Month: April 2022

(Colorado Peak Politics)

State Sen. Brittany Pettersen is counting on the Democrat-controlled legislature to catapult her congressional campaign by passing her fatally flawed fentanyl bill that’s just as bad as the 2019 law that helped create today’s deadly crisis.

Pettersen’s bill fails to close the overdose loophole, which was the entire freaking purpose of pursing a legislative fix of current law that makes possession of less than four grams a misdemeanor. 

That’s because progressives oppose making it a felony to carry small amounts of fentanyl, which can kill thousands in small doses.

Pettersen is showing us she is more interested in keeping her progressive base happy for her congressional run to replace U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter.

Brittany Pettersen’s fentanyl bill proves she can’t be trusted & won’t tackle the fentanyl epidemic. Instead of making all possession a felony her, bill says it’s OK to have a drug that kills in small doses so long as you’re not caught with more than 1 gram. #CoPolitics #CO7 pic.twitter.com/1tn2340GTP

— Tim Reichert (@TimReichertCO) April 27, 2022

Gov. Polis called on the legislature to fix the law he signed in 2019, and now equates fentanyl to poison:

“You have to think of fentanyl more as a poison than a drug. You remember when people were sending around the toxins in the Capitol, the white powder that was killing people, what was that?” he said.

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

A Colorado judge has ruled “Let’s go Bandon” will not be on the Republican primary ballot as a candidate for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District representing the Colorado Springs area. 

That’s the nickname state Rep. Dave Williams wanted to use on the ballot instead of his own name, but the Secretary of State’s office said no, 9News reports.

To the court’s satisfaction, Williams proved proper use of “Let’s Go Brandon” as a nickname.

However, state law says a nickname can only be used on the ballot if it’s actually the person’s nickname.

Technically, it’s Joe Biden’s nickname. 

Not surprising, 9News had to explain to their viewers, that “Let’s Go Brandon” is  code for “F— Joe Biden.”

Williams, along with Rebecca Keltie and Andrew Heaton, are challenging U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn for the congressional seat in the June Republican primary.

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

The police bodycam of Democrat state Rep. Matt Gray’s arrest on DUI charges has finally surfaced, in the UK Daily Mail based in London.

The video of Gray’s behavior with police is indescribably sad and pathetic, yet clearly illustrates why the Broomfield lawmaker announced shortly after it was released that he will not seek reelection this fall.

However, Gray insists he will finish out his current term.

He hasn’t shown his face at the Capitol since his arrest, which came as he tried to pick up his children from school. Staff there refused to turn over his children, and called police to report the lawmaker was possibly inebriated. 

Gray has since worked remotely, and voted Monday against a bill that “ seeks to confront Colorado’s fentanyl crisis,” Colorado Politics reports. 

Here’s the link to the video of Gray’s belligerent behavior with police. 

“I am the state f****ng representative for this state, so, like, you can Google me if you want to,” Gray said to police.

Ironically for Gray, getting Googled will henceforth include this cringe-worthy video of his arrest.

Spoiler alert

As the video ends with the handcuffed state lawmaker being secured in the backseat of the squad car, Gray suddenly warns police that he is friends with the prosecuting attorney, before proclaiming they should still just treat him just like anybody else.

“That’s why you’re under arrest,

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(Complete Colorado Page Two)

We all know the great lines from the Declaration of Independence like, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” But we overlook its long catalog of grievances against King George.

Many of Thomas Jefferson’s accusations hold today against our current Colorado overlords:

“He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.” Do I really need to list all the new regulations and commissions Polis and team have created?

But it’s this grievance of King George that keeps coming to my mind today:

“He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.”

You see, I am literally writing this column while sitting in the back of an endless government board meeting. Don’t worry, I have plenty of time. I’m waiting for my turn in front of the state’s Title Board. It’s the bureaucratic version of a refugee camp.

To exercise my right to petition a question to this fall’s election ballot, I must get permission from this board first.

The three members of this committee are good people just trying to do their job as prescribed by law. That said, this uncomfortable process has been designed to make it fatiguing for citizens to bring forward initiatives.

The meeting started at 9 a.m.,

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

Coloradans have been denied the chance to vote on a ballot measure this fall that sought to ensure violent criminals serve at least 85% of their sentence before seeking parole.

The ballot effort was killed on a technical matter by the Secretary of State’s Title Board, which included surprise guest voting member, Solicitor General Eric Olson from the Colorado Attorney’s General office.

Ballot proponents Michael Field, president of Advance Colorado Institute, called foul on the rehearing and revote on the ballot measure that had already been approved weeks ago, and questioned the participation of Olson, who has never voted on the board as the attorney’s general office representative. 

Writing in Colorado Politics, Fields said:

Though it’s impossible to know if Attorney General Phil Weiser explicitly told Olson to show up and overturn a 3-0 vote from the very same board just two weeks ago, the overall message was clear: we don’t want anything on the ballot that would make it harder for Weiser to be re-elected. If voters are thinking about the lack of leadership we’ve seen on crime when they fill out their ballots, the AG and Solicitor General will likely be looking for private sector jobs come next year.

To hear a recording of the hearing, click here.

Many Coloradans would be surprised to lean that violent criminals in Colorado jails serve less than half of their sentences that are decided by judges and juries.

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(Complete Colorado Page Two)

The minimum distance between the Earth and the Moon is 225,623 miles. I know this because my ’98 Honda Civic recently hit that mileage. I have dubbed the car “Luna.” But I know that, within a few years, Luna will take her final drive into the sunset. Then what?

I like electric vehicles. I might buy one as my next car, depending on price. I drove a Tesla once and loved it, but I’m just not going to drop that sort of money on a car. Honda has a small electric vehicle for sale in Europe; I’ll be interested to see the price point for its 2024 U.S. electric car. If electric vehicles are to become widespread, their price will have to come down.

Not so green after all

One problem is that electric cars depend on lithium for the batteries. We don’t get that through magical incantations; we get it through heavy industrial processing. For some reason I thought Asia had the lithium market locked up, but actually Australia and Chile both beat China for lithium production and reserves. A Nevada business long has produced lithium. Several companies are looking to extract the metal from Utah’s salt flats. Of course, the success of those industries will depend largely on environmentalists not hounding them to death.

Gas guzzlers continue to dominate the market. Reuters points out, “Less than 1% of the 250 million cars,

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

Momentum is building behind Republican Pam Anderson’s run for Colorado’s Secretary of State’s office, with a bevy of respectable folks lining up behind her with their support and endorsements. 

Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said we need more dedicated public servants like Anderson in his endorsement.

Former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown and former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis have also endorsed the former Jefferson County Clerk. 

She’s got former secretaries of state backing her bid including Wayne Williams, who now serves on the Colorado Springs City council, and Mike Coffman, who is shaking things up for the better as mayor of Aurora.

It’s a decent and honorable list of supporters Anderson is attracting, who are betting she’s the candidate to take down Democrat Jena Griswold in a head-to-head, General Election battle.

Colorado Politics has the complete list of endorsements, plus this response from Anderson:

“These respected leaders have won races and developed important policies that improve our state. They trust and respect the will of the voters and the system we’ve built to govern ourselves. That’s what I’m fighting for in this race.”

Before she advances to the general election, Anderson will first have to get past two opponents in the June 28 Republican primary — Yuma County business consultant Michael O’Donnell and Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters. 

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

The arrest report of state Rep. Matt Gray paints a disturbing picture of what happened last week when police arrested the Democrat outside his children’s school on suspicion of driving under the influence. 

School staff feared the Broomfield lawmaker was intoxicated and called the cops after refusing to let the children — ages 6 and 8 leave with their father, according to police reports obtained by the media.

Gray smelled of alcohol, was slurring his words, had trouble finishing thoughts and appeared unsteady on his feet, according to police reports.

He insisted he had not been drinking, and no alcohol was found in his car. But he refused to take a Breathalyzer or roadside sobriety test, the reports said. He talked of having mental health issues and claimed to be having a panic attack. 

As if it might serve as some sort of proof he was not intoxicated, Gray referred police to his “excellent parking job.”

9News reports that Gray called fellow Democrat state Sen. Faith Winter of Westminster to come pick up his kids, and became upset when he learned his wife had already been called, prompting him to drop the F-bomb with police.

And he did some name dropping, badly.

From Colorado Public Radio:

After being taken into custody, Gray told officers: “Just know [local district attorney] Brian Mason is my friend,” according to officers. He had also told them earlier that he was a state lawmaker.

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