Mount Virtus

Outrages and More

Some of you may have noticed the dearth of extensive writing and posting here of late. Let’s just call it “outrage fatigue.” Everything from the Michael Jackson verdict to the obnoxious posturing over the Gitmo affair and more has caused my blood to boil in recent days. But frankly, I haven’t had much to add to the conversation, and I haven’t wanted to dwell on it anyways. Just in case you were wondering….

Meanwhile today, the news reports emerged from the Terri Schiavo autopsy. Her death by dehydration has not stifled the debate….

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Italy and the Euro

The Washington Time reports today on a burgeoning political movement in Italy to oust the euro and bring back the lira as the national currency. I can almost see the sign now at the banks and exchanges: 1 euro = 1,000,000 lira.

…There have to be some jokes out there from this story - there have to be.

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Settling the Great Quarter Dispute

Clay takes a look at the “flip side” to give us the final lasting proof why Colorado beats Minnesota in the Great State Quarter War. If you haven’t dropped by lately, check it out. And don’t forget to cast your vote.

(Looks like the controversy also continues to sweep through the MSM. Read David Harsanyi’s Denver Post column today. )

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Wet and Wild Weekend for Baseball

Excited by the prospect of an early Friday game likely to end by sundown, Joshua was planning to be at Coors Field this afternoon for the game between the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies. Knowing my deep dedication as a Tigers fan, he invited me along to today’s game. I was thankful he thought of me but am tied up at work and have a 5:30 appointment besides, so I had to decline.

Besides, I have tickets to attend the Saturday (with my friend Steve) and Sunday (with the lovely Mrs. Virtus) games.

But the skies had opened and the rains had come earlier today, pushing back the starting time from 3:05 to 4:00. I hope Joshua found another companion to go to the game with - and if he did, I hope the contest speeds along enough so he can arrive home safely and timely for Shabat.

But maybe he decided to stay high and dry instead. We’ll have to wait for his report.

Oh yeah… go Tigers!

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JeffCo Commissioners Facing the Challenges

When you see an elected politician roll up his sleeves and take up the challenge of a difficult but important campaign promise, it sure can restore some of your faith in the system and in the judgment of your fellow citizens.

That’s exactly how I feel as the new slate of Jefferson County commissioners has tackled and confronted the waste and corruption that have been plaguing some departments of government. The Denver Post explored the story in depth on Sunday and followed up with a laudable editorial in today’s edition.

Sunday’s story revealed many glaring problems with the way our county government has run in recent years, including this dandy:

Among Jefferson County employees, Bob Roark is the king of plastic.

Over the last four years, the technology manager charged $3.7 million on his government-issued credit cards as part of an unusual county program to build PCs from scratch.

Because the purchases, blessed by his bosses, veered outside standard financial controls, documentation is often scarce or incomplete. And though he insists the equipment - including about $1 million spent through a friend working at a PC warehouse - went into making computers, he cannot track the whereabouts of many parts.

The large credit-card charges are not illegal, though in some cases they appear to have violated county policy. But the lack of review over those purchases is part of a pervasive breakdown in financial oversight involving portions of the county’s $500 million budget.

Since 2001, Jefferson County employees have handled millions of dollars in transactions without competitive bidding, close supervision or contracts - and sometimes in conflict with policies, according to a Denver Post review of hundreds of purchasing and accounting records from 2001 through February of this year.

But reformers Jim Congrove and Kevin McCasky, who were elected to two of the three commissioner posts last November, started to challenge the status quo without any outside media pressure prompting them to act. From what I have seen, these are both men of the deepest integrity and fortitude. I personally am thankful they are in office watching out for the interests of Jefferson County’s taxpaying citizens. I have also heard good things about newly-appointed Commissioner Dave Auburn, who filled the final position after Rick Sheehan resigned under a growing cloud of controversy.

Today’s Post editorial gives them their worthy recognition:

The county seems to be making the right changes, and should be applauded for tackling the problem on its own, without being prompted by a public outcry or news stories.

One of the first moves was to let finance director Charles Montoya go. He “didn’t want aggressive accounting,” the county’s director of accounting says.

The commissioners also established an office of the internal auditor - a position independent from the finance department. They hired Susan Johnson, a CPA who earlier was forced out of a job by Montoya for raising red flags. The commissioners then hired an outside auditor to search for fraud - a key move to help re-establish their credibility with citizens.

But fixing these problems isn’t done without resistance. And sometimes a little intrigue is added in, like the revelation this week that JeffCo has opened up an investigation on many missing confidential files from the county attorney’s ofice.

We Americans are very good at complaining about the corrupt, spineless, and weak-kneed politicians. But when our elected officials do the right thing and seek to live up to their campaign promises despite the massive challenges, do we thank them? I say that Congrove, McCasky, and Auburn deserve the gratitude of JeffCo’s citizens. And let’s make sure that they continue to be responsive to our needs and interests.

It’s almost enough to dispel some cynicism about our political system.

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Blog Freedom News: The China Edition

In a story that may be of interest to some of my readers and friends in the Internet community (if they aren’t already well aware of it), Cybercast News is reporting that the Chinese government plans a crackdown on blogs this summer.

The Chinese government says a system has been developed to monitor sites in real time, searching each one for a registration number. Those not registered would face penalties, including fines of up to one million yuan (about $121,000).

The ministry said almost 75 percent of all website already have been registered. The regulations were needed, it said, because of sex, violence, superstitions and “other harmful information” available online.

Of course, it’s not like anything like this would happen in the land of the free and the home of the brave… is it?

For your one-stop shop for online freedom of speech, visit Red State’s “Got freedom?” page.

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Message to Chad the Elder: Sit Down

I’m sure the boys at Fraters are aware of the old Irish saying, but under the current circumstances it bears repeating: “When everyone says you’re drunk, you’d better sit down.” When the best defense of your state’s honor is giving the correct spelling of lutefisk, it’s time to take a seat, Peeps.

Perhaps reviewing some of the great moments in Minnesota history will remind the inebriates of the terrible insecurity driving them to waste their time trying to disparage the beautiful state of Colorado.

Here are the highlights - a chronology of events that nearly every Minnesota school boy can recite with pride:

I mean Minnesota? Seriously… the swampy wilderness best known for its iconoclastic adherence to naming a certain children’s game “Duck, duck, grey duck"? The state that gave birth to John Madden, Winona Ryder, Garrison Keillor, and raised Al Franken? Please, sit down. You’re embarrassing yourselves.

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“65 Percent Plan” Discussion Moves West

The Colorado version of First Class Education’s “65 percent plan”, which was unveiled a few weeks ago by House Minority Leader Joe Stengel and some of his Republican colleagues, got some press along the Western Slope with an article by Danie Harrelson in today’s Grand Junction Sentinel.

A few points in the story need to be examined a bit more closely. First:

Colorado, whose school districts on average spend 58 cents of their budget in the classroom, ranks 47th in the nation when it comes to the percentage of state funds that schools invest in instruction, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Mesa County Valley School District 51 pumps about 67 percent of its state funding into classroom instruction, District 51 spokesman Jeff Kirtland said. That equates to roughly $76.5 million of a $112.5 million budget spent on instructional programs.

“(Taxpayer) dollars are maximized in the classroom,” Kirtland said.

Unfortunately, the reporter makes an “apples-and-oranges” comparison here. The 58 percent figure for Colorado, drawn from the most recent National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data, reflects the amount of school districts’ current expenditures (everything spent in a given school year, except for capital construction projects and debt repayment) spent in the classroom. According to these figures, Grand Junction’s Mesa Valley 51 School District is one of the better-performing districts in Colorado, spending 62 percent in the classroom.

The 67 percent referred to by the school district spokesman reflects the amount spent from its general fund - which represents a large chunk of its total budget - but skews the overall picture a bit. (Sound familiar? Look back at Denver school officials’ definitional issues.)

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An Overseas Friend Found Blogging

My friend Kevin Bowden is doing great work in China - check out his new blog! You’ll find it encouraging and insightful.

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Praise for Coffman, Endorsement for Beauprez

Yesterday, a crowd of friends and supporters gathered in Littleton for a farewell send-off to Major Mike Coffman, our truly honorable State Treasurer who has temporarily resigned his post to spend a tour of duty in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps.

The ceremony was simple but poignant, with former State Senate President John Andrews leading the invocation, an older Army veteran leading the Pledge of Allegiance (while he stood surrounded by all the veterans in attendance), and Miss Colorado 2004 Laura Tobey singing a beautiful rendition of our national anthem.

Former Ambassador Sam Zakhem gave Mike Coffman high praise, comparing him to a modern day Nathan Hale ("I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.") Congressman Bob Beauprez honored his friend as a true patriot, reminding the audience of the hard plight and momentous opportunity for lasting change in the Middle East and lauding Coffman for helping to take on the task.

US Congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez spoke eloquently of Mike Coffman’s patriotism

In return, Coffman had kind words for Beauprez. He told how he had wrestled with the decision of whether to fill the badly needed role of providing Civil Affairs expertise to the nascent Iraqi democracy. Coffman said he realized he could in good conscience give up his short-lived run for governor, but only knowing that a “strong candidate” like Beauprez had stepped in. The departing Treasurer all but officially endorsed the Beauprez candidacy right then and there, though sources indicate that such a formal announcement won’t be long in coming either. Coffman also clearly stated his intention to run for Secretary of State. A future run for governor might not yet be out of the question, should he come home safe - God-willing - from his important duties in Iraq.

Beauprez’s appearance as the only other high-profile political figure at the event was noteworthy in itself. But his decision to move into the race has been a lot more artfully made than Democratic counterpart Rutt Bridges, who hasn’t articulated too well why he wants to be Colorado’s chief executive.

Major Mike Coffman, soon to resign his office as State Treasurer and to don again the United States Marine uniform and serve in Iraq, addressed his supporters

Coffman spoke briefly but eloquently to a receptive audience, who gave the true American hero several rounds of applause. Best wishes to Mike and his new wife Cynthia as he spends the next seven months in an unsettled and often hostile Iraqi region. Our prayers and support are with the Coffmans.

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A Terrific Idea

After a week-long trip to Alaska (simply awesome), the post-vacation catchup, and some bandwidth issues, I’m finally back blogging. (Because of the bandwidth issues, I’ll be limiting the number of vacation pics I post here.)

But the main reason I’m blogging right now is to encourage readers to send a letter to our dear friend and fellow blogger Jim, who recently passed through a serious life-threatening challenge and is now facing the grim reality of a long and difficult recovery. Keep him in your prayers, and check out Clay’s site for more information and where you can send Jim a card or a letter. What a ministry of encouragement that would be!

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Judicial Extremism

Editor’s note: This is the last scheduled post on Mount Virtus for the next 10 days or so. The author is taking a self-imposed “blog vacation” but shall return to his wit and witticisms after the Memorial Day weekend holiday. May God bless our brave but media-beleaguered men and women in uniform both today (on Armed Forces Day) and on Memorial Day. They and their families remain in our thoughts and prayers. Until then, enjoy the following….

Throughout the crescendoing rancor of the ongoing debate over the judicial filibuster, the Senate Democrats and their MSM allies perpetually reassert two suppositions:

1) That President Bush’s nominees are radical and outside the “mainstream.”
2) That Republican Senators should not implement the so-called “nuclear option” because it would hurt their party in some future day when the roles are completely reversed.

In light of this, you need to go read the hard-hitting three-part essay on National Review from Edward Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center - found here, here, and here. The three-part essay certainly adds some perspective to the Senate Democrats’ claims! Take especially Whelan’s third installment, a true gem:

Imagine, if you will, that a Democrat President nominated a judge whose constitutional and policy views were, by any measure, on the extreme left fringes of American society.

Let’s assume, for example, that this nominee had expressed strong sympathy for the position that there is a constitutional right to prostitution as well as a constitutional right to polygamy.

Let’s say, further, that he had attacked the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts as organizations that perpetuate stereotyped sex roles and that he had proposed abolishing Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and replacing them with a single androgynous Parent’s Day.

And, to get really absurd, let’s add that he had called for an end to single-sex prisons on the theory that if male prisoners are going to return to a community in which men and women function as equal partners, prison is just the place for them to get prepared to deal with women.

Let’s further posit that this nominee had opined that a manifest imbalance in the racial composition of an employer’s work force justified court-ordered quotas even in the absence of any intentional discrimination on the part of the employer. But then, lo and behold, to make this nominee even more of a parody of an out-of-touch leftist, let’s say it was discovered that while operating his own office for over a decade in a city that was majority-black, this nominee had never had a single black person among his more than 50 hires.

Imagine, in sum, a nominee whose record is indisputably extreme and who could be expected to use his judicial role to impose those views on mainstream America. Surely such a person would never be nominated to an appellate court. Surely no Senate Democrat would support someone with such extreme views. And surely Senate Republicans, rather than deferring to the nominating power of the Democrat President, would pull out all stops—filibuster and everything—to stop such a nominee.

That makes sense, doesn’t it? I’m not even going to enter the calculus of how much more “out of the mainstream” this hypothetical liberal judicial nominee is than any of President Bush’s selections. At least be fair-minded for a moment and admit that such a jurist’s views as described above would garner no more public support - and probably considerably less - than those espoused by the most conservative Bush nominee. Right?

So you think the Republicans would have to throw out all the stops, including use of the filibuster, to prevent such a liberal candidate from reaching the federal bench? Aha, then! They’re hypocrites, right?

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Could You Define That, Please?

The same week as several Republican state legislators launched their “First Class Education for Colorado” ballot initiative proposal, following a national organization’s lead in calling upon school districts to spend at least 65 percent of their operating budgets in the classroom, the Denver Public Schools Board of Education makes this declaration under the announcement of its proposed 2005-2006 budget:

DPS Budget Facts

69.1 percent of every dollar spent is allocated to instruction and instructional and pupil support. This includes the learning support provided by counselors, librarians, nurses and others, in addition to books, supplies, computers and other classroom equipment.

23.4 percent of every dollar covers school administration (principals’ offices, maintenance, custodial services and transportation).

7.5 percent of every dollar covers district-wide leadership and support, which includes the central instructional, business, administrative and technology support.

You can learn a lot from statistics… enough to know how manipulated they can be. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) figures say that DPS spent less than 56 percent on instructional expenditures in 2001-2002 and less than 55 percent in 2002-03. That’s quite a significant difference from the 69.1 percent touted by DPS. And the disparity isn’t explained away by the short passage of time.

As the categories DPS uses above are slightly different than those used by the NCES, which figures are used in support of the “65 percent solution,” there is still an obvious point of disagreement on how to define spending in the classroom. From the NCES glossary, something a bit narrower in scope:

Instructional Expenditures (District): Current expenditures for activities directly associated with the interaction between teachers and students. These include teacher salaries and benefits, supplies (e.g., textbooks), and purchased instructional services.

The Colorado version, as explained by Representative Joe Stengel, would also include library-associated costs. But DPS tosses in counselors, nurses, and “others” (which must include food service as part of “learning support,” since it’s not listed in any other category).

The political debate for an initiative that - if it gets enough signatures - will be on the ballot almost 18 months from now is already starting to be framed. The best line of opposition to putting more education dollars into the classroom ultimately will not be a “we can’t do that” excuse model but a semantic “let’s define classroom spending my way” approach. See - aren’t we all for the same thing?

Those promoting the initiative must keep clear, precise, and consistent on how they intend to define classroom spending, or else the debate could define them away.

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Rossputin on the Big Stage

Colorado’s own Ross Kaminsky, of Rossputin fame, found a bigger platform for his eloquent insights into Social Security reform (had you forgotten about this issue) with today’s Real Clear Politics Commentary. Ross thanks Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler for proposing a whopping tax hike as an alternative to the President’s personal account plan. Check it out.

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