NATIONAL POST NEWS #5

PUEBLO ABORTION CLINIC UNDER FIRE

PUEBLO, Colorado--Making your way along one particular quiet Southside Pueblo street you will find homes where some have well-manicured lawns, some have potted plants and antique decorations in their yards. Another home displays the owner’s allegiance to the Broncos, while others nearby bear evidence to the presence of young children with

▶ SEE ABORTION, PAGE 10

Third Trimester Babies Can:

* Practice breathing

* See and hear (responds to both light and sound from outside the womb)

* Suck her thumb

* Feel pain and has the ability to cry

* Grab their hands or umbilical cord

* Potentially survive outside the womb

INSIDE:

COLORADO’S VOICE

THE COLORADO UNIPARTY ELECTS A SPEAKER

The U.S. House of Representatives of the 118th Congress made history and headlines by taking four days and 15 rounds of voting to elect the Speaker of the House.

COLORADO—The nation was captivated by the affair, which took place from January 2-8. C-SPAN averaged 1.2 million viewers, Fox News 1.4 million, MSNBC 950,000 and CNN 740,000. Washington Post’s livestream on YouTube has 1.2 million views and counting. PBS was close to 800,000.

ESPN finished second in overall ratings with 1.2 million viewers. A congressional proceeding had more viewers than sports.

In contrast, the livestream of the vote for the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 74th Colorado General Assembly had a little over 2,000 views. The proceeding took place on January 9, 2023.

For years, the Democrat Party in Colorado’s legislature has enjoyed

a super majority, and this Assembly is no different. With a majority of 46 to 19, no matter how the Republicans vote, the Democrats will prevail. They have more than double the votes they need. The Republicans have no power and, with that margin, little influence. They have only principle.

During the uniparty performance, Democrat Julie McCluskie (HD-13) and Republican Scott Bottoms (HD15) were both nominated for the presiding position.

Republican Ken DeGraff (HD-22) nominated Bottoms, who is the Pastor of Briargate Church in Colorado Springs, a reserved and thoughtful community leader, a PhD, and a

▶ SEE UNIPARTY, PAGE 15

BEST OF LAUREN’S TWEETS

Feb 11, 2023

“FACT: Twitter 1.0 committed election interference.”

Feb 10, 2023

“After the @Weaponization Committee’s hearing yesterday, one thing is clear.

The federal government is far too powerful.”

Feb 8, 2023

“John Fetterman brought a convicted murderer to the State of the Union.

This is the Democrat Party of 2023 - a sanctuary for criminals and illegals. Unbelievable.”

Feb 7, 2023

“Joe Biden is desperate to trample on the Second Amendment.”

“REMINDER: Less than 10% of Biden’s infrastructure bill went to real infrastructure like roads and bridges.”

Dec 21, 2022

“10% of $1.7 trillion is $170,000,000,000. Just in case you wanted to know how much was going to the Big Guy.”

Pages 2-3

GUN LAWS, ARIZONA CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY LEADERS

“Common Sense” Gun Laws...

So-called “assault weapons” have been exposed—they are common garden variety sport-utility and homeland-defense guns, popular nationwide.

“High-capacity” magazines have been revealed to be normal capacity ones, uniformly used by everyone, largely designed by manufacturers to fit within the frame of modern sidearms. The public and authorities alike count on them for reliable performance. Most of the bigoted loaded rhetoric has come up to be blanks. Enter the modern term, “common-sense gun laws.” Who, indeed, could argue with common sense?

Bull spit, like beauty, seems to be in the eye of the beholder, and dreck master Mike Bloomberg’s coalition of the clueless seem to have an endless supply. Calling registration and pro-

hibition of the lawful private trading of arms “common sense,” is both counter-intuitive and counter-freedom.

JPFO has our “Kosher Gun Laws.”

http://tinyurl.com/jyzfjgb

The idea that it is “common sense” to have a “background check” flies in the very face of

common sense. Owning and carrying a gun is a specific enumerated constitutional right. http://tinyurl. com/j7t7hj3 . Turning that right into a government-granted privilege is not a mitzvah, it is a curse against liberty.

You want “common sense” in gun laws? Stop infringing the rights of any lawful citizen to go armed anywhere, except perhaps for specifically secured places. Start teaching real marksmanship and gun safety in public schools. Take all the law enforcement assets that are tied up in the business of regulatory compliance, and use them to go after violent felons who abuse the right to keep and bear arms. Stop interfering with lawful arms which the public keeps and bears.

U.S. Mental health needs work too, too. It’s time to get people who think it is possible to “control” guns into some form of treatment. The idea that there is some way to “control” over 300,000,000 guns in the United States, or that this would somehow be a public good, is as we say in Yiddish, “meshugana” (crazy.) Where would Such a waste of gelt (money), come from? The notion that new laws, registration or additional paperwork will somehow decrease violence in the U.S., is crazy.

Get the people who hold this notion into treatment quickly!

Misinformed proponents of these plans are not delineating between the lawful and unlawful use of firearms. We need to act in such ways as to promote the lawful use and trading of arms, and focus our enforcement on the misuse of such arms. It must become appalling to the general public that someone other than a violent felon is ever prosecuted for the mere possession of a firearm, knife, club, or any tool of defense. It should shock the conscience of any normal citizen that any police officer would arrest someone merely for having a gun.

Authorities could still prosecute people for misuses of any weapon. Officials lack no authority to manage the peaceful conduct of society with force, should it be necessary. But force is only valid against crimes that are malem in se (evil due to their nature,) not malum prohibitum (bad because we say so). Murder is evil; parking meter violations are not.

JPFO isn’t against common sense, we’re its biggest supporters. What are the good gun laws, the Kosher ones we support? There are five:

1) If you criminally misuse a gun, your

The antifreedom bigots have realized that most of their loaded terms have backfired.

Aren’t Common Arizona Citizens Defense League

gun rights can be severed by a competent court.

2) If you are are judged by a competent court to be mentally unfit, you may have your rights removed.

3) Until the age of 18, your gun rights come through your parents.

4) You are responsible for the outcome of every shot you fire.

5) Because the God-given right of self-defense is inviolate, anyone who, under color of law, denies or attempts to deny your civil right to bear arms, pays a stiff fine and goes to prison.

With “common sense” like this, it becomes obvious why the anti-freedom bigots use subterfuge to achieve their goals. They couldn’t pass them any other way. Background check is shorthand for registration.

PROTECTING YOUR FREEDOM

The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) is a non-profit 501(c)(4), all volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to the principles contained in Article II, Section 2 of the Arizona Constitution that “All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.”

The rights of self-defense and bearing arms are the foundation for all other rights. Our freedom of speech, our freedom from unreasonable searches, our rights against self-incrimination, our right to bear arms, all of our fundamental rights only exist because we stand firmly resolved to preserve them. AzCDL exists to strengthen that resolve.

AzCDL’s success is not accidental. AzCDL was founded by a group of local activists who recognized that a sustained, coordinated, statewide effort was critical to restoring and protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Between legislative sessions, we look for ways to improve existing laws and meet with legislators on proposed bills. During a session, AzCDL’s representatives work full-time at the Arizona Capitol, testifying at committee hearings, monitoring Floor votes, and working with other pro-rights groups. AzCDL lobbies heavily on behalf of our membership and the good citizens of Arizona. We lobby against bills that constitute an impairment on your Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

AzCDL believes that the emphasis of gun laws should be on criminal misuse and that law-abiding citizens should be able to own and carry firearms unaffected by unnecessary laws or regulations.

Towards that end, we are pursuing the following Arizona legislative improvements.

* “Freedom to Carry” – Restore and protect the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm openly or

do is not common sense, it is a violent collision at the corner of Common and Sense. The wreckage left behind is our rights. Everyone connected with Bloomberg or his stepchild inventions and allies (Mom’s Demand Activity, Any Town For Guns, The Brady Campaign to Promote Gun Violence, etc.) are hard at work evaporating common sense—and your rights.

discreetly anywhere they have a right to be.

* Fewer restrictions on the lawful carrying of firearms on Public property (state and local government buildings, parks, etc.).

* “Restaurant Carry” – The ability of law-abiding citizens to dine out while carrying a firearm.

* Continued strengthening and preservation of the right of presumed innocence in self-defense situations.

* Strong State Preemption – Firearms laws should be consistent throughout the State.

* Liability responsibility for property owners who ban firearms.

Overview of AzCDL’s Many Accomplishments

AzCDL is the only Arizona civil liberties organization to get pro-rights bills introduced in every Legislative session we have been involved in!

AzCDL was instrumental in the introduction and/or passage of the legislation listed below:

* Constitutional Carry – Restoration of the right of law-abiding adults to carry openly or discreetly without first seeking written permission from the government via a “permit .”

* Prohibiting state and local government officials from confiscating lawfully held firearms during a state of emergency.

* Strengthened state preemption of firearm and knife laws.

* Strengthened protection of the lawful use of firearms, air gun and archery equipment on private lands.

* Passage of the Crime Victims Protection Act of 2012, that amends the Arizona Constitution to protect victims from being sued by their attackers.

* Restoration (in 2006) of “innocent until proven guilty” in self-defense situations that was taken away in 1997.

* Strengthening the elements of justification for the use of force.

they understand new proposals restrict simple legal transfers between friends, and that crimes aren’t included in the bills—because crimes are already illegal. The rational will understand, and the coalition of the clueless will continue to sail forth on the USS Clueless, a rudderless vessel that is bereft of a moral compass. Don’t lose yours—stand up to those who would stand down your freedom.

JPFO has proven in N.Y. and Ca. how this leads to confiscation. It’s really that simple. What the anti-freedomists want to

When you hear the phrase “common sense gun laws,” ask people what they mean. If they say, “background checks,” ask them what’s wrong with the ones they have, or how they’d enforce more, even on the street. Ask if

Charles Heller JPFO Communication Coordinator and AzCDL co-founder.

Website: JPFO.org

Email: CharlesHeller@jpfo.org

Another Dismal NFIB Jobs Report

Association’s state director says Legislature can only make things worse

“The labor shortage continues to be a major concern for small businesses in the New Year as nearly all owners trying to hire are reporting no or few qualified applicants. Small businesses’ sales opportunities are limited because of the staffing shortage but owners continue to make changes in business operations to compensate.”

Highlights from the latest NFIB Jobs Report

unfilled job openings far exceeds the 49-year historical average of 23 percent although it is 6 percentage points lower than the record high of 51 percent last reached in May

* Seasonally adjusted, a net 46 percent reported raising compensation, up 2 points from December, and just 4 points below the 49-year record high set in January last year.

* Industries with highest percentage of job opening:

— Construction 57%

— Transportation 49%

— Manufacturing 46%

— Services 45%

— Retail 41%

— Wholesale 41%

— Professional 34%

— Finance 30%

— Agriculture 26%

DENVER—Release of NFIB’s latest Jobs Report on America’s small businesses painted another dismal picture, one in which the association’s state director said the Colorado Legislature is only darkening with its clumsy touches.

“If the Colorado Legislature continues its barrage of needless and senseless regulations, we’ll soon need a law against small-business abuse,” said Tony Gagliardi, Colorado state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). “If legislators believe they’re lending a helping hand to Main Street enterprises, small-business owners can’t reach out to shake it, chained as it is to fill out the many compliance requirements this state demands, requirements which will grow in number if this Legislature has its way.”

Examples Gagliardi cited include:

* Proposal requiring employers to make employees aware of all the state tax credits available to them, (HB 1006)

* An environmental bill giving more regulatory authority over the oil and gas industry, which will only further sap the economic vitality of the small businesses reliant on it for trade and for the delivery of their goods. (SB 16)

* HB 1118, a requirement that employees be given two weeks’ notice of their shifts. The last of which would be particularly onerous on restaurants and tourism, which need to make market changes almost daily.

Released on the first Thursday of every month, NFIB’s Jobs Report is one of the 10 components of the association’s Small Business Economic Trends report (aka the Optimism Index), which is released the second Tuesday of every month. The SBET/Optimism Index is considered by federal and state policymakers to be the bellwether measurement of America’s Main Street economy. The SBET/Optimism Index is a national snapshot not broken down by state. The typical NFIB member employs 5-9 people and reports gross sales of about $500,000 a year.

From NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg on Today’s Jobs Report

* Forty-five percent (seasonally adjusted) of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in the current period, up 4 points from December. The share of owners with

Keep up with the latest Colorado small-business news at www.NFIB.com/colorado

For nearly 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since its founding in 1943,

Does Your CD Pay 5.65??”

NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

NFIB Colorado

1700 Lincoln Street, 17th Floor Denver, CO 80203

303-860-1778

www.NFIB.com/colorado

Twitter: @NFIB_CO

Facebook: NFIB.CO

Small-Business Owners Speak Up, State Listens and Reacts

NFIB MEMBERS WIN COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS FROM COLORADO AIR QUALITY CONTROL COMMISSION ON ITS PROPOSAL TO MODIFY RULE 20

Not so fast.

That’s the message NFIB members sent to the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) about its desire, once again, to follow the lead of California in creating a new environmen-

tal regulation it had hoped wouldn’t get much pushback.

When NFIB State Director Tony Gagliardi got wind of the AQCC’s wish to modify Rule 20 concerning the requirement for semi-tractor truck manufacturers and dealers to begin aggressive marketing of electric delivery vehicles, he immediately teamed up with NFIB Grassroots Manager ML McGinty to alert the membership that would be most affected and to encourage them, through a special portal set up by NFIB, to demand AQCC conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis of the rule modification before moving any further.

The result: On January 17, the Dept. Of Regulatory Agencies informed Gagliardi that such an analysis would be conducted.

“This is a great example of what can be achieved when small business makes its powerful voice heard,” said Gagliardi. “There’s no guarantee AQCC will not go ahead with what it wanted to do all along, but it will not to be able to go at warp speed without having counterpoints voiced and recorded for the record.”

Another area of concern the proposed program AQCC wants is it’s not limited to large, heavy-duty trucks. The application

of the rule to vehicles with GVW limits of 8,500 lbs. can include many light duty pick-up trucks and vans equipped with heavy duty suspensions. These lighter vehicles are often used by small businesses in industries such as printing, auto parts, and home maintenance services

such as HVAC and office equipment sales and service.

NFIB will continue to monitor and report to its membership the latest news on this subject.

This is a great example of what can be achieved when small business makes its powerful voice heard....

electrom: The E-Bike Revolution...Further

The Electrom is a new type of vehicle carving out a place in the modern transportation network

(VANCOUVER BC) -- What makes the Electrom better than a conventional e-bike?

E-bikes are great, and for many people they are all that is needed, however, for those who want to take their zero emissions lifestyle to the next level, there is the Electrom. It will fill the gap between bicycle and car, while still offering the exercise, environmental, and traffic busting benefits of a bicycle.

The Electrom is designed for riding in wet weather; the fairing keeps the rider’s legs and feet dry so they don’t need to struggle into waterproof pants and footwear and the 120 litres of securable cargo space keeps your stuff dry as well.

Unlike a conventional e-bike, the Electrom has all of the communication signals needed to more safely integrate with car traffic. The Electrom comes standard with headlights, running lights, turn signals, brake lights, and a horn.

The Electrom has a 200 km range and is designed for comfort. The recumbent seating position guarentees that you will be happy after spending hours in the saddle. Most people would be very uncomfortable after riding a conventional e-bike 200km

Many e-bikes on the market today use proprietary motors and batteries that may not be supported by the manufacturer in the future. In planning the Electrom we set out to use as many off-the-shelf parts as possible to aid in reliability and replacement part sourcing. Rational design and readily available components will allow Electrom owners to keep their investment on the road and out of the landfill for years to come.

The Electrom presents a much bigger visual impression than a regular bike which makes it far safer in traffic because the cars give you more space.

What make the Electrom better than a velomobile?

Velomobiles have been optimized for aerodynamics and light weight, as a result they aren’t great when sharing the road. They are too low to be seen by many cars, are too wide to fit properly into most bike infrastructure, and velomobile tires are so skinny that they are very prone to flats. The Electrom has been optimized for road-worthiness from the beginning. The rider is higher up and able to make eye contact with drivers. The two-wheel format fits all bicycle infrastructure, and the the 20 X 2.75 inch moped tires can handle the worst road conditions.

Getting into and out of a velomobile often requires a significant degree of flexibility as they must be climbed down into, usually through a relatively small opening. The Electrom has a tiltaway front fairing and an 18 inch seat height so the rider need only lift up the fairing and step onto or off of the vehicle.

Where is the Electrom manufactured/ assembled?

The Electrom is designed, manufactured and assembled in Vancouver BC using a combination of domestic and imported components. The frame, bodywork and steering system are designed and made in Vancouver. The majority of the electrical and bicycle components are readily available off-the-shelf items. This is a deliberate strategy in order to provide a secure source of spare parts to future owners and to control manufacturing costs.

Does the Electrom come with a battery charger?

The Electrom ship with the Grin Technologies high-voltage Satiator battery charger.

If the battery is fully discharged can you still try to pedal to find somewhere to plug in?

One is able to move the bike on human power alone, but due to the weight it is not ideal.

The upside is that the battery system is so small compared to an electric car that it can be charged with a standard power plug so one can “opportunity charge” almost anywhere.

Electrom LEV can be contacted at:

Email: info@electrom.ca

Phone: 250-858-9794

Web: https://www.Electrom.ca/

TECHNOLOGY:

PARALLEL ECONOMY APP HELPED FOLKS “BREATHEASY”

Rob Altomare is a patriot who got fed up with draconian, illegal, tyrannical covid “mandates”. He took action and created an app that helped others find open businesses that let you “breathe easy.” The name is a play on the Prohibition-era term speak-easy. He then launced a website and followed that with a fully-functioning app. The app is still relevant to the Parallel Economy movement and also did double-duty as an app that helped ensure more election integrity.

Read the National Post News exclusive interview with Rob below.

rooting for bad news just to juice adoption of the BreathEasy app. That being said, I am pushing the cause and mission of BreathEasy beyond what it was first intended for: to fight mask/vaccine mandates by supporting local businesses.

Now, the mission has grown beyond that and now encompasses the creation (or rather, re-creation) of a whole new economy based on shared values and the free market. Some of your readers will be familiar with the terms “Patriot Economy” or “Parallel Economy.” BreathEasy’s mission now is to take back the ground we have lost by incremental losses to our liberties over the last 150 years and restore our economy to one that puts America (and Americans) First.

How did you get started in this business?

BreathEasy has already pushed out a modification to the technology to help with Voter Integrity. Just as BreathEasy allows users to vote on businesses, this new modification (I call it VotEasy) allows users to vote on POLLING LOCATIONS and report vote fraud in real time.

But once we’re through election season, my expectations are that the BreathEasy network of patriot businesses and consumers, united by common values and Americanism, will grow at a significant pace. Success breeds success.

Whom do you seek advice from for your business?

My users! BreathEasy is a tool for the American patriot. What good is a tool if it doesn’t serve its user? I send out surveys every once in a while to ask their opinions on things and

what they need to make their tool better.

And, absent a survey result, I get feedback via email all the time; I personally read every email I get and respond to everyone. BreathEasy’s purpose is to serve and that’s what we’ll do for as long as it exists.

How has technology, such as computers and the internet, impacted how you conduct business?

BreathEasy is an online tool, so the impact is intrinsic.

How can our readers get ahold of you?

I welcome people reaching out; I love getting letters of praise AND criticism. The BreathEasy tool can only improve with feedback from its users. I can be reached via the website BreathEZ.org or directly at Rob@BreathEZ.org. You can also read my essays, which I publish when I have something to say, which is also at the website.

PAGE

How long have you been in business? In this business? In other businesses?

The BreathEasy website went live October 2021, which makes it over 1 year that it’s had a presence online. The app itself, of course, didn’t go live until June 2022.

What did you do before this business?

Just as with anyone else, working my career. I spent 20+ years working in a variety of roles in Defense but made my jump to the private sector in 2012 when I graduated with an MBA from the University of Central Florida.

Why are you in business?

I really don’t consider myself ‘in business.’ Instead I have simply developed a tool that I felt was needed in our fight for Liberty and Economic Freedom. It’s just the nature of the beast that this effort takes on the profile of a business. I never want to be seen as

By trying to scratch my own itch. When the mask mandates first came out, I KNEW that we were being punked by our rulers. As such, I refused to par ticipate in their sham. But of course, living in Portland, Oregon at the time (ANTIFA central), trying to live my life as a refusnik there was tough. I got kic ked out of more businesses than I can count.

As a result, over time, I discovered busi nesses that didn’t hassle me for a mask and ultimately I only spent my money at those businesses who joined me in the fight.

But when I moved to Florida, even in 2020, there were businesses in Florida that still required masks to enter! And because I was new in town, I didn’t have my network of friendly businesses like I had built in Portland, so I was forced to start all over again. This was the ker nel of the BreathEasy idea: to create a network of businesses that would refu se illegal mandates WITH their custo mers and spread the news about them among patriot customers. And now, that idea has grown much bigger than that first kernel: to build an entire ECO NOMY based on shared values and eco nomic freedom.

Can you describe your customers?

That’s easy: American Patriots who are fed up with being ruled by Communist ignoramuses. I consider AOC as their mascot and I mock her often in my essays at the blog.

be cool,

Welcome To The 1980s Tips for First-Time Budgeters

A wise man said, “History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.” And we’re possibly living in a “rhyme” right now. Maybe right in the middle of it. Our current inflation-led problems (lackluster growth, high prices, rising rates) are very similar to the 1980s backto-back recessions. But I think we’re in a much, much better position this time.

A TRIP DOWN ECONOMIC MEMORY LANE

We’ve all either lived through it or heard of it but what was the energy crisis of the 1970s like? Short answer: horrendous and inflationary. Long lines for gas. Limited gas you could buy. Being at the mercy of an international cartel. High inflation. You needed real, physical assets to profit or you needed cash to lock-in the eventual high interest rates on bonds and other fixed investments.

Then along came the new decade. It started off with a mild six-month recession, dropping the economy by 2.2 percent. Then a year break then a longer recession, lasting almost a year-and-a-half, going into 1982. Add in the *worst* inflation recorded for 1980 and 1981. The Bureau of Labor says it was 12.4% and 10.4%, respectively. Yow! I thought we had it bad today. This was on the back of high annual inflation every year from 1974!

So, pretty bleak economically. Arguably pretty bleak culturally, too. Disco? Velvet? Just kidding.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT NOWADAYS?

First off, I feel *obliged* to say this. What we’re in now is, again, inflation-led. The Fed printed over $6 trillion dollars in about two years. Of course we’re going to have inflation and all of the by-product problems. So this is self-inflicted. Okay. Got that out of the way.

What else is different? Today is drastically better than yesteryear. We have a super economy in comparison. So much more diversified, larger, global, and innovative. What we’re witnessing is history’s greatest economy digesting a historically large money-print. We *will* get this absorbed.

Also, the OPEC+ oil cartel is not what it used to be. The US is still a major oil fuels producer and we can unbalance that once-great group. Whenever we decide to.

WHAT’S THE SAME?

The inflation, drop in economy, and rising rates are, unfortunately, the same. But less severe so far. We haven’t had the extremes in inflation or interest rates yet and it doesn’t look like we will, either. The Fed is controlling things and it should work. The Fed is much more nimble and savvy than before.

HOW TO PLAY IT

Well, most bonds are getting clobbered by rising interest rates and those rates shouldn’t be good for stocks, either. Rising rates means eventual rising interest costs for corporations and lowered earnings. That usually means bad news for the stock markets.

So, for now, have a high-income portfolio; buy short-term bonds (T-bills are paying over 4%!); reposition to value stocks and sectors, take advantage of opportunities (high-yield bonds look good); and stick it out.

WAIT. WHAT ABOUT THE BACK-TO-BACK “R” WORD?

Yes, we haven’t had another recession yet. Most everything I see or hear on the financial news, all the Big Boys, are predicting a 2023 recession. Hopefully not but it does make sense. The cure of higher interest rates is just as bad as the money-printing cause. So these higher rates will hit housing, spending, and jobs. Boy-oh-boy, look at those rhymes.

This article is for illustrative purposes only. Ron is not recommending any investment security for you but just trying to educate the community. INVESTMENTS CAN AND DO DROP IN VALUE; THEY HAVE NO BANK OR OTHER GUARANTEE. Ron is licensed and regulated by the great State of Colorado.

Ron Phillips is The Investment INCOME Advisor, a Pueblo, CO native, and an independent business owner. Order a free copy of his book Investing To Win by leaving a message at (719) 220-3005. Visit RetireIQ.com or email RonPhillipsAdvisor@gmail.com

So, you’ve made a resolution to take control of your money this year—that’s amazing. A huge part of building new habits in any area of your life is just deciding you’re going to do it, so you’ve already gotten a big step out of the way. I know getting your finances in order can feel big and overwhelming, but we’re going to break it down in a way that’s simple and manageable. And one of the most important things you need as you get started on your financial journey in 2023 is . . . drumroll, please . . . a budget!

The word budget might kind of sound like a buzzkill if you’ve never done one before. If you’re on a budget, that means you can’t spend any money, right? Wrong! A budget actually gives you the freedom to spend because you’ve already decided ahead of time exactly how you’re going to use your money. Once you’ve set the boundaries, you give yourself permission to spend within those boundaries. And that means way less stress, guilt and confusion around money. What a relief.

Here are a few tips for doing a budget for the first time (and actually sticking to it).

MAKE IT ZERO-BASED

A zero-based budget is one where your monthly take-home pay minus all your expenses equals zero. The point here is to give a job to every single dollar of your income. So, if you make $2,500 a month, every dollar you save or spend should add up to $2,500.

You’ll want to make your budget for the month before the month begins so you have a plan for how you’ll spend your money from day one. This is how it works:

* List your monthly income. This includes your regular paychecks and any other money you plan to bring in throughout the month.

* List your expenses. Think of everything you spend money on during the month. Start with giving (10% of your income), savings, the Four Walls (food, utilities, shelter and transportation) and other essentials like insurance and childcare. Then move on to other extras (like entertainment and restaurants) and month-specific expenses (like birthdays and holidays).

* Subtract your total expenses from your total income. The amount remaining should be zero—if it’s not, that just means something in your budget needs a little adjusting. If you have extra money left over, put that money toward paying off debt or add it to another category in your budget. If you wind up with a negative number, find a way to cut back on some expenses or generate more income by selling stuff or taking on a side hustle until your balance equals zero.

* Track your transactions. Don’t just plan out your budget and then forget about it. As you spend money throughout the month, make sure you keep

track of how much you’re spending and where so you don’t overspend in any category.

And that’s it! I promise, it really is simple once you get the hang of it.

USE A BUDGETING APP

Speaking of simple, one of the best ways to make this whole process even simpler for yourself is to use a budgeting app. Of course, you can also use an excel spreadsheet or go old school by mapping out your budget on paper. I say sign me up for the method that involves the least amount of math. I’m a huge fan of apps like EveryDollar that do most of the math for you and connect with your bank so you can easily track your transactions.

GIVE

YOURSELF GRACE, AND DON’T GIVE UP

Budgeting for the first time is a big deal. Be proud of yourself and know that it usually takes people about three months to really get the hang of it and make everything run smoothly.

Once you start budgeting regularly, you’ll see where you and your family might need to make some adjustments or sacrifices in certain categories in order to hit your financial goals. But at the end of the day, you’ll feel like you got a raise—because now, you have permission to spend in a way that’s controlled, wise and guilt-free. And that makes working toward those financial goals so much easier.

For more step-by-step guidance on making a budget that works for you, check out my articles online. You’ve got this. Happy budgeting!

Rachel Cruze is a two-time #1 national best-selling author, financial expert and host of The Rachel Cruze Show. She has appeared on Good Morning America, TODAY Show and Live! With Kelly & Ryan, among others. Since 2010, Rachel has served at Ramsey Solutions, where she teaches people to avoid debt, save money, budget and how to win with money at any stage in life. Follow Rachel on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube or online at RachelCruze.com

Young Couple is a c.1505-1510 Carrara marble relief sculpture by Tullio Lombardo, now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.[1] It was previously known as Bacchus and Ariadne.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

tricycles and hot wheels along the path. Neighbors to these have signs displayed encouraging prayers for Pueblo.

This historic Bessemer neighborhood is easily one of the most diverse areas in Colorado. Tied closely to the steel mill, this area of town has homes that were built in the 1870s and others as recent as the 1980s. One thing this community has in abundance is a culture that values family, perseverance, and faith.

This quiet neighborhood is likely to face some drastic changes in the near future.

LeRoy Carhart, notorious late term abortionist, has opened an abortion mill in Pueblo. His LLC, under the name Clinics for Abortion and Reproductive Excellence, or CARE was approved by the state just days after the Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade was overturned (June 24th). His new real estate acquisition sits directly adjacent to Pueblo’s Catholic Hospital, St. Mary Corwin and in the same residential neighborhood as those tricycles and hot wheel cars.

If Dr. Carhart’s name sounds familiar that’s because he has had quite a public past. He fought all the way to the Supreme Court twice (and ultimately failed) to strike down a ban on gruesome partial birth abortion procedures. The same procedures he utilized in his abortion mills in Nebraska and Maryland. Any quick Google search would reveal pages and pages of results with articles and stories spanning decades and including numerous medical malpractice lawsuits, investigations, interviews, and accolades for the Air force trained physician.

Now, at 81 years of age, he has his sights set on Pueblo in his desire to “expand abortion access”. According to a GoFundMe page set up to benefit Carhart, his clinics “can no longer meet the volume demand in Nebraska, and the state government is simultaneously discussing abortion bans. For these reasons, [their] clinic is raising money to open a new abortion clinic in Pueblo, Colorado…

“ He is facing legisla-

Visit JBS.org

ties Act), our beautiful state has become an abortionist’s dream. No longer are our majestic mountains and snow covered slopes the image in the minds of our neighbors across the country.

Instead, Colorado is becoming known for high crime rates, homelessness issues, fentanyl deaths, and extreme abortion laws. Should the clinic succeed in opening, children in the neighborhood will be witnesses to the arrival and departure of ambulance after ambulance, potentially people carrying images of aborted babies, loud cow bells and bullhorns used for engaging with passersby and clinic patients in the neighborhood.

Minnequa Elementary school is in close proximity. It is very likely that those children would have to walk past a clinic performing abortions each and every day on their way home from school. Not exactly what you would imagine to find in a community known as the “Home of Heroes.”

We believe that all human life is sacred. We believe that every person is created in God’s image. We believe that each of us has been given a purpose and a calling on this earth—and at no point are we meant to end another human being’s life prematurely.

This city defends children and has come to stand behind the belief that all children are worthy of protection, and that all women deserve to be supported during their pregnancies. Whether you identify as pro-life, or pro-abortion, Christian or pagan, Democrat or Republican, I believe we can all agree that this

clinic or any other like is bad for Pueblo and bad for our children. This physician, who is reported to have sent no less than 23 women to hospital trauma centers in the last 10 years and is allegedly responsible for the deaths of at least 2 women, is bad for Pueblo.

We ask our state community to join in “Save Pueblos Future”, for our children, for our women, for our neighborhoods. We ask you to consider fasting and praying against this clinic, which is bringing pain, destruction and death into our community.

Now, more than ever, women in Pueblo need you. They are intentionally being targeted during a time when they are most vulnerable, and it’s imperative that we stand up for them and our neighbors in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Utah who will also likely be targeted by Carhart’s abortion mill.

For more information on Dr. Carhart’s past and what you can do to help, visit SavePueblosFuture.com

Even With Removing Margaret Sanger’s Name, Planned Parenthood Is Still Influenced by Racist Founder

One of Planned Parenthood’s largest abortion affiliates has finally disavowed Planned Parenthood’s founder for “her racist legacy” and her “connections to the eugenics movement.” However, this symbolic bowing to the far left’s “cancel culture” doesn’t change the fact that the organization is still influenced by her inhumane beliefs.

Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) is finally removing Margaret Sanger’s name from its Manhattan clinic after decades of choosing to overlook the organization’s white supremacist roots.

Sanger said all sorts of disturbing things, like, “We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population.” She favored the forced sterilization of those she deemed “unfit,” she gave a speech to the Ku Klux Klan, and she once wrote, “The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it” (mind you, like Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, she was talking about a child who had already been born).

(Continued by scanning QR code)

tive and community pressure at both of his other clinics. Nebraska is pushing for a 12- week abortion ban and the city his Maryland clinic is currently operating in is considering a city wide ban on all abortions. Should either measure pass, Dr. Carhart’s livelihood and legacy of performing abortions right up to birth will be threatened.

With the narrow failure of Prop 115 (which would have banned late term abortion) in Colorado and the passing of RHEA (Reproductive Health Equi-

Gov Jared Polis, Dep’t of Local Affairs, Ofc of Recovery, and Sen. Bennet & Hickenlooper Announce Support for Local Governments

DENVER - Governor Polis, in partnership with the Department of Local Affairs and Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, announced the creation and funding of 14 Regional Grant Navigator (RGN) positions within Colorado’s designated Planning and Management Regions. These positions will aid local governments in their pursuit of funds from the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed in November of 2021, which will invest a historic $550 billion in new infrastructure investments nationwide over the next five years.

“This is a transformative opportunity and we want every corner of Colorado to be able to maximize their ability to receive funding from this legislation. We are excited to partner with local governments and provide support so that Colorado can draw more from this legislation to fix our roads, invest in protecting our water supply, defend against climate change, and develop Front Range Rail,” said Governor Jared Polis.

Local governments identify “lack of capacity” as one of the greatest challenges in pursuing funding opportunities. While Colorado took swift action by passing SB22-215 which established the IIJA Cash Fund, and transferred $80.25 million of General Fund to the Cash Fund, Regional Grant Navigators will be the on-the-ground help that is needed.

“County governments provide vital services and programs, and Colorado Counties Inc. is pleased that this effort will boost their ability to do what they do best: serve Coloradans,” said John Swartout, Executive Director, Colorado Counties, Inc. “This is an opportunity for county governments to share their expertise across all levels of government.”

“Municipalities are in the front lines when it comes to responding to the needs of residents and businesses, and they plan far in advance for their infrastructure needs,” said Kevin Bommer, Colorado Municipal League executive director. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was a shot in the arm to kick start many projects, and the support of Sens. Bennet and Hickenlooper and Gov. Polis for the RGN positions will ensure all municipalities have a chance to improve their communities.”

Tick Tock Shop

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the largest investment in American infrastructure in a generation, and collaboration at every level of government will be critical to Colorado’s successful use of these funds,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “This program is an important step to ensure our local governments have the capacity to access the law’s historic funding and can use it to improve our roads and bridges, deliver for our kids and

vant grant writing experts. RGNs will follow the progress of all grant submissions and provide technical assistance ongoing monitoring and compliance as needed in the different regions.

“This funding allows each region to dedicate a person whose entire job is to meet communities where they are at,” said Laura Lewis Marchino, Executive Director of Region 9 Economic Development District, and the Chair of the Colorado Association of Regional Organizations (CARO). “Each of our regions have communities that have a long list of priority infrastructure projects, from broadband to water and sewer, but many lack the capacity needed to explore and then pursue funding opportunities. We appreciate our State looking to regional organizations to help the Colorado communities in which we work. This is a hallmark example of cooperation between Federal, State, and local governments, and without

families, confront climate change, and protect our Western forests and watersheds.”

“We passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for all of Colorado. Everywhere from the big cities to the smallest towns will benefit from these funds, and these grant navigators will help rural Colorado get its fair share,” said Senator John Hickenlooper.

RGNs working within their regional organization will be familiar with regional and local plans, objectives, and strategies to understand what grant opportunities are most relevant, prioritizing outreach to rural and underserved communities. This includes research into grant opportunities as well as facilitating technical support, which may include connecting communities to rele-

a doubt will result in more funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law coming into our State and meeting much documented needs.”

“Working together and in tandem with Colorado communities is one of the Department of Local Affairs’ primary objectives,” said Rick Garcia, Executive Director of the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides critical contributions that will enhance the lives of Coloradans and set the state and its communities, rural to urban, up for prosperity. We look forward to continuing to strengthen Colorado communities.”

These efforts are part of a robust, collaborative effort to ensure that Colorado draws down up to $7 billion in funding. Governor Polis was one of the first governors in the country to support the bipartisan federal infrastructure framework advocated by Senators Bennet & Hickenlooper which builds on the historic, bipartisan transportation package Governor Polis signed in 2021.

“This is a transformative opportunity and we want every corner of Colorado to be able to maximize their ability to receive funding from this legislation,” said Governor Jared Polis.

Part of the larger $550 billion in new federal investment in America’s infrastructure, ranging from EV infrastructure to ports and airports

REPUBLICANS COLORADO

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

February 15

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

San Luis Valley Republican Women

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Archuleta County Central Committee

Meeting

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Archuleta County Republicans

February 16

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Alamosa County Republicans

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

CU Republicans

February 17

11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Mesa County GOP | Monthly Lun-

cheon

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Republicans @ Denver Athletic Club

February 18

9:00 am - 10:00 am

Aurora Republican Forum (ARF)

February 19

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Coal Creek Republican Women

February 20

Broomfield Republican Women Meeting & Luncheon

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

W.I.N.Talks

February 21

11:15 am - 12:45 pm

Boulder Republican Women

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Weld Exec Committee Meeting

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Log Cabin Republicans Business Meeting

February 22 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Lincoln Club

February 23 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

CU Republicans

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Boulder County Executive Committee Meeting

February 24

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Republicans @ Denver Athletic Club

February 25 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

March 1

Adams County Republican Women Trumpeteers monthly meeting

February 28

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Fremont County GOP Meeting

6:45 am - 8:30 am

Arapahoe County Republican Breakfast Committee (ACRBC)

7:00 am - 8:00 am

Boulder County GOP Monthly Morning Meeting

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Log Cabin Republicans Happy Hour

March 2

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Clear Creek County GOP Meeting

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

CU Republicans

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Gilpin County GOP Meetings (first Thursday of each Month)

March 3

8:00 am - 9:30 am

Denver GOP First Friday Breakfast

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Republicans @ Denver Athletic Club

March 4

8:30 am - 10:30 am

Gunnison GOP meeting

March 6

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Summit County GOP Central Committee Meeting

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

W.I.N.Talks

March 7

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Collegiate Peaks Republican Women’s Forum

11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Collegiate Peaks Republican Women’s Forum (CPRWF)

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Delta County Monthly Meeting

March 8

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Eagle County Republicans Central Committee Meeting

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Park County Republicans Central Committee Meeting

March 9 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Montrose County Republicans Central Committee meeting

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

CU Republicans

March 10

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Republicans @ Denver Athletic Club

March 11

8:00 am - 9:00 am

Douglas Executive Meeting

8:00 am - 9:30 am

Weld County Breakfast

9:00 am - 10:30 am

North Suburban Republican Forum

March 13

4:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Summit County Republican Women’s Meeting

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Chaffee County GOP Central Committee Meeting

March 14

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Cherry Creek Republican Women

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Huerfano County Republicans Mee-

ting

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Teller County Republican Meeting

March 15

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

San Luis Valley Republican Women

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Archuleta County Central Committee Meeting

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Archuleta County Republicans

March 16

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Alamosa County Republicans

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

CU Republicans

March 17

website: ColoGOP.org

Contact Us!

Address: Colorado Republican Party 5950 S. Willow Drive, Suite 210 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Phone Number: 303.758.3333

Email: info@cologop.org

11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Mesa County GOP | Monthly Luncheon

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Republicans @ Denver Athletic Club

March 18

9:00 am - 10:00 am

Aurora Republican Forum (ARF)

March 19

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Coal Creek Republican Women

>>>>

SENATORS (2):

SENIOR SENATOR:

Michael Bennet Democrat

Since Jan 22, 2009

Next Election in 2022

JUNIOR SENATOR:

John Hickenlooper Democrat

Since Jan 3, 2021

Next Election in 2026

FEDERAL LEGISLATORS:

REPRESENTATIVES (7):

FIRST DISTRICT:

Diana DeGette Democrat

Since Jan 7, 1997

2ND DISTRICT:

Joe Neguse Democrat

Since Jan 3, 2019

3RD DISTRICT:

Lauren Boebert Republican

Since Jan 3, 2021

4TH DISTRICT:

Ken Buck Republican

Since Jan 6, 2015

5TH DISTRICT:

Doug Lamborn Republican

Since Jan 4, 2007

6TH DISTRICT:

Jason Crow Democrat

Since Jan 3, 2019

7TH DISTRICT:

Ed Perlmutter

Democrat

Since Jan 4, 2007

All representatives serve until the end of the current Congress on January 3, 2023.

Red box symbolizes the Republican Party

Blue box symbolizes the Democratic Party

COLORADO GOVERNMENT hot sheet

The Colorado General Assembly

The Colorado General Assembly consists of 100 members - 35 Senators and 65 Representatives. Senators serve four-year terms, while Representatives serve two-year terms. All members are limited to serving for eight consecutive years in their chamber - four terms for Representatives and two terms for Senators. As of the 2010 census, State Senators serve an average of 143,691 residents and State Representatives serve an average of 77,372 residents.

The President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of each chamber serve as the primary leadership for the legislature. These six members are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the House and Senate as well as serving as the oversight authority for the legislative service agencies. Each house elects additional leadership positions as well.

Senate Executive Leadership

Colo. state politicians

COLORADO SPRINGS GOVERNMENT:

The Executive Leadership of the Senate includes the Senate President, Majority Leader, and Minority Leader. They are also ex officio members of the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council along with the Executive Leadership of the House of Representatives. The President is elected by a majority vote of the Senate, while the Majority Leader and Minority Leader are chosen by their respective caucuses. >>>>>

Senators

Each state in the United States elects two senators, regardless of the state’s population. Senators serve six-year terms with staggered elections. Americans in the United States’s six territories do not have senators.

Representatives

The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. Representatives are also called congressmen/congresswomen. Americans in the United States’s six territories are represented in the House of Representatives by an additional six non-voting delegates.

All of the representatives from the top of this page serve until the end of the current Congress on Jan 3, 2023.

Stephen Fenberg CAPITOL PHONE: 303-866-4872

President of the Senate

Dominick Moreno Senate District 21 CAPITOL PHONE: 303-866-4857

John Cooke Senate District 13 CAPITOL PHONE: 303-866-4451

Minority Leader Majority Leader

John Suthers was re-elected to a second term as mayor by an overwhelming majority in April of 2019. The 41st mayor of Colorado Springs.

Colo. Springs Mayor John Suthers

COS Current Council Members

District 1: Dave Donelson (elected in 2021)

District 2: Randy Helms (elected in 2021)

District 3: Stephannie Fortune(appointed 2022)

District 4: Yolanda Avila (re-elected 2021)

District 5: Nancy Henjum (elected in 2021)

District 6: Mike O’Malley (elected 2021)

At-large: Bill Murray (re-elected in 2019)

At-large: Tom Strand, President (re-elected in 2019)

At-large: Wayne Williams (elected in 2019)

“Hell, no, you’re not.”

With Representative Lauren Boebert

ffany (WI-07), Dan Bishop (NC09), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Randy Weber (TX-14), and Doug LaMalfa (CA-01).

The full text of Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s letter to Secretaries Granholm and Haaland is available below:

Secretaries Granholm and Haaland,

This administration has done everything possible to discourage oil production and raise energy costs on the American people, and the egregious results speak for themselves: the average national price of a gallon of gas peaked at over five dollars in June before decreasing due to a drop off in demand and the onset of recession.

While some Americans have come to view a brief decline in gas prices as a welcome respite during record high inflation, increasing interest rates, and a sputtering economy, gas prices are still much too high and they are starting to increase again.

to the procuring of polysilicon in the production of solar panels, this administration seems to have no issue with utilizing slave labor. By plowing forward in hidesign to halve all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, Joe Biden has all but ignored the stark human rights atrocities this policy is enabling. Make no mistake: the only way this GHG target is met is if the Biden administration continues to implicitly endorse the use of forced and even child labor within Chinese Communist Party (CCP) supply chains. Given the prospect of a worsening energy crisis, we demand answers to the following questions by COB Wednesday October 26, 2022:

1). Secretary Granholm, does the Biden administration anticipate higher gas prices considering the OPEC cartel’s intention to reduce output by a reported two million barrels a day? What is currently being done to mitigate OPEC’s influence and ensure that Americans will not be subject to future financial strain at the pump? A year after laughing off the question, do you finally have a plan to increase oil production in the United States?

the end of this month, the SPR will hold only 179 million barrels of medium-sour crude oil, the type of crude oil preferred by US refineries. Last year, the SPR contained 621 million barrels, and one projection indicates that the reserve will shrink to 358 million barrels by the end of this month. As of September 14, this administration has withdrawn almost 24% of the SPR’s supply since March.

Does this administration plan to withdraw even more barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)? Is there any plan to limit this rapid depletion of the SPR?

Did political considerations play any role in extending the SPR’s withdrawal program – initially intended to end on October 31 – beyond Election Day 2022?

Boebert Takes Action to Reduce Energy Prices

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert led an effort demanding accountability for Biden’s failed energy policies and asking what actions this administration plans to take to reduce pain at the pump.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert stated, “Biden has waged an all-out war on American energy, and we are all paying the price for it. Gas is $4 a gallon again, and moms are spending more than $75 dollars to fill up their minivans. The worst part about it is this administration still doesn’t have a plan. I’ve had enough of this nonsense. It’s time to reduce inflation, lower gas prices, stop raiding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and drill, baby, drill.”

Background:

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert led 11 Members of Congress in a congressional oversight letter to Secretaries Granholm and Haaland encouraging action and seeking accountability for the worsening energy crisis. The Members include Reps. Mary Miller (IL-15), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Greg Steube (FL-17), Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Tom Ti-

On Wednesday, October 5, news outlets reported that OPEC and non-OPEC producers will pursue output cuts of two million barrels of oil a day; due to the OPEC cartel’s reconstituted and outsized influence in the crude oil market, the price of oil could well increase to over $100 per barrel in short order. This is a foreseeable issue that deserves your full attention and commitment - there is zero excuse for failing to prepare for every contingency.

Last year, in what can only charitably be described as a misplaced reaction to the imposition of high energy costs on the American people, Secretary Granholm laughed when asked what her plan was to increase oil production in America. In March, she also suggested that Americans should purchase electric vehicles to avoid rising gas prices. This extraordinary adoption of a “let them eat cake” mentality, coupled with this government’s inability and unwillingness to approve onshore and offshore oil drilling, indicates that neither one of you, nor anyone else in this administration, has a plan to insulate Americans from the effects of a volatile oil market.

The only concept approaching an energy plan this administration has announced involves a rapid switch towards exclusive use of renewable energy. From the use of cobalt in the construction of electric vehicles,

2). Secretary Haaland, CNN reports that the White House is “having a spasm and panicking” due to OPEC’s efforts to cut output. Is the outsized influence of far Left “environmentalist” groups, many of whom have served as de facto apologists for genocide, preventing this administration from increasing domestic energy production?

3). Secretary Haaland, due to OPEC’s announcement on October 5, are you prepared to recommend regulatory relief to facilitate expedited onshore and offshore oil and gas drilling, including but not limited to exemptions from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)?

4). Secretary Granholm, OilX, a consultant company, estimated that by

5). Secretary Granholm, given that the only way to realize a 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 necessitates continued reliance on a CCP-dominated supply chain, does the Biden administration believe that child and slave labor is merely an unfortunate byproduct in the fight against global warming? Is it acceptable to tell Americans to purchase electric vehicles when the inputs for EVs are typically sourced with forced labor?

6). Secretaries Granholm and Haaland, natural gas prices are at a 14-year high, and as the winter approaches, natural gas prices will likely continue to skyrocket. Have your respective departments developed contingency plans to confront potential rolling blackouts and brownouts, and what will likely be a very expensive winter for millions of Americans? Please provide any accompanying details regarding any such plans.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of these critical questions and we look forward to your timely response.

THE SLIPPERY SLOPE OF CENSORSHIP & TYRANNY...

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me.

Pastor Martin Niemöller, Regarding the Nazi regime

SOURCE: amnesty.org.uk/

FROM UNIPARTY PAGE 1

candidate behind which any Republican could symbolically align.

In his speech accepting the nomination, which he inexplicably had to “second” himself, Bottoms said: “I believe that it is important that we stand on our principles, and we stand on our values. If the roles of this were reversed, and the super majority was Republican, I would expect a Democrat to nominate a Democrat and vote for a Democrat… My Republican voters sent me here to vote for Republicans, and that’s what we’re trying to put forward today: That we stand on principle, and we stand on Republican values.”

The Republicans didn’t plan to nominate anyone. The status quo dictated that they just vote for the De-

mocrat and move on. These two freshmen Representatives put the uniparty in the spotlight and, better, they did it with a recorded vote. When the vote took place, 11 out of 19 Republicans voted for Representative, now Speaker, Julie McCluskie. Republican Minority Leader Mike Lynch (HD-65) even seconded her nomination.

For over a decade, our state’s Republican Party has hemorrhaged support. It used to be that the party establishment and elected officials would pretend to hold Republican values. Or any values.

Instead of voting for the Republican in a strong show of unity to their constituents, and the opposition, Republicans once again split the vote.

During the 2022 election season, the Republican Party pretended to

support conservative values. They claimed to be principled leaders. They feigned belief in the party platform.

Worse, they gaslit right-leaning voters to come together and align behind the Republican candidates — no matter what. Uniparty Republicans admonished America First, grassroots conservatives that they must “unite and heal the Republican party,” and that “a bad Republican is better than a good Democrat.” Don’t split the vote!

Grassroots Republicans running for office were eviscerated just for running, for not bending the knee, for not supporting whoever’s turn the party decided it was. They were eviscerated for entering the arena during a time of peak government corruption and mistrust.

This vote was these Republicans’ first official action, after all that gaslighting got them “elected.” In that first action, 11 Republicans voted for the Democrat. No matter how these Republicans vote, the

Democrat will win, so this vote is purely symbolic.

Symbolically, 11 Republicans cast votes to reject traditional Republican principles; that is, conservative principles.

In other words, a Christian Conservative Pastor is a non-starter for Colorado Republicans, even in a purely symbolic, unity vote.

Symbolic or material, this vote was revealing for right-leaning voters. Bottoms concluded with, “We’re not going to have any power this session… But we do have principles, and that’s what we’re going to be standing upon.”

The principle of the matter is Colorado Republican legislators are only “Republican” when they’re campaigning.

Is it any wonder they keep losing?

Ashe Epp is a writer and election integrity activist. Read her work at AsheInAmerica.com and follow her on Telegram and other socials @AsheInAmerica

FREE BOOK: “INVESTING TO WIN”

Closely Held Secrets & Strategies From an Industry Insider

From the first chapter:

There is more information on accumulating wealth available today than at any other time in history. Again, the US Census sheds some light on wealth accumulation. They found out that the top twenty percent of income earners and the top 5% of wealth gatherers have many habits in common:

• 42.6% own stocks and mutual funds

• 17.5% own their own business or professional practice

• 48.3% invest into an IRA

• 90.2% have cash in the bank

Those are very simple things that almost any of us can do. It does not take much effort to open an IRA account with investment funds or stocks in it. It is easy to deposit money in a bank savings account or CD. Most of us can easily think of and start even a part-time business. All it takes is to do it now. We just need to start with some simple steps and definite plans.

Could the Earnings Yield Be the Best Single Measure of Stock Value?

I think it definitely could be! I consider it to be the true measure of how you, as a stockholder, are actually benefiting from the company you invested in. You may not actually receive all of the net earnings in cash, but the company can buy back shares with net income, pay you cash dividends, AND/OR reinvest into the growing enterprise. But, first of all, what is an “earnings yield”?

It is the opposite of the P/E ratio. It is essentially the E/P ratio. You divide a companies’ total earnings by the total market price of the stock.

For example, if the company you are looking at has annual earnings of $20 million and a market value of $200 million, then the earnings yield would be .10 (expressed as a percentage that would be 10%). So for every dollar you are investing into the company, it is earning for you ten cents, or ten percent of a dollar.

If a wonderful and popular company that everyone adored was making $1 billion dollars every year in net income that looks very good. But if that same business was valued on the stock market for $100 billion would

US companies. So are you really as diversified as you thought by looking at the name?

On the flip side, if you invested in The International ABC Fund, then 100% of your money should be in foreign shares. Then you can rest assured that you have fully diversified OUTSIDE of the US. Then you can also invest other moneys into domestic funds or shares.

What is GARP Stock Investing?

GARP is an acronym for Growth At a Reasonable Price. As you can guess this approach simply combines both growth and value investing. With this method, you are looking at growth companies selling in the market at value prices. A very famous and successful GARP investor was Peter Lynch, for example.

What Is a REIT?

A REIT is a real estate investment trust. It is a company that buys, manages and sometimes sells individual pieces of real estate. Usually, they are buying the properties, holding for possible appreciation and collecting a cash flow from the underlying real estate. By law...

(book excerpts)

the earnings yield be to low? The earnings yield would be a paltry one percent! So for every dollar YOU INVEST INTO THAT STOCK the company is actually only producing one penny in net income for you, the shareholder and part-owner.

The 3-Step, No-Brainer Mutual Fund Strategy

This is a tactic that is very simple and can be used as a stand-alone approach. It is very simple and easy to manage. If this is your only investment it can pay off handsomely for you if allowed to work as described.

STEP ONE: Invest in a Balanced Mutual Fund or Asset Allocation Fund

STEP TWO: Dollar-Cost Average into the Fund & Invest More as it Drops in Value

As you learned earlier, you will accumulate more shares or less-expensive shares with the DCA strategy as the price of the shares move in value. And when the price drops significantly, as in a “bear” market, you add EVEN MORE than the usual amount. By doing that, you are making market volatility work for you.

STEP THREE: Invest for Fifteen or More Years

Why fifteen years? According to Morningstar Direct, from the years 1926-2014, you would have had a 99.8% chance of profit if you had invested in stocks and held for fifteen or more years. Yes, you read that correctly; you would have been virtually ASSURED a positive return.

What Is The Difference Between a Global and an International Mutual Fund?

This is an important question. I talk to people a lot that think the two are the same. And by the name they do sound just alike. But there is a big difference, especially when you are trying to properly diversify your assets. In a nutshell, when you see the name global in the mutual fund name or description, those funds will invest in international AND American (domestic) stocks. The international funds should have NO domestic shares.

So you might think The Global ABC Fund is investing all of your money out of the country. But they could have fifty percent of the assets in large-capitalization

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