You know that old axiom that says there are three subjects you should never talk with others about, because inevitably it will tick people off? You know, politics, religion and taxes – avoid those subjects, lest you come off as irritating and a smarty-pants. Oh, and if you are like me, you found yourself wondering about the origin of the term “smarty-pants.” Turns out, no one is completely sure, but it might have to do with a football coach in 1937, but I digress…

So today, I’d like to talk with you, dear readers, about three things: politics, religion and taxes.

A couple of different stories in Colorado Politics caught my eye. The recent report on three more folks tossing their hats in the ring in hopes of becoming the next state chair of the Colorado Republican Party is fascinating, as are a couple of stories from one of my favorite CoPo sections, the Out West Roundup.

First things first, there are now about a half-dozen GOPers seeking to succeed current GOP chair Kristi Burton Brown, who decided not to seek a second term. Several of these folks seem intent on finding a way to be farther to the radical right than any other candidate. Oh, and one special note about new candidate Tina Peters, the former Mesa County Clerk. You may recall her name in the news because she is currently facing felony charges that relate to her apparent efforts to help breach her county’s secure voting equipment. She has been a major yeller of the big lie, though she is far from alone in spouting the conspiracy nonsense that asserts a certain former president (who may himself soon be indicted) is still president.

These folks play hardball. Rather than accept the reality our state is at least purple, if not tilting blue (given that all the state offices are held by Dems, and the Dems have historically large margins in the state legislature), they are shouting energetically Colorado is deep red, and would vote that way if only the Dems would stop stealing elections (by getting more votes, apparently).

The batch of candidates for the chair are saying nothing but terrible things about the current chair, Ms. Brown. They blame her leadership for the massive GOP losses, in part because she urged candidates not to keep spreading the big lie. I’m guessing she felt that way because it isn’t true and in part because the big lie has been shown to hurt candidates spouting that nonsense.

The anger is palpable, with a recent GOP rally seeing a former GOP chair in Adams County calling current party leaders “whores,” “liars,” and “a**wipes.” Classy.

The usual shout of “taking our country back” was often heard, but it’s coming from far-right folks, which usually means taking back rights won by others as it’s slightly inconvenienced the old guard folks.

Let me be clear on this one: for all that it is worth, I formally endorse Ms. Peters for GOP state chair! No, really, I do. Under her potential and nutty leadership, the Colorado GOP would almost certainly do even worse in 2024, which would be great for our state and the country. Perhaps her trial and her inauguration could even be timed together, for maximum convenience of all involved. Oh, and be sure to read, in the Out West Roundup, the similar craziness going on in Kansas, where they did, in fact, elect a nutty GOP state chair. He’s outraged by President Joe Biden being outraged at vaccine misinformation being spouted by so many on the right. He even called Biden a “tyrant” for having the audacity to insist on the truth.

OK, that’s politics, should’ve ticked off lots of folks. What’s the next subject I’m to create outrage about? Oh, right: religion.

In the Roundup section, we learn that in Oklahoma, Catholics and others are building a shrine to a martyred Catholic priest, who was from Oklahoma. Father Stanley Francis Rothe was killed while serving in Guatemala during that country’s civil war back in 1981. The church is spending $50 million on the shrine to Rothe, which will include a 2,000-seat sanctuary, as well as a visitor center, a museum, and, of course, a gift shop.

Now, this entire endeavor is funded by private donations, and there is no use of public funds, so that is not the source of my outrage. Rather, I’m bothered by exactly the same thing that bothered me during the recent Super Bowl. You may recall a religious organization spent an astounding and astonishing $7 million each for two 30-second ads. Oh, and they plan on spending more than $100 million in coming years. The group behind this stunning expenditure has ties to that guy who owns Hobby Lobby – you remember, the guy who went to court to claim he could deny his workers medical coverage that include contraception, on his religious grounds? Oh, and the group has also been noted playing roles in anti-LGBTQ efforts.

I don’t claim to be much of a theologian, but I have read the Bible cover to cover. And I can’t help but wonder how many meals could have been bought for poor people, or how many homes could have been built for the homeless, or how many vials of medication could have been shipped to suffering nations for that $14 million bucks, to say nothing of $100 million? Perhaps it would have been a wiser investment to actually walk in Jesus’s shoes and help the poor, rather than to shout to the rooftops at the Super Bowl how holy you are. My two cents, anyway.

Who have I got left to offend? Oh, right, taxes.

As reported in the Out West Roundup, New Mexico may be getting close to adding a 25 cents-per-drink tax to all alcohol-containing drinks, in an effort to fund the battle against alcohol deaths. New Mexico tops the nation in alcohol deaths, at more than double the national average.

I, for one, would be happy to pay such a tax. If I’m ordering, say, a drink when I’m dining out, the extra 25 cents on a drink that costs $7.50 isn’t going to offend me nor put me off buying the beverage. I’m reminded of the time a few years ago when the then-president of a pizza company objected to providing his workers with health care. It would compel him, he asserted, to charge an extra 14 cents per pizza, to which I say, OK! I’m happy to pay 14 cents more if it helps thousands of my fellow Americans to get vitally needed health care. You’d think that a guy with “papa” in his title would want to help his “family” of employees out, but I guess not.

OK, I think I’ve given everyone something to be offended by, in terms of politics, religion, and taxes. If not, I’ll try to get you in my next column.

Stay tuned…

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.