should be considered heroes for it.

Let me be clearer. We need that additional production and processing capacity. The world’s needs to clothe, feed, house and transport people are growing, shifting and changing. Whether you are looking at the US and the rise of Generation Y, or India and the growing urban-based educated middle class or China’s growing urban worker/consumers, we need more raw materials.

Low prices, demanded by consumers, elected officials and others are not the route to more production capacity, at least in a market-based system. Limiting participation in a market-based system in an unneeded, unthoughtful and misguided attempt to cater to low price proponents is a recipe for disaster.

Position limits have been demanded by Congress in Dodd-Frank in order to limit excessive speculation. Let’s for a minute assume the long only passive investment made in commodities are “excessive” in the aggregate and should be tempered. What will the impact of limiting that investment in the U.S. be?

There are several stages in an economic problem like this.

The first stage is the public outcry over higher prices and the political pressure on exchanges where the price discovery process is most transparent. Call this the “jawboning” stage.

The second stage is the passage of legislation to limit or eliminate the issue. Call this the “regulatory prescription” stage.

The third stage is where the problem is not solved, but distortions and imbalances occur in the market as a result of the regulatory prescription. Call this the “distortion” stage.

The fourth stage is where social unrest occurs because of the distortions in supply. Call this the “anarchy” stage.

Lastly, when things get really bad, and it is not people fighting over resources but peoples and nations, we have the war stage. Call this the “Armageddon” stage.

I don’t wish to get to this stage. I have sons and a daughter that I want to leave a better world to than the one I inherited. I don’t wish to see them sacrifice their futures or lives in avoidable conflicts and wars because we could not figure out how to properly invest in the production capacity of commodities.

I am a proponent of market-based solutions, not violence-based ones. We need to respect information coming from price signals of free, open and transparent markets. Corrupting the price signals of markets through artificial limitations does not lead to a fair allocation of resources and impairs confidence in the value of the price signals.

If long only investors can help spur an increase in global production and processing capacity to meet the world’s needs, and keep us trading commodities and away from exchanging cannon-fire, then they are heroes to me.

Dave Kopel & John Suthers on Judge Vinson’s ruling that strikes down ObamaCare

by Brian Schwartz | 6:30 am, February 2, 2011

Senior Federal Judge Roger Vinson has ruled that “Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire Act must be declared void.” This ruling declares that the law. Read reactions by the Independence Instiute’s Dave Kopel, CO Attorney General John Suthers, and others.

Udall Calls for Balanced Budget Amendment

by PerlStalker | 8:15 pm, February 1, 2011

Colorado Senator Mark Udall is joining with Republicans calling for a balanced budget amendment. The Denver Post reports that he has added his name as a co-sponsor to Richard Shelby’s plan.

“The way I see it is American families have to balance thei…

1/27 Pt 1 – Monologue on SOTU, plus Tom Tancredo’s take

by Jimmy Sengenberger | 6:00 pm, February 1, 2011

In Part One of the 1/27 SOTU edition of Seng Center, host Jimmy Sengenberger gives his take on Barack Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address.  In it, Jimmy plays and reacts to various parts of the speech, from the president’s Obamacare talk on th…

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