12/9/25 Blog: It's Colorado Gives Day and Step Denver Is Stopping By

IT'S COLORADO GIVES DAY And today is the day when non-profits can fundraise and get access to matching donor funds. Find the website here. I've got lots of suggestions if you don't know where to put your dough. I try to support charities that use your dollars really well instead of spending them on bloated overhead. Here are my picks:

STEP DENVER AND STEP COLORADO SPRINGS This program is helping men struggling with addiction get their lives back with a program of work, accountability and sobriety. Their success rate for them is well above what other programs can claim, and they join me at 2pm to talk success stories and their recent expansion into Colorado Springs. They take zero government dollars and help one man for one year for less than six thousand dollars. Donate to the Denver program here, and the Springs program here.

INDEPENDENCE INSTITUTE The Independence Institute (II) feels like the lone soldier sometimes fighting the free market battles that have done things like lower our income tax rate and so many other ballot initiatives that have checked the Legislature. They also produce my side hustle The Mandy and Deb Show so I'd love to see them continue their work indefinitely. Donate here. If you, like me, visit CompleteColorado.com every day to read great columns by the smarties at II, you can use the Designate drop down to focus your dollars there.

CHILDREN'S DIABETES FOUNDATION Getting to know Dana Davis and learn about the important work that CDF does to support people living with Type 1 Diabetes has been fascinating. They research around Type 1 is very, very close to a cure. You can help them provide classes, support, and even medicine to those living with this as of yet incurable disease. Find them here.

VETERANS COMMUNITY PROJECT One guy decided he wanted to make a place for veterans to live and he did. He built a small home community where homeless veterans with long struggles can finally find the camaraderie they once had in the military. Find out more and donate here.

STEAMBOAT INSTITUTE Another amazing public policy think tank that brings differing views together for campus events to show students how to disagree civilly. They also do the incredible Freedom Conference every year. Donate here.

COMEBACK YOGA This group teaches yoga specifically for veterans who may have physical issues or emotional challenges that can be aided by yoga. Click here to donate.

COMMON SENSE INSTITUTE They are doing great, bipartisan work to break down the numbers for the policies being pursued in Colorado. We need them. Donate here.

MINER'S ALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER This is a GREAT little theater with phenomenal actors and performances in Golden. They do good things within the arts for the community! Donate here.

NON PROFITS THAT AREN'T IN COLORADO GIVES DAY These are groups that haven't been around long enough to participate but I still believe in them and think you should support them.

ADVANCE PATHWAYS This is the new homeless navigation hub in Aurora, built with mostly private dollars so they wouldn't have to adhere to the federal government's Housing First dictates. You can donate to support them here.

ABOUT FACE RADIO This all volunteer group created an internet radio station where veterans do shows about all kinds of stuff. Find out more and donate here.

BEST DAY MINISTRIES You just heard about them from Jerry Schemmel, they give opportunity and training to folks with developmental disabilities and even have a coffee shop! Find out more here, and donate here.

There are hundreds and hundreds of other deserving non profits on the Colorado Gives website here, so look around and help something close to your heart if you're able.

JIMMIE KIMMEL'S SAD CONTRACT EXTENSION And I don't mean it's sad because he got an extension, I mean it's sad because it's pretty clear that ABC is just kicking the can down the road far enough to make it look like Donald Trump isn't he boss of them. Christian Toto writes about it here. Christian joins me at 1 to discuss.

A NEW GROUP WITH PAST ISSUES TAKES OVER THE HOMELESS HOTELS And I'm not at all sure this is going to go well. The group, Urban Alchemy, has a history of accusations of fraud and sexual abuse for its work in San Francisco and elsewhere. This from 9News:

The City of Austin ended its contract with Urban Alchemy after the city said five nonprofit employees misrepresented shelter exit dates and other records, according to an ABC-affiliate station in Austin. The San Francisco Controller's Office also flagged the nonprofit this year after the city controller said Urban Alchemy did not properly track employee output for two years in a row, along with other cash-flow issues.

According to Deputy Director of Shelter and Stability for Denver's Department of Housing Stability (HOST) Jeff Kositsky (who worked for Urban Alchemy until 2024!) there was little interest from providers in bidding this job. Imagine that. The City Council approved the contract because of fears the shelter would close without it. Hardly a ringing endorsement. This quote seems to be the one that says it best:

“There’s a ton of very concerning legal mess related to Urban Alchemy in a number of cities,” Councilmember Paul Kashmann said. “These are not 10 years ago. They’re current. They continue to grow at a rapid pace, and I’m just not sure that this is the direction that Denver needs to go.”

The folks from Urban Alchemy had lots of great answers to questions about the people they say have been fired, but Kashmann is right.

GREAT NEWS ON GAS PRICES We've got some of the lowest prices in the country right now! You know why? Because we take oil out of the ground and then refine it at the Suncor refinery. It's truly that simple.

ADAMS COUNTY'S TREASURER WON'T STEP DOWN After an investigation into his conduct found him to be creepy and inappropriate. The Board of County Commission asked him to step down after the results of an investigation showed him to be behaving as bosses did back in the 1960s towards the women in his office. Nothing overtly abusive in my view, just wildly inappropriate and gross. He says he won't step down, and the BOCC can't make him, so I'm not sure what happens next.

DENVER RESIDENTS COULD GET A HIGHER SCHOOL TAX BILL And much of it is from rising home values, which won't hit everyone equally. Some of it is because the district needs to "make up" lost increases in revenue from people successfully getting abatements and adjustments to their last tax bill. As student enrollment declines and student achievement continues to lag we'll see how much more homeowners will put up with.

DISABLED RESIDENT SUE RTD Over changes made to the Accessible On Demand program that provides them free door to door service. I mean, isn't serving people without other options the main reason to have public transportation? The program cost $17 million a year, which is a tiny fraction of RTD's 1.8 BILLION dollar budget. The federal lawsuit aims to stop the changes before they take hold at the end of this month. Read more here.

NO, TRUMP CAN'T PARDON TINA PETERS Tina Peters was convicted by a jury for state crimes. She is not eligible for a Presidential pardon. Period. Full stop. Read here for more.

AT LEAST ONE CRAZY CRIMINAL WILL REMAIN LOCKED UP After a series of high profile crimes committed by people deemed unable to stand trial due to mental defect a new solution has arisen. Colorado law requires that someone found to be unable to stand trial have their charges be dropped which has been a disaster. That law is still on the books. However one defense attorney has negotiated an outcome where he won't ask to have the charges dropped until placement in a secure, locked mental health facility is secured. This seems reasonable. I wonder how many other defense attorneys would be so creative for a client who has proven himself to be capable of great violence?

NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO IDLE YOUR CAR IN THE WINTER To warm up. Unless you still drive a car with a carburetor (I just spelled carburetor correctly the first time for the first time ever!) you are fine. From News Nation:

The practice of warming up your car dates back to the era of carburetors, which dominated vehicles until the 1980s. Carbureted engines needed extra time to stabilize the air-fuel mixture in cold weather, preventing stalling and sputtering. Today’s vehicles, however, use electronic fuel injection systems that automatically adjust for temperature, making long warm-ups largely obsolete.

Modern engines are designed to circulate oil quickly and reach operating conditions without prolonged idling. AAA recommends starting your car and letting it idle only for the time it takes to fasten your seat belt—about 30 seconds. This brief period allows oil to lubricate critical components. After that, driving gently warms the engine faster and more efficiently than idling.

You're welcome.

ANOTHER WEIRD GLP-1 SIDE EFFECT This time it's negative effects on your pelvic floor, which causes all sorts of problems. Read more here. By the way, Regen Revolution can fix that.

WEINERMOBILE DRIVER WANTED And I'm not saying that I would quit my job to drive the Weinermobile but I'm not NOT saying I won't quit my job to apply here.

A SHORT FILM ABOUT SAINT BERNARDS This is entirely accurate.

PARENTING 101: DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO Watch below or click here.

EMUS ON ICE ISN'T THAT GOOD Watch below or click here.

WILLY WONKA V BOB ROSS I honestly am not even sure who thinks of this sort of stuff but with AI it's all coming true. Watch below or click here.

NOMINATE A VETERAN OR FIRST RESPONDER Because we are going to give out checks for $2500 in thank you for their service. Find details in this link!

DAVE LOGAN LOVED RJ HARVEY LAST WEEK

A POTATO PEELING HACK THAT MAKES SENSE Watch below or click here.

A NEW WAY SCUMBAGS STEAL Good grief. Watch below or click here.

JUSTICE KENTANJI BROWN JACKSON THINKS WE'RE A TECHNOCRACY This woman has no business on the Supreme Court. In arguments for a case about Trump firing people she made an absurd argument that unelected bureaucrats should be running the country. That's not how this works, lady. She also made the argument that since Congress sets up these agencies they should have the right to make the rules, but the agencies are part of Executive Functions so the Court has to decide the limits. It is expected that the majority will rule with Trump on this one.

NOT ALL IMMIGRANTS ARE EQUAL Germany just released crime statistics including Country of Origin. You really need to see this. This column on the Civilization erasure happening in Europe makes the points well, but the stats below should be a loud warning.

PULL UPS ARE THE NEW "WHIP IT OUT" I know that's crass, but the new thing for male politicians is to do pull ups to show everyone how badass they are. It is badass to be able to do pull ups, I just don't care if politicians can do them.

THIS IS SO REAL

THIS IS AN ACTUAL SLIDE IN BOSTON And now they have to tell adults to stop sliding down it because of this video which is still hilarious.

IS THIS FOR TINA PETERS??? A federal civil rights investigation has been launched for ALL Colorado prisons. Read this.

Now to be clear, I am not opposed to investigating civil rights violations, even for prisoners. But the timing of this is suspect as in the last week Colorado has declined to release Tina Peters to federal prison. I am interested to see the origins of this investigation. Mess with the bull, get the horns, I guess. This may be a complete coincidence. I hope it is.