Month: August 2023

(Colorado Peak Politics)

A Marxist teacher who called for revolution against American “whiteness” was elected by a select panel of Democrats over the weekend to fill the state House seat vacated by Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez who she was elected to Denver City Council.

Tim Hernández, who was let go from Denver Public Schools after only one year of teaching, is now employed by Aurora Public Schools.

From The Colorado Sun:

Hernández made headlines in 2022 when his contract as a Denver Public Schools educator wasn’t renewed. He told 5280 his position wasn’t renewed because “white school leaders did not appreciate the ways that I advocated for students.”

White Denver school leader who didn’t appreciate radical advocacy for students?

He was chosen by the 68-person Democratic vacancy committee that was selected by God only knows who, to represent all the communists living in Northwest Denver’s District 4, and their progressive brothers and sisters.

Just not any white people.

Also from The Sun:

Hernández adds to the growing list of Colorado lawmakers who got a job at the Capitol through a vacancy committee. A Colorado Sun analysis found that nearly a quarter of all Colorado lawmakers serving in the statehouse this year were appointed to a House or Senate seat by a vacancy committee.

Hernández clearly hates white people, and his goal is to literally wipe them off the map,

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(Complete Colorado Page Two)

On Monday, July 17, the legislative oversight subcommittee for Colorado’s Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) held its first meeting in the interim between legislative sessions.  I’m fortunate enough to be the appointee for the House Minority Leader.  There were some interesting and even some optimistic developments, but also some worrisome ones.  There is also some reason to believe that the subcommittee is failing to operate as intended.

First, let’s look at PERA’s 2023 investment returns and what that means for its financial position.  Last year was not a good year; PERA lost 13.4%, leaving its division trust funds 69.9% funded at the end of the year, yet claimed during the subcommittee meeting that it remains on track for full funding by 2048.

But wait, wasn’t PERA funded at 67.8% at the end of 2021?  How did it lose over 13% and be better funded?  That’s because PERA uses actuarial smoothing in its asset calculation, recognizing gains and losses over four years in order to smooth out the year-end reading of assets under management.  The fair falue of those assets is $54.7 billion rather than $60.9 billion, and the funded ratio is 62.7%, down from 76.8% the year before.

The annual Signal Light Report, issued by PERA’s auditor is based on market values as well, and uses a statistical model to determine the likelihood that PERA will meet its funding goals.  Both the state employee and school employee divisions, far and away PERA’s largest,

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

Climate nannies have found another convenience to sacrifice on the altar of political doomsday forecasting of mankind’s’ extinction — long after we’re all dead and unable to confirm the best practices of their worst fears.

The drive-thru window at Starbucks and all restaurants that consumers have just minutes to hit on their way to work, for a quick lunch hour, or home for dinner.

The drive-thru ban would also affect pharmacies, forcing sick people to walk inside and spread germs.

The new rules under are under consideration for Golden and Denver, reports the Denver Post.

Climate Nanny Councilmembers Casey Brown and Rob Reed in Golden think that a drive-thru takes up more pavement than parking spaces and spews more emission than if it’s parked and left running with kids, dogs, groceries, or the sick and disabled left inside.

They also think there would be less interaction between pedestrians, bikers, and vehicles if drivers are cruising around looking for parking spaces, rather than inching forward in a separate drive-thru lane.

Of course, it’s absurd.

We are all responsible for our actions and should park instead instead of using the drive-thru if we are not sick, disabled or elderly, rushing to or from work, have the dogs in the car in summer heat, or a car full of kids and an infant strapped in for life to a car seat.

The best use of a drive-thru was actually cited as the reason for getting rid of them in Golden.

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

Colorado Republican U.S. Rep. Ken Buck urged former President Trump to communicate with his followers to remain peaceful as he turned himself in Thursday to be charged yet again by an ambitious Democrat prosecutor.

“I think he absolutely needs to tell all Americans to stand down and allow the judicial system to take its course,” Buck said.

“We trust judges, we trust juries, we trust appellate courts. This isn’t over until it’s over,” Buck said. “I think that sending a very clear message, and also having a surrogate send a very clear message, that violence will not be tolerated, is appropriate.”

And so it was.

Atlanta’s Fox 5 reported the protest and counterprotests were “passionate but peaceful.”

Over at 11 News, the ice cream truck featured prominently among the protestors who (double checks) were all getting along.

There was no violence, no arson, no looting, and no one got arrested.

Well, except for Trump.

But that wasn’t good enough for Kyle Clark back at 9News in Denver, who took to X to get his followers all riled about Buck’s plea for peace, because of a Marine t-shirt the congressman wore at an event three freaking years ago.

Pictured: Colorado Rep Ken Buck campaigning in a “Kill Em All, Let God Sort Em Out” shirt in 2020 https://t.co/giSmt4tF0r pic.twitter.com/Y5wNEI1tHX

— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) August 24,

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(Complete Colorado Page Two)

DENVER — After a year of eye-popping increases in assessed property values, counties across Colorado are reporting an increased number of challenges to those assessments, and an average of 20-25 percent of those challenges end up favoring property owners, resulting in a decrease of valuation.

Under Colorado law, residential properties are assessed every two years on odd years. The assessed value is then multiplied by 6.95 percent (note this is a temporary number due to a 2021 bill in the state legislature. Next year that amount goes back up to the 7.15 percent assessment amount frozen after the Gallager Amendment was repealed in 2020). That value is then multiplied by the mill rates of local taxing authorities to determine the amount of taxes due.

For example, a home within the boundaries of Greeley Evans School District 6 valued at $400,000 would see a tax bill of about $1,400 to the school district alone, based on the district’s mill rate of 50.399. That does not include all the other taxing districts any one property may face, such as local municipalities, water districts, fire authorities, library districts, etc.

Property taxes have seen a steady increase since the Gallagher Amendment was repealed in 2020. Gallagher was a complicated property tax assessment formula that put 55 percent of the burden for taxes on nonresidential (commercial) property owners and the other 45 percent on residential property. When residential property values exceeded the 45 percent mark, the assessment value was reduced,

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

Since when did it become the job of Colorado’s treasurer, secretary of state, and attorney general to interfere with business mergers and act as union arbitrators?

All three are lobbying the Federal Trade Commission to oppose the proposed $25 billion merger of Kroger and Albertsons for reasons that appear beyond their job description and six-figure salaries paid by Colorado taxpayers.

Secretary of State Jena Griswold, whose job it is to oversee elections and license businesses, has written to the Federal Trade Commission demanding they “stand up to corporate greed” and block the merger.

Why is she siding with unions like the Teamsters over greedy grocery stores that put LGBTQ+ rights and other progressive politics above profit?

Could it have something to do with the $13,500 the Teamsters spent on Griswold’s competitive reelection race last year?

Last time we checked, which was five minutes ago, the job of State Treasurer Dave Young was this:

The State Treasurer and his staff serve the citizens of Colorado by providing banking, investment, and accounting services for all funds and assets deposited in the Treasury.

Yet Young also signed his own letter to the FTC this week, which we expect the union that contributed $1,000 to his campaign will appreciate.

Just FYI, Young announced in the press release promoting his letter siding with unions that it’s now his job to “look out for the public good,” which presumably gives him power over everything except the public bad.

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

It’s been nearly a year since a busload of migrants showed up at the exclusive playground of the rich and famous in Martha’s Vineyard causing a scandal among the progressive elite.

As if, they cringed, never imagining the unwashed masses from President Biden’s open border would ever cross their paths.

An uproar ensued, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was swiftly identified and persecuted by the media as the culprit who dared bus just one hundred of the thousands of immigrants burdening his state’s resources to the progressive playground to get the Democrat administration’s attention to the border crisis.

PeakNation will recall that U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper was overcome with the vapors and warned Colorado’s ski resorts to beware of Florida buses bearing migrants to our mountains.

As 9News reported:

Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) reached out to leaders of Colorado’s mountain resort towns this week to offer assistance if governors of Florida or Texas send a group of migrants to the Colorado mountains, his office confirmed Wednesday.

Leaders in Summit, Eagle and Pitkin counties said they have all started discussions of how to prepare if a group of migrants was to arrive unexpectedly in the resort towns of Breckenridge, Vail or Aspen.

The horror of it all. Migrants, in Aspen?!

And yet now we learn the City of Denver and Gov. Polis have bused and flown more than 8,000 migrants who were dropped off on our doorstop since January to other unsuspecting cities.

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(Colorado Peak Politics)

In keeping with the sober mood of the nation, Peak will forgo the traditional debate night drinking party game because it turns out nothing is funny about the state of our nation.

These are serious issues that mostly serious people must address tonight, like what would you say to Trump if he had the balls to show up?

Or, do you think the Justice Department is being weaponized against Trump?

And, would you pardon Trump if he is convicted of a federal crime?

We think it would be awesome it Trump suddenly came crashing onto the set like the Kool-Aid Man and rolled Chris Christie right off the stage like a giant beach ball just as he’s about to hurl his first insult of the night.

And then we’d drink each time someone said Trump and be totally sloshed before the first commercial break.

Because serious times call for serious drinking.

And seriously, no one watches these debates sober, and stays awake.

Without Trump there to bust everyone’s balls, we fear we’ll fall asleep before opening statements are done.

Many Republicans can’t stand him, but he’s certain to shake things up. Christie knows he doesn’t stand a chance in Hell of winning, so he’s the only one not afraid to take on Trump.

And let’s face it, Republicans will be watching tonight to see which candidate has the biggest balls to take on the swamp in Washington,

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