Way of the World

by Bob Grand

This week the 522nd day of Vladimir Putin’s excursion into Ukraine has been reached. What was supposed to be a two week walk in the park to take Kyiv by Vladimir Putin has turned into a bloody nightmare for the Russian leader and his people. It is unthinkable that Russian casualties are approaching 250,000. How is that possible in our world today? The Russian economy is in tatters, there is even talk being heard of a possible internal revolution against Putin’s regime. The wonderful life in the Russian Federation that Putin’s media control has tried to portray, it appears, may not be true.

China is also another picture of a failing entity, although not with a foolish war, but by every other economic calamity possible. The real estate markets, once the base for China’s prosperity, has seen its bubble breaking badly. In a nation where real estate was viewed as the only way to create wealth for the majority of middle-class Chinese citizens, the pain has been extreme. Once the envy of the world for its manufacturing capability China’s factories are becoming empty, resulting in mass loss of employment. There are no jobs, and people who left their farms to go to the cities for a better life are now returning, to what? College graduates cannot find work. The reality of an economically failed China is becoming increasingly obvious even to its own people.

A major contributor that is common to the failures of both of these countries is the inherent corruption at all levels of government. In Russia, money that was earmarked for the military did not make to where it was supposed to go, but rather into the pockets of corrupt officials. In China, the term tofu dreg building which refers to the leftovers when tofu is made, has become, and often spoken, about far too many projects. It is a statement about shoddy construction. Examples of failed dams, buildings and road projects are rampant are all over China. The Chinese leadership is faced with an ongoing situation that is getting uglier and uglier.

We should learn from both the Russian and Chinese governments. Total control corrupts totally. Bureaucrats who have total control, be they elected officials, civil servants, educators or whoever, if allowed to remain in power too long, really forget who they work for. They also begin to believe that they know better than the rest of us humble mortals. We are all way too busy with our lives and therefore do not participate anywhere near as much as we should in reviewing what our elected officials accomplish. Our elected officials depend heavily on their staffs to accomplish the task of running the government. Very rarely is there any real accountability. What has happened and is happening in Russia and China should be a wakeup call. Many folks have said we, the American people, get the government we elect. President Dwight Eisenhower warned of the military/industrial complex becoming too strong when he was leaving office. Today it is a much broader problem as there are more players, but the result is the same, a small group focusing on maximizing the benefits for themselves at the expense of the American people.

Our founding fathers were not perfect, but they created a Constitution with the Bill of Rights, which presented a base upon which our country has grown and prospered. It is based on a checks and balances system that involves the three branches of government, legislative, executive, and judicial. That is how it is supposed to work. Today we face a situation where the major parties have the top contenders for the nomination to run for the Presidency of the United States in 2024 both involved or facing significant legal questions. No one should be above the law. There is a system in place that is based on equal justice under the law for everyone. Does it always work perfectly, no. That is why we, as good citizens, have a responsibility to hold people accountable for what they do or do not do. It also means that no one should put their thumb on scale either directly or through minions. We, as a nation have to wake up and let all of them know that this not Russia or China, this is America. We are better than that. How dare you lead us down that path!

On a lighter note, it is fair season! It is really uplifting to see all the effort made by members of our communities to support the young people as they work through their fair efforts either showing animals or whatever project on which they have worked. Our country grew up on agriculture and the result of that was to create a population who understood the value of work ethic and family values. We, as a country, have seem to have lost our way a bit and we need to figure out how to get it back. America became great because it was a land of opportunity for those willing to work for it, regardless of their background or where they came from. That opportunity has been replaced by too many people with a how do I get it from the government for free, with no work required attitude. Folks, that does not work. There are no free rides. Somebody has to pay the bill. It should not be our grandchildren and their grandchildren.

When you think about who to support or vote for, think about what they are saying, not necessarily what you would like to hear but what you need to hear. Are you really satisfied with where we are today and the road we are on and where we are going?

I am proud to be an American, but we all need to work a little harder to make sure we leave a better place for our children. As always, your thoughts and comments are appreciated: publisher@lostcreekguide.com.

The LosT Creek Guide, LLC

Bob Grand - Publisher 303-732-4080 publisher@lostcreekguide.com lcgnews.com

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Letters to the Editor are encouraged. Letters may be edited for length, libelous, or inappropriate content. All letter submissions should include name, address, & phone number for verification purposes. Letters are published at the editor or publisher’s discretion. Opinions expressed in letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Lost Creek Guide or staff.

Letter to the Readers:

Unusual situation, I received a letter to the editor from a citizen. After reading I called, and we chatted. It was a parent of two young girls 9,& 11. Upset to say the least. The letter was inappropriate as it was extremely specific and raised some legal issues, in my mind, however the basic concern was very real, and I believed was worth sharing.

The mother with her two children were in the woman’s restroom of a national chain restaurant at one of the shopping malls. They had just finished washing their hands when a young male in his early twenties walked in and entered one of the stalls. He was well groomed and dressed and made no inappropriate actions other, in her mind, than being in the woman’s restroom. The mother was concerned and contacted the restaurant at the local level and then at the corporate level. It seems that as part of their corporate diversity and inclusion program the corporate offices stated that the person involved identifies as a woman so that in compliance with their diversity and inclusion program thought it was appropriate to have that person use the woman’s rest room. The sign on the door of the rest room bathroom does say women.

The mother’s frustration was trying to explain to her 9 and 11 years why she was upset because a man had come into the woman’s restroom. To have to discuss the subject she felt was a burden that she should not have put through for her and her children. At 9 and 11, they had more questions than mom was comfortable answering. The concern the mother had was that suppose it had been a person who was a potential threat to her children and herself. She then had to explain, as best she could, what those perceived threats might be.

In today’s world we have corporate officials making decisions to support the woke culture with not enough thought io the impact on others If the corporation wants to have unisex bathrooms, which is their decision. Label them as such and provide adequate notice to patrons. Just permitting it to occur without any consideration for the impact of others is not fair to other patrons. Decisions have consequences and people need to be sensitive to everyone.

House Republicans Should Deliver a Balanced Budget

The American people want a balanced budget and our government under control.

by Newt Gingrich

The American people want a balanced budget and our government under control.

Our work at America’s New Majority Project confirms this.

By 70 percent to 13 percent, Americans favor a constitutional amendment for a balanced budget. This includes 67 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of Republicans, and 70 percent of Independents.

Americans are convinced balancing the budget and cutting spending will help reduce inflation. In fact, by 67 percent to 19 percent, Americans favor reducing spending to reduce inflation. This is supported by key demographic voter groups (74 percent of Hispanics and 55 percent of Blacks are for it). It also crosses political lines. Fifty-two percent of Democrats, 70 percent of Independents, and 81 percent of Republicans are for cutting spending to curb inflation.

Most Americans believe simply eliminating waste and corruption in government would be enough to balance the budget. This includes Democrats, who traditionally support large, centralized government. In one Gallup study, people estimated that 50 percent of government spending is waste.

On the fight between the House and Senate over whether spending could be cut below the debt ceiling agreement, the American people were overwhelmingly with House Republicans. More than half of all Americans (57 percent) favored even deeper spending cuts while less than one quarter (22 percent) opposed additional cuts.

Of the 57 percent who said cutting government spending would benefit the economy, 22 percent said it would be “very good.” Only 7 percent thought it would be “very bad” for the economy to cut government spending.

In fact, the American people favor spending cuts so much they, would support a limited, temporary shutdown of the federal government to get it done. There is a similar 57 percent to 22 percent margin in favor of cutting spending even if it takes a shutdown.

This depth of support from the American people even manifests itself in partisan questions. A full 51 percent of voters prefer a GOP candidate who wants a budget bill that cuts spending and is willing to allow non-critical parts of the government to shut down to pressure the President to sign it. Only 34 percent favor a Democratic candidate who wants a budget bill that continues to raise spending and opposes allowing noncritical parts of the government to shut down.

This gap in responses represents a 4–point gain from the generic ballot for the Republican and a 7–point drop from the generic for the Democrat. The generic ballot is a simple survey which asks people for their party preference for Congress. Interestingly the largest gain in the GOP vote comes from Independents (plus 13 percent) and Asians (plus 12 percent).

The current massive deficits and the enormous national debt hurt Americans and America in a number of ways. Just paying interest on the debt this year will exceed $1 trillion.

That’s right, we will spend more paying interest to bond holders than we will spend on the entire Department of Defense. Bigger government deficits mop up capital that should go to creating jobs and increasing productivity. Bureaucrats guiding the economy is a disaster compared to the effectiveness of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Overregulating small business kills job creation.

If a business or a family had a debt burden on scale with the U.S., it would be considered a crisis that had to be solved. It is a crisis for America, and it must be solved.

The best strategy for saving Medicare and Social Security is to return to a high growth economy that is creating jobs and strengthening government revenues through growth rather than taxation.

I know this can be done. As I wrote in my latest book “March to the Majority,” as Speaker of the House in the 1990s, I led the effort which created the only four consecutive balanced budgets in your lifetime.

The time has come for House Republicans to join the American people in fighting for a balanced budget. We learned a great deal when I was Speaker – and House Republicans (and rational Democrats) should use what we learned to do it again.

It’s what the American people want.

Property Taxes Are Going Up

by Gabe Evans, Colorado State House Representative District 48

Property taxes are going up. Elected officials work for the people, so what are they doing about it? As the state representative for House District 48, I would like to share what is happening.

First, some tax basics: property taxes predominantly fund schools, fire districts and other local entities (usually minus cities and towns). Municipalities are primarily funded by sales and use tax. The state government’s revenue largely comes from both sales and income taxes. These revenue sources will be important in a minute.

Property taxes are calculated via three components:

1. The value of properties is assessed June 30th of even numbered years with the most recent valuation date being June 30th, 2022.

2. The mil levy (a mil is one tenth of a percent) is set by school boards, county government, fire protection districts, etc. An average total mil levy is 100 mills (or 0.100), however, it may be higher or lower depending on what jurisdiction(s) you live in.

3. An arbitrary number set by the state to reduce your tax burden, the assessment rate for residential property is currently 0.06765.

The property tax calculation is Assessed Value x Mil Levy x Assessment Rate. For example: a $500,000 residential property with a mil levy of 100 (0.100 for the equation) would be: $500,000 x 0.100 x 0.06765 = $3,382.50 annual property tax. An increase or decrease of any of the three components will increase or decrease the total tax.

The recent property tax spike is predominantly due to inflated market values. As the economy recovered from the convulsions of COVID, residential market values were extremely high on the June 30, 2022 valuation date. Republicans recognized the artificially high property values, and our answer was a two-year timeout. House Bill 23-1054 would have skipped the 2022 valuation, waited for the economy and housing market to stabilize, and allowed taxes for another two years to be based on the 2020 rate. This solution did not require referral to the voters and could have been in effect now.

The Democrat supermajority in the state legislature killed this bill in its first committee. Their plan, Senate Bill 23-303/Proposition HH, provides a small reduction in assessment rate (literally a 0.00065 reduction) and an additional $35,000 deduction from your home’s market value (assessed value of a $500,000 home would decrease by $35,000 for tax purposes). Based on the earlier example, this would save $267.

That small savings doesn’t come out of the state government’s pocketbook. Since property tax funds local government, it comes from schools, fire districts, etc. Democrats don’t want to be seen taking funds away from those entities. Thus, the second part of their plan.

Remember those $750 checks everyone got last year? The Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) caps how much tax the state government can keep and requires the rest to be refunded to the taxpayers. This year’s refund is projected to be around $800. Repealing TABOR, and keeping that money for the government, is one of the Democrat party’s stated goals.

In November, Proposition HH will be on the ballot. Proposition HH offers you a small discount next year on your property taxes in exchange for allowing the state to keep a similar amount of your Taxpayer Bill of Rights refund. The state will use that to reimburse local governments. The deceptive part of Proposition HH is that, every year, it increases the amount of TABOR refunds the state is allowed to keep. In 10 years, the state can keep an extra $1.3 billion per year. In 30 years, the state can keep an additional $17 billion per year. That money should have been returned to the taxpayers!

Spiking residential property taxes could have been solved by taking a two-year timeout. Instead, the ruling Democrats are trying to give you a few hundred dollars back, but only if you vote for Proposition HH, which takes a continually increasing amount out of your TABOR refund and your pocket. This proposal is disingenuous, costs the taxpayers money, and effectively repeals the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. I’ll be voting “no” on Proposition HH this November.

Gabe Evans

State Representative

Colorado House District 48

303-866-2943 (Office)

303-243-1791 (Cell) gabe.evans.house@coleg.gov

United Power Announces Wholesale Power Agreement with Guzman Energy

Denver-based firm to provide key power block for co-op’s future needs Brighton, CO—United Power, Inc. (United Power), an electric cooperative serving Colorado’s northern Front Range, and Guzman Energy (Guzman), a wholesale power provider dedicated to developing portfolios that meet their clients’ needs for economical, reliable power, announce the signing of a 15- year contract to deliver wholesale power to the cooperative.

The power supply agreement features fixed wholesale power pricing that provides the cooperative predictable and stable power supply costs. Under the agreement, Guzman will deliver approximately one-third of the cooperative’s power needs, beginning in May 2024.

“As we move forward with our plan to diversify our power portfolio, this contract is an important part of our strategy,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO of United Power. “Guzman has an excellent track record of providing economical resources for cooperatives, and their commitment to integrating renewables will help us control costs while still keeping our eye on environmental impacts.”

United Power’s planned exit from its current power contract will take place May 1, 2024. The move was motivated by a desire to stabilize power costs and provide greater flexibility to the cooperative and its members.

“Wholesale power continues to be United Power’s largest expense, accounting for over 70% of our costs,” stated Gabriel. “Having more predictable power purchase costs will offer many benefits to United Power members today and into the future.”

“We are proud to contribute to United Power’s efforts to reduce power supply costs, gain greater control over generation mix, and contribute to more local, sustainable energy,” said Robin Lunt, Chief Commercial Officer at Guzman Energy. “We look forward to continued opportunities to support United Power and other cooperatives’ success.””

“United Power serves nearly 110,000 meters and maintains and operates over 6,500 miles of distribution line. The 900-square mile service territory wraps around the north and west borders of the Denver International Airport. It includes the north and northeast metropolitan development corridors along Interstate 25, Interstate 76, State Highway 85, and E-470 and the Golden Gate and Coal Creek Canyons, two of Colorado’s most iconic and historic mountain canyons. As a result of its geographic location, United Power’s system is experiencing significant demand and energy growth, averaging approximately 6% annually.

To learn more about United Power’s power supply transition, visit www.unitedpower. com/powersupply.

A Visit with Steve Laffey: GOP Presidential Candidate

By Bob Grand

This past week I had the opportunity to interview Steve Laffey, who is running for President of the United States, at his home in Fort Collins. He, his wife Kelly and his two daughters were gracious hosts. I did not meet the whole family, but it certainly provided a look at what makes the Laffey household what it is, an example of a great American family. Very down to earth and real, no pretention at all. They are what they are.

The first item we talked about was why is he running? Why put yourself and your family through the grind of a political effort, a particularly grueling one? I quickly realized that Steve Laffey can communicate. He thrives on it and infarct believes it is key to his success. He is an evangelical Christian and does not apologize for it. He does not support Donald Trump as he does not believe in his values. He believes that too many of our elected officials in Washington, in both parties do nothing but talk, serving up platitudes with no solutions. He believes that the country needs to be united, not divided, and that we should work to restore the middle class. His comment was ‘how could I not run when our country is in such a crisis’.

He has identified key problem areas that he believes need immediate attention:

Fix social security: A hot third rail subject that has not been adequately addressed.

Fix the Federal Reserve & The Banking system: It should be run for the benefit & protection of the People not the elites

Make the Tax Code Fair & Simple: Politicians always talk about this, but nobody ever does anything. to simplify it.

Stop Corruption in the Federal Government: Our government should be for protecting the rights of the people not pandering to the elites of either party.

Fix our Education System: Control should be at the local level. The Federal government has no business in our local education

Steve Laffey can talk but he also knows how to count. He supplements his comments with data. He is a quantitative person. I suspect he is intimidating to many politicians who talk easily but rarely have any substantiating data to support their views.

Laffey believes Roe vs Wade is a settled issue and it is now up to the states to enact the legislation they believe appropriate for their states.

Elections today are popularity contests and are not based on substantive discussions where solutions are presented and debated. Laffey is a solutions-orientated person, make no- mistake. This will make him an unpopular invitee among the political class. He recognizes that it will be almost impossible for him to make the major debates because of the criteria that has been established by the RNC. His plan is to go out and meet the people of New Hampshire in their towns, at their businesses, and at public gatherings. He is from Rhode Island and understands New England culture. I think when all is said and done people will be surprised at how well he does in the New Hampshire primary. How far will that carry him, who knows. But you can be sure that you will know where Steve Laffey stands on the issues, and that he has a plan. Steve Laffey believes that he knows that he has to have the right people in place to get the job done. He showed that when he was elected as the Mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, a city with a failed government, that he turned around. He did not make a lot of friends but earned the respect of everyone by getting the job done. He did the same as the chief operating offer of an investment banking firm that was later acquired by a larger entity. He gets things done!

Steve Laffey is an American story. Make no mistake, he is not a politician in the way we have become accustomed to seeing. He is a sincere, straight forward person. His statements over the years are consistent. What you see and hear is what you get. My, how refreshing.

For more detailed information on Steve Laffey, his vision, his views, his history, go to his web site:www.stevelaffey.com

Steve Laffey for President 2024