Keep Your Hands Off My Ballot

I got an interesting text last night.  It was from Jefferson County Students First, who are kindly offering to hand deliver my ballot if it didn't make it into the mailbox.

I have a hard enough time trusting my mailman to get my ballot in to get counted, a complete stranger with and agenda not a chance.

Send It In

If you live in Colorado, the time to mail in your ballot is now.

I'm not going to suggest how anyone vote, but I'll give you one guess on how I voted on the tax increases in Prop. 103.  When they tell me it's for the kids, well I've heard that one before.

No Kidding

Dear Colorado Government,

I'd like you to see what my shocked face looks like after hearing that you've been forced to scale back Medicaid coverage after grossly underestimating the costs.

Get used to this face as you'll likely be seeing it a lot when 2014 rolls around and Obamacare kicks in.

Seriously,
A Horse Thief

Econ 101 Must Have Been Harder Than I Remember

Reading the comments on several of the S&P downgrade stories has me shaking my head and checking my store of colander and cement helmets.

Flashbacks to Fifth Grade

For some reason, this whole "let's sit together at the Sate of the Union" thing the Colorado delegation is proposing strikes me as a bit juvenile.  It reminds me of fifth grade when one of the popular girls would feel sorry for snot nose Johnny and get all of her friends to sit with him at lunch.

The thing of it is, there's a good chance that Johnny doesn't really like the popular crowd.  He'd just like to finish his lunch and go finish reading the last three chapters of his book.

Hopefully guys like Rep. Mike Coffman are like SNJ and are serious about getting back to work after lunch is over.  From Mr. Coffman via the Denver Post:

"Now that we have the seating arrangements ironed out, we can get back to the real task at hand, which is getting our economy back on the right track."

Old Words, New Venue

You know it's bad when public officials start using gun banner verbiage.  Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, when discussing the newly created "wild lands" designation designed to slow resource extraction in Utah used a familiar phrase.

He said it would protect pristine wildlands while allowing a "common sense" approach to decisions on such matters as oil and gas drilling.

Take a guess as to whose "common sense" they will be using.

I Might Be In A Database

Colorado has a database for their concealed weapons permit holders.  This convoluted story describes the not so surprising state of a State run, voluntary (for the sheriffs, not the permit holders) database that lumps those that have undergone training and a background check with criminals.

The surprising part of the story is that over 70% of law enforcement officers in Colorado trust the information in the database and use it to "feel safer" because they "know" if a suspect is armed.  Assuming that my entry wasn't screwed up like 63% of them apparently are, when I am pulled over because my taillight is out, the Colorado cop coming to my car window is on high alert because he "knows" that I am armed.  How this helps the officer or myself, I am not sure.  How it can escalate what would otherwise be a calm situation, I can easily see.

It was also comforting to know that information that was not given in my application has possibly been added to my file.  It is sounding more and more like this database needs to be deleted.  Time to get to work.

Mr. Major, Meet Mr. Minor

Colorado state law being crafted by politicians what it is.  The Republican party currently stands a good chance of being relegated to minor party status for the next four years.  Conservative minded voters in this state don't want the Western Mayor Against all Illegal Guns Denverite Hickenlooper running the show statewide.  That means either voting for an inexperienced liar or Tom Tancredo.  Increasingly, it looks like Tancredo will be the one of the two who stands a chance of defeating Hick.

I have to admit that I would enjoy seeing the Republican candidate Maes get less than 10% of the vote.  The Republican party in this state truly lives up to the Stupid Party moniker.  The choices they gave primary voters were an experienced guy that no one really supported and an unknown that talked a good game.  It wasn't until after the primary race that more of the info about Maes' unsuitability to lead came to light.  Seeing the party that can't even produce a viable candidate for Governor relegated to minority party status would make me smile.

The problem is that they would not truly be a minority party and as GOP Chairman Dick Wadams has stated, they would simply try to change the law to again force a two party (donkeys and elephants only) system down our throats.  Maybe the Ds would get in the way and the American Constitution Party can replace the stupid party.  More likely it'll make for some entertainment to much popcorn to.

Free Market At Work

I've had more than several jobs and more than several insurance companies.  There have been good ones, bad ones, and some that were simply serviceable.  Aetna was one that I really liked.  Unfortunately for Colorado's small businesses, they are no longer an option.

New laws and regulations have made it unattractive for a good company to provide their service in this state.  Colorado officials assume that the free market will work and other companies will step in to fill the void.  They obviously don't understand how the free market works.  Less competition generally leads to higher prices and fewer options.  Hurray for the new regulations and the "free market".

Where the Votes Don't Matter & Everything's Made Up

I'm a registered Republican.  I don't always vote GOP, but I like to have my primary vote and have it count for something.  The GOP chair however would rather my vote didn't count for anything.  I voted for Maes.

Yesterday, Tom Tancredo and GOP Chair Dick Wadhams decided that my vote shouldn't count.

They want to force the guy who won the primary to drop out of the race so they can choose someone "more suitable".

ISN'T THAT WHAT A PRIMARY ELECTION IS FOR?

Apparently, a primary is so that registered Republicans can bless those chosen by the party leadership.  I will likely be changing my party affiliation.  Now I've just got to decide between Libertarian and independent.  News flash to GOP leadership, this shit is why you lose elections and no one trusts you rat bastards.

It Stinks...Bad

I just got done holding my nose and voting in the Republican primary.  Chances are good that I won't vote for half those guys in the general election.  The local GOP party is just as good here as anywhere else at putting folks in front of voters who have views that don't mesh with the majority of conservative voters in the area.

This year should be a slam dunk for the Republicans, but one just has to look at the state of the primary race for Colorado Governor for proof otherwise.

Well You Don't Say

Apparently, firing all city employees and replacing them with contractors doesn't result in complete anarchy.  In this case, it means improved services, lower insurance rates, and the ability to fire under-performers.

The money quote is all the way at the bottom of the article.

“Remember the Soviet Union?” said Hector Alvarado, who heads a civic advocacy group. “They had a lot of bureaucracy, and they lost. Maywood was like that. Now people know if they don’t work, they will be laid off. Much better this way.”

Downsizing government can and does work.  Hopefully this is the first of many communities to take this approach.

Requirements for the Job

I was listening to Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan's reply to an inane question from one of the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee this evening that was being replayed on the radio.  Part of her answer caused my to shout at the radio,

IT'S A REPUBLIC!

When a Supreme Court nominee does not know that we live in a constitutional republic and not a constitutional democracy, shouldn't that automatically disqualify the nominee?  Not that she is alone in this particular mistake.  A good portion of Congress thinks the same thing.  Our founding fathers had this to say about democracy.

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.  - John Adams

Perhaps Elena Kagan should go back to school and leave the Supreme Court seat to someone who at least knows which form of government the Constitution of the United States established.

He Don't Get It

If you live in Colorado and need a reason to not vote for Stan Garnett (aside from the fact that he's from Boulder).  Look no further than his comments on the McDonald ruling.  The Denver Post reports the following.

Garnett said he was concerned about the implications of the ruling — and criticized Suthers for injecting Colorado into a local issue in another state.

 Suthers is State Attorney General John Suthers, the current and hopefully future AG.  Mr. Suthers was kind enough to join the amicus brief signed by damn near every state in the West in support of McDonald.  Garnett, the fine gentleman from Boulder, feels that writing in support of incorporation of the Second Amendment is a waste of time and resources.

Somehow, fighting for individual freedoms has become a waste of time to some Americans.  Come November, make sure that enemies of freedom like Stan Garnett have wasted their time running for office.

CSU Students' Rights Will Not Be Trampled

The Colorado State University Board of Governors have apparently been knocked upside the head enough and have rescinded their campus-wide gun ban

All I've got to say is...

WOOHOO!!!

My Problem With The Illegal Immigrant Issue

SayUncle sums up my position on illegal immigration in 9 words.

I've known some really wonderful people who are in the country illegally.  That being said they broke laws when entering the country.  Does that automatically make them bad people?  Not much different than the people going 90 mph in a 30 mph zone.

My problem with the issue is that most folks look at side issues like medical treatment, nonpayment of taxes, taking American jobs, effects on the education system, and other gripes.  The real issue is that immigrating to this country legally is expensive and a huge pain in the arse.  In my opinion, getting into this country legally should be a lot easier.

That comes with more than a few caveats of course, but if they are in the country legally they can start paying taxes on the work they do.  If they are in the country legally, they can face actual consequences for breaking the laws of the land.  If getting in legally isn't a huge issue, the whole family could come live in this country and earnings would not simply be sent home to the family left behind.

Illegals are people too, but they damn sure broke the law to get here.

The Gun Ban Loophole

As reported elsewhere, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the dismissal of a suit fighting Colorado University's policy of banning lawful concealed carry on its campuses was in error.  I imagine that this one will go back to district court before the ruling (no matter which way it goes) is appealed.

This ruling definitely helps the fight going on up at CSU.  Colorado State University has even less of a legal leg to stand on at this point and hopefully will be smart enough to see that.  Likely though that mess will also be played out in court.

Gun Laws Are Easy

Jay has a post up on the infamous "gun charges".

While I think he has a point, I also think that those arrested could have been just as easily charged with EPA violations or child endangerment or plotting to do bad stuff.  The problem is that there is a law for virtually everything.  If the police or ATF or FBI or whoever decides that they need to arrest you, they can always find something to charge you with.  Firearms laws are just low hanging fruit.

Off-Roading

Robb wonders if America is ready to go off-roading in its GM produced electric bankrupcymobile.

Good Luck Mr. Suthers

So the Colorado A.G. is joining other states in filing suit against our soon to be signed health care behemoth.  They are attacking with the 10th amendment / interstate commerce argument.  Much like the various firearms freedom acts, I believe this is a waste of time.

The Congress long ago wiped their collective asses with the 10th amendment and by the time they were done it was so covered in excrement that the Supreme Court wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.  If a case ever won on a 10th amendment argument, it would necessarily result in the invalidating of about 3/4 of the laws passed in the last 100 years.

Good Luck to all the various states' A.G.'s.  You're gonna need it.