Author: Jon Caldara
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The First Amendment protects the Second | Jon Caldara
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It’s not an attack on the Second Amendment, but the First Amendment. I know this is going to sound crazy but, there was a time when liberals, not conservatives, were the champions of free speech. Today? Now in Colorado it is punishable to “mis-gender” someone. By speaking truthfully, say calling a man, “a man,” when…
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Law enforcement officers shouldn’t wear masks | Jon Caldara
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Should police wear masks? Denver’s City Council thinks no — and is even trying to outlaw it for federal agents operating in the city (because if there’s one thing municipal governments do well, it’s bossing around Washington). Like so many issues where people quickly polarize to one extreme or the other, this issue is nuanced.…
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Why U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet won’t be governor of Colorado | Jon Caldara
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I suggest we get used to saying the words, “Governor Weiser.” The election for Colorado’s next governor does not take place in November. It’s in fewer than five months, on June 30. That’s the state’s primary election. Whoever wins the Democratic primary is the next governor (with all apologies to the seeming 328 Republicans running…
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TABOR Derangement Syndrome — Colorado’s ‘TDS’ — is real | Jon Caldara
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In Colorado, TDS doesn’t stand for “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” It stands for “TABOR Derangement Syndrome.” You can spot its sufferers easily. They break into hives at the mere mention of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. In fact, they can’t even utter its full name, Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, only “TABOR” as if it’s a slur.…
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Colorado is shrinking — time for our elected officials to take notice | Jon Caldara
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Something strange is happening in Colorado — strange enough that the political class should notice. People are leaving Colorado. After years of being one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, net in-migration has stopped and may be reversing. According to Federal Reserve Bank data, the last time Colorado’s population took a dip was 1945.…
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French Revolution comes to Colorado Democrats | Jon Caldara
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The border skirmishes are increasing, and we could be looking at full-blown combat. The simmering civil unrest inside Colorado’s Democratic ranks is heating up, and during this legislative session it might boil over into all-out civil war. If it does, a lot of the media might actually have to interrupt their regularly scheduled Republican-bashing to…
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Gov. Jared Polis is Rodney Dangerfield | Jon Caldara
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Hang onto your wallet, it’s a Colorado legislative session. And the loneliest person under the Gold Dome is Jared Polis, a governor without a nation. This will be the last regular session of his limited two terms, and he has managed to become disliked by just about everyone. Of course, no matter how often he…
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Colorado’s ski bums on strike vs. ‘Big Ski’ | CALDARA
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Hopefully, by the time you read this, the strike up at Telluride Ski Resort is over, ski patrollers are again joyfully sliding down mountains and getting paid for it, and tourists are once again being overcharged for… well, everything. But there are some lessons buried in this story of ski bums going all Norma Rae…
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Democracy is under attack, right here in Colorado | Jon Caldara
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Remember during COVID, when the people screaming the loudest for government-mandated jabs were the very same people chanting “my body, my choice” when it came to abortion — I mean, “women’s health care”? They’re also the folks who insist a 12-year-old is far too young to get a tattoo, but perfectly mature enough to make…
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Didn’t like the blackouts? Better get used to them | Jon Caldara
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I usually write this column at home. That was impossible this time, since I was one of the lucky 110,000 households without power for a full day during the recent windstorms. For those of you who shared this magical experience, congratulations — you’ve now had a sneak preview of Colorado’s 100% renewable energy lifestyle. No…


