© 2008, Benjamin Hummel. To see more cartoons like this go to www.politixcartoons.com.

Get out those calendars! February 3rd, the Independence Institute is hosting The Dirty Dozen, minus Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson of course. This particular Dirty Dozen is less concerned with the Germans than with the United States Supreme Court. In this presentation, Chip Mellor from the Institute for Justice will outline the 12 court cases that radically changed the course of American history away from constitutional government and towards the “living document” justification for the ever-growing, intrusive state we have today. He will of course be drawing material from his popular book of the same name (check it out). Make sure you RSVP today, this event will fill up. And for those feeling lucky that day, we will be giving away a few books!

**Because of the giveaway, this event is strictly BYORB (bring your own rabbits foot).**

Reception will be at 5:30, presentation following at 6pm.

Unemployment is up and revenues are down. What does 2009 hold in store for Colorado’s economy? How does Colorado’s economy compare with other states? For perspectives and predictions, tune in to Independent Thinking as I discuss the state of Colorado’s economy with guests Rob Rueteman, Rocky Mountain News business editor, and Neil Westergaard, editor of the Denver Business Journal. That’s this Friday night at 8:30 p.m. on KBDI Channel 12; repeated the following Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.

Education Policy Center Director Pam Benigno has an important message to share with all parents who would like more information about the open enrollment process:

If next school year you would like your kids to switch schools then you better quickly do your homework! To help you find a public or non-public school that will serve your family’s needs, go to www.SchoolChoiceforKids.org. Via our website you learn everything you need to know about public school open enrollment. Click here for links to school district open enrollment information. The deadline for the first round of choice in Denver Public Schools is January 30, and for Jefferson County Public Schools it’s January 24. Each school district sets its own deadlines and policies for open enrollment. If you are interested in a charter school, contact the school directly.

The deadlines are right around the corner! Act now!

Dr. Paul Hsieh’s new op-ed in the Christian Science Monitor is sure to raise a few eyebrows with an opening paragraph like this:

Imagine a country where the government regularly checks the waistlines of citizens over age 40. Anyone deemed too fat would be required to undergo diet counseling. Those who fail to lose sufficient weight could face further “reeducation” and their communities subject to stiff fines. Is this some nightmarish dystopia? No, this is contemporary Japan.

This Orwellian nightmare is a very real side dish to the other atrocities on universal healthcare’s frightening menu. Be on the lookout for a new podcast from Patient Power’s Brian Schwartz on how we can stop Colorado from moving closer to Japan and more towards freedom.

© 2008, Benjamin Hummel. To see more cartoons like this go to www.politixcartoons.com.

Hold on to your wallets!  Hide your civil liberties in the closet!  The 2009 Colorado legislative session has begun.  What can Coloradans expect from the General Assembly? What are the priorities? What are the pet projects?  This week on Independent Thinking I will preview the session with guests Sandra Solin from Capitol Solutions and Eric Sonderman of SE2.  Tune in tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. to KBDI Channel 12; repeated the following Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.

It’s no secret that virtually any law, no matter how unpopular, can be passed if it’s “for the children.” This rule applies especially to laws that target politically unpopular groups like smokers. So it’s no wonder Amendment 35 was passed in 2004, which essentially put a sin tax on cigarettes with the proceeds going to fund health care for the poor, uninsured, and “the children.” Unfortunately, the sin tax ended up doing what sin taxes do – reduce the targeted behavior, which in this case was smoking. Less people smoking resulted in less revenue. Thus, senior fellow Mike Krause in his latest op-ed writes a sort of call to arms for smokers. Otherwise, the nannyists will have to target other politically unpopular behavior for additional revenue streams. Which ultimately means watch out if you enjoy sweets, red meat, alcohol, or strip clubs. (You mean I’ve gotta pay tax on my lap dances now??) Here’s the punchline:

So if you already smoke, good job and carry on. You are performing a valuable civic duty and deserve a gold-plated Zippo lighter embossed with the Colorado state seal. This, of course, should come out of the busy-bodies’ share of the tobacco tax. It’s the least they could do. If you are an ex-smoker, don’t worry, in a few short weeks, you should be comfortably back in the saddle, just like the Marlboro Man. Best part is you can do it guilt free, as a majority of Colorado voters have given you the go ahead. If you have never smoked, what the heck are you waiting for? Make smoking a New Year’s resolution … it shouldn’t be long before you are up to a pack a day and doing your part for health care in Colorado.

That’s right Colorado, smoke up! A child’s life depends on it.

When senior fellow Barry Poulson phoned into the Whitehouse conference call concerning the auto bailouts, he expected to be greeted with the usual respect and reverence his comments usually receive. However this time was different. This time his comments were met with the same resistance and rejection requests for raises receive in my office. It’s hardly surprising the President did not want to hear any dissent regarding the bailouts, because after all, his mind was already made up. Barry tells us in his latest op-ed that, quite simply, the Whitehouse is unwilling to tell Detroit to suck it up (Barry’s words). It’s the same suck it up Barry heard from his coach when swim practice got tough, and the same suck it up I heard when I contested Ann Coulter’s restraining order against me (It won’t happen again, promise). For those with an aversion to reading like myself, take a listen to Barry’s podcast with Amy Oliver where he discusses the far reaching consequences of setting this type of precedent.

© 2008, Benjamin Hummel. To see more cartoons like this go to www.politixcartoons.com.