One of the slickest statistics to rope in are marriage stats. Our friends at the Institute for American Values have develop a new tool that we will use in our work here in Colorado....Maggie Gallagher explains more below.

How do you measure a marriage culture?

The Institute for American Values, in conjunction with the new National Center for African-American Marriage and Parenting has just released a new "Marriage Index" that for the very first time in American history creates a tool to measure the health of marriage in America.

It's a brilliant conceptual idea, long overdue. This is a GDP for marriage, a way to statistically sum up complex trends in a way that allows us to capture a core truth: Is marriage getting weaker or stronger?

The report (available at www.americanvalues.org) begins by asking key questions: "What helps us the most to thrive, as individuals and as a society? Money or marriage? Assets or relationships? Here's what we know: A large body of research suggests that the status of our marriages influences our well-being at least as much as the status of our finances."

So why, the report's authors ask, do we work so hard to create a consensus measure of our leading economic indicators and not our marriage indicators?

The leading economic indicators are not mere dry statistical artifacts; they are a living part of our intellectual, social, media and political culture. "These indicators are generally accepted by elites and by the broad public as both accurate and important. As a result, they matter. We read about them in publications and hear about them on TV. Policymakers and opinion shapers pay attention to them. If they are improving, we tend to rejoice. If they are declining, we tend to fret, and ask, 'What can we do?'"

But these authors point out: "There is no equivalent effort to focus on marriage. ... Consequently, policymakers and opinion leaders rarely seem to care about marriage trends, or even notice them."

Until now.

The Marriage Index is the product of a bipartisan group of scholars and leaders who selected five indicators as fundamental. What are these five?

(1) A marriage rate measure -- the proportion of adults under age 54 who are married. (The focus on younger Americans is in order to avoid conflating longer life and more widows with the decline of marriage.)

(2) A divorce measure -- the proportion of first marriages that are still intact.

(3) A marital happiness measure -- the proportion of married people who say their marriage is "very happy" (because quality matters, too).

There are also two child-centered measures:

(4) The proportion of babies who are born to married people.

(5) The proportion of all children who live with their own two married parents.

These last two are to many of us the most important. "Why devote two-fifths of a Marriage Index to children?" the authors ask. "These last two indicators concern more than just children: Fundamentally, they reflect the link between adults and children that marriage is designed to create and secure. At its essence, marriage is a social institution that, when it's working, meets social needs -- and perhaps the greatest of these needs is supporting the helpless offspring that result from the sexual union of two people."

So how are we doing on marriage? No one will be surprised to hear the answer: not well. Overall, since 1970 the combined Five Leading Marriage Indicators dropped from 76.2 percent to 60.3 percent.

But the news is not all bad. Since 2000, three of the five leading marriage indicators have actually stabilized or begun to improve: The proportion of first marriages that are intact plunged from 77 percent to under 60 percent between 1970 and 2000; it actually climbed three-tenths of a percent since 2000. The proportion of children living with their own married parents similarly ticked up half a percentage point. And the proportion of marriages that are "very happy" has been stable. We can learn to do better.

Of course, the very best scientific indicators will capture only a portion of why we really care about marriage. Maps are not roads. But that is precisely why they are useful.

Letterman and Marriage- Do the Right Thing Dave..

David Letterman has a lot to learn about being married. We all do.

Let me say first off, that I am no marriage expert and I am not judging David Letterman or his wife.

Suffice to say, perfect marriages don't exist. Marriage is often a tough relationship between two flawed people. Don't let anyone tell you that there is a perfect marriage, because short of this side of heaven, marriage is a work in progress. Even the best marriages have their moments of failure, doubts, disagreements, etc.

So what about Letterman? Here is my advice to the late night comic:

Being married is not akin to having an affair. Toss out the jokes. The loser in all of this is your young son, Harry. Be a man Mr. Letterman. Admit your mistakes and seriously repair the relationship (if she will let you) with your son's mother...

Obama and the Nobel Prize-I Have Hope!

Once again, the great thing about Obama is that he gives hope to little guys like me!

Wow, not only is our President the messiah, the great communicator, world leader, rock star and soon, to star in his own movie series but now a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

I am still not sure what he has done to garner the award, but hey, style and sizzle carry the day. Substance does not.

All of this in only 9 months in office. I cannot possibly imagine what we will accomplish with the rest of his term!

Maybe, the Norwegians got some of our stimulus monies...?

Lessons for Colorado from California

Apologies to any Californians who may see this blog. I am a native Californian, but boy am I glad to only visit now not live there.

Let me just say that the bubble has burst in the Golden State. Pick your poison- wildfires, bankrupt state government, no economic growth, thousands of former homeowners, 12 percent unemployment rate, political gridlock, etc., etc. The list goes on and on.

California could become the first failed state in our nation's history. Another Obama bail-out/buy-up could be coming!

There are four lessons to be learned here in Colorado from the California implosion. Here they are:

1- The coming tax revolt. It will happen soon. Americans will rebel at some point and place and it will spread like wildfire. The Colorado lesson: Keep taxes low. Don't try and trick Coloradans by saying that new taxes are just "fairness fees."

2- The brain drain. Entrepeneurs (if any are still left) and job-creators are leaving California like rats from a sinking ship. The reason: stifling business taxes and regulations. The trickle up economic theory does not work. A poor man will never create a robust job for someone else. Colorado lesson: Create and maintain a healthy business climate with low business taxes and regulations. Remember that real jobs are created by folks who have a passion for a product and a profit motive to succeed.

3- Help the helpless and forego the clueless. I love helping the helpless and unfortunately today there are many of these folks. However, we have a growing cadre of the clueless, many of whom are well-educated but utterly dense when it comes to how life really works. Many of these folks wind up sticking to entities which advocate for issues that either don't work, are contrary to the laws of nature or are simply too expensive. Colorado lesson: The Guv and the legislature need to keep the temperature of the electorate front and center and not make public policy based on shrillness or political payoffs. Many of the clueless can be ignored.

4- Not everyone needs a handout or deserves a government solution. For years, Californians have spent public dollars creating huge entitlements and public dependencies. Now, that bill is coming due. With decreased tax revenue (see #1 and #2 above), the state government can no longer pay its bills. This is the worst conclusion-it would have been better off for families who now depend on these entitlements to have not had government support than to now cut them off. Colorado lesson: Its easy for politicians to promise goodies in exchange for votes. The problem is is that when revenue streams dry up, many families are left high and dry.

Colorado Democrats who currently rule the political roost here and many of the same proclivities of governance as their California cousins who have run that state into the ground. Let's pray that they follow a different path.

Your Tax Dollars at Work Stimulating the Economy

Before you read this let me make a couple of comments.

First, I love helping people who need help. Second, I love to see new jobs created, families prosper and Americans have most of their earned money in their wallet.

What you see below is a shame. Its a shame because of the title. This program will not create many jobs if any at well. After all, isn't that what a stimulus is supposed to do? This is nothing more than more government spending...At best, it is disingenuous.

Now, some people will get good services from private providers. But, don't call it something that it is not.

American Recovery Reinvestment Act of 2009 Communities Putting Prevention to Work Funding Opportunity Number: CDC-RFA-DP09-912ARRA09
CFDA Number(s): 93.724 -- Prevention and Wellness--Communities Putting Prevention to Work

Executive Summary: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), signed into law February 17, 2009, is designed to stimulate economic recovery in various ways, including preserving and creating jobs and promoting economic recovery, assisting those most impacted by the recession, stabilizing State and local government budgets in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases, and strengthening the Nation’s health care infrastructure and reducing health care costs through prevention activities. The Recovery Act includes $650 million for evidence-based clinical and community-based prevention and wellness strategies that support specific, measurable health outcomes to reduce chronic disease rates. The legislation provides an important opportunity for states, cities, rural areas, and tribes to advance public health across the lifespan and to reduce health disparities. The CDC will support intensive community approaches to chronic disease prevention and control in selected communities (urban and rural), to achieve the following prevention outcomes:

Increased levels of physical activity;
Improved nutrition (e.g. increased fruit/vegetable consumption, reduced salt and trans fats);
Decreased overweight/obesity prevalence
Decreased smoking prevalence and decreased teen smoking initiation; and
Decreased exposure to secondhand smoke.
Background: In the United States today, seven of ten deaths and the vast majority of serious illness, disability, and health care costs are caused by chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Key risk factors–lack of physical activity, poor nutrition and tobacco use–are major contributors to the nation’s leading causes of death. More than 75% of health care expenditures in the United States are spent to meet the health needs of persons with chronic conditions (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/overview.htm). Many Americans die prematurely and suffer from diseases that could be prevented or more effectively managed. communities in

A Common Sense Colorado Solution to Health Care

This story makes sense.

We need some sense right now regarding the health care debate and practical solutions. While our political leaders fight in D.C. about Obama care, Coloradans are enjoying new health care options in local Walmart stores or other storefronts.

Here is an encouraging story about the burgeoning growth of health care clinics in retail store outlets here in Colorado.

Increasingly, retail store health clinics (found in many Walmarts and Walgreen's) are offering low cost services which fill one of the major gaps in our current health care system.

The gap- access to reasonable pay as you go primary health care, like shots, care for broken bones, fever, etc.

Our political leaders need to take note. It shows American ingenuity and innovation without government interference.

What I like even more about these services is that the government has no role in them. Let free market entrepreneur's establish these services where customers receive quality care and a reasonable profit can be made.

The winners: Colorado families.

Colorado Republicans Claim They Are Back-We'll See...See My Checklist!

We will see if Colorado "R's" are back.

Colorado Republicans have taken their lumps over the last three election cycles. But, according to insiders, a fresh wind of hope, direction and palatable ideas are re-invigorating the GOP.

From my angle, I hope so. But, to make dreams become a reality, there is a short checklist that should be discussed before any victory laps:

-Money. Colorado Dems have a seemingly un-ending stream of money from a dedicated core of big-monied sympathizers. Unless the Republicans can trump the money gusher with superior candidates and ideas, they will be outspent and lose.

-On message. The "R's" have lacked a palatable statewide message on key issues like health care, taxes, jobs, education, transportation, etc. I think you get the picture. To their credit, good folks like State Senator Mike Kopp and others have tried to get the party apparatus on the same page saying the same thing. But, its not gained traction yet. No message equals no wins in 2010.

-Unity. There's an old Colorado proverb that goes like this- there are four parties in Colorado: Democrats, Independents, Liberal Republicans and Conservative Republicans. The bottom line is this: the Focus on the Family "R's" must make peace with the liberal and libertarian "R's" and decide that they do have common ground. Dems have exploited this breach for years, playing both sides off each other.

-Independents. They are now the majority party in Colorado. To win, the "R's" must address their concerns which are: health care, good jobs, the environment, education and fiscal restraint. If your ideas don't play here there will not be wins in 210.

2010 could be the year of the return of conservatism in Colorado. But it will only be carried in by a unified, on message Republican party...

Lack of Common Sense: Florida Teacher Finger Prints Her Students!

There's nothing like being accussed of something you did not do particularly when you are a youngster.

This is one of those see it to believe it stories....Click here.

I was not aware that teachers were really undercover law enforcement agents.

The teacher should have been fired.

Problems with New Health Care Lite

Democratic Montana Senator Max Baucus, a genuinely good and thoughtful man, has offered a new healthcare alternative.

Unfortunately, it still sounds like and looks like a duck.

The issue: the resurrection of the "co-op" versus the public health care option. Senator Baucus wants to replace the government option with a community based co-op system. This system has been tried before.

It's DNA is this: regional groups of employers and community leaders would use Federal subsidies to setup a health care co-op. They would then negotiate costs and services with local health care providers. They also would build a membership base many of whom would be poorer families buying policies with new federal subsidies. These members would in turn own the co-op. Costs would be controlled by emphasizing preventive and primary care versus expensive emergency room services.

Sound good? Not so fast. Here are some historic problems with co-ops. Problem one- since co-ops will not be mandatory, it will take years for these entities to gain enough membership to have any cost-cutting power in the marketplace. Problem two- they will attract patients who have expensive medical needs and are unable to secure coverage elsewhere. Finally, it will likely cost more money and procure less medical services that traditional plans.

These historic problems remain.

Sounds like another bad idea for your family.

World's Tallest Man Looking For A Wife

A quick sidebar fun story:

Let me preface this one by saying that marriage not only transcends race, ethnicity, age and economic status, but now height.

A towering Turk was officially named the world's tallest man last week. Measuring in at 8 feet 1 inches, Sultan Kosen, from Mardin, Turkey is looking for love.

He reports that in the past women were scared of him because of his height. Now, according to Kosen, "hopefully, now that I am famous, I'll be able to meet lots of girls and get married."

Any takers? If so, carefully considered how tall the kids could be...

Public Health Care and Abortions: Do You Trust the Fox in the Hen House?

In Colorado, our constitution prohibits public tax dollars being used on abortions. Its common sense and should remain so.

Currently, there is also a federal ban on using tax dollars to fund abortions.

However for years, liberals have wanted a public health care option that would include funding abortions with your tax dollars. And they are about the business of undoing these current restrictions.

That same storm is raising its ugly head again in Congress. Despite denials by the abortions rights crowd to contrary(akin to asking a fox in the hen house if the chickens are safe), Obama himself has affirmed that he wants health care reforms to cover reproductive services.

Congresswoman Louise Capps, a Democrat from California has introduced an amendment to one of the House bills that would allow abortions to be paid for with beneficiary premiums rather than federal dollars. This plan also requires private insurers who want to participate in government subsidized policies to offer two plans- one that would cover abortions and another one that would not. But that is a shell game and either way you slice it, directly or indirectly your tax dollars are going to pay for abortions.

So who is telling the truth?

So my question- do you trust the fox in the hen house to tell you if the chickens are well?

Colorado Budget Woes Pinch State Services

We have a dilemma in Colorado. Click here for the Denver Post's latest article. The subject du jour is how state services will affect Colorado's poor and needy.

For years, many of us foretold of this day. It has now arrived. There are some very tough choices for us and our leaders.

Here is the nexus: Colorado's state expenses are higher than our current tax revenue.

My point today is not to play "gotcha" or "I told you so" but to offer three sober solutions plus a bonus idea.

Here they are:

Option One: Cut expenses at the risk of snipping state services that many Coloradans have come to be dependent upon them. These soft programs are not constitutionally protected for annual funding hikes(like public education funding and Amendment 23 guaranteed) and are subject to funding cuts. A good example is the proposed cut of a nursing unit in Grand Junction which will save the state gov $1.3 million but will also displace many fragile patients. The folks at home are not going to like this one.

Option Two: Take a page from the federal government or the state of California playbooks and continue spending and hope someday that Santa Claus, the federal government or a lucky star falls into the state coffers eliminating the debt. Unlikely, because rat holes simply get bigger.

Or Option Three: Take a page from the book of business common sense and enact policies that will increase tax revenue, like cutting corporate taxes and lowering other tax rates on job producers and taxpayers. Less taxes means more income that will be spent on new jobs which creates spending which in turn creates more dollars for the state treasury.

Finally, the bonus option: offer private charities incentives to expand their services to Colorado's needy. A century ago, public compassion was done excellently through private charities. These entities are more often than not well equipped to offer excellent care for those in need.

We need a stiff wind to blow away the fog which is blinding our state's leadership.

Give Obama A Break

Some folks on the right are acting like Barack Obama is Darth Vader. Maybe in time he will become the masked crusader for the evil empire.

But for now let's give him a chance. While the latest White House gaffe over positioning the President's desire to speak to public school students is yet another faux pas in a string of public relations fumbles, the President deserves an opportunity to speak to kids in a voluntary forum.

Many Presidents of have inspired students with the timeless challenge to succeed and for the most part their words inspired many students. There was Kennedy's speech in the 1960's; Carter in the mid- 1970's; Reagan in the '80's, etc., etc.I heard all of them and never considered their political orientation much.

Back in those days, our nation buried elections and the political aftermath the day afterwards. There were no 24 hour cable news channels and we all went back to being Americans. No one was talking then about the next presidential election 4 years down the road. Unfortunately, we now live in the future where many Americans are professional political partisans, earning a living by ripping the other side a new one.

Okay, I am a social conservative. I don't agree with Obama's leftist policies but it doesn't mean that I don't want him to inspire students as the President of the United States. Like it or not, he is the elected President of our nation for the next 4 years. He does have a compelling story which will inspire many young people. Now, I don't want schools to force students to watch it but it shouldn't be castigated either.

Relax, let him speak.

Honest Requiem on Ted Kennedy's Passing

Ted Kennedy's passing last week ends an era. The media tried to spin his passing as the end of a legendary statesman career, one built on his championing causes for the "little guy." But was this assessment true or was it yet another media spin job obfuscating Kennedy's real agenda and life?

One group of "little guys" that got no help from Kennedy were the unborn.

Many Catholics were appalled at Kennedy's policies and beliefs and deeply bothered that Kennedy was provided a full public Catholic funeral. And frankly, most of his ideas were no in adherence to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Reverend Thomas Euteneuer is the President of Human Life International. As a Catholic priest he accurately summarizes Kennedy's life. Here it is:

Human Life Internationale's Statement on the Passing of Senator Edward Kennedy.

We must, as a matter of precept, pray for the salvation of heretical Catholics like Senator Edward Kennedy, but we do not have to praise him let alone extol him with the full honors of a public Catholic funeral and all the adulation that attends such an event. There was very little about Ted Kennedy's life that deserves admiration from a spiritual or moral point of view. He was probably the worst example of a Catholic statesman that one can think of. When all is said and done, he has distorted the concept of what it means to be a Catholic in public life more than anyone else in leadership today.

Obviously we don't know the state of Senator Edward Kennedy's soul upon death. We don't pretend to. We are told by the family that he had the opportunity to confess his sins before a priest, and his priest has said publicly he was "at peace" when he died. For that we are grateful. But it is one thing to confess one's sins and for these matters to be kept, rightfully, private. It is another thing entirely for one who so consistently and publicly advocated for the destruction of unborn human beings to depart the stage without a public repudiation of these views, a public confession, as it were.

It is up to God to judge Senator Kennedy's soul. We, as rational persons, must judge his actions, and his actions were not at all in line with one who values and carefully applies Church teaching on weighty matters. Ted Kennedy's positions on a variety of issues have been a grave scandal for decades, and to honor this "catholic" champion of the culture of death with a Catholic funeral is unjust to those who have actually paid the price of fidelity. We now find out that President Obama will eulogize the Senator at his funeral-an indignity which, following on the heels of the Notre Dame fiasco, leaves faithful Catholics feeling sullied, desecrated and dehumanized by men who seem to look for opportunities to slap the Church in the face and do so with impunity simply because they have positions of power.

It is not enough for Kennedy to have been a "great guy behind the scenes" as we have seen him referred to even by his political opponents. It is also not praiseworthy to put a Catholic rhetorical veneer on his leftist politics that did nothing to advance true justice as the Church sees it or to advance the peace of Christ in this world. Every indication of Senator Kennedy's career, every public appearance, every sound bite showed an acerbic, divisive and partisan political hack for whom party politics were much more infallible than Church doctrines. Whatever one's political affiliation, if one is only "Catholic" to the extent that his faith rhymes with his party line, then his Catholicism is a fraud.

As the Scriptures remind us, there is a time for everything under the sun. This, now, is the time for honesty about our Faith and about those who are called to express it in the public forum. If we do not remind ourselves of the necessity of public confession for public sins such as Senator Kennedy was guilty of, then we are negligent in our embrace of the Faith and we are part of the problem. As Pope Benedict has reminded us recently, charity without truth can easily become mere sentimentality, and we must not fall into that error. A Catholic show of charity for the family must not eclipse the truth that is required of all with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Senator Kennedy needs to be sent to the afterlife with a private, family-only funeral and the prayers of the Church for the salvation of his immortal soul. He will not be missed by the unborn who he betrayed time and time again, nor by the rest of us who are laboring to undo the scandalous example of Catholicism that he gave to three generations of Americans.

Minneapolis Tornado and the ELCA's Embrace of Homosexuality

I am not a meteorologist, but a tornado struck the Minneapolis area this week while the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) was voting to allow homosexual clergy to actively minister to it's congregations.

Coincidence? Maybe.

But it makes you pause and wonder if there wasn't a message and a forewarning in that storm. Ironically, the ELCA may be inviting a divisive internal storm upon itself, much as the Episcopalian Church of America did a decade or so ago when it went down the slippery slope of homosexual clergy.

The dagger at the throat of the ELCA is not really whether homosexuals should be clergy or not but that of scriptural authority. While some ELCA apologists will claim that homosexuality is better understood now (and should be allowed)than it was when the Bible was written, the lurking danger is the reduction of scriptural authority. Here comes the slippery slope.

What other historic Christian theologies will now be reinterpreted in light of "modern revelations"-the inerrancy and authority of scripture; the deity of Christ; the sufficiency of the atonement?

Frankly, there are more pressing issues right now for Christendom than the ordination of homosexual clergy. The Church is commanded by Jesus Christ to be a light to world: the preaching of the Gospel, the making of disciples, the promotion of justice and equality, the care of the poor and sick, etc., etc.

Noted evangelical Christian author and pastor John Piper opined that:
"The tornado in Minneapolis was a gentle but firm warning to the ELCA and all of us: Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great Lutheran heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from distorting the grace of God into sensuality. Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ and its power to transform left and right wing sinners."

Amen.

Teach the Bible in Public Schools? We Use To...

Most Americans don't remember that the Bible used to be the prima-learning text for all American school children.

Historically, biblical teachings have formed the core bedrock of our nation's heritage. A study by the American Political Science Review on the political documents of the founding era, which was from 1760-1805, discovered that 94 percent of the period's documents were based on the Bible, with 34 percent of the contents being direct citations from the Bible. The Scripture was the bedrock and blueprint of our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, academic arenas and heritage until the last quarter of a century.

Today's USA TODAY offers a reasonable discussion on resurrecting the Bible as a source of literature and history for the public classroom.

I like the idea. Here are a couple of compelling reasons to bring back the Bible:

1-The Bible's timeless message pushes back the hopelessness of secularism. From a simple historical perspective, understanding the Bible's influence in the foundations of America is very important.
2-Having a versatile knowledge of the biblical themes and words aids students, particularly in understanding other great literary works such as Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth and Sidney.
3-Finally, research repeatedly shows that regular church attendance positively affects students and their academic performances.

Your thoughts?

Colorado's Economic Reality

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has not pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

Powerful words from 1 John 3:17.

In today's economic climate, many of desperate needs. Jobs have been lost, mortgages unpaid, and financial chaos is consuming many Coloradans.

Today's Denver Post contains a good article chronicling the plight of many Coloradans battle to find work and pay life's bills.

Perhaps today, there is someone or a family you know who could use a loan, a job, a bag of groceries or just some compassion.

Young Americans Still Want to Marry

News flash!

Young Americans still want to marry! With all things considered, that is good news.

Let's be honest though. The American marriage culture has taken a beating over the last few years. From the lingering cloud of low-fault divorce, the ongoing battle over homosexual marriage to a general disenchantment of marriage by the under 30's crowd, marriage in America is a bit wobbly.

However, Washington Times reporter Cheryl Wertstein has penned an informative article on the refreshing news that young Americans still want to be married or plan to be married somewhere in the future.

Here it is.

The bottom line-Americans still want to marry.

"Calibrate" Equipment Not Words

According to Webster, when you calibrate something, you are: "fixing, checking or correcting an item or machine."

You don't calibrate words.

President Obama, apologize when you misspeak. We all do it. Don't calibrate your words. It makes your apology appear very insincere.

Careful What We "Fix?"

Like most Americans, I would concur that our current health care system needs reform. I don't like the $1500 per month premium nor the 80/20 payout after my family's $3k cap. Oouch to my wallet. And to top it off, whenever I call for a little customer service, I get someone who cannot speak English or cannot find my account.

Over and over, the Canadian health care model is held out to by many reformers be a shining example of patient care and fiducial responsibility. Really?

Here's a thought. If the Canadian system is so good then why do thousands of Canadians motor south to the USA for immediate care? And, why do Mexican immigrants stop here and not continue onward to our northern neighbor?

These facts give me pause. Perhaps, our health care system is not all that bad when compared to other places...

The Next Frontier in American Marital Evolution

After the homosexual and transgenderedc communities, the polyamorists will be next.

Haven't heard of them yet? Here's the story and the definition of who they are.

Health Insurance is Not Health Care

Most Americans mix the two up.

Let's be clear. Access to health care is not health insurance. Let me explain.

Health insurance occurs when a group of people pool their money together to help pay for the costs of health care. But, health care was never designed to give the payer a free ride from health care costs. You use it to help pay in part your costs for health care. Great health insurance does not guarantee great health care.

Today, free health insurance has become an entitlement in the minds of many Americans. This notion has sprouted legs in our culture because many businesses, in order to retain good employees, either have given their employees free health insurance as a perk or have limited the cost. But still, its not free. Either the employee pays it or the employer pays it.

On the other hand, health care is not health insurance. Yet, like every other aspect of our nation's economy, it is a business which many people make their livelihood on. A profit motive here is not necessarily a bad thing. With the profit incentive comes research and development for new life saving drugs and clinical procedures. In my last blog, I wrote about a friend whose father has pancreatic cancer. Several years ago, this would have been a death sentence. Now through extensive research and development (fueled by profits), new drugs and therapies are extending his life.

Here are two facts about the future impact of a public health care option funded by the government:

1- Quality health care will diminish. The government plan will pay health care providers less money for their services, reducing the profit incentives. Plus, the government option will eventually put private insurers out of business. Less pay means fewer docs and other health care providers. Privately owned hospitals will also contract or be bought out by a government run option similar to the current VA system. Once again, see Canada if you want a peek about hospitals under government operation.

2- Taxes will increase. Conservatively, the additional tax burden on American taxpayers will exceed 1 trillion dollars each year if Obama's plan is implemented. This is a cost our families cannot afford to bear.

I am all for helping fellow Americans access quality health care. Helping the helpless is a big deal for me. Reforming our broken health care system is a family issue, something that the Rocky Mountain Family Council deems as vital to our families. But, helping the clueless is a different story.

Obama Care and Its Impact on Your Family

I want to give the President a chance to explain his health care plan. I agree that our current system is too expensive, too complicated and uncovers many Americans.

But please, a government solution? If you want to build your confidence in the proposed public option, take a peek at other current government businesses like Amtrak and the US Postal Service. Makes me feel safe!

Who is President Obama kidding?

Last night's prime time Presidential news conference was another foray into the fogbank. I am sorry but the man makes no sense. He has had his chance. I don't think he has read his own plan. Obama either does not know his own plan; lives in a parallel universe; has no understanding of a free market economy or simply thinks he can fake us all out.

Here are a few ideas to ponder:

-Competition will not happen. If private companies (who have to show a profit) have to compete with a public option (who does not have to show a profit), they will fail. Employers, when faced with the cheaper public option, will cancel their current health care plans and put employees in the cheaper public option.

-Cost. No one really has an answer for it. Not even Obama. Most estimates are probably too conservative. Few government run plans come in on time and at budget. The economic reality is that our nation cannot afford this program. Who do you think will pay for it?

-Quality of care. Eventually, health care decisions will be made by a government agent who will decide who gets what care and when. The days of your doctor diagnosing your condition and prescribing immediate care will end (for more info on this one visit Canada). Also, forget about your privacy. All medical records under the public option will be put on a CD and be housed in some office in Washington, DC. This one scares me.

-The development of new drugs and treatments. A good friend's father has advanced pancreatic cancer. Until recently, this was a death sentence. However, thanks to ongoing research and development over the last 20 years, new anti pancreatic cancer drugs are now available to put the cancer into remission. What drives research and innovation is not just the desire to find a cure but the financial reward for finding a life-saving drug. It's called the profit incentive and its the little secret behind a free market economy (See point #1). There will be no incentives for private companies to do research and to find those future drugs that will save people 20 years from now. Obama care will snuff this out.

-Finally, control. Do you want the government to control your health care decisions. I don't think that's what most American bargained for when they voted for Obama in November of 2008. But this is what "the change we can believe in" is coming to be. If the government takes over health care, one sixth of the American economy will be under its control.

Here is my bottom line: the current system is broken and in need of reform. The Obama plan will not solve any of the issues only worsen the system.

Here is an excellent link and analysis of the Obama plan.

Getting "High" in Denver

I will confess that I live near the "Mile High" city of Denver. It used to be that "mile high" proudly referred to the elevation of Denver, rooting for the Broncos, cool nights, close proximity to the Rocky Mountains, clear majestic views and all of the other good things that go with living at altitude.

However, its taken a new meaning. A smoky "haze" is now descending on the Mile High City. Here is the latest story on the medicinal use of marijuana.

The elected officials in Denver are caught up in this haze. It seems like the only adults in town right now are the Feds and local law enforcement (the folks that deal everyday with drug addicts).

Yesterday, the ubiquitous Denver Post ran a less than heartily followup story on medicinal marijuana. Unfortunately, the majority of confidential Denver registry of folks who claim pain and need medicinal marijuana are males with an average age of 24.

Sounds like a scam to me!

Here's the key quote the Denver Post (which I agree): "Pardon our skepticism, but that profile seems tilted awfully heavily toward young Coloradans."

Really. Here's more: "It's one thing for people who are at the end of their lives or who are truly suffering to find some relief in the use of marijuana. It's another entirely if people who want to see marijuana legalized are using medical marijuana provisions and friendly doctors to do an end run around drug laws."

This Denver law needs to be repealed. Clear away the haze!

Is There Hope for the American Marriage?

This was the title of a July 2nd article in TIME magazine (which I normally do not read).

This is an interesting article particularly from a reliably liberal news magazine like TIME. My parents used to get the old TIME magazine while I was growing up before it morphed into what it is today.

Here is the link to this article.

Here are a couple of thoughts.

First, I find it a bit humorous that the TIME staff would even be interested in such a topic. Afterall, TIME has been at the forefront championing homosexual marriage. They have led the party that is celebrating the advent of open homosexuality and its practices in our country.

Second, my skeptisicm is rooted in my piqued interest as to the true intent of this article. Its either a celebratory "I told you so" postmortem on traditional marriage or its a mea culpa that they have taken a bridge too far.

Third, Caitlin Flangan's premises (the authoress)are surprisingly accurate and conservative in tone. "There is no other single force causing as much measureable harship and human misery in this country as the collapse of marriage. It hurts children, it reduces mother's financial security, and it has landed with particular devastation on those who can bear it least: the nation's underclass." Wow. Right on...

Fourth, the marriage gap. Flanagan hits the nail on the head here. There is a growing marriage gap threatening our nation today. She is right on when she chronicles the plight of the underclass, who are uncoupling parenthood with marriage. One of the greatest predictors of poverty are under-educated single women having children. These fragile families are destined for the ash hill of public substinence. For the "priviledged" the marriage trend today is to battle middle-age boredom with realtional trysts which bring the wrecking ball to their families and children---see Governor Mark Sanford et al.

Fifthly, and this is the a-ha moment of the article. Quoting noted feminist researcher and author Sara McLanahan, she states that "Growing up without a father has a deep psychological effect on a child. The mom may not need that man, but her children do." Wow.

Perhaps there is a third reason for this article. Could it be that the folks who have tried to demolish marriage for decades are seeing the light?

Obama and Homosxuals-Update # 2

Several months ago when we did our first "Obama and Homosexuals" update, we told you that we would continue this frequently and as new information came out.

Homosexuals are a major constituent group of the Democratic party. In recent weeks, homosexual activist groups have been clamoring to Obama for support payback. Frankly, it has gotten nasty.

Here is the latest since June 1st.

-The Obama White House has proposed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. If passed, this bill would add gender and sexual orientation to hate crime laws.

-Urging Congress to repeal the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

-Ensure national adoption rights for homosexual couples.

-Passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. This bill would expand it protections to cover sexual orientation and gender identity.

-Repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy towards homosexuals. This is controversial and will take time. Homosexuals would then be allowed to serve openly.

Ritter's Car Tax HIts Home

It's here. If you have not seen it yet, you will. Just wait until your annual car renewal license bill comes and it will be huge.

All of this courtesy of Guv Ritter and his Democratic allies in the state legislature.

Below is an excellent op-ed piece from our good friend and State Senator Kevin Lundberg on this issue. Read it and weep.

Senate bill 108 is a quarter of a billion dollar (per year) car tax. Some are calling it Bill Ritter's Car Tax.


Never in my legislative experience have I seen such a reaction from the people of Colorado after a law has taken effect. For the last several weeks hardly day goes by without at least one constituent calling me at home to complain about SB-108.


Not only do they resent the more than doubling of the cost of registering an older car, but the penalties for late registration are an incredible shock. It is a mandatory, one size fits all formula of $25/ month, up to four months ($100) for any late registration. This applies to even the little trailer you may have around that you rarely use.


How would you react if you expected a nominal ($10-30) registration cost and are handed a bill for well over $100? This late fee even applies for the months before the bill became law! Many people with multiple older vehicles or motorbikes have told me they may never register them. Others have threatened to go to another state.


But wait... there's more. SB-108 also set up a system for tolling existing roads and several new bureaucracies for administering these taxes, fines, and tolls. For all of these reasons not one Republican, in either house, voted for SB-108. We spent long hours in the Senate and the House arguing against this new car tax, but in the end the governor had the votes from his own party to pass both houses and then he signed it with great fanfare.


In the next session I will be introducing a bill to repeal parts of SB-108. I trust that the people will have, by that time, convinced enough legislators in the governor's party to agree to get rid of at least the worst parts of the Bill Ritter's Car Tax.


For more information about SB-108 go to: http://www.rscc.us/ActionAlerts/Index.html.

Elections have expensive consequences.

Colorado "Stimulus" Czar Makes $146,034

I have no beef with Don Elliman but I do have a big one with whoever hired him as Colorado's "stimulus" czar.

Here's the story.

In a time of budget deficits and less expenditures, Colorado now has a "stimulus" czar. I am sure that Mr. Elliman has busy days. After all, he oversees all budgets of state agencies and monitors how Colorado uses federal stimulus funds.

You can't tell me that there is someone already in the system who could do this?

This story seems to be exhibit A on wasteful government spending. Or, perhaps its one of those "shovel-ready" jobs Obama promised.

Sign me up!

Obama Giving Benefits to Federal Homosexual Employees Partners

Today, President Obama will put pen to paper and extend federal health care benefits to the partners of homosexual government employees. In doing so, he hopes to appease homosexual groups which supported his election.

This move comes in reaction to high pressure from homosexual groups who form a loud and financially lucrative group in the Democratic coalition. In recent weeks, homosexual activists have grown increasingly frustrated with what they perceive is a lack of action by the Obama administration on their issues. When Obama failed to lift the current military ban on openly homosexuals serving in the military, the tipping point had come.

The target point here is the Federal Employees' Health Benefits Program. Via executive order, Obama will order that these benefits be made available to homosexual partners of federal employees.

Again, the tidal wave of homosexual activism continues forward in America. Here in Colorado, Governor Bill Ritter signed a similar measure. Homosexuals and their political allies argue that these are rights they should have-that true equality cannot be achieved unless our society gives them equal rights and recognition previously enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.

It's important to remember these arguments in the face of this tidal wave:
-Marriage has always been seen as the socially acceptable relationship between a man and a woman.
-Society and the state have a vested interest in promoting and maintaining high numbers of successful marriages. Marriages provide the procreation of future generations; reduce unmarried infidelity and paternity; promote the creation and distribution of wealth; reduce sexually transmitted diseases et al.
-Thus, the distribution of "benefits" is so important. Because of society's and the state's vested interest in marriage, family benefits were distributed to encourage marital and familial stability.-Homosexual marriage provides none of these benefits other than the fulfillment of adult needs.
Here is the story.

Obama's act is in essence a de facto recognition of homosexual unions as marriage. This downward slide will continue and the fight is not over.

Elections have consequences.

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David Letterman Offers Mea Culpa

Earlier today, Daivd Letterman offered his mea culpa issuing an apology to Governor Sarah Palin and her daughters about his offensive joke last week.

The point here is that this joke broke new ground in television decency.
Whether you are Democrat or a Republican, liberal or conservative,we must agree that any joke about a woman being raped is beyond the pale. There is no room for this type of comment in ou culture.

As a father of two teenage daughters, I was deeply offended. My wife and I work hard to teach our children well about sexuality and the appropriate place for it in their lives. Granted, my daughters never saw the show, but many young women did.

Our nation is awash in a sea of nastiness and crudeness. The toxicity level of our discourse is appalling.

If my grandmother was still alive she would have driven to New York and washed Letterman's mouth out with soap.

Obama Health Care for Your Family

President Obama's announced number one domestic priority is to require healthcare of all Americans. His main vehicle to accomplish this goal: a government run health care program ala Canada and socialist Europe. Yikes...There is a reason why Canadians now come south of the border for their healthcare needs...

I did some digging and here's what it may look like if it passes Congress:

-Cost. The Obama campaign estimates his health care reform plan will cost between $50 and $65 billion a year when fully phased in. He assumes that it will be paid from savings in the system and from discontinuing the Bush tax cuts for those making more than $250,000 per year.I doubt the cost- it will be higher.

-Its broken into three parts: 1. Quality, Affordable & Portable Health Coverage For All 2. Modernizing The U.S. Health Care System To Lower Costs & Improve Quality, and 3. Promoting Prevention & Strengthening Public Health.

-Savings. Obama claims that his health care reform plan will save the typical family up to $2,500 every year. Yet, specifics are hard to find.

-Obama’s key components here include:

•Establishing a new public program that would look a lot like Medicare for those under age-65 that would be available to those who do not have access to an employer plan or qualify for existing government programs like Medicaid or SCHIP. This would also be open to small employers who do not offer a private plan.
•Creating a “National Health Insurance Exchange.” This would be a government-run marketing organization that would sell insurance plans directly to those who did not have an employer plan or public coverage.
•An employer “pay or play” provision that would require an employer to either provide health insurance or contribute toward the cost of a public plan.
•Mandating that families cover all children through either a private or public health insurance plan.
•Expanding eligibility for government programs, like Medicaid and SCHIP.
•Allow flexibility in embracing state health reform initiatives.

This Democratic proposal is all about access—getting just about everyone covered. Getting everyone into this unsustainable system will then make things even more unsustainable creating an imperative for a second wave of real cost containment when the feel good list of cost containment proposals now in their plans falls short. My sense is that most Democratic health policy experts already know this but see no other political alternative.

If this thing passes, get ready for some new terms: Cost containment (limiting medical practices; required medical coverage for your kids;

Tiller's Abortion Clinic Closes

I can't say that we will miss George Tiller.

Earlier today, the family of slain abortion doctor George Tiller announced that his infamous clinic would close. See the whole story here.

Apparently, no one else was willing to pick up Tiller's scalpel. That alone should tell us all we need to know about the practices of George Tiller. While the liberal media has made Tiller out to be an iconic hero, my take is different.

George Tiller intentionally killed viable babies in later term abortions. His practice was gruesome by best accounts. While some may think his action are heroic, thousands of unborn Americans died at his hands. His death practice ushered darkness into his clinic and community. When one engages in practices that contradict the law's of nature's God, chaos ensues.

George Tiller is no hero. George Tiller has had to explain his actions to the ultimate Judge of life and death.

The Battle Continues for Life-The Tiller Legacy

Today's Denver Post op-ed (Wednesday, June 3rd) suggests that the abortion battle needs to tone down in the wake of the murder of the infamous Kansas abortion doctor George Tiller.

I would agree with the Post that this scorching debate need not become a shooting war, but the issue cannot be buried either. What the Post is subtly suggesting is that pro-lifers go away and accept the status quo. I say no.

Right now, abortionists hold the upper hand. Abortion is the law and legal in all 50 states. Our current Colorado state legislature is led by an pro-abortion majority. However, that does not make it right. In 1857, the United States Supreme Court concluded that Dred Scott, a black freeman, did not have the same constitutional rights as any of his white equals. Eventually, this law was rescinded and deemed by history as misguided. Similarly in 1973, our nation's highest court was wrong again, extracting the constitutional right to an abortion. This too in time will be overturned.

Pro-lifers, despite the liberal media barrage, need to be encouraged. National polling shows that most Americans lean towards life, seeing abortion as the last option. While the media wants to spin the story about the alleged damage done to the pro-life movement, I would take a different position. The kind of heinous abortion services that Dr. George Tiller was offering is evaporating. Most Americans remain offended that viable, unborn children are being killed.

More than ever now, the practice of late-term abortions needs to be outlawed. Let's start here in Colorado. That action will be the legacy of George Tiller.
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More on Tiller

A good friend sent me this note. I think it hits the nail on the head...

I wonder how this issue will be spun by the media and politicians. I don’t condone vigilante justice, but these things just seem to work themselves out. Even God-hating unbelievers understand the ‘live by the sword, die by the sword’ credo. Throughout Scripture and in the world today, evil unbalanced people are often killed by other evil unbalanced people. I will not miss Dr. Tiller, and I hope his clinic closes. The unfortunate fact is that abortion is legal. And, it is not right to murder someone for doing something legal, no matter how abhorrent it may be to you. We must find a peaceful way to end this horrible practice in our nation.



Am I the only person who sees the irony in the fact that a man who killed innocent viable unborn babies in a horrific way for a living was serving as an usher in a church!?! I’ve been praying that God will wake His Church up. Dr. Tiller was a man who needed to be changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Had that occurred, he would have stopped killing innocent children, and cared for them and their mothers instead, similar to Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe). Repentance, love and acts of contrition are marks of true belief. When the church begins to love justice, and to care for the innocent and those in the margins, our culture will change – one person at a time. We need to stop going to church – and start being the church. We can’t reach guys like George Tiller or Warren Hern by yelling at them, hating them, condemning them or threatening them. We need to show them compassion, to engage them in a dialogue, and to be welcoming positive examples of Jesus for them. I’m not sure how to do it, but when we figure out how to do that, something will change in this situation.



I think that some day, legal abortion will be viewed in the same way as whaling or Nazi concentration camps. Both of them were legal, and served a purpose that an entire culture and and nation thought was important. History has proven them both to be wrong, abhorrent and needless. Likewise, the objects of their slaughter are necessary, beautiful and important parts of God’s creation. Through abortion, we have slaughtered many wonderful world-changing people before they ever lived out their purpose. God weeps at this sin, and at our nation’s tolerance and promotion of it.



Perhaps one child who Dr. Tiller would have aborted today will be born instead, to live out a wonderful life, fulfilling their purpose in changing the world as God intended. And perhaps George Tiller decided on Sunday morning that he would follow Jesus and close his abortion clinic first thing Monday morning, and that God will have mercy on his soul. That is my prayer.

Tiller Murder Escalates Abortion Crisis

I guess ignorance is bliss.

I spent this weekend with about 250 Cub Scouts and their parents miles away from reality and the news.

I am sure by now that you have heard the news on the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller. Read the story here.

Obviously, we deplore this act of violence. You cannot be pro-life and engage in murderous acts. Violence only begets more violence. This act makes a key point: when mankind violates God's ordained statutes of life chaos ensues. Death births more death. While "justice" may have been served in the minds of some, what really happened is simply an evil human act. Pray for our pro-life friends and agencies. I believe that they will be targeted now by the pro-abortion forces in our nation.

Here's a sample of what some abortionists are already clamoring for: "Already organizations such as the National Organization for Women are blaming the tragedy on the pro-life movement. NOW has labeled the murder as an act of "politically-motivated domestic terrorism" and has called on the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to put their full resources behind the effort to "root out and prosecute...the criminal enterprise that has organized and funded criminal acts for decades."

Pray that the "abortion war" does not become a shooting war....

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Philippians 1:27

Memorial Day: More than B-B-Q's, Parades and Ball Games

"We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."

Those are words from Lincoln's Gettysburg address in 1863 on the heels of that bloodly Civil War battle.

Unfortunately, most Americans are at best hazy about the meaning of Memorial Day. For most, its a day off from work to enjoy around the b-b-q or at a ballpark. But there's a higher purpose which is memorialized: devoted, simple, sacrificial service by millions of Americans for their nation.

Some of these servants bled on battle fields will others came home and died in their beds. Yet they all share a common fibre, a thread of connectivity. They wore the cloth of their nation.

This weekend, pause a moment and consider the work of our heroes and the values many died for. Let your children know about this rich heritage of service and sacrifice.

For without it, our nation would not exist.

Governor Ritter Approves Special Rights for Homosexuals

In what's becoming an annual event, Colorado's Demnocrat-controlled legislature approved more special rights for homosexuals.

This year's addition was Senate bill 88, which will provide health and employment benefits to state employees with homosexual partners.

This week, Ritter went along with it and signed it under the darkness of night.

The tragedy about this whole episode is that in 2006, Colorado voters resoundingly defeated these benefits when they rejected Referendum I.

In the subsequent years, Democrats have attempted to quietly end-run the will of the voters and legislative these benefits.

Here's the latest episode.

Pastors, Are You Paying Attention?

Recent lawmaking in New Hampshire should send a chill down your spine if you are a pastor.

As you probably know, gay marriage is sweeping the Northeast states of our nation. However, this misguided process took a dark turn earlier this week in New Hampshire. The state legislature okayed a bill legalizing homosexual marriage and sent it to Governor John Lynch for approval. Surprisingly, Lynch sent it back instructing the legislature to include a provision for clergy who did not want to marry homosexual couples.

Guess what happened? State legislators voted against the Governor's recommendation for clergy protections.

If you are a pastor, I hope you understand the toxic winds of our culture. In Canada, if you use your pulpit to declare that homosexuality is a sin, you could be prosecuted for a hate crime. This same concept is just around the corner in America.

Homosexual activists will not be content to just get "married." They want to force you to perform the ceremony.

Click here for the story.

The Value of Prayer-Its More than Just One Day in May

Each year on May 7th, the National Day of Prayer is celebrated by millions of Americans.

This event gathered annual steam thanks in part to the support of President George W. Bush, who held a formal White House event each year during his presidency. This year, President Barack Obama will not continue this tradition. I think that this is an unfortunate decision by Obama. Millions of Americans pray and believe in its power to change and transform lives. And, many would like to see the President of the United States take the lead.

But prayer is more than just an annual event. Prayer strikes close to home for many Americans. Its always been that way.

On April 30, 1863, at the apex of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln established a Day of National Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer. See his proclamation here

On March 3, 1801, President Thomas Jefferson penned this prayer .

These American presidents had a deep value of prayer. They saw its value to their countrymen and their nation. Apparently, Obama does not share this view. Neither did Bill Clinton. Obama and Clinton would do well taking a page from our founders who valued the importance of prayer and value of publicly leading the nation in this endeavor.

Measuring the King-Obama's 100 Days

Much was made the media last week about President Obama's first 100 days in office. While its often seen as a measurement of a President's style and substance, let's not forget that Obama still has approximately 1,360 days left in this term.

I thought it might be helpful to measure Obama's first 100 days from a pro-family point of view. I understand that often a President's policies cannot be segmented out specifically because they affect many aspects of our nation. However, marriage and family values are vital to the collective health of our nation. Here is a list of the marriage and family values President Obama has put forth so far. See if you agree with them:

-Increased funding for Planned Parenthood under the guise of promoting "health services." This is akin to inviting the fox to the hen house.

-Advocating the repeal of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act. You can't have it both ways. Either marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman or its defined to the whims of populist ideas.

-Broadening the definition of hate crimes to include anti-homosexual advocates like clergy. We are quickly heading down the flawed Canadian path where dissent is punished by jail terms for those who morally disagree.

-Attempting to implement new rules to gut conscience clause protections for pro-life medical providers who morally disagree with abortion. So much for freedom of expression particularly if your speech runs afoul of powerful government sanctioned groups.

-Repealing limitations on tax-payer funded embryonic stem cell research and abortions overseas. The best option right now for medical cures are adult stem cells. Embryonic cells have been very resistant to research.

The list goes on. To see more, go to this link.

These are not the values that the Rocky Mountain Family Council believes in nor do we believe that the majority of Americans hold to. The Obama presidency, despite its style and sizzle, could prove to be very damaging to the concept of and the definitions of marriage and family.

Giving Away Colorado's Election Influence

Colorado is not a large state and our ability to sway national public policy is limited.

Unfortunately, state Democrats want to give more of it away when it comes to national elections.

If House Bill 1299 becomes law, Colorado will join a pool of five other states who will award our electoral college votes (9 current votes/7 US House Reps and 2 US Senators)to the popular vote winner of a presidential election.

Our good friend, State Senator Ted Harvey wrote the following regarding this issue:

The Senate will soon debate HB 1299, a proposal to replace the Electoral College with a popular vote system for Presidential elections. This violates the spirit and the letter of the U.S. Constitution, as the founders designed our electoral system as a republic, not a pure democracy.

This bill will shift Presidential campaigns and policy towards the leftist population centers on the coasts: New York, Florida, California, and possibly Michigan. Presidential candidates will no longer have any reason to campaign in Colorado, let alone listen to the concerns particular to our state.

If House Bill 1299 passes, Colorado will become a fly-over state in Presidential elections. Our Western principles of individual liberty and responsibility will be ignored in favor of the socialist ideas popular in the liberal coastal enclaves: high taxes, unchecked government intervention, and a complete re-write of our country's basic moral values and constitutional principles.

The Democrats argue that a popular vote system will prevent another "stolen" election such as the 2000 Presidential election. What they mean is that a popular vote will give them a distinct partisan advantage in campaign season.

They ignore the fact that a popular vote will indeed repeat the 2000 election, but not in the way they imply: Americans will suffer through recounts not just in Florida, but in hundreds of counties across the nation. The results of the Presidential election will hinge not on the will of the people, but on the skill of attorneys and the partisan leanings of "nonpartisan" election judges.

If you want your Presidential vote to count, write the Senate and urge them to vote "no" on House Bill 1299, the Popular Vote bill.

An American Hero

Here's a great story about a 19 year old American hero. Read the story here.

While some young Americans may be confused about their country and the values we cherish, many are not. And, many are willing to give their lives for something bigger than themselves.

This young man is such a hero.

Its All About Character

By now, you have likely heard about the buzzing controversy regarding Miss California, Carrie Prejean and her comments regarding homosexual marriage.

This story is not about her comments per say nor the reactions of a misguided homosexual zealot. Instead its about the moral character of a young woman who stood fast in her belief.

While certain parts of today's toxic popular culture will try to crucify her and label her a bigot, Jesus exhorts us to rise above it. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus taught his disciples to "seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness."

Standing fast for godly beliefs, particularly the definition of marriage, will always be costly. But we need to keep in mind that we serve an eternal kingdom. We serve a God who will measure and test our faith and beliefs.

Carrie Prejean passed this test with flying colors. Here's the story.

The End of Christian America?

If you haven't seen it, find Newsweek's Jon Meacham's article, The End of Christian America, here.

Before you erupt, read the whole article. This article is based on the recently released survey, the American Religious Identification Study. Its nexus conclusion: that self-identified Christians had fallen 10 percentage points since 1990 from 86 percent of all Americans to 76 percent.

Troubling, yes. Catastrophic for American Christianity, no. In the first century of the Church, Christians were very much in the minority. Persecuted, discriminated and even murdered by the state, today's culture would appear to them as a garden of eden.

Here are three conclusions to ponder:

-Our nation is shedding much of its institutional Judeo-Christian heritage for what I fear will be the worse. This trek into a social wilderness, guided by post-modern thoughts and beliefs, may lead our nation into a cultural and social train wreck. The very liberties we enjoy: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and freedom of or from religion all stem from the Judeo-Christian worldview that our culture seems so eager to ditch.

-More than ever, America is a cornucopia of religious faiths and beliefs. Every world religion has found our shores and is flourishing-and that is good news. Cultures with strong religious values tend to flourish. America's resiliency against the trends of post-Christian socialist Europe is due to our religious bulwark. Nonetheless, America is at a low point in terms of Christian influence in the public square and the societal sense that Christianity offers the best solutions to the problems of life. My concern though is not so much with the political sphere or cultural influence but with the role of evangelism for the hearts and souls of men and women who are now more than ever distant from the Gospel.

-Finally, let's not lose hope. In his article, Mr. Meacham also suggests that this new situation is perhaps healthy for the church. To this extent I agree – the church's mission clarifies any time the distinction between the church and the world is made more evident. Our witness is to lovingly show non-Christians that they are not Christians and that believers need to be reminded that what sinners need is the Gospel of Christ, not merely the lingering morality of the Christian memory.

The great news for the Church is that God is responsible for fruit of our labors. Our role is to till the fields and sow the seed.

A New Ice Age? Colorado Ski Resorts Trading in Snow for Sand...

This story makes me feel a chill.

Take note those of you who are convinced that global warming will soon make Colorado ski resorts beaches in the next decade

Front and center in today's Denver Post is a "chilling" article chronicling the demise of the coal-fired boiler at the k-12 public school in Silverton. I am not sure how many of you have ever ventured through this beautiful mountain town, nestled high in the San Juan mountains of southern Colorado. But, I have been there and I can tell you that its cold there even in the summer.

My point in all of this is not to make light of shivering kids dressed in parkas in their classrooms.

But, my point here is to shed a little reality in the midst of the global warming hysteria. This town has had record snowfall (roof-high according to several locals) this year.

Perhaps, we should put away the sun tan lotion and buy a snow shovel?

Making Ends Meet-Balancing Colorado's Budget

Hello Governor Ritter...Ritter and his Democratic allies in the legislature just do not get it.

The latest chapter in the state budget saga is a dubious effort on the part of the state legislature to fill the budget shortfall by raiding a worker's compensation fund! Read a link here about this idea. By the way, if this scheme doesn't work, then plan B will be to plug the budget holes with federal stimulus money! (By the way, I thought the purpose of the stimulus was to create jobs?)

All over Colorado, most families are cutting their spending. Yet, our legislative majority, including the Democrats, continue to spend and tax. Guess who will carry that burden: you, the Colorado taxpayer.

Stayed tuned...

Last week, we commented on the firestorm that Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church and best-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life made on the CNN show Larry King Live. Here is the link to that blog-http://rockymountainfamilycouncil.blogspot.com/2009/04/rick-warren-needs-to-resign.html

In fairness to Pastor Warren, his folks released the following statement, clarifying what Warren said. Here it is:

Throughout his pastoral ministry spanning nearly 30 years, Dr. Warren has remained committed to the biblical definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, for life — a position held by most fellow Evangelical pastors. He has further stressed that for 5,000 years, EVERY culture and EVERY religion has maintained this worldview.

When Dr. Warren told Larry King that he never campaigned for California’s Proposition 8, he was referring to not participating in the official two-year organized advocacy effort specific to the ballot initiative in that state, based on his focus and leadership on other compassion issues. Because he’s a pastor, not an activist, in response to inquiries from church members, he issued an email and video message to his congregation days before the election confirming where he and Saddleback Church stood on this issue.

During the King interview, Dr. Warren also referenced a letter of apology that he sent to gay leaders whom he knew personally. However, that mea culpa was not with respect to his statements or position on Proposition 8 nor the biblical worldview on marriage. Rather, he apologized for his comments in an earlier Beliefnet interview expressing his concern about expanding or redefining the definition of marriage beyond a husband-wife relationship, during which he unintentionally and regrettably gave the impression that consensual adult same sex relationships were equivalent to incest or pedophilia.

Okay. I say that in light of this information, Pastor Warren needs to be exonerated. We need to take his word that his apology to gay leaders was not a mea culpa for traditional marriage. However, engaging the secular media can be a quagmire and I think that's what happened here. All of us who have done this kind of work with the secular media can relate to Warren's experience.

Rick Warren Needs to Resign

Monday night's edition of Larry King Live was a black-eye event for the marriage movement.

Larry King's guest was mega-church Pastor Rick Warren, invocator at the Obama inauguration.

During his interview, Warren committed an embarrassing mea culpa, renouncing his support for Proposition 8, the voter approved California constitutional amendment banning homosexual marriage.

If you flip the pages back to last fall though, Warren was an ardent supporter. Here's the link for the whole ugly story.

Wow. This one blind-sided me. It saddens me that a pastor of such national prominence commits an embarassing mea culpa on a national show like Larry King. I am hopeful that Pastor Warren had a "deer in the headlights" moment and misspoke.

If he has truly recanted his support for biblical marriage, he needs to resign from his church.

Respect the "King"

You know that its going to be an interesting day when God hits you between the eyes on one of your shortcomings. One of the things that I know is that when God wants my attention, His Word leaps off the page at me. Today was such a case...

I have struggled greatly with the election of President Obama. I have written here and have spoken elsewhere of my convictions towards this end. I still believe that he is unfit and unqualified to lead our nation.

However, today's scripture in my personal devotions steered me to 1 Peter 2:13-17. In particular, verse 13 and 17 jumped at me. These verses are not opaque, and I quote: "submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men...show proper respect to everyone. Honor the king."

Ouch! For whatever eternal purposes, God has ordained Barack Obama as our nation's president and top ruling authority for now. The recipients of Peter's letter had similiar yet more severe struggles in the first century with their ruling authorities. It was common place for Christians then to be brutally executed, denied economic benefits and in general, marginalized from the society at large.

Peter's point here hits the nail on the head. Subjecting myself and respecting the ruling authority of President Obama is not just an exercise in futile servitude or blind obedience. We do it for the Lord's sake (verse 13). God wants me to respect the governing authorities he has placed in power. Its a matter of obedience and witness.

We live in a time where its sheik to diss our political leaders. The blogs, the internet and the cable news networks pump this poision 24/7. But, Scripture tells us to take a different tact. Respect and honor the king just as we would respect and honor the King of Heaven. We don't need to agree with Obama's policies but we need to avoid disrespect and dishonorable acts.

Your thoughts?

Passing Out Condoms in Church? Give Me A Break...

What do you think about the latest idea in "church growth?" One denomination believes that condoms should be available to churchgoers in the United Church of Christ denomination.

Here's the link.

Recently, the HIV and AIDS Network of the United Church of Christ (UCC) said condoms should be handed out at places of worship. The statement was issued during a presentation to the denomination's Wider Church Ministries Board and also advocated making condoms available at faith-based educational settings...What they forget is that condom distribution is akin to fuel on a fire. By giving folks condoms you give them society's tacit permission to engage in illicit sexual relationships.

Calling it the denomination's "moral responsibility" to make condoms available, the UCC's executive for health and wellness advocacy said "people of faith make condoms available because we have chosen life so that we and our children may live...Another little ugly fact is that condoms often fail in preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

I guess I just live in a different universe. Besides the obvious "bad message" that will be sent to the youth of these churches, its the low regard these churches have for the capacity of folks to chose abstinence or marriage.

The sad fact remains that the United Church of Christ has completely broken away now its historic Puritan roots. The forefathers of this historic denomination must be rolling over in their graves.

Obama's Cap and Trade Scheme: More Taxes for Your Family

You need to know about the latest Obama plan to raise your taxes. This is another bad idea.

Here's the link.

The bottomline: this will raise your family costs and taxes. The climate change science behind it is dubious at best.

Just remember that Denver got 14-16 inches of snow!

Kids May Get New "Rights" From United Nations

This has not been a good month.It seems that everywhere you look, anti-family, anti-life forces are on the march.

The latest is the resurrection of a new international treaty from the United Nations. This treaty would enshrine children's rights internationally. This is a Clinton-era relic which had been moth-balled since the late 1990's. Here's a good link for more information.

For some Utopians it sounds like shangri-la, but it's flaws are numerous:

-Creates a government agency to supervise parents and to ensure that children are given the opportunity to have binding arbitration to resolve disputes. You have to love this one. For example, your minor daughter wants to have sex and you say no. Hypothetically, she could sue you and be given that freedom. Access to abortion, religious freedom and any other issue could be arbitrated. Essentially, children would be owned by the state and indoctrinated in state ideology. Parents would become temporary custodians of their children.

-Imposes upon "national governments to ensure children's rights and that they have agreed to hold themselves accountable for this commitment before the international community." Yikes. What kind of international "supervision" will that entail? Ever heard of "Big Brother?"

This radical treaty pushes child autonomy. Its bad news for our nation, for parents and children.

Why Colorado Senate Bill 88 Is A Bad Idea

Health care is not a civil right. The "list" of civil rights are based on immutability, in essence those personal characteristics which cannot be changed: eye-color, gender, height and ethnicity. Martin Luther King advocated that civil rights embraced concepts such as liberty, freedom of expression, freedom of worship, freedom of speech, economic prosperity for all. Our nation's founders would agree.

The latest Colorado advent of "civil rights" for homosexuals is encapsulated in Senate Bill 88 which is working its way to Governor Ritter's desk. Here's its synopsis:

For state employee group benefit plans issued or renewed on or
after July 1, 2010, adds a state employee's domestic partner to the list of
dependents eligible for coverage under state employee group benefit
plans. Defines "domestic partner" for purposes of qualifying as the
dependent of a state employee.

Here are several problems:

-This new law will cost a lot of money for a small group of folks. Budget experts estimate that taxpayers will be charged nearly $120,000 in its first year of implementation in 2011. I don't want my tax dollars ensuring this high-risk community.

-In 2006, Colorado voters overwhelmingly defeated Referendum I. This referendum would have given homosexuals these same benefits. By legislative fiat, homosexuals and their Democratic legislative allies are trying to accomplish this despite the will of voters.

If passed, expect this same cabal to attempt to force this concept in the Colorado private business community in 2010.

2007 Brings Record Number of Babies

2007 was a fertile year for American women having babies.

Thursday's issue of the USA Today reported a baby boom!

In 2007, 4.3 million new babes were born to American women, reaching near historic levels. Opinions for this surge vary among pediatric experts. But one chilling aspect of this story is the huge increase of babies born to unwed mothers.

Childbearing by unwed mothers accounted for nearly 40 percent of total birth- about 1.7 million. Since 2002, birth rates have dramatically accelerated among unwed mothers, dispelling much of the taboos of having children out of wedlock.

The group having the most kids out of wedlock-young women aged 20-24.

These numbers are cause for great concern. One of the highest predictors of poverty are families headed by a single parent, more often than not by women. While many of these mom's may have the income stream to support their new child or a live-in boyfriend, there remains the glaring fact that many kids will slip into impoverished homes.

This story proves again the value of marriage. Children thrive in a married home with both of their biological parents. Married families have higher income, lower levels of mental health issues, more stabilit and less domestic violence.

Taxing Colorado Marriages

A bad piece of Colorado public policy is making its way through the 2009 state legislature.

Senate bill 68 would impose a $20 tax on new marriage licenses in Colorado, to fund domestic violence programs.

This is a bad idea on a couple of fronts. First, marriage is an antidote to domestic violence. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) notes that the vast majority of violent domestic incidents are among live-in boyfriends and girlfriends. When couples marry, they make an emotional and physical investment for the long-term, reducing the risk of domestic violence. This hedge is not present in cohabiting relationships. And, the DV (domestic violence) factor increase exponentially if children are included into the cohabitation mix. Imposing this type of tax sends a subtle and false message: if folks didn't marry domestic violence would end.

RMFC supports DV programs. But taxing the societal entity that bulwarks against this behavior is the wrong policy road to travel down. Engaged couples don't need additional tax burdens imposed by the state. Instead, we need to encourage more couples to take the right step by marrying.

Perhaps a tax break to marry would be a better idea.

Everyone wins in this equation.

Let the sponsor of this bill, State Senator John Morse know your views at 303-866-6363.

Second

Let's Stay With What Works-Obama Lifts Stem Cell Ban.

Mr. President, no more smoke and mirrors.

Let's be honest. Lifting the Bush-era prohibition on embryonic stem cell research has little to do with finding "cures" but more with paying off political allies like Planned Parenthood and other abortionist supporters.

No cures have ever been found with embryonic cells. However, real treatment progress is being made with though with adult stem cells.

While Obama's decision will not provide new lines of embryonic cells it will make available older preserved cells for research.

Our problem with this decision is that it gives the camel a chance to gets its nose under the tent. Once the door is opened to this type of unlimited federally funded research, "Pandora's box" will open wide.

Here is the full story.

Protect Your Right to Homeschool

We knew that this day would come somewhere. The public school bureaucracy hates homeschooling. The advent of the Obama administration will embolden these bureaucrat's to launch legal and legislative initiatives to gut homeschooling under a variety of guises.

Here's the first salvo in New Hampshire.

Denver's Archbishop Chaput in the National Crosshairs

I think the Archbishop's comments are right on. See what you think...

Chaput calls Catholics servile toward Obama
By Electa Draper
The Denver Post

Posted: 02/26/2009 12:16:17 PM MST

Updated: 02/26/2009 03:56:32 PM MST


Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput (Post file)

Denver Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput, on a book tour in Canada this week, stirred controversy with remarks about U.S. Catholics, who he says exhibit "a spirit of adulation bordering on servility" toward President Barack Obama, an abortion-rights advocate.

"In democracies, we elect public servants, not messiahs," Chaput told more than 700 people in St. Basil's Church on the University of Toronto campus, the Catholic News Agency reported.

Reaction lit up cyberspace, and it ranged from admiration for his defense of Catholic doctrine on sanctity of life to furious perceptions that Chaput is insulting Catholic Democrats and improperly meddling in politics.

Chaput's speech focused on his new book on faithful citizenship, "Render Unto Caesar."

He called Obama "a man of intelligence and some remarkable gifts" who has great ability to inspire.

"But whatever his strengths," Chaput said, "there's no way to reinvent his record on abortion and related issues with rosy marketing about unity, hope and change."

Chaput said that modern society has "a phony unwillingness to offend that poses as prudence and good manners but too often turns out to be cowardice."

Echoing remarks Chaput made before Obama's election in November, the archbishop said that Catholics must form a strong and genuinely Catholic conscience and follow that conscience when they vote. He has called opposition to abortion the litmus test for being Catholic.

"Tolerating grave evil within a society by itself is a form of serious evil," Chaput said.

Many Colorado Catholics reacted angrily during the election season to what they perceived as church attempts to coerce them into being one-issue voters.

Chaput said Americans focused on one issue, the economy.

"It's worth recalling that despite two ugly wars, an unpopular Republican president, a fractured Republican Party, the support of most of the American news media and massively outspending his opponent, our new president actually trailed in the election polls the week before the economic meltdown," Chaput said.

"Americans, including many Catholics, elected a gifted man to fix an economic crisis. That's the mandate," Chaput said. "They gave nobody a mandate to retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life and abortion."

Colorado's Marriage "Lite"

Colorado has a determined and well-financed homosexual community.

Led by gizillionaire software designer Tim Gill and State Senator Jennifer Veiga, Colorado homosexuals continue to chip away the the public will. Three years ago, Colorado voters tweeked the ears of homosexual zealots by passing Amendment 23, which defined marriage as an exclusive relationship between a man and a woman. The "two-fer" was completed with the simultaneous voter rejection of Proposition I, the civil union flat tire.

Well, they're back and they haven't read the public memo of three years ago

Led by State Senator Jennifer Veiga, State Senate bill 88 would require the state to pay insurance for the partners of unmarried adult couples. Here is the story of the latest saga.

Am I the only one who sees this as obtuse? Why would the the state pay these bills? Is it truly a matter of fairness or simply another scam to dupe Coloradans? I'll vote for the later. Colorado voters made it clear that this type of monkey business is not a state priority. With tight budgets and a lack of funds, there is no way this bill should see the light of day.

A Trojan horse? You bet. Its Colorado marriage "lite."

Homosexual Rights Bill Gains Steam in Colorado Legislature

A bill working its way through the Colorado State Legislature which would grant homosexuals additional legal benefits is gaining steam.

Three years ago, Coloradans soundly defeated a state ballot measure that would have dispensed these benefits to unmarried couples, such as: inheriting property, hospital visitation, funeral arrangements, etc.

This bill is a trojan horse designed to circumvent the will of Colorado voters and give civil union rights to homosexual couples.

Here is the story...

Pope Benedict XVI Lowers the Abortion Boom...

Pope Benedict minces no words with this statement.

From Washington DC to our Colorado state capital, Catholic politicians who take their faith seriously, are uncomfortable today.

For many of these politicians, their faith stops at the doorstep of their politics. This inconsistency of faith and their actions in the public square has directly contributed by association to the deaths of nearly 40 million and counting unborn Americans.

Someday, this bill will come due.

Valentine Movie Ideas-Spice Things Up

These are good ones for a romantic night....

Link.

Be Safe But Let's Be Realistic Too

Most Coloradans remember the night-marish events here in our state involving teenagers and guns. Without a doubt, our state has had its share of tragedies: the Columbine massacre; the Platte River High School Shootings; and the tragic shootings at YWAM and at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Understandably, new laws were passed to hoepfully prevent these tragedies from occuring again.

Earlier this week comes a splash of reality. Marie Morrow, a 17 year old senior was bounced from her high school for having a facsimile gun in her car that she used for drill practice with the Douglas County Young Marines drill team. Here's the story.

Apparently, someone spied the gun in her car and informed school authorities. Under current state law prohibiting any gun possession on public school grounds, Miss Morrow was expelled.

This story underscores the rigidity of current law. Understandably, no one wants a repeat of more school gun tragedies.

The higher ground of reason here demands a modification of this current law, allowing school authorities to make a more accurate decision once all of the information is gathered by officials.

Guns are not evil in of themselves. Its the criminals who used them for evil purposese. Marie Morrow is no criminal but simply a young lady who works hard and who happens to command a group of exemplary teenagers who drill with facsimile guns.

Let's change this law and not punish the innocent.

Your Tax Dollars Funding Abortion Overseas

"Change that we can believe in?" I think not. Barack Obama has already stained his administration by refunding overseas abortion services. In comparison to many nations, America has some of the most liberal abortion laws. The President's actions have given us a notorious new export: abortions.

The U.S. may be divided on the subject of abortion but not on funding it. Despite President Obama's incredible popularity, the honeymoon is already over on social issues. Gallup has found widespread opposition to the President's decision to repeal the Mexico City policy. Only 35 percent of those surveyed said they agreed with the decision to allow taxpayer funding for overseas groups who promote abortion.

Americans aren't the only ones disturbed by the shift. Countries across Latin America have lashed out at the new White House for contaminating their laws with anti-life policies. Congresswoman Martha Lorena de Casco of Honduras said she felt "sorrow" that one of the President's first acts was to threaten her country's pro-life law. Representatives from Argentina, El Salvador, and other countries echoed de Casco encouraging Americans to follow their example and respect the right to life in national law. As I've said before, President Obama's election was the result of an economic mandate, not a social one. The further he deviates from that mandate, the more likely he is to lose it.

Catholics Nail Obama on Abortion

You will want to see this ad by our Catholic friends.

Abstinence Is Best

There is a tragic story in today's Rocky Mountain News (dtd 2-2-2009). It chronicles the tragedy of a 16 year old teen named Ashley Ryburn.

Ashley is desperately ill. She is losing her hair, she passes out when her blood pressure plummets and she is nauseous. She had not turned ill until she received her first injections of Gardasil, a medication designed to prevent cervical cancer. While there is no definite connection yet between Ashley's mysterious ailments and these shots, one has to suspect a smoking gun.

According to Joni Reynolds, immunization director for Colorado's Department of Public Health and the Environment, our state has not had reports of any serious reactions to the vaccine. Still, Ashley is sick, possibly of a shot reaction.

We live in a culture where a populist attitude exists-we hope to tempt fate and conquer consequences of unnatural practices with a shot or a pill. Unfortunately, the natural laws of this world are not often trumped.

God designed sex as a monogamous act between a husband and wife. Its practice outside of these boundaries leads to disease, unwanted pregnancies and heartache.
The bottom line today is that if you have sex with someone other than your spouse, you risk infection by a host of of nasty sexually transmitted bugs.

We will pray that God will heal Ashley. Her tragedy is a clarion call for parents to help their kids practice abstinence instead of a shot as the best way to stay healthy.