Joshua Sharf

Member For

1 year 6 days

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Red County Editor -
Denver County, CO
jsharf@jsharf.com

BIOGRAPHY

A Coloradoan for over a decade, Mr. Sharf grew up in northern Virginia, graduating high school in 1983 with the International Baccalaureate. He attended the University of Virginia, where he graduated in 1987 with a Bachelors of Science in a dual major of Physics and Mathematics. While at the University, he was elected Treasurer and President of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, and was a member of Sigma Pi Sigma, the national Physics Honor Society.

After graduation, Mr. Sharf returned to northern Virginia, where he took up a career in defense and intelligence consulting, working on such projects as satellite systems and missile defense. Eventually, he turned to a career in web development, and in 1997 he turned west, arriving in Denver in March of that year. He attended the University of Denver as a Daniels Scholar and graduated in 2005 with an MBA as well as a Masters of Science in Finance, and has since passed the NYSE Series 7 and the Chartered Financial Analyst Exam, Level I.

Mr. Sharf was selected as a delegate to the 2006 Colorado Republican state assembly. He also served as an election judge in 2004 and 2005. He also ran for the Colorado State House of Representatives as a Republican for House District 6. He currently serves as the 1st Vice Chairman of the Denver County Republican Party, and chairs the Communications and New Technology Committee.

He currently co-hosts Backbone Radio with former State Senator John Andrews on KNUS-710, and has held down a spot on the Denver Post's PoliticsWest.com Gang of Four Blog. This is in addition to his own blogging at View From a Height, and at Brent Bozell's Newsbusters. He is a graduate of the 2006 class of the Leadership Program of the Rockies.

Mr. Sharf holds a Private Pilot's license, and is a talented amateur photographer. He is a founding member of the DAT Minyan, and an active member of Americans Against Terrorism. His parents, sister and brother-in-law, Ellen & Steve, currently live in Atlanta, and he is the proud uncle of Jamie and Daniel (and will brag about them on demand).

COMMENTARIES

Diversity

By Joshua Sharf | 10/28/09

So three Republicans--a Muslim, a Jew, and a Catholic walk into a gay bar . . . just Denver Metro Young Republicans! In this photo: Muhammad Ali Hasan, Joshua Sharf, Michael Sandoval read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »Denver County (CO) |

Republicans and Hispanics

By Joshua Sharf | 10/28/09

The Virginia GOP's ability to adapt is one reason it's getting ready to mop the floor with the Virginia Democrats in less than a week. If the Colorado party is going to do the same, it's going to have to...do the same. Which is one reason that it's cool to see the party attracting Hispanics. Right now, the Denver party's 2nd Vice Chairman is Frank Tijerina, and I learned just last night that Edgar Antillon is running in HD-35 this... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »Denver County (CO) |

Mark Udall & J Street

By Joshua Sharf | 10/24/09

View From a Height has learned from a very reliable source that as of now, Sen. Mark Udall will not be removing his name from J Street's Dinner host committee. His somewhat tortured reasoning is as follows: Udall is reluctant to bring more attention to the controversy by removing his name Sen Udall will not attend the dinner, nor endorse or support J Street as an organization Udall doesn't want to embarrass General Jones ... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »Denver County (CO) |

J Street and the Colorado Delegation

By Joshua Sharf | 10/23/09

The following is the text of a Letter to the Editor that I wrote, and that the Intermountain Jewish News published today (not available online): Over the past several decades, both the Democratic and Republican parties have prided themselves on their support for Israel. Now, a group that calls itself – a little too loudly – “pro-Israel” threatens the liberal Democratic wing of that support. And some... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »Denver County (CO) |

When an 'R' Isn't Enough: Scozzafava Should Withdraw

By Joshua Sharf | 10/22/09

By now, it should be clear that Dede Scozzafava cannot win in NY Congressional District 23 (NY-23). It's a fairly conservative district, with a history of voting Republican, so there's no need to run someone just to show the party colors. With a viable alternative still in the race, and gaining rapidly, Mrs. Scozzafava should put personal ambition aside - for the moment - and withdraw from the race. Some may want to draw... read more »

9 Comments | Related Topics »National |

Colorado Employment Stabilizes - Maybe

By Joshua Sharf | 10/22/09

The state unemployment numbers came out today, and the papers are all agog that that the unemployment rate is down to 7.0%. Now while that's a lot better than the national rate of 9.8%, it's also a little misleading. Almost all of the improvement came from a reduction in the labor force - people ceasing to look for work. While the number of people employed has stopped declining, the total labor force continues to fall: The... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »Denver County (CO) |

Colorado Insurers Weigh In - Finally

By Joshua Sharf | 10/20/09

Possibly too late, Colorado insurers are finally pointing out some of the economic fallacies inherent in the propose federal takeover of health care. Unfortunately, the insurers don't go far enough in their condemnation. Fortunately, their opponents are simply reflexively trying to demonize them, and in the process, saying some really stupid things. First, the insurers: At issue are what insurance companies consider absurdly low... read more »

2 Comments | Related Topics »Denver County (CO) |

Billions Short on Bureaucrats' Wish List

By Joshua Sharf | 10/18/09

That's really how this morning's Denver Post story should read: The state would need an additional $8.5 billion per year in revenue to provide the level of services Coloradans want, a commission looking into the state's long-term budget problems was told Thursday. That's bigger than the $7.5 billion general fund, the state's largest pot of money that funds most operating needs. Even to reach a "middle" level of services, the state... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »Denver County (CO) |

$691,000 a Job

By Joshua Sharf | 10/16/09

Although the Denver Post doesn't do the math, that's how much each job created in Colorado has cost the Federal Government, er, you. While the number — 4,695 jobs created or saved — may sound encouraging for Colorado, it also is misleading in terms of economic impact. ... $583 million in Recovery Act funds have flowed to 96 different companies, individuals and other entities such as housing authorities. contracts went to... read more »

0 Comments | Related Topics »Denver County (CO) |

Why We Miss the Rocky

By Joshua Sharf | 10/16/09

CNN and the Detroit Free Press remind me of why we miss the Rocky Mountain News. Years ago, the News had a foreign affairs editor named Holger Jensen. Jensen was relentlessly anti-Israel, reliably making excuses for her attackers, and faulting Israel for defending herself. His fact-checking was always a little suspect, but in April 2002, Jensen went too far. He reprinted offensive excerpts from an Amos Oz interview purported... read more »