Denver, CO

As an added “benefit” of being a Colorado delegate for the Republican National Convention this year, I was sent Christmas cards from both the President and Vice-President. Now, depending on your feelings towards this administration, then these cards could be a very neat thing or you could care less. Either way, it is neat to know that there were 44 Coloradoans, including myself, who received two Christmas cards from the White House. Here’s how the cards read:

“May your heart and home be filled with the joys of the holiday season. 2008″
signed: George Bush and Laura Bush

“Our best wishes to you and your family in this holiday season and throughout the year ahead.”
signed: Lynn Cheney and Dick Cheney

Why Echo Mountain? Here’s a few good reasons why they’ve at least earned the attention of this blog:

closest mountain to Denver (about 45 minutes away)

relatively low-cost tickets and season tickets (especially compared to the other mountains)

night riding available

ski & ride school (if you don’t know how to ride, they’ll teach you!)

local feel- not the corporate feel of the other mountains

terrain park for serious winter athletes

great food, great music

AND they’re involved in the community! Echo Mountain partnered with marketing students at Metropolitan State College of Denver to provide the students with some real world experience.

Check them out, click on the link below:

Echo Mountain Park

Let’s stick with the example of the Internet as a free, unregulated market:

Remember when the Internet first started out? Maybe not the very first days of Internet, but how about the days of paying for connection through your phone company and then also paying a separate fee through an Internet server/gateway such as AOL? Remember receiving CD after CD in the mail with the latest and greatest version of AOL with 700 free hours, etc? Dial-up?

Well, as it always happens in a free market economy, the technology behind the product improved, improving the product itself, and lowering costs.

Almost overnight we went from dial-up to DSL, to high speed, to wireless, etc., and with it, the cost of the Internet went to 0. You still pay your phone or cable company for the access, but there is no longer a guardian or gatekeeper in the way. This was the market providing free email to everyone, so long as you had access to a computer, and a phone line/internet connection.

Now let’s say that somewhere in the near future, the government in their infinite wisdom decides to get involved in this free-market economy, the Internet. Government involvement would, as it always is, be painted with the best intentions and here is how it might happen:

The government could for whatever reason or motivation, decide that everyone should be entitled to the best quality Internet service money can buy. Right now, of course, there exist many different options among the many different provides. So the government would have to pick a winner, and let’s say they pick DSL. There would be a massive public relations campaign to highlight how our government, from the bottom of their collectivist heart of hearts, has decided that Americans need Internet to be a great nation and the government will help pay for DSL for everyone in America. Keep the people informed! Provided entertainment! Knowledge at our fingertips! Sounds great, doesn’t it? Let’s take a look at the numbers of this “mixed economy” then shall we?

Let’s assume that a high quality Internet provider costs about $90 a month, across the board, no matter what state you live in or what company you buy from (for the purpose of keeping this exercise mathematically simple). When the government decides to go with DSL, they’ll offer either a tax credit or a subsidy, or a combination of the two. This will allow the DSL company to provide their service at a reduced cost to themselves and to their customer. So now DSL can be offered at $60 whereas their competitors scrape to lower their costs but can’t get below $80 and remain profitable. Some of the competitors go out of business.

But at the end of the day, millions more American homes have access to affordable Internet. (Would the government have to add to their program later and offer computers to everyone in America?)

Fast forward several months, maybe even years. The DSL company has grown fat and lazy, like a sloth with an endless supply of food. The original government involvement, despite the good intentions, has removed the aspect of competition from the market. And in the absence of competition, no one can keep this government-backed company honest.

Unfortunate, because a few small time guys really want to open shop with their new, eco-friendly and green Internet service that actually prevents and reverses global warming. But fighting global warming is an expensive business, and there is no way they can be competitive with the low prices of DSL. It’s faster, safer, and prettier, but still too expensive.

The solution coming from the left in Washington will call for comparable tax credits or subsidies for the new company; they may even throw around the word “regulation” a few times for good measure, and that will start another circular track of the government chasing its tail and conning the tax payer (but that’s for another discussion).

The right will want to retain current low prices, calling everything else a tax. They defend only a glimmer of what used to be free markets, when in fact, many of these “so-called conservatives” had given in to the collectivist idealist dreamworld and supported the original tax credits and subsidies for DSL because they too thought our society would be better off with accessible Internet provided to everyone.

Get the picture? Now try to apply this same story-line to other products. How about oil? Farming and agriculture? Ethanol? Notice any resemblance?

Capitalism by itself, without government involvement, would have succeeded in bring about alternative fuel and energy sources at a competitive price by this time. Instead, a government barrier to the industry of energy has been put in place in the form of subsidies and tax breaks to oil and coal industries. That is not capitalism; it is only a mixed economy. Now with energy prices on the rise and the cost of oil floating, we do see capitalism beginning to become competitive with the mixed economy. Alternative fuels and energies are becoming more and more efficient and priced closer to the cost of oil, natural gas, and coal. And guess what- if the oil industry was no longer receiving such fantastic support from the government, then oil would no longer be competitively priced.

The Internet is, essentially, a free market economy of its own.

There are relatively no barriers to entry so anyone with access to a computer and Internet can participate. Once online, anyone can buy, sell, trade any item or service. There is a virtually unlimited amount of information available.

Are there problems and risks with the Internet marketplace? Yes.

Can government oversight limit all the risks for every participant without stifling the market? No.

However, the people themselves are constantly at work regulating the marketplace. We see this on Amazon with buyer feedback and ratings for the sellers. Most people will not buy from a seller who has negative feedback or does not have a strong track record.

Also, most people are in control of themselves enough to avoid the websites that are not to their liking. Sites that have content they may not wish to view, products and services they view as scams, etc. Sometimes these are unavoidable, momentarily at least, when a pesky pop-up appears offering some prize for being the one millionth visitor. So what does the market offer in turn? Pop up blockers!!!

Going back to that pesky pop-up: some people click through and complete the several offers or whatever rabbit trail is proposed to get the price. And some of these are scams. Yes, in all economies there are bottom feeders who mislead, misdirect, and underserve, or even flat our steal from the consumer. I know cause I’ve been taken advantage of by a few online schemes. But rest assured, the market figures it out again and I, now an informed consumer, will no longer allow myself to fall victim to these predators.

You may have been wondering what has been keeping the author of About-Denverco so busy and away from blogging. Here’s why:

How old is your campaign manager?!?

While most young people are spending free time on their Wii or having jamm sessions with the hit game Rock Band, Sean Doherty, 21 years young, is working to make his name in politics and to someday take the center stage on the debate scene. (why not the political scene instead of the debate scene?)

And while most young people have gravitated towards a certain Democrat candidate for President, Sean Doherty has taken up a personal mission to renew the Republican Party and to educate the youth about the principles of the GOP. “I know there are plenty of other activities I should (could) be doing at my age, but I want to participate in debates (politics) as important as these. The future of my generation is on the line here and freedom waits for no one.”

After returning from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul/Minneapolis Minnesota, an experience that Sean said was refreshing coming off a week of Democrats in Denver, Sean decided to become involved in some of the local campaigns taking place. “I looked at the various campaigns being run and volunteered for a few, but the campaign that most appealed to me was George Lilly’s Congressional run in (Denver’s US Congressional District 1).” After becoming involved in the campaign and helping to coordinate some activities, Sean was made the Campaign Manager for George Lilly’s race.

Representatives of the campaign have cited Sean’s youthful energy and optimism as great assets to the campaign; he also brings with him a growing man’s appetite that leaves no leftovers at the dinner table.

When asked why he chose the Republican party and this particular campaign, Sean had this to say, “my generation may only be 29% of the population today, but we are 100% of the future, and someone needs to stand up for us. I found George Lilly to be a strong advocate for passing a better, safer, and stronger America onto the next generation and he wants to do so through the principles of the Republican Party. That works for me.”

Sean Doherty is now rolling his sleeves up, putting down the video games, and now he’s talking to Denver voters and setting up town hall meetings. He’s going to bed early, even on weekends, hoping to wake up to a better America for his generation and the next. His hard work just might pay off.

For more information on Sean Doherty’s involvement in the George Lilly campaign, go to www.GeorgeLillyforCongress.com

Looks like Congress will be bailing out Wall Street with tax payer money. The bail out bill will be voted on first thing Monday, September 29th. What will this lead to? What are the implications? Why and how has our economy been brought to its knees? Well, lets give credit to where credit is due.

Yes, risky loans where made and accepted. Lenders and borrowers are certainly to blame. But what is the larger, root cause of all this? The Federal Reserve should share some of the blame, should it not?

The Federal Reserve, in all their wisdom, has been lowering interest rates for as long as this author has been alive. The Federal Reserve (FED) has made borrowing money so attractive, so much so that the housing bubble was given birth, not to mention the tech and Internet bubble before that. Had the FED not made credit so accessible, leading consumers to believe that they could not possibly lose out, we would not be in this mess. Folks, this is analogous to kids in a candy shop:

Shopkeeper FED: Ok kids, you can eat as much as you want, and we’ll work out the payment later.

Kids: We love candy!

Shopkeeper FED: Oh, don’t forget about these chocolate houses. I know they’re a lot to handle but I’ve made them even easier to take a bite out of!

Kids: Oooohhhh, this adjustable rate is giving me a stomach ache…

Shopkeeper FED: Well I don’t want you to stop eating candy, just keep eating and I’ll just keep lowering the interest rates…

And now the FED wants to swoop in and take up the role of Savior of the economy, fixing the problem that they created? There seems to be a disconnect here…. I liked what one Congressmen said of this government buyout of Wall Street firms: “if its too big to fail, it is too big to exist.”

Some similarities worth noting: both Presidential candidates support the bailout, and both have a bracelet. However, none of the third party candidates support the bailout, i.e. Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr, and Ralph Nader. At the time of writing, this author could not confirm the existence of any third party bracelets.

In no way am I advocating that you vote for any candidate to elected office on the sole basis of reading my recommendations in this blog… That being said:

Here are some local and national candidates that I support for the upcoming election. I am supporting these candidates because I believe they will best serve to protect my interests as a taxpayer, and the general interests of Denver and all of Colorado.

No matter who you vote for, please exercise democracy and show up to vote. Or, mail in your absentee and early voting ballots.

George Lilly For Congress

George Lilly is primarily concerned with our economy and will advocate for a return to smart and sound business practices. Less taxes. More freedoms. Liberty. If you said yes to any of the above, then this is your man.

Visit his website by clicking here

Mark these in your calendar, write them down on the back of your hand, put a sticky note reminder on your forehead, whatever you do, don’t forget:

Primary Election: August 12, 2008
General Election: November 4, 2008

Last day to register to vote in the general election:
Monday, October 6th, 2008

Early Voting Dates
Primary: August 4 through August 8
General: October 20 through October 25, and October 27 through October 31

Inflation. Rising prices. A country that imports and doesn’t produce enough to export and offset the imports. The three trillion dollar war. Baby boomers are retiring in mass, or hoping to retire soon. Social Security. Medicare. Landmark foreclosure numbers. Economic slowdown. Rising oil costs. $4 per gallon at the pump…

These are buzz words that I’m sure you have heard quite enough of lately. But it is important that we do not simply ignore these words that make us cringe and that one 9 letter word that has taken on the same aspects of four letter foul-language words: “recession,” not to be uttered in polite conversation.

Indeed, times will be getting rough and this will be happening very fast and soon. We will all feel the pinch and be forced to consume less. Not necessarily a bad thing. But one group that I am concerned about:

The senior citizens. These are the people who have been paying into social security with the belief that it would be there when they retire and they would need little else to live comfortably and not have to work. This belief is no longer so. I have noticed it to be commonplace to see senior citizens pushing carts at the grocery store, waiting on me at restaurants, cutting my hair, etc., and I can’t help but wonder: was this what they were planning to do when they reached this age? Is this what they had in mind for retirement?

Don’t be fooled by newspaper articles talking up positive effects from the current economic stimulus package. Yes, there are positive effects, but the reporting of these effects is often misleading. Here’s what I mean,
Last week I read an article online that specifically said the stimulus package was not working and our country was still in a recession. The very next day I read another article that said the stimulus package was indeed working and had increased spending. The example given for increased spending was Wal-Mart, who had increased sales by 1% that month. Hooray.
This is an oversimplification. Wal-Mart is poised to increase sales with or without the economic stimulus package because Wal-Mart is a discount store and, with prices rising as fast as they are and with it, people’s nerves, Wal-Mart will be gaining more and more business as consumers feel the pinch and switch to cheaper alternatives.
What the article neglects to mention was the other stores who aren’t as well positioned as Wal-Mart to profit and do well during economic downturns; businesses such as the Gap who experienced a sharp 14% drop in sales.
So if you ask me, yes, Wal-Mart will see increased sales, revenue, and business; but look to a decline in companies that do not readily provide basic needs and who aren’t basement bottom pricers. These are the companies who will be hurting for the months to come and who aren’t likely to benefit at all from any economic stimulus package.

Here are a few farmers markets near you:

Cherry Creek Fresh Market
“Top Farmers Market in Denver”
Cherry Creek North Drive and S University Blvd. On University between 1st Ave and Alameda Ave
Saturdays May 3rd through October 25th 8am-1pm
Wednesdays June 4th through September 24th 9am-1pm

Old South Pearl Farmers Market
on 1500 Block of Old S. Pearl between Florida Ave., and Iowa Ave
Sundays June 8th through October 26th 9am-1pm

Why buy from farmers markets?

+ Fresh produce
+ Support local Colorado farmers
+ Do a small part in protecting the environment, since foods grown locally and sold locally don’t require mass transportation which burns fossil fuels and adds pollution

OK.. I would not have considered writing a blog about a haircut before today, but let me tell you.. this was one incredible haircut.

I frequent Supercuts when its time for my trims but I’ve decided to start supporting local, small businesses whenever I have a chance to avoid chain businesses. That’s for personal reasons is all.

So I went into a barber shop on Tennyson and about 40th St in Denver. If I remember correctly, the address was 4024 Tennyson.

This barber shop definitely had the old, classic barber shop feel to it, but was most astounding was the service. Supercuts brings me in, trims the hair, towels me, and then I’m pushed out of the chair and rushed up to the pay counter. It was different at this barber shop.

Service included a unique mix of new and old hair cut technology. There was a very fancy machine that distributed heated shaving cream. And my barber used the electronic razor as they do in Supercuts. But when he went to clean up my neckline, he pulled out the old-fashioned knife-looking razor (I’m reminded of that new Johnny Depp movie: Sweeney Todd). And once the shave was finished I recieved an aftershave treatment and, get this: a neck, shoulder, and arm massage aided by some electronic massage device.

I was so blown away by what a haircut could be compared to what I spent at Supercuts. Price?
Supercuts: about $15
this barber: $14

I left a six dollar tip.

Here’s a fun and practical chain email. Please forward to others:

Gas Facts, Very interesting . . .

I don’t know what you guys are paying for gasoline…. but here
in California we are also paying higher, up to $4.50 per gallon. But
my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are
some tricks to get more of your money’s worth for every gallon.

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we
deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline.
One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and
premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity
of 16,800,000 gallons.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the
ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations
have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground
the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so
buying in the afternoon or in the evening….your gallon is not
exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and
the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and
other petroleum products plays an important role.

A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But
the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the
pumps.

When you’re filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a
fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)
stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on
low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you
are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are
pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank
becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the
underground storage tank so you’re getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is
HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have
in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline
evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an
internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the
gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike
service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is
temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact
amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the
storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up–most likely
the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and
you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the
bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!

WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW, READ ON.

Gas rationing in the 80’s worked even though we grumbled about it. It
might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods.
We should return the favor. An interesting thought is to boycott
their GAS.

Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into
the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don’t
import their oil from the Saudis.

Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up
the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me,
my family, and my friends.

I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies
are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle
Eastern oil.

These companies import Middle Eastern oil:

Shell……………………….. 205,742,000 barrels

Chevron/Texaco………. 144,332,000 barrels

Exxon /Mobil……………. 130,082,000 barrels

Marathon/Speedway… 117,740,000 barrels

Amoco……………………….62,231,000 barrels

Citgo gas is from South America, from a Dictator who hates Americans.
If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18
BILLION! (oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel)

Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:

Sunoco……………..0 barrels

Conoco……………..0 barrels

Sinclair………………0 barrels

BP/Phillips…………0 barrels

Hess…………………0 barrels

ARCO………………0 barrels

If you go to Sunoco.com, you will get a list of the station locations near you.

All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and
each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they
are importing.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas
buyers. It’s really simple to do.

Now, don’t wimp out at this point…. keep reading and I’ll explain
how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

I’m sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it
to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) … and those 300 send it to at
least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) and so on, by the time the message
reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over
THREE MILLION consumers!!!!!!! If those three million get excited
and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will
have been contacted!

If it goes one level further, you guessed it…..THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. How long would
all that take?

Today’s tips for getting better MPG out of the $3.59/gallon gas we buy comes from:
Sean Brodrick posting on 4-23-08 for Money and Markets newsletter

1) Slow down. Typically, a car going over 60 miles an hour is likely to decrease its fuel economy. The rule of thumb is for every mile per hour faster than 55 mph, fuel economy drops by about 1%; the drop-off increases at a greater rate after 65 mph. According to fueleconomy.gov, “you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.”

2) When you’re finished at the gas pump, turn the handle 180 degrees so that it’s upside down. This will force out up to 1/2 cup of gas into your tank. Put your gas cap back on right away and tighten it firmly — gas evaporates quickly.

3) Use cruise control on the highway. That cuts down the engine speed and allows your car to maintain a steady momentum without exerting too much effort.

4) Remove excess weight from your car. By that, I don’t mean leave your mother-in-law at the rest stop. I mean dump all the junk you may be carrying around in your trunk. Every extra 100 pounds your car carries decreases fuel efficiency by about 2%.

5) Perform needed maintenance on your car. A well-tuned engine, clean air filter and fully-inflated tires will do wonders for your gas mileage. According to fueleconomy.gov, under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4% for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. On the other hand, fully inflating your tires can improve your gas mileage by about 3.3%. Replacing a clogged air filter improves your mileage by about 10%, and tuning your car (when it needs it) improves gas mileage by about 4%. Add it up and that’s 17% improvement. If your car gets 25 miles to the gallon and you drive 12,000 miles a year, you’ll save 81.6 gallons — about $326 at $4 per gallon gas.
And if you get 15 miles to the gallon, the same tips could save you $544.

6) Telecommute as much as possible. This isn’t possible for everyone, but the cheapest gas is the gas you don’t use; plus time you don’t spend driving is time you can spend working. If you need another argument to convince your boss, here’s one: It’s patriotic. A portion of every dollar we send our “good friends” in Saudi Arabia goes to support al Qaeda.

more tips will be posted this week! And, if you have some of your own tips, then leave a comment and help your fellow Coloradoans save money on gas.

Is this what the war for American Independence was fought for?

Walking through Downtown Denver today I noted the remarkable, newly constructed Hyatt Hotel. This building is truly a testament to architecture of its time. Regardless, I was ominously disturbed to see:

the United States flag, flying side by side with the Colorado State flag, flying side by side with the….Hyatt flag?!?

I think that this is a clear sign that we need to be concerned about the role of corporations in this country…