Author: Jon Caldara
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Taxpayers donate to tax increase campaign | Jon Caldara
Give the man his due. President Donald Trump has undeniable talents. Colorado politicians are learning. Chief among The Don’s skills is taking the self-serving, ethically dubious behavior of previous politicians and putting it on steroids. Or, to borrow from the only documentary that tells the whole truth about anything, “This Is Spinal Tap,” Trump turns…
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Going after the wrong butts | Jon Caldara
Mayor Mike Johnston proclaimed, “It is past time Big Tobacco cleaned up the big mess it’s created.” Yep. Denver is suing tobacco companies for the cigarette butts littering the city. Because Denver’s Big Mess couldn’t possibly be the fault of the mayor, the city council or the people actually dropping garbage on the ground. It…
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Colorado Democrats, your time is coming | Jon Caldara
Hey, Colorado Democrats! All the fun you’ve had watching Republican dysfunction in Colorado for the last 20 years was just a preview of what is about to happen to you. The Colorado Republican Party no longer exists as a competitive institution. Republicans did it to themselves. They built a culture around purity tests, with no…
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Colorado can’t forget the lessons of COVID | Jon Caldara
We are finally getting a clearer picture of what happened during COVID. Not because the people who locked us up, masked our faces and forced unproven chemicals into our bodies have suddenly become transparent, but because Anthony Fauci’s COVID-era diary is coming into public view. This long document makes one thing painfully clear: the people…
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‘CoCo’ would take taxpayers for a ride | Jon Caldara
Colorado wants taxpayers to spend another $4.73 billion on passenger rail. Don’t worry. They have a plan. Which is a little like your brother-in-law announcing he’s launching another exciting restaurant venture after his last three restaurants ended in bankruptcy. Please. Tell me where to send the check. This week the Front Range Passenger Rail District…
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One Republican can save the First Congressional | Jon Caldara
Colorado Republicans once again nominated a statewide candidate who has no chance of winning but has a lock on being a national laughingstock. But though the governor’s race is already over, Republicans in Colorado’s First Congressional District have one last opportunity this cycle to accomplish something useful. They probably won’t take it. Ordinarily, CD-1 is…
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What Colorado could look like in a year under a Gov. Phil Weiser | Jon Caldara
Why is it that Victor Marx is going to become a superb governor? Because he’s the self-proclaimed world’s fastest at disarming someone holding a gun to his head. Seriously, watch the videos. It’s pretty impressive. How could I not vote for him? Think that’s ridiculous? During negotiations over the Colorado River Compact, things will get…
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Colorado needs an Independence Day | Jon Caldara
Happy 250th Birthday, America! You look fabulous. As all the cool countries are saying, “250 is the new 230.” The Declaration of Independence wasn’t merely an announcement of war against a tyrant. It was the most revolutionary political document ever written. The Declaration was a landmark in human development, perhaps the landmark of all human…
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Read Michener’s ‘Centennial’ | Jon Caldara
If you’ve been reading my columns, you’ve noticed I’m basically illiterate. I blame my dyslexia and public education, but my Olympic-level laziness could be the driving factor. Anyway, I basically can’t read (and, still, I graduated from CU Boulder, so another endorsement of public higher education). So, for me to recommend a book is like…
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A room for Sundance, a reality check for big-government Boulder | Jon Caldara
There are few things more satisfying to watch than socialists getting mugged by reality. The Sundance Film Festival is invading my hometown of Boulder early next year. Sundance drew 85,000 attendees last year in Park City, Utah. Boulder’s hotel room inventory is about 2,900. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when Hollywood’s anti-capitalist elite collide…