Colorado Accountability Project

Former Sen. Chris Holbert shows Coloradans how to be heard at the Capitol

30Sep

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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Former Sen. Chris Holbert shows Coloradans how to be heard at the Capitol

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Substack Former Colorado State Senator Holbert YouTube’s algorithm is at it again. I ended up down a rabbit hole recently and somehow ended up seeing a name that was quite familiar. Former State Senator (and former Senate Minority Leader) Chris Holbert. Apparently he is doing a YouTube channel now where he offers advice on navigating Colorado’s political process. I linked to his channel first below and then, under that, a couple videos which I thought especially pertinent for the spirit of what I do: one is a short video about what to do/think if legislators aren’t listening, the other is about public testimony. When I was starting out with my Facebook page during the beginnings of COVID, Mr. Holbert was a grea...

Governor’s mansion doubles as free soapbox for First Gentleman’s animal agenda

24Sep

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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Governor’s mansion doubles as free soapbox for First Gentleman’s animal agenda

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project The First Gentleman's lecture series -- who's footing the bill? A couple weeks back, I noticed an article about a talk at the governor's mansion about wolf reintroduction involving the First Gentleman and his guests for the evening. The article is linked first below if you'd like to give it a read.If you know anything about the First Gentleman, you know he is a dedicated animal rights activist. Has been for a while. It should therefore not shock anyone that the guests at this talk were also animal rights/wildlife advocates.I won't go into the details of the talk. I'll leave it to you to read up if you'd like.The First Gentleman has the same First Amendment rights as anyone else. He's welcome to have an opinion and expre...

Colorado Democrats push ‘progressive tax’ while low-income families already carry heavier burden

16Sep

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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado Democrats push ‘progressive tax’ while low-income families already carry heavier burden

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Progressive tax myths vs. reality. There's been a lot of noise about a bunch of progressive groups pushing a ballot measure to change our income tax structure from a flat tax (where all income brackets pay the same percentage) to a progressive one (where you pay more income tax as a percent and in absolute terms if you earn more).If you want an example article and some context, see the Sun article linked first below.I wanted to offer you a couple resources from a fiscally conservative (and frankly reality-based) perspective to counter what will likely be a blitz on the topic in the media and elsewhere. A couple resources to help you better advocate against this wrongheaded policy.There are two Complete Colorado op eds l...

Board of Education clash over science standards reveals how politics steers Colorado classrooms on climate change

15Sep

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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Board of Education clash over science standards reveals how politics steers Colorado classrooms on climate change

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Politicizing climate change Let me start with a quote from the CPR article linked at bottom. The article is about how the Colorado State Board of Education recently amended science standards. "The board’s lengthy discussion reflects how a topic the scientific community agrees on — that human activities cause global warming — can become political outside of scientific circles." The article then proceeds to detail how conservative/Republican members of the Board of Ed sought amendments to some of the science standards around global warming. There is, conversely, little to nothing about the liberal/Democratic board members, save for some snappy comebacks included by CPR's Brundin. As for the Republican members, th...

Colorado’s climate agenda: Not about emissions but about ending fossil fuels

11Sep

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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado’s climate agenda: Not about emissions but about ending fossil fuels

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project The point of climate change is to shut down fossil fuels, not deal with emissions. I don't know the full story, but apparently someone (or some entity) proposed a nuclear power reactor be sited at DIA. The idea, per the Sun article at bottom, was quickly quashed. I am loathe to speak with too much conviction about the DIA saga since I'm not too familiar with all the dynamics. What is pretty obvious from the article that there are multiple concerns residents had. Quoting the article: "...Why waste money on an unproven, enormously expensive, extremely toxic nuclear power plant, with no place in the nation accepting the eventual radioactive waste, in a spot with hundreds of thousands of neighbors and 100 million visi...

CDOT’s speed cameras flip justice on its head in Democrat-run Colorado

10Sep

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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

CDOT’s speed cameras flip justice on its head in Democrat-run Colorado

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project CDOT warned you, now they're going to start taking your money. Per the CPR article linked first below, CDOT (granted the authority by a 2023 bill which you'll find a link for embedded in the article) is going to start issuing citations instead of warnings for their automated speeding cams. This is for a section of HWY 119 between Longmont and Boulder. As part of reading the article, I went back on some of the links to CDOT's websites, and found the one where CDOT lists the areas where they are using their automated cameras. That site is linked second below. If you're on the highways often and want to avoid getting a ticket, keep that one handy. In looking over the CDOT sites on this speeding enforcement, what y...

Wildlife activists urge CPW to ban lead tackle and bullets, hunters push back

9Sep

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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Wildlife activists urge CPW to ban lead tackle and bullets, hunters push back

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Advocates push CPW to ban lead ammo and fishing tackle. According to the KUNC article linked first below, advocacy groups composed of current and former Federal employees are imploring CPW, as part of updates to its Wildlife Action Plan, to start phasing out the use of lead ammo and fishing tackle on state-owned land.Quoting from the letter sent to CPW (linked in the KUNC story, but put as a separate link second below for convenience):"We strongly urge CPW to incorporate a clear, measurable commitment to phasing out the use of toxic lead-based ammunition and fishing tackle on lands and waters under the state’s jurisdiction."Note: this text is bolded in the letter, but I did not keep that original formatting.The letter g...

Colorado interstates improved by 1 percent, but where does that leave rural roads

8Sep

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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado interstates improved by 1 percent, but where does that leave rural roads

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project CDOT: a 1% drop in poor rural pavement or interstate? Both? Recently on my way home I was listening to KUNC and heard a story where CDOT was crowing about how they've repaired something like 1% of rural roads in Colorado. Something didn't smell right and I wanted to double check on the exact claim when I got home. I couldn't find a link to a written story on KUNC's site about it (perhaps it was radio only?), so I wrote in to the CDOT media people and asked for some details.Before we get to the claim let's back up for some context.According to the first link below, CDOT's Fixing Rural Roads page (quoting):"Over the course of CDOT’s outreach effort we heard from rural communities across Colorado about the need to improve ...

Colorado’s unelected energy board moves to give Xcel control over your appliances

4Sep

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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado’s unelected energy board moves to give Xcel control over your appliances

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project, Substack Low energy, low carbon, and higher upfront cost energy codes are now complete I have written in the past about our state's model energy code.** Per the quote (with link left intact) coming from the link at bottom:"The Model Low Energy and Carbon Code, which is required by state law HB22-1362, becomes Colorado’s new minimum energy code on July 1, 2026. Any municipality or county that updates any of its building codes after that date must adopt the model code, or a code that will achieve greater energy efficiency and pollution reductions."That second sentence there is the operant one. Get ready to have this code forced upon your locality as soon as they update their building codes post 7/1/2026.I'll leave it to ...

Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission hearings show how small business voices are shut out

3Sep

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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission hearings show how small business voices are shut out

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project, Substack Government regulations differentially harm small businesses AND private businesses I wrote a newsletter (see the first link below if you want the context) a bit back about testifying in front of the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) about how unelected boards are not how our state should run. I did end up testifying* and I wanted to share the testimony of a gentleman who preceded me because what he said struck me as important. The gentleman's name is Jeff Kendall and he is the CEO of Bruin Waste, a private, family-run business on the Western Slope which picks up trash and operates some landfills. His testimony starts in the recording of the hearing (linked second below) at the 1:03:55 mark. I won't...

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Former Sen. Chris Holbert shows Coloradans how to be heard at the Capitol

Governor’s mansion doubles as free soapbox for First Gentleman’s animal agenda

Colorado Democrats push ‘progressive tax’ while low-income families already carry heavier burden

Board of Education clash over science standards reveals how politics steers Colorado classrooms on climate change

Colorado’s climate agenda: Not about emissions but about ending fossil fuels

CDOT’s speed cameras flip justice on its head in Democrat-run Colorado

Wildlife activists urge CPW to ban lead tackle and bullets, hunters push back

Colorado interstates improved by 1 percent, but where does that leave rural roads

Colorado’s unelected energy board moves to give Xcel control over your appliances

Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission hearings show how small business voices are shut out

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