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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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Gingrich: Democrats abandon centrism for big government socialism
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Gingrich360.com, Approved, Commentary, National

Gingrich: Democrats abandon centrism for big government socialism

By Newt Gingrich | Commentary, Substack The big government socialist wing has become the dominant force in what used to be a much more centrist Democratic Party. This week Sen. Elizabeth Warren aggressively endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York and attacked former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams. It’s clear where the energy and drive in the Democratic Party is. Of course, Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral Democratic primary was heralded by an astounding number of Democrats comfortable voting for explicit socialist Senator Bernie Sanders in his 2016 presidential campaign. Running against establishment favorite Hillary Clinton, the Vermont socialist received 43 percent of the vote. When 12 million Americans were willing to turn the White House over to an avow...
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Denver Is Losing Everything That Gave It Character
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Westword, Approved, Commentary, Local

Denver Is Losing Everything That Gave It Character

By Westwood Readers | Commentary, Westword After almost thirty years, the Hornet has taken off from the corner of First and Broadway. For decades, the Hornet has amused patrons and passersby alike with the messages on the sign outside the restaurant at 76 Broadway. But the sign that went up last week was not so amusing: "Thanks Denver! Come & Say Bye." The Hornet flew off after last call on August 9; the building it had called home for almost thirty years was sold this spring, and the restaurant itself had been put up for sale. But instead, the owners opted to close, putting this message on social media: "While many things have changed and become more complicated over the years at 1st & Broadway, we would prefer to celebrate all of the amazing times that you shared wi...
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As businesses flee downtown Denver, Johnston points to falling homicide rate
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

As businesses flee downtown Denver, Johnston points to falling homicide rate

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mayor Mike Johnston has been pointing to a 44% drop in homicides in the first half of 2025, calling it proof his crime plan is making a difference. The figure is a sharp improvement from last year, but it’s recent and doesn’t show where things stood before the pandemic. In the city’s core, the gains are harder to find. A report from the Common Sense Institute shows murders in District 6, the downtown police district, have risen 133% since 2020. Aggravated assaults, drug crimes, public disorder, and larceny are also up. While some neighborhoods have seen improvement, downtown has not kept up the same pace. Citywide Gains, Downtown Losses Data from DenverCrimes.com shows citywide violent crime down more than 30% from last...
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O’Donnell: Colorado isn’t creating jobs—it’s creating unemployment
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

O’Donnell: Colorado isn’t creating jobs—it’s creating unemployment

By Mike O’Donnell | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice  January 2023 was a changeover month of sorts in the United States because it marked a division between the taxpayer subsidized COVID economy and the less subsidized post-COVID economy. According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, the United States added 3,149,000 jobs between January 2023 and June 2025, a 2.0 percent increase for the nation as a whole.  Employment growth so far this century has averaged just under one percent a year, so the 2.0 percent figure is roughly on track (although preliminary July BLS data are less positive and subject to revision). At the same time, unemployment increased by 1,268,000, a 22.1 percent rise. This is a less positive aspect of the economy that few seem ...
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Bled dry by the state: One oil company’s fight to survive ECMC’s war of attrition
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories

Bled dry by the state: One oil company’s fight to survive ECMC’s war of attrition

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice An oil company’s $7M cleanup plan became the state’s excuse to shut it down. Jeffrey Kauffman stood at the edge of an excavation site—not to check production, but to explain why there wasn’t any. There was no rig, no flaring, no signs of oil moving to market. Just a fenced-off hole in the earth—and a state agency that wouldn’t let them fill it back in. “This one’s cost between $200,000 and $300,000,” said Kauffman, who serves as KPK’s Chief Operating Officer. “We submitted clean soil results months ago. Still no approval to close it.” The site is one of roughly a dozen that KPK has excavated under orders from the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC). Some holes have remained open since early 2024. This one, the s...
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‘Lawsuit inferno’: Tort reform advocate warns Colorado’s legal climate is driving out job creators
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denvergazette.com, Approved, State

‘Lawsuit inferno’: Tort reform advocate warns Colorado’s legal climate is driving out job creators

By Marissa Ventrelli | Denver Gazette The American Tort Reform Association has labeled Colorado a "lawsuit inferno" in its latest Legislative HeatCheck report, which ranks states based on the number of laws passed each year expanding liability. During the 2025 session, the Colorado legislature introduced 45 bills creating new private rights of action or expanding civil liability. According to the Colorado Civil Justice League, more than half of those bills were signed into law, including measures expanding the definition of damages under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act and modifying the state's wage and hour enforcement laws.  “Colorado lawmakers seem hell-bent on making it easier and more lucrative to sue, while doing little to help the people who ac...
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Colorado gun dealers say new license law is death by paperwork
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completecolorado.com, Approved, State

Colorado gun dealers say new license law is death by paperwork

By Savana Kascak | Complete Complete DENVER—A new Colorado law subjecting gun dealers already regulated by the federal government to onerous state licensing and regulatory burdens is more about a hostile legislature stifling gun rights than anything else, according to some in the firearms industry. House Bill 24-1353, Firearms Dealers Requirements and Permit, requires federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) also obtain a $400 state permit issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) that must be renewed every three years. Employees must complete an annual training course on gun safety and storage and get fingerprinted for a criminal background check. DOR agents can conduct random on-site inspections at any point to ensure the law is being followed. Governor Jared Polis...
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Ortiz: Powell must act—BBB unlocked the door, now unleash Main Street
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Breitbart, Approved, National

Ortiz: Powell must act—BBB unlocked the door, now unleash Main Street

By Alfredo Ortiz | Commentary, Breitbart American small businesses scored a major victory with this month’s passage of the Big Beautiful Bill, which locked in lower taxes and restored key tax breaks. However, the nation’s job creators are still operating with one hand tied behind their backs due to the ongoing high-interest rate environment. The Federal Reserve is working at cross purposes with policymakers trying to unleash growth. At its July meeting next week, the Fed has the opportunity to change course and align monetary policy with fiscal policy to support small business dynamism. It should move swiftly to meaningfully cut interest rates and begin restoring affordable access to credit for America’s small business backbone. Rather than being data-dependent, Fed C...
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Ganahl: What’s inside the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’—and why it’s a game-changer for families and freedom
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, National, Top Stories

Ganahl: What’s inside the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’—and why it’s a game-changer for families and freedom

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice They’re calling it the “Big Beautiful Bill”—and whether you love it or hate it, it’s the boldest shakeup to our tax and spending system since Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. Officially titled the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, this legislation does a lot: extends the Trump tax cuts, rewrites how safety net programs work, beefs up border and defense spending, and trims down the green energy handouts. There’s plenty to cheer—and plenty to argue over. Here’s a quick tour of what’s in the final version. Tax cuts for working families and seniors The Big Beautiful Bill locks in the 2017 marginal rate cuts and doubles the standard deduction, giving most families broad-based relief. The Child Tax Credit also gets a temporary ...
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