Month: July 2023

(Complete Colorado Page Two)

In my last column for Complete Colorado, I examined how the “progressives” running Lakewood—Colorado’s fifth largest city—are failing to carry out a basic municipal responsibility: enforcing state and local anti-noise laws so residents can sleep at night. (Perhaps it was a coincidence, but after that column was published, I noticed an improvement—temporary, it turned out.)

My column also observed how the city’s communication media—particularly its website and house newspaper—have become vehicles for the usual “progressive” practice of propagandizing us at our own expense.

The latest edition of the official city organ (“Looking at Lakewood”) arrived at our home a few days ago. It continues the pattern.

“Injustice, discrimination, and oppression”

One city council member used her space in the paper to inform us giddily that the NAACP has “honored me by asking that I start an NAACP chapter in Jefferson County.” That way, she assures us, she can give “a voice to People of Color and to all those who suffer injustice, discrimination, and oppression in Jefferson County and in Lakewood.”

Somehow when I think of “oppression”, “injustice,” and “discrimination,” Lakewood does not come readily to mind. Traditionally Lakewood has been one of the best places in the Denver metro area for people with modest incomes—although, of course, the “progressives” are working to change that.

Was the council member referring to the prevalent “oppression,” “injustice,” and “discrimination” against those of us who want to sleep at night?

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

Coloradan’s wallets are feeling the pinch of Bidenomics inflating their property tax bills combined with a greedy state legislature and governor whose only solution is for us to pay even higher income taxes as well.

Across the state, tens of thousands of homeowners are protesting the inflated valuations of their property, but few will see any relief.

Colorado Politics reports Arapahoe County saw a 600% increase in protests from homeowners over their tax bills.

Homeowners are pissed because Colorado doesn’t operate like most states and cap property valuations when determining tax liability, which would protect us against inflationary prices in a market with low inventory.

Instead, the Democrats in charge are offering our heads on a platter and forcing us to choose between paying jacked up housing prices and keeping our Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) paycheck tax refunds.

Or, Prop HH will give homeowners a smaller property tax increase while increasing our income taxes by taking away our TABOR refunds.

Homeowners are protesting their property taxes because they don’t believe their home is worth that much, and they are right, it’s probably not.

But when tax evaluations were conducted, the Bidenomics market dictated the price, and now homeowners are stuck with it.

Elections matter folks.

While Republicans treat every day like the 4th of July and protect our country’s independence and the Constitution upon which that is based,

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(Complete Colorado Page Two)

(You can listen to this column, read by the author, here.)

There are two axioms that perfectly fit the property tax rip-off going on right now in Colorado.

The first, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

Voters got conned into repealing the Gallagher Amendment two years ago, realizing only now our property taxes are going through the roof because of it. If they vote for Proposition HH this fall, we’ll lose our Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) refunds forever, yes forever, and then, “shame on me.” We’ll be fooled again.

Which brings us to the second old bromide, “History is written by the victors.” Although in Colorado the platitude is modified to, “Ballot victories are written by lying legislators.”

This takes a moment to explain, but it’s well worth the ride.

When you get your ballot every fall the questions on it are called “ballot titles.”

When citizens petition to bring something to the ballot, as I’ve done several times, we write up a proposed change to law, just like a legislator writes a bill. The bill is way too long for the whole thing to go on the ballot. So, voters get a summary, the ballot title.

Citizens, again like me, by law must bring our bill up to a well-intentioned, but very bureaucratic committee,

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

A third candidate has announced for the at-large Denver school board seat being vacated (not fast enough) by Auon’tai “Tay” Anderson.

Former East High School principal John Youngquist tossed his heat into the ring on the 4th of July, bringing new meaning to this day celebrating our liberation from a repressive regime led by a crazy-ass monarch.

Of particular concern to this campaign, Channel 9 reports Youngquist has publicly supported the return of school resource officers to school campuses.

PeakNation™ will recall Anderson led the effort to eliminate those officers who were supposed to protect our children from terrorist shooters and violent students, and instead created a mall cop model of faux security that has failed spectacularly.

“It is time for leadership in DPS that is accountable for the actions and the outcomes of our efforts,” Youngquist said in a statement. “We need to own the harsh realities of our current context, create a different vision to lead us into the future, engage the strategy and action that are most likely to succeed, and take responsibility for the results that we experience as a community.”

Also running for the at-large seat are school security consultant Paul Ballenger, and former Denver mayoral candidate Kwame Spearman.

Having seen enough of his temper tantrums, dysfunction and disregard for student safety, Denver Public Schools parents weren’t about to reelect Anderson to a second term.

So,

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(Complete Colorado Page Two)

The right to speak freely entails the right not to speak. If someone forces you to express some message of which you disapprove, that person has violated your right to freedom of speech and to freedom of conscience more broadly. The Supreme Court was right, therefore, to protect the ability of business owners to decline to create products expressing views with which they disagree. That is the issue at the heart of the 303 Creative decision.

What the critics say

Critics of the decision in effect argue that people may be forced to speak, as a condition of running a business, if someone from a marginalized group protected by anti-discrimination laws orders a product expressing some message contrary to the business owner’s beliefs.

Usually at issue are cakes or web sites or the like for gay marriages, which some religious conservatives continue to oppose. Gallup found that only 41% of weekly churchgoers “say gay marriages should be legally recognized,” while 71% of the general population do. In such cases, critics say, a business owner should not be able to decline to express the message—unless they go out of business.

The ACLU, for example, which traditionally has been a major champion of free speech, in this case argues that some speech may be legally mandated for the sake of limiting discrimination. The ACLU says in a release, “The Supreme Court held . . . that a business offering customized expressive services has the right to violate state laws prohibiting such businesses from discrimination in sales.

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

The progressive leaders of the most woke institutions on the planet — U.S. universities and colleges — are in a melt down because the Supreme Court this week struck down their affirmative action admittance practices.

Does higher education really still need to be forced not to discriminate against people based on the color of their skin?

We are shocked to discover that racism runs rampant there, and that they feel laws are needed to stop them from being such vile bigots and haters.

Combating racism by utilizing racism always seemed like a bad idea to us. And given the imbedded progressiveness of nearly every public university, unnecessary.

But even U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet seems to think higher education must be rife with racists, and that students of color should just automatically advance over other kids, even if they weren’t properly educated in the public schools to compete.

It’s really disturbing to watch Bennet, a former superintendent of Denver Public Schools, be swept up in the soft bigotry of low expectations.

Today’s Supreme Court decision undermines our nation’s promise of equal opportunity for all, especially for those citizens who have been historically denied it. pic.twitter.com/XuLy4IC7uQ

— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet) June 29, 2023

Republicans — the party of Lincoln who freed the slaves — support the court’s decision.

From Colorado Politics:

Lauding the court’s decision,

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(Complete Colorado Page Two)

This effort started in July 2019 with a visit to Colorado’s Division of Motor Vehicle Department in Lone Tree. I was looking for an In God We Trust license plate like we had in Virginia. To my dismay, no such plate existed out of the 200+ license plates Colorado offers. I remember thinking, someone should do something about that.

Two years later, I attended a leadership workshop in Denver. There, I connected with a member of then Representative Mark Baisley’s staff who passed on my vision to now Senator Baisley (R) who quickly decided this was an initiative well worth the time and work to pursue. So, the lengthy and at times challenging attempts to gain legislative approval for a Colorado “In God We Trust” license plate began.

Senator Baisley tried in 2022 with House Bill 1048. That bill was approved by the House Finance Committee, but died in the House Appropriations Committee, where the Chairperson adamantly and publicly opposed the bill. She outwardly did not approve of the notion of God, or anyone, or any organization having anything to do with God.

In January 2023, Senator Baisley tried again, introducing Senate Bill 025, creating an “In God We Trust” Special License Plate. The bill quickly passed the Senate Transportation & Energy Committee and Finance Committee; and once again stopped in an Appropriations Committee, this time in the Senate. It languished there for 2 months.

However, thanks to individually addressed “personal for” correspondence on behalf of the bill to every one of the 35 state senators and the sustained efforts of Senator Baisley the bill was finally approved by the Appropriations Committee.

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