Jared Polis

Gov. Polis shuts down restaurant that defied lockdown, slams ‘anti-scientific views’ of reopeners

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis shut down a Castle Rock restaurant for at least 30 days after it defied state orders and reopened its dining room doors to a massive Mother’s Day crowd on Sunday. The C&C Breakfast and Korean Kitchen went viral over the weekend after videos showed dozens of maskless customers dining inside amid a coronavirus-related state lockdown, which mandates restaurants can only offer delivery and takeout services until at least May 26. “We are standing for America, small businesses, the Constitution and against the overreach of our governor in Colorado!!” the business tweeted to President Trump on Saturday. On Monday, the Tri-County Health Department issued an order for the restaurant to close for at least 30 days, CBS Denver reported. Mr. Polis on Monday accused the restaurant of causing a health hazard to Coloradans and slammed the “anti-scientific views” of people who ignore state orders. “I joined most Coloradans in our frustration watching videos of people illegally packed into restaurants and thinking about all the moms and grandmothers and aunts and everyone who was put at increased risk of dying from this horrible virus,” the governor said, CBS Denver reported. Mr. Polis threatened businesses that they might lose their licenses and face costly court battles if they reopen early. “When people see videos of people packed into a restaurant, with no social distancing and no masks, people feel less safe, and the widespread economic pain will only be prolonged,” he said. “We’re walking a tightrope between protecting all of our health, and of course, trying to grow our economy. It’s hard enough to walk without folks shaking the rope, because of their own ideological or anti-scientific views, which they choose over the lives of our brothers and sisters.” A spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said violating the state public health order is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $1,000 or up to a year in jail, The Denver Post reported.

And here come the Colorado state big government nazi thugs, courtesy of Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO).

Colorado Gov. Polis defends decision to reopen despite resistance from Denver, counties

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis defended Sunday his decision to gradually reopen the state beginning Monday, even as some of the largest localities opted to extend their novel coronavirus restrictions. Mr. Polis announced last week that Colorado would lift its “stay-at-home” order and move to a “safer-at-home” strategy, which includes allowing elective surgeries and the reopening of medical and dental offices, curbside non-essential retail pick-up, and in-person real-estate showings. Not everyone is on board. Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock will retain the city’s stay-at-home order through May 8, as will some of other more populous Front Range communities, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder and Jefferson counties. After CNN’s Jake Tapper asked whether his decision “could theoretically cost your constituents their lives,” Mr. Polis said that “the stay-at-home order was for nothing” if it cannot be replaced with more sustainable practices. “We always wish, Jake, that I had next week’s information and next month’s information available to me today,” Mr. Polis said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “That’s not the world we live in. We have to make the best-informed decisions based on data and science with the information we have.” The Democrat governor has scheduled a press conference Monday to discuss the state’s new guidelines. Mr. Polis has emphasized that the roll-out is not a “free for all.” For example, personal services such as hair salons will still need to take social-distancing precautions, and people still will be “encouraged to stay home” rather than “ordered to stay home” except when absolutely necessary. What we know is that what matters a lot more than the date that the stay-at-home ends is, what we do going forward—and how we have an ongoing, sustainable way psychologically, economically and from a health perspective—to have the social distancing we need,” Mr. Polis said. He added: “Otherwise, if we can’t succeed in doing that on an ongoing basis, the stay at home was for nothing.”

Indeed..  Jake Tapper is such a moron..  He’s another shining example of why CNN’s ratings are in the toilet.  Here in sunny Colorado, we’re happy to have some of these restrictions lifted.  It’s a good start.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis Announces Plan to Partially Reopen State

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) on Monday announced that his stay-at-home order will not extend past April 26 and will allow some businesses to reopen as the country continues to combat the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. In his daily press briefing, Polis outlined how large workplaces will be allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity starting on May 4th. The governor said he hopes restaurants and bars can reopen around mid-May. “Retail curbside delivery, any retail that wants to do that, that starts immediately April 27,” he said. Polis emphasized the importance of continuing social distancing after restrictions are loosened. “We can’t lose sight of the fact that our job isn’t finished, your job isn’t finished, not by a long shot,” he cautioned. To date, Colorado has 10,106 coronavirus cases and 449 deaths, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University. Governors in Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee announced changes Monday that pave the way for some businesses to reopen between now and May 1 after weeks of pandemic lockdown orders. Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp announced changes that will take place as soon as Friday, April 24. A statewide mandate will allow for the reopening of businesses including fitness centers, tattoo studios, hair and nail salons, barbers, bowling alleys and massage therapy businesses on Friday if they meet social distancing measures, Kemp said. Church services may resume if they follow the state’s safety policies, Kemp said. Theaters and restaurants will be allowed to open on Monday, April 27, but night clubs and bars will remain closed for now, Kemp said. The state will not lift the general “shelter in place” order until April 30, and the governor said “medically fragile” people should remain home through May 13. Georgia health authorities have confirmed about 19,400 positive cases of COVID-19, with 3,700 hospitalized and 775 deaths as of Monday.

Colorado Gov. Polis wears face mask, urges state’s 5.7 million residents to do same when in public

Nobody would accuse Colorado Gov. Jared Polis of being a fashion icon, but he’s hoping to set a new statewide trend by urging Coloradans to start wearing facial masks. The governor donned a colorful cloth face mask festooned with state logos at the end of his Friday press conference as he asked the state’s 5.7 million residents to wear non-medical facial coverings when they leave home to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. “We know that Coloradans across our state are making personal sacrifices to prioritize the public health and safety of their family and neighbors,” said Mr. Polis in a statement. “The better job we do at staying home and wearing facial masks whenever we absolutely must go out to contain the virus in Colorado, the sooner we can return to something resembling economic normalcy. Refusing to stay at home will only extend the state’s economic pain.” The Democrat said the state has partnered with the Colorado Mask Project, which offers instructions on how to make cloth masks at home and asks residents to share photos of themselves with the facial coverings. “Data suggests up to 1 in 4 people infected with COVID are asymptomatic and spreading infected respiratory droplets,” said the state press release. “Masks offer minimal protection for the wearer, but they make a big difference in helping to protect others if a person is infected and doesn’t know it.” The governor’s message came shortly after President Trump announced Friday that the Centers for Disease Control now recommends wearing non-medical facial masks in public, although the president said he didn’t plan to wear one during official functions. The mayors of Los Angeles and New York urged residents Thursday to cover their faces in public with non-medical masks, even though L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said it looks “surreal.” “We’re going to have to get used to seeing each other like this,” Mr. Garcetti said, adding, “This will be the look.” Colorado had more than 4,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Friday evening and 111 deaths, with the virus detected in 53 of 64 counties. There were more than 291,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States as of Saturday morning, with 7,847 deaths and 14,368 recovered.

We support the idea of wearing some type of cloth facial covering, like maybe even a scarf, when out in public.  But, Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) shouldn’t have worn one while giving his press briefing yesterday.  It looked goofy and didn’t inspire.  It conveyed weakness for a chief executive.  By contrast, Gov. Cuomo (D-NY) and President Trump (R) haven’t worn one during their press briefings.  When you’re on camera, optics matter.

Colorado’s coronavirus death rate rising sharply, governor tells Pence

The coronavirus outbreak in Colorado is “far worse than we imagined,” the state’s governor wrote in a recent letter to Vice President Mike Pence, who heads President Trump’s task force on the pandemic. In the March 28 letter to Pence that was made public Thursday, Gov. Jared Polis reportedly requested extra ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE), citing a “crisis-level shortage” of such supplies in the state. Polis, 44, a Democratic first-term governor who previously served in the U.S. House, also expressed concerns about the state’s coronavirus fatality rate. “Colorado’s COVID-19 death rate is rising faster than any other state right now; the pandemic is spreading so fast that lags in testing are masking the true conditions experienced by Coloradans across the state,” Polis wrote, according to FOX 31 Denver. He added that Colorado’s comparatively small population of 5.7 million people (21st in the nation) may be masking how critical the situation is there. Since Polis sent the letter, some other states’ death rates have surpassed Colorado’s, state health department Incident Commander Scott Bookman said, according to The Coloradoan of Fort Collins. The governor asked for 10,000 ventilators, 2 million N95 masks and 4.3 million gloves, among other supplies, FOX 31 reported. “In these next few weeks we expect the biggest jumps in new COVID-19 cases and the resulting victims requiring ventilators,” he wrote. “In other words, these next few weeks are a make or break moment for us. I am asking for your partnership and help in this critical moment.” By Thursday evening, the state had more than 3,700 cases and nearly 100 deaths, according to Worldometers.

‘Polis hijacks justice’: Democrat loses fight to keep son’s killers on Death Row in Colorado

It was a foregone conclusion that Gov. Jared Polis would sign a bill this week repealing the death penalty in Colorado, but what he did next came as a gut-punch to Democratic state Sen. Rhonda Fields. After signing the legislation Monday, the governor, a Democrat, went a step further by commuting the sentences of the state’s three death row inmates to life in prison without the possibility of parole — including the two men convicted of killing Ms. Fields’ son Javad Fields and his fiancee, Vivian Wolfe. For Ms. Fields, who for nine years has led the legislative battle against her fellow Democrats pushing to eliminate capital punishment in the state, said the commutations represented “the unthinkable bait and switch.” “In a stroke of a pen Gov Polis hijacks justice and undermines our criminal justice system,” Ms. Fields tweeted. The law goes into effect July 1, so it does not apply to inmates already convicted and sentenced to death, or even to those who have been charged with capital offenses. In that case, why commute the sentences? Mr. Polis said his decision was not based on evidence of “extraordinary change” in the three offenders: Sir Mario Owens and Robert Ray, who were convicted of murder in the 2005 deaths of Fields and Wolfe; and Nathan Dunlap, who carried out the 1993 Chuck E. Cheese massacre. “Rather, the commutations of these despicable and guilty individuals are consistent with the abolition of the death penalty in the state of Colorado and consistent with the recognition that the death penalty cannot be, and never has been, administered equitably in the state of Colorado,” Mr. Polis said

Most of us here in sunny Colorado are furious about what Gov. Jared Polis (D) has done with respect to the death penalty here.  It’s so bad, that a Democrat State Senator, Rhonda Fields, is even pissed off.  Colorado used to be a purple state, politically.  But, now the extreme Boulder liberals control all three branches at the state capital in Denver.  And, this is what happens when Dems are in control.  They get rid of the death penalty and commute the sentences of duly convicted and sentenced (by the people) murderers, impose so-called “Red Flag” laws on law-abiding gun owners, raise taxes, and on and on.  Hopefully enough Coloradans will come to their senses and throw some of these Democrat legislators out on their butts in November.

Recall redux: Jared Polis, Colorado Democrats hit with voter revolt over leftist agenda

The last time Colorado Democrats held the governor’s office and both legislative houses, the party’s aggressive progressive agenda on gun control touched off a voter revolt that culminated in the recalls of two state senators. Six years later, history may be poised to repeat itself, writ large. Campaigns are underway to recall vulnerable Democratic state legislators — and even Democratic Gov. Jared Polis — as is a petition-gathering drive to repeal the National Popular Vote bill signed into law last month by the newly elected governor. What’s different this time is that the unrest includes but isn’t limited to gun control. In addition to the National Popular Vote, the uprising has been fueled by the Democratic crackdown on the oil-and-gas industry; a red-flag firearms measure, and an LGBT sex-education bill that would eliminate charter-school opt-outs. “You could wrap it all around the banner of Democratic overreach,” said GOP political strategist Joe Neville, brother of Senate Minority Leader Patrick Neville, who’s working on the legislative recalls. The Legislature is still in session, but already petitions have been approved to gather signatures for the recall of Democratic state Rep. Rochelle Galindo, who voted to enact tough restrictions on energy with SB 181, despite representing Weld County, the state’s top producer of oil and gas. Mr. Neville said more recall campaigns aimed at House Democrats are brewing. Already circulating are petitions to repeal the National Popular Vote compact, which saw Colorado agree to cast its Electoral College votes for the winner of the popular vote in presidential elections no matter which candidates the voters support. The measure would not take effect until states with a combined 270 electoral votes sign on to the compact — so far 14 states and the District of Columbia have signed on for a total of 189 electoral votes — but the compact has touched off a grassroots uprising in Colorado. “It has been amazing,” said Mesa County Commissioner Rose Pugliese, who leads the anti-NPV referendum drive. “The amount of people who have come out, who want to circulate petitions, signing petitions, wanting to donate to our cause, has been just overwhelming. They’re pretty fired up. They want to be engaged on this issue.” Already, it feels like a redux of 2013, when voters rebelled after then-Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a rash of gun-control bills pushed by New York City billionaire Michael Bloomberg, despite thousands who turned up at the state capitol to protest and testify against the legislation. Voters recalled two Democrats — Senate President John Morse in Colorado Springs and state Sen. Angela Giron in Pueblo — and replaced them with Republicans. A year later, the Republicans were defeated by Democratic challengers, but the GOP held the state Senate until November’s blue wave swept Democratic majorities into both houses. What Democrats should have noticed, say Republicans, is that voters simultaneously defeated a slew of liberal ballot measures, including an anti-fracking measure, Proposition 112. “The message I think the Democratic Party should have received is that voters were placing trust in the Democrat Party to move at a moderate pace,” Rep. Ken Buck, the newly minted chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, told 9News in Denver “Instead, the Democrats have attacked the energy industry and have done other things with the popular vote, with gun legislation, that have offended a lot the people, unaffiliated voters and Republicans, who voted for them,” Mr. Buck said. “I think you see this frustration rising.” Democrats may have underestimated the strength of voter recalls in 2013, but not this time. Already an anti-recall committee has emerged asking voters to “stand up to hatred and say no to this recall election.” Ms. Galindo has argued that SB 181 will not result in job losses and is blasting “misguided extremists” for targeting her based on “who I am,” namely, an openly gay Hispanic woman. Recall organizers say that has nothing to do with their opposition. The measure needs 5,696 valid signatures from district voters by June 3 to force a recall election. “Galindo says SB 181 won’t destroy jobs. Well, there is one job it will destroy. Hers. We deserve better representation,” said the Recall Rochelle crowdfunding page on FreedomFy. The Recall Polis group has more than 34,000 followers on Facebook, but so far the Boulder Democrat appears unfazed, and for good reason: Recalling a governor is a mammoth undertaking that would require 650,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. And Mr. Polis is no ordinary governor: The former congressman is a multi-millionaire who has long controlled Democratic politics as one of the so-called Gang of Four liberal megadonors. He’s also never lost a race. “I totally get that 42 percent of the state didn’t vote for me, and I’m doing my best to convince them that I’m going to do a good job for them too,” Mr. Polis told Colorado Public Radio. “But I’m going to do what I said I would do.” Any Polis recall might have to take place without the support of state Republicans. “I’m not there yet,” said Mr. Buck. “I think when you’re talking about a governor, there’s a higher standard than a state legislator.” On shakier ground is the National Popular Vote. Ms. Pugliese, who heads the repeal effort with Monument Mayor Don Wilson, said supporters include Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters. No Republican legislator voted in favor of the measure, and several Democrats voted against it. “It has been amazing,” said Ms. Pugliese. “More people have stopped me to talk about the National Popular Vote bill, and I mean even before we had our petitions, than even the oil-and-gas bill, and this is a very strong oil-and-gas community. Or even the red-flag bill, and we have a strong Second Amendment community.” The repeal campaign needs to gather 124,632 valid signatures — she’s aiming for 200,000 signatures — by Aug. 1 in order to qualify for the November 2020 ballot, and she’s confident she’ll get them. “I’m concerned about our votes getting taken away by a legislature and a governor who didn’t ask us,” said Ms. Pugliese. “We’re going to fight to get this on the ballot, and then let the people decide.”

Wow..  We’ll, of course, keep an eye on this developing story.     🙂

Walker Stapleton: Why THIS governor’s race matters to all of us – It’s time to defeat socialism and radical extremism

Americans are a freedom-loving people who want the government out of their lives. More government regulation is never the answer to our country’s most challenging problems. And in Colorado, where I’m running for governor as a Republican, it’s no different. Colorado is a state with a deep libertarian streak. In past elections, Coloradans have overwhelmingly voted down single-payer health care, defeated a massive tax increase proposed by the teachers union, and legalized marijuana at the ballot box. Colorado is a state with a deep libertarian streak. In past elections, Coloradans have overwhelmingly voted down single-payer health care, defeated a massive tax increase proposed by the teachers union, and legalized marijuana at the ballot box. That is the independent Colorado I know and love – a fiscally responsible state that isn’t afraid to chart a path for the nation on contentious issues. But this year that all can change. Democratic candidates across the country are adopting far-left, radical policies that the majority of Americans do not support. The Democratic Party has moved to the far left to appease its extremist supporters. An avowed socialist, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, is now the face of the Democratic Party. Whether it’s mandating government-run health care, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or banning fracking (a technology that has helped the United States become number one in the world in energy production), Democrats are now advocating policies that are far outside of the mainstream and endanger our economy and our jobs. In Colorado, the race for governor is a microcosm of what is happening on the national stage. In June, Democrats nominated Congressman Jared Polis, the most radical and extreme gubernatorial candidate in Colorado’s history. His record in Colorado over the past few years only underlines this fact. In 2014, Congressman Polis earned national recognition when he used his vast personal wealth to bankroll a ballot measure that would have banned fracking and driven 230,000 energy jobs out of Colorado. Congressman Polis is now running on a platform of single-payer, government-run health care; transitioning Colorado to 100 percent renewable energy; promising “free” pre-school; and promoting a carbon tax. This list of promises and other unfunded mandates adds up to at least $90 billion in spending and costs, and would triple the size of Colorado’s budget with no means to pay for it except through higher taxes – nearly triple what Coloradans presently pay. As we near the final days of this campaign, Congressman Polis is unapologetically doubling down on his radical persona. The face of American socialism, Bernie Sanders, is joining Congressman Polis on the campaign trail in Colorado. Recently, when asked to name a single policy difference he has with Sen. Sanders, Congressman Polis came up short, failing to name a single point of disagreement with America’s most famous socialist. This is a race for governor of Colorado, but the impacts will be felt all across our country. Make no mistake — a Polis victory in a swing state like Colorado will further normalize socialist policies. Will Congressman Polis and Bernie Sanders’ brand of extreme government regulation and intervention cement itself as the standard? Voters in Colorado and across the country are being presented with a new brand of unabashed extremism that risks economic catastrophe and flies in the face of our country’s founding principle of individual freedom. While we are working tirelessly to defeat socialism in Colorado, it ultimately will be up to voters. It is my hope and prayer that voters across the country choose to let freedom ring and that Coloradans’ voices are heard from coast to coast.

Walker Stapleton is an American politician who is serving his second term as Colorado’s state treasurer. He was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. Stapleton is the Republican nominee for the 2018 Colorado gubernatorial election, and is a distant relative of former President George W. Bush.  We wish him success next week.  Jared Polis would be a disaster for Colorado.  He’s just a younger, and openly gay, version of Bernie.

Polis, Stapleton to face off for Colorado governor’s seat

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Polis and Republican state Treasurer Walker Stapleton won their respective party primaries Tuesday for the Colorado governor’s race, setting up a left-versus-Trump showdown as Republicans seek a seat they haven’t held in more than a decade. The liberal Polis, a five-term congressman, and Stapleton, who has closely aligned himself with President Donald Trump’s immigration and tax policies, easily defeated three challengers each in the top race of this purple state’s midterm primary. The two traded early barbs over taxes and health care in their respective victory speeches. “Make no mistake: As governor, Jared Polis will raise every tax and fee he can to take more money from hardworking Coloradans,” Stapleton said.

For those of us here in sunny Colorado, this will be a HUGE race.  And, either the voters will decide to complete that liberal path it’s been on the last decade and become another Cali or New York with the election of extreme liberal Jared Polis (D)…OR, the voters will decide to make a mild course correction and elect Stapleton Walker (R) a distant relative of former Pres. George W. Bush.

Anti-fracking crusade in Colorado is backfiring on Democrats

Anti-fracking crusade in Colorado is backfiring on Democrats

Fighting fracking is just plain dumb.  Colorado’s hippie-in-chief, Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) has had several studies (including one done by CO State Univ) commissioned that have ALL come back saying that any potentially negative environmental impact would be negligible.  And, the benefits economically in terms of energy independence and JOBS in Colorado FAR outweigh any such impacts.  Additionally, the voters of Colorado, when polled, are overwhelmingly FOR fracking because they understand how important jobs and energy independence are.  So, this is a losing issue for Polis, and Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO).  Hopefully this issue will help unseat Hickenlooper AND Udall in November.  They need to go!