October 19, 2015 01:33 PM UTC

Get More Smarter on Monday (Oct. 19)

• 3 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

On this day in 1781, the Revolutionary War came to an end. The redcoats are not coming anymore. It’s time to Get More Smarter with Colorado Pols. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example).

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► Ballots for the 2015 election are floating through the snail mail universe — in fact, many of you should have already received them. Go to GoVoteColorado.com to check your voter registration status or to print out a sample ballot. You can also check out JustVoteColorado.org for more information. [*NOTE: We’re going to keep this item at the top of the page on Get More Smarter for the next week or two]

► Former President George W. Bush was in Denver on Sunday to raise money for his brother Jeb! as the former Florida Governor seeks the Republican nomination for President.  You can read more about it here; for some reason, local media didn’t bother to cover the event.

► Boulder is getting plenty of time in the spotlight in advance of the Oct. 28 Republican Presidential debate at the University of Colorado. As Jack Healy reports for the New York Times, GOP Presidential candidates won’t be the only people descending on Boulder next week:

Immigrant groups and anti-fracking activists are organizing a march that they hope will draw thousands of people. Labor unions will rally in a “free speech zone.” College students who could not get one of the scarce tickets into the debate arena are writing indignant letters and waging protests for a louder voice at the event.

There will be original artwork and maybe an installation on white privilege, organizers said. A “rehumanizing zone” is being planned if people want to share personal stories of trauma or discrimination. There will even be protest clowns with wigs and red noses to offer a “peaceful, out of the box, Boulder-style reception.”

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Colorado HealthOP is closing down, but the insurance cooperative says it will pay all claims for 2015. The Denver Post has more on the details of the shutdown. Meanwhile, Republicans such as Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma) are gleefully dancing on Colorado HealthOP’s grave — just don’t ask them for a solution of their own.

► Today is election day in Canada, and you know what that means…well, hopefully you know what that means, because we don’t know a damn thing about Canada’s government. Here’s what the BBC is reporting:

Canadians have started voting in fiercely contested parliamentary elections that could give them their first new leader in nearly 10 years.

Incumbent Conservative PM Stephen Harper is fighting for a rare fourth term but the frontrunner is Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, son of late prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

The left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) could also play a decisive role.

Best of luck to all you hosers.

► Strange things are afoot in Jefferson County as the school board recall campaign enters its final weeks. Opponents of the recall are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in an effort to prevent the right-wing controlled board from dissolving, though nobody seems to know where this money is coming from.

► Here’s another bizarre story about the Jeffco recalls: Regan Benson, a conservative candidate on the ballot to replace Ken Witt, won’t say if she even lives in Jefferson County. As far as we can tell looking at public records, Benson doesn’t live anywhere near the county. For all you Jeffco voters out there, here’s a list of ballot drop-off locations.

► Congressional Republicans are such a mess that it may be impossible for House Speaker John Boehner to actually retire at the end of this month. If Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan declines efforts to get him to run for Speaker…more hell will break loose.

► The two men leading the field of Republican Presidential candidates would like to have some Secret Service protection, please. Famous rich person Donald Trump and retired wackadoodle surgeon Ben Carson think they’ve earned their armor-plated goodies. From Politico:

The authorization for Secret Service protection isn’t determined by the Secret Service, which told POLITICO on Monday there were no immediate plans for protection. Instead, DHS makes the call after consulting with a congressional advisory committee.

The committee “includes the Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, and one additional member selected by the aforementioned committee,” Breasseale said.

► Colorado casinos are pushing for fantasy sports leagues to be regulated as gaming companies — mostly because they want to get in on the action themselves.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► Zambia’s currency is falling faster than Rand Paul’s Presidential aspirations.

► Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump thinks 9/11 should be on the shoulders of George W. Bush. The Atlantic considers whether Trump might be correct.

► Some Members of Congress believe that Exxon Mobil could be prosecuted through truth in advertising and racketeering laws because of their ongoing efforts to discredit Climate Change. When asked about the idea, Congressional Republicans replied, “Wait a minute — you are required to tell the truth in advertising? Oh, shit…”

ICYMI

► The Denver Broncos are 6-0 heading into their bye week. Is something seriously wrong with Peyton Manning? Well, he did make a contribution to Jeb! Bush’s campaign for President.

Get More Smarter by liking Colorado Pols on Facebook!