March 20, 2015 10:46 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Friday (March 20)

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• by: Colorado Pols

Your bracket isn’t busted; it’s just resting…for next year. It’s time to Get More Smarter with Colorado Pols. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example).

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► Everyone wants to know how construction costs for a new VA Hospital building in Aurora got so out of hand. Electa Draper of the Denver Post takes a look at the discussion.

► Republicans in Congress, federal budgets, and the “Magic Asterisk.” Paul Krugman of the New York Times explains why Republicans budgets are complete nonsense:

By now it’s a Republican Party tradition: Every year the party produces a budget that allegedly slashes deficits, but which turns out to contain a trillion-dollar “magic asterisk” — a line that promises huge spending cuts and/or revenue increases, but without explaining where the money is supposed to come from.

But the just-released budgets from the House and Senate majorities break new ground. Each contains not one but two trillion-dollar magic asterisks: one on spending, one on revenue. And that’s actually an understatement. If either budget were to become law, it would leave the federal government several trillion dollars deeper in debt than claimed, and that’s just in the first decade.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

SHOULD YOU FIND YOURSELF STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Legislation to regulate “Palcohol,” or “powdered alcohol” is on its way to the desk of Gov. John Hickenlooper. It looks like you’re still going to need actual liquid in order to get drunk.

► Senate President Bill Cadman is term-limited in 2016, which means Republicans are likely looking at a contentious Primary Election. Freshman Rep. Gordon “Dr. Chaps” Klingenschmitt has his sights set on being “Senator Chaps,” but so does former state Rep. Bob Gardner.

► Republican State Rep. Dan Thurlow may be looking at a potential recall election, according to the Colorado Statesman, because he is not sufficiently right-wing for the right-wingers in his district. That would be a shame — Colorado needs more free-thinking public servants.

► The Colorado legislature will discuss whether or not to refer a measure to the ballot that would raise the minimum wage in Colorado. More than 600,000 Coloradans earn less than $12 an hour for full-time work.

► Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) is making a lot of noise about the construction problems with the VA Hospital in Denver. Any idiot can issue a critical statement on an issue; will Coffman actually lead in trying to find a solution?

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs will retire on Aug. 31.

► Newly-elected Republican State Party Chair Steve House is getting to work already.

► TABOR is dumb. Let’s not pretend otherwise.

► Pop Tart doughnuts? Why not? Nobody lives forever.

► Colorado supermarket chains are again pushing to expand Colorado liquor laws.

ICYMI

► Finally, someone wants to build an indoor beach volleyball restaurant brewpub.

► The Governor’s speechwriter and “chief media advisor,” Max Potter, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving on Wednesday.

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