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Tag: Economic Policy

The cost of obedience: How Colorado’s senators strengthened economic malfeasance
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

The cost of obedience: How Colorado’s senators strengthened economic malfeasance

By Mike O’Donnell | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice It is both sad and disappointing that Colorado’s two U.S. senators are incapable of independent thought. As the simple puppets of their overlords, they have selfishly voted fifteen times NOT to reopen the federal government—even though their “no” votes hurt the Coloradans they supposedly represent.  Colorado was already struggling economically before the federal shutdown.  Between January 2023, the start of the post-COVID economy in the U.S., and August 2025, job creation in Colorado had been growing at less than half the national rate and unemployment was growing at around twice the national rate.  How state unemployment changed since January 2023: Colorado up 58.5% vs U.S. 28.5%. How ...
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Can you regulate the sound of commerce without sinking trade?
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

Can you regulate the sound of commerce without sinking trade?

By Greg Walcher | Commentary, GregWalcher.com When Congress authorized nearly $400 billion in climate subsidies, the bill was called the “Inflation Reduction Act,” though it had nothing to do with inflation. The 2001 “Patriot Act” was about expanding government surveillance powers, not patriotism. The massive new federal health insurance program was called “Affordable Care Act,” though it did not reduce the cost of anything. And we call laws restricting mandatory union contracts “right to work,” though they create no jobs. Popular-sounding names enhance the chances of acceptance for many proposals that might otherwise fail the test of public opinion. Calling a new program of government regulations, fees, and permits a “market-based solution” might appeal to folks who would otherwise ...
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It’s YOUR Money – Not The Government’s
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

It’s YOUR Money – Not The Government’s

By Russ Minary | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice "Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other." – Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan was a Democrat with conservative values, unlike many in his party. So he switched parties and became a Republican, serving two terms as California governor (1967–1975). He went on to national office, serving two terms as president (1981–1989). Reagan is often credited with our nation’s swing toward conservatism and is generally remembered favorably. He had a great sense of humor, which he used to move his agenda forward with Democrats, Republicans, and most Americans. During the Reagan administration, however, our national debt grew threefold—from $971 billion to $2.97 tril...
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Spending Is The Real Underlying Problem
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

Spending Is The Real Underlying Problem

By Russ Minary | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”  - Will Rogers Will Rogers (1879–1935) was an American humorist, entertainer and cowboy philosopher. He had no college degree, but he was smarter (and funnier) than most of the experts, economists and bureaucrats of his day, many of whom went broke in the Depression. Will had common sense which is uncommon today. This article will put a different and positive perspective on a problem that will eventually bankrupt all of us: SPENDING. Our nation is being slowly consumed by massive unsustainable DEBT. Debt doesn’t happen without spending. Spending is a problem with businesses, government – and many average Americ...
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China Hails TikTok Deal as ‘Win-Win’ While U.S. Pushes for Control
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Asia Financial, Approved, National

China Hails TikTok Deal as ‘Win-Win’ While U.S. Pushes for Control

By Jim Pollard with Reuters | Asia Financial Chinese shareholders’ stake will be cut to below 20%, while Andreessen, Silver Lake and Oracle look set to be key players in the new firm running TikTok in the US China has hailed the agreement reached with US trade officials on the operations of TikTok in the United States as a “win-win” deal. The framework agreement achieved in Madrid on Monday will see the US operations of the popular short-video app switch to local owners because of a law passed last year by Congress, which deemed Chinese ownership of TikTok a national security risk and that parent company Bytedance must divest its holding or face a ban. The deal is expected to see Bytedance and Chinese shareholders’ stake reduced to below 20%, while tech giant Oracle, venture ca...
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Minimum wage hikes sound compassionate but close the door on opportunity
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Rasmussen Reports, Approved, Commentary, National

Minimum wage hikes sound compassionate but close the door on opportunity

By Brian Joondeph | Commentary, Rasmussen Reports A new Rasmussen Reports survey reveals that 40% of Americans now believe the minimum wage should be at least $15 an hour, up from 36% a year ago. That’s a strong sentiment. After all, who doesn’t want working Americans to earn more? But compassion and sound economics are two very different things. In fact, the optimal minimum wage from an economic perspective is zero. This isn't an insult to workers but a recognition that government cannot create prosperity by decree, despite campaign promises. When wages are set by law instead of supply and demand, the first casualties are often those who need an entry point, such as teenagers, part-time workers, and adults looking for a second job to supplement their income. Contrary to...
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Local leaders warn new AI law could harm Colorado innovation
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The Gazette, Approved, State

Local leaders warn new AI law could harm Colorado innovation

By Seth Klamann | The Gazette While filling the $800 million gap in the state budget is a significant part of the special session set to go underway this morning at the state Capitol, the battle over artificial intelligence regulations is quickly taking center stage, with mayors from three major cities weighing in. In a letter, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade and Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman called on state legislators to intervene and stop Senate Bill 205 from going into effect as planned on Feb. 1, 2026, arguing they fear it would deter companies and jobs from coming to Colorado, not to mention millions of dollars in implementation expenses.  “As mayors of the three largest cities in Colorado, with different political affiliations, we are ...
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Colorado’s path to ruin: How bad policy created crisis and dependency
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Substack, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado’s path to ruin: How bad policy created crisis and dependency

By Christopher Richardson | Commentary, Substack Colorado stands at a crossroads. For too long, state policy has ignored the basic truths of economics and public safety, and we are now paying the price. The upcoming general session must be more than another exercise in partisan talking points—it must be an honest debate about how we got here, and how we can get back on track. The warning signs are everywhere. Overregulation and endless legal risks have driven businesses out of Colorado. Entrepreneurs hesitate to expand, while larger firms look to friendlier states. The result? Job growth has shifted almost entirely to government payrolls, leaving fewer private-sector opportunities and stagnant wages for working families. At the same time, rising crime has made Colorado less at...
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Interest rates stay put: President Trump says Powell is costing the country trillions
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THE HILL, Approved, National

Interest rates stay put: President Trump says Powell is costing the country trillions

By Alex Gangitano | The Hill President Trump on Thursday blasted Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, lodging insults at the head of the central bank for opting again to not lower interest rates. “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell has done it again!!! He is TOO LATE, and actually, TOO ANGRY, TOO STUPID, & TOO POLITICAL, to have the job of Fed Chair,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “He is costing our Country TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS, in addition to one of the most incompetent, or corrupt, renovations of a building(s) in the history of construction! Put another way, ‘Too Late’ is a TOTAL LOSER, and our Country is paying the price!” the president added. The nation’s central bank on Wednesday kept short-term interest rates at a level of 4.25 p...
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New poll: Republicans seen as having the clearer plan for the country
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Fox News, Approved, National

New poll: Republicans seen as having the clearer plan for the country

By Victoria Balara | Fox News Yet the Republican Party loses ground to the Democrats on handling key issues With the 2026 midterm elections more than a year away, a new Fox News survey finds that while the Republican Party has lost some ground to the Democratic Party on handling key issues, voters are more likely to think the GOP has a clear plan for dealing with the country’s problems.  The survey, released Thursday, finds that by a 10-point margin, more voters think the Republicans have a clear plan for the U.S. than the Democrats: 43% vs. 33%.  Still, majorities feel neither the GOP (54%) or the Democrats (64%) have a plan. This is about where sentiment was three years ago, the last time the question was asked.  Far more Republicans (79%) than D...
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