August 20, 2010
from Camille Cazedessus

Archuleta Republican Party Members:

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connceted them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Abiogenesis and of Science entitles them.....”    Hold it!

Abiogenesis?  Science?  Nope, that’s not the way it reads. It says “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God entitles them.”  Neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights mentions God, but the Declaration of Independence does. Athiests and agnostics may prefer “Abiogenesis”, but that is not what it says.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their parents or State with certain....”  Hold it!

Parents?  State? Constitution? Bill of Rights?  Nope, that’s not the way it reads. It says “by their Creator”  -- and it doesn’t mean mom and dad.

This great nation stands on three massive pillars of human thought. Certainly humans can stand on two legs, but this nation stands on three: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

It’s best to always keep all three in mind, not just two.

July 29, 2010
Expenditure and Revenue History of Archuleta County School District 50JT (pdf file)
by John Bozek

April 19, 2010
One Person's Pursuit of his One Vote
(Results of 6th Senatorial and 59th Legislative)
from John Bozek

April 16, 2010
One Person’s View of Our County Assembly
From John Bozek
(includes Assembly results)

March 22, 2010
STRAW POLL RESULTS:
Data from Colorado Republican Party’s web-site of 3-18-10
From John Bozek

February 8, 2010
from Mojie Adler    

The Membership of the Archuleta County Republican Central Committee voted at
the January monthly meeting to request that the membership and other Republicans
donate $50 to our local Central Committee fund.  After much discussion of other fund-
raising methods, it was decided that requesting the $50 donation would result in an
immediate fund raiser until other efforts can be initiated.

An adhoc fund-raising committee was established.  Volunteers are:
Ray Keyawa, June Madrid, and Richard Dieterich. 
Additional members are requested to volunteer for this committee.

January 20, 2010
From John Bozek
(970) 731-4933
Colorado – We Lost Control (.pdf file)

January 19, 2010
The day “we the people” began to reclaim America for the people.
Congratulations Senator Scott Brown.

December 23, 2009
From Camille Cazedessus

Colorado Republicans Charge "Cowardly" Bennet, Udall Vote for Health Care Bribery
DENVER– Democratic Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall endorsed "bribery" when they voted for the "health care reform" bill yesterday.

"Our cowardly senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall fell in line and voted for a deeply flawed 'health care reform' bill that passed only through the sheer bribery of senators from Nebraska and Louisiana," said Colorado Republican State Chairman Dick Wadhams.  "These two weak senators can't have it both ways.  They can't pretend to reject Harry Reid's bribery then fall in line and vote for it."

"One year after becoming the accidental senator by the one vote of Bill Ritter, Michael Bennet has proven over and over again he is in over his head," Wadhams said.  "Bennet is sticking Colorado taxpayers with higher Medicaid costs while voting for sweetheart Medicaid deals for Nebraska and Louisiana."

-- media release, Dec. 22, 2009, Contact: Dick Wadhams 303-758-3333

November 28, 2009
From Camille Cazedessus

"We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men’s labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name --- liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names -- liberty and tyranny.” - Abraham Lincoln, 1864

November 9, 2009
From Camille Cazedessus

C. Northcote Parkinson’s Law, of 1955 says
"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

Perhaps with TABOR it’s “Money is spent so as to equal the maximum taxes that can be collected without a revolt.”

Just a thought. -Caz

November 5, 2009

From John Bozek
(970) 731-4933

APPROPRIATIONS vs. TABOR LIMITS for COLORADO

In an effort to understand how and how much TABOR has impacted Colorado’s spending profile, I have compared yearly appropriations (budgets) to various growth metrics including the calculated TABOR Limits for years 1992 to 2008. I am still not sure what impact the TABOR Limit has had on spending - maybe none or little impact.

The figure below shows the Colorado yearly growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), appropriations, population, Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the calculated TABOR Limit. All were normalized to one for their respective 1992 values in an effort to facilitate comparisons.

The TABOR Limits were calculated from yearly population and CPI growth: e.g. if the population increase for the year prior to the year in question is 5% and the CPI increases by 4% in that prior year, i.e. inflation of 4%, the TABOR Limit for the year in question is 9%. The State can now spend up to 9% more than it did in the previous year. One caveat is that yearly increases in spending could be limited by revenue and not a TABOR Limit. To facilitate understanding of the analysis, the TABOR Limit quoted was not displaced to the next year – an insignificant assumption for this analysis.

Population growth was calculated from Census Bureau data. CPI growth was obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) via the Colorado Legislative Council. Appropriation values were obtained from the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) and GDP values were obtained from the Bureau of Economic Analysis via the Colorado Legislative Council.

Linear least squares fit of the data results in a growth rate of GDP that is 50% faster than the growth rate of the Tabor Limit, appropriations that are also 50% faster, CPI half as fast and population a third as fast.

Two pertinent observations are evident:

1. Appropriations increase more rapidly than the TABOR Limit allows

2. Appropriation growth approximates that of Colorado’s GDP

The first observation may be accounted for by the fact that Federal funds, cash funds and enterprises are not part of TABOR limitations by Constitutional law. An explanation as to why appropriation growth closely matches the growth of the GDP can take two approaches. An analytical approach was taken by Kate Watkins of Colorado’s Legislative Council shown below:

“When indexed, total appropriations and Colorado's gross domestic product (GDP) have grown at a closer pace than total appropriations and the TABOR limit or other indicators such as population plus inflation growth …. It is difficult to provide a single explanation for why total appropriations have grown at a rate similar to economic growth.  Most sources of state revenue are dependent upon the strength of the economy.  Therefore, perhaps it is not surprising that state spending—which is dependent upon revenue, some of which is not subject to the TABOR limit—would share a pace closer to economic growth than population plus inflation.  That said, state spending is determined by a number of other factors including legislative actions and federal and constitutional spending mandates.  State spending is also a part of economic activity and is therefore reflected in the growth of Colorado's GDP.  It is likely that some or all of these factors play into why these growth rates show similar trends.”

My approach is somewhat more simple and ideological. It almost seems that Colorado taxes its citizens and spends in accordance to its citizen’s productivity and not in accordance to the needs of the State, leaving less in the pockets of its productive citizens.

Both approaches merge at some level. I hope you will decide which one most closely articulates your philosophy of governance.

October 28, 2009

From Camille Cazedessus
Rendezvous Books

The U.N. Exposed

October 27, 2009

From Camille Cazedessus

Whither the GOP?

{excerpt from Pat Buchanan column, 10/27/09}

...Palin, a conservative of the heart, did the right thing. And the GOP has been sent a necessary message. For, according to Gallup, 40% of Americans now identify as conservatives -- only 20 % as Republicans. If the GOP is not the conservative party, it will never be America's Party.

But what does "conservative" mean in 2009? And where do conservatives come down on the great issues? For what the right is against -- any repeal of the Bush tax cuts, the $787 billion stimulus, Obamacare -- is much clearer than what the right stands for.

In 2010, this may not matter, as the Obamakins rule the roost and will be held accountable, and Republicans can unite around what they oppose.

Year 2012, however, is problematic. Then the party must declare itself. And the reality is that the GOP remains a house divided. What, for example, is the conservative view of the war in Iraq and the Bush economic policies that cost the party both Houses of Congress in 2006 and the White House in 2008?

Why did President Bush leave with 27% approval? Did Bush policies the GOP once applauded have anything to do with it?

Was Bush free trade responsible for the decline of the dollar and the loss of one in four manufacturing jobs?

Is globalization still good for America and NAFTA the deal of the century?

What is the conservative position on reaching out to Russia, as Barack Obama has done, on bringing Georgia and Ukraine into NATO, and on canceling that anti-missile system Bush planned in Poland?

"We're all Georgians now!" John McCain declared. Are we?

What is the party position on a "long war" in Afghanistan? For if America has soured on the war and opposes more troops today, will America be enthusiastic about soldiering on in 2012, after 1,000 or 2,000 more American dead have been shipped home?

Do Republicans support negotiating with Tehran, or cutting off gasoline and starting up the escalator to air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities that are today under U.N. inspection?

Will the GOP propose to stimulate the economy with tax cuts after four straight trillion-dollar deficits?

Will the Bush line, "They'll pay for themselves," still be credible after Bush's deficits?

If the largest federal outlays are for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, defense and interest on the debt, followed by education, housing, homeland security and transportation, where would the GOP use the knife to balance the budget?

According to Gallup, America is moving closer to the Republican position on regulations, abortion, guns and union power. But half of all Americans now favor cuts in legal immigration.

Are Republicans willing to call for a moratorium on immigration to tighten the labor market and force wages up? Or does the Chamber of Commerce still call the tune?

Ronald Reagan arrived with new ideas that fit the needs of his time. Where are the Republican ideas that fit the needs of this time?

Want to comment on Pat's columns? Visit our site.

I take full responsibility for copying this portion of Mr. Buchanan's column for the Archuleta County Republican Party website. I present it to all Americans as an interesting seriies of questions and ideas and offer no comment, just this quote from Thomas Jefferson:

"I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power, the greater it will be."

October 2, 2009

From: Mojie Adler
731-4277

Colorado GOP Fall Meeting

The Colorado State Central Committee held their fall retreat at Keystone Resort Lodge & Spa on 25 & 26 September. On Friday, the 25th,  a Candidate School was held in the morning and a Technology Forum was conducted in the afternoon. A dinner and Candidate Forum was held on Friday evening. Approximately 380 Republicans were present,.

All seven formally announced GOP candidates for Senate participated in the forum. The list included: 

• Ryan Frazier (Aurora);
• Gary  Kennedy (Montezuma County);
• Luke Korkowski (Crested Butte);
• Vincent Martinez (Douglas County);
• Ken Buck (Weld County);
• Jane Norton (former Lt. Governor);
• Cleve Tidwell (Denver).

Only two of the three candidates for Governor participated in the forum:  Dan Maes (Evergreen) and Josh Penry (Grand Junction).

In a straw poll of Republican members present at the dinner for the Senate primary, Norton got 119 votes and Buck tied with Frazier with 94 votes.  In the straw poll for Governor, Penry received 269 votes, McInnis 38 votes and Maes 29 votes.

On Saturday morning, the Central Committee Meeting was conducted from 9am to 12noon.  The purpose of the meeting  was consideration of proposed bylaws amendments; consider and adopt delegate apportionment formula and plan applicable to the Colorado Republican State Assembly and to each of the Congressional District Assemblies to be convened in 2010.  Archuleta County will be authorized 15 delegates and 15 alternates to the Republican State Assembly.

Three State Central Committee Members were present from Archuleta County for the Saturday  Meeting:  Robin Schiro, Mojie Adler, and Jim Rains (proxy for Ray Keyawa).

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