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Hillman: Free state of Colorado? Not hardly, Gov. Polis
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Commentary, Mark Hillman

Hillman: Free state of Colorado? Not hardly, Gov. Polis

By Mark Hillman | Commentary, MarkHillman.com Colorado’s ruling progressive Democrats believe in equality under the law only in the sense, as in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, that some of us are “more equal than others.” Nothing illustrates this better than their current contortions related to gun policy and crime. On the one hand, progressives resist passing a law to increase penalties for stealing a firearm because, they say, it might result in too many “black or brown” men going to jail. Likewise, they don’t want to make it easier for law enforcement to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport illegal aliens who have committed violent crimes. Level heads might consider it a higher priority to protect law-abiding black and brown people who aspire to live ...
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Hillman: We don’t need lawyers to solve every dispute
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Commentary, Mark Hillman

Hillman: We don’t need lawyers to solve every dispute

By Mark Hillman | Guest Commentary, Capitol Review Everywhere we turn, there’s an ad for a lawyer — on television, streaming services, radio, podcasts, public transportation and, of course, billboards. Not so long ago, the legal profession observed a self-imposed ban on advertising by law firms, considering such self-promotion unprofessional. In 1977, the Supreme Court ruled such bans to be an unconstitutional restriction on freedom of speech. What began as a trickle of unremarkable professional services ads is now a deluge. Lawyers in the U.S. spend an estimated $2.4 billion annually on advertising. One survey finds that in 2023 law firms spent more than $40 million on advertising just in Colorado. Billboard lawyers don’t spend that kind of money because they ar...
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Hillman: National debt is silent threat to America’s security
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Commentary, Mark Hillman

Hillman: National debt is silent threat to America’s security

By Mark Hillman | Commentary, MarkHillman.com With the election mercifully behind us, Americans should expect those we’ve elected to get to the less-pleasant task of governing responsibly.  While hot-button issues such as immigration, inflation and foreign affairs will garner most headlines, a more pressing concern is too often overlooked: America’s staggering national debt. Growing faster than the economy and projected to reach a record share of gross domestic product (GDP) within three years, our debt is a national crisis.  If we continue down the current unsustainable path, we are flirting with catastrophe that would dwarf the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Our next Congress and President must confront this challenge before it is too late. READ THE FULL COMMENTARY A...
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Hillman: Poor roadway conditions make for undriveable Colorado
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Commentary, gazette.com, State

Hillman: Poor roadway conditions make for undriveable Colorado

By Mark Hillman | The Gazette Colorado highways are among the worst in the nation. That’s hardly news to anyone who travels across our state. Only two states report a larger share of interstate highways in poorer condition than Colorado. Less-traveled highways in our state are even worse. In 2021, the Democrat-controlled Legislature passed a $5.4 billion package of new “fees” — including a yearly increase in fuel taxes and that irritating 29-cent charge Coloradans pay on every Amazon order — supposedly to boost the transportation budget. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the const...
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Hillman: For Trump to win, he must be disciplined
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Commentary, Mark Hillman, National

Hillman: For Trump to win, he must be disciplined

By Mark Hillman | Commentary, MarkHillman.com In a close election, everything matters.  Just ask Hillary Clinton about taking Wisconsin and Michigan for granted in 2016. This election looks like another close one because some voters will enthusiastically vote for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, but many others will again be voting against the candidate they dislike most. Based on recent polling, Trump has a base support of about 42%.  He can likely count on those voters no matter what.  Biden’s lowest numbers were similar, so Harris probably starts in the same or slightly better position depending on how long her media honeymoon lasts.  Support for third-party candidates has collapsed to 5% or less. A mere 10% of voters appear truly undecided.  If they v...
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Hillman: Progressive gun control bills defy common sense
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Commentary, Mark Hillman, State

Hillman: Progressive gun control bills defy common sense

By Mark Hillman | MarkHillman.com Although I am less optimistic, I still hold out hope that Colorado isn’t irretrievably doomed to follow California, Oregon and Washington into the hopeless abyss of Progressivism. A few key indicators will soon reveal if we have passed the point of no return, including whether enough common-sense Democrats remain to stand with Republicans against the Far Left’s relentless assault on our 2nd Amendment rights. Senate Bill 131 would prohibit licensed concealed-carry permit holders from carrying their guns in “sensitive spaces,” which sponsors Sen. Sonya Jaquez-Lewis (D-Boulder) and Chris Kolker (D-Centennial) defined as most places outside your home. The bill would ban legal possession in these gun-free zones by licensed permit-holders.  It would,...
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In a different time, ‘The Great Communicator’ unified America
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Commentary, Mark Hillman

In a different time, ‘The Great Communicator’ unified America

By Mark Hillman | MarkHillman.com Forty-four years ago this month, Ronald Reagan won the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, vaulting him on a path to the 1980 nomination and a landslide victory over President Jimmy Carter. The last presidential candidate to largely unite the country, Reagan defeated Carter 489-49 in the Electoral College and 51%-41% in the popular vote.  Four years later, he won 49 states and 59% of the popular vote. Reagan “rose from the ashes” of Barry Goldwater’s 1964 presidential campaign thanks to his “A Time for Choosing” speech, writes Peggy Noonan in her Reagan biography, When Character Was King.  Goldwater could define what conservatism was against, but “Reagan could define it by what it was for: for greater individual auth...
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