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Caldara’s Newsletter 01-11-17 “Washington DC steals one of our own”

Caldara’s Newsletter 01-11-17 “Washington DC steals one of our own”

Politics and politicians focus on the short term. We at Independence focus on the long term. After all, that’s how the Left won here in Colorado, by investing in infrastructure and watching it pay off. They invest a whole lot more, but we’re catching up.

One of the most important jobs we do is building talent. That is, we find the best people and help them grow to reach their full potential in our shared fight for Liberty. It astounds me how many of our interns and employees have grown into effective superstars around the nation. Get this, one of our interns, who went on to become a lawyer at the Center for Competitive Politics, is now part of the legal team representing us in our 1st Amendment suit against the Federal Elections Commission. How’s that for poetry?

But this one might be the most bittersweet of them all: It is with mixed emotions that Independence Institute says goodbye to our own Todd Shepherd, who has accepted a position as an investigative reporter with the Washington Examiner. Of course we’re pissed that DC is taking yet another thing we love, but we are also filled with enormous pride at his success.

Todd is the premier investigative reporter in Colorado politics who created his own unique distribution system, CompleteColorado.com, which now has several reporters and commentators. While the political elite in Colorado may enjoy a temporary sigh of relief with Todd’s departure, they’ll soon find the machine he built purring along. While the Washington elite will soon learn about his unique skill set. It’s the first time I feel a little sorry for the federal government.

Congrats, Todd. Make us proud.

How many times do you see the Left going overboard and say to yourself, “And THAT’S why Trump won”? My Denver Post column from a couple of weeks ago hopes to turn that experience into its own hashtag.

Would you be surprised to hear that over half the money we pay to the State of Colorado is outside our ability to vote via the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights? Read my latest for the Post to see how government hides what we pay.

TABOR is a beacon of accountability shining brightly on our public officials. Rob Natelson, our resident expert on constitutional jurisprudence, examines the successes and shortcomings of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights in his new issue paper “The Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights” which acts as a guide to understanding the history, meaning, and relevance TABOR has to those of us footing the State bill. Check it out here.

National School Choice Week is coming soon! Meet us at the west steps of the Capitol at 11:30 AM on January 26th to celebrate all types of school choice! There you can hear from our own Erik Valencia, II’s Hispanic Outreach Coordinator, as well as one of our high school interns, DeMarco Randall. The rally will be full of music, dancing, and festivities to promote school choice. Find more information about National School Choice Week here.

State government is big, but local government in Colorado is even bigger. Boasting some 3,600 governments, Colorado is run almost entirely by those on the Left. The Independence Institute’s Local Government Project seeks to educate citizens on how they can get involved in these governments, though not necessarily by running for office. A great way to contribute is by simply serving on the boards and commissions that feed into local government. It’s a great, and dare I say fun, way to serve the city or district that impacts you every day. Don’t just complain about government, jump in and fix it! For more information on how to get involved locally read more about the project here or contact Kathleen Chandler at kathleen@i2i.org.

Be sure and check out Devil’s Advocate this Friday night as guest host Mike Krause is joined by Independence Institute’s investigative reporter, and Complete Colorado co-founder Todd Shepherd to talk about his new gig at the Washington Examiner, and his ten-years of investigative reporting in Colorado. That’s 8:30 PM on Colorado Public Television, channel 12.  Re-broadcast the following Monday at 12:30 PM.

Think Freedom!

Jon Caldara