Join us in this insightful episode where we tackle Colorado’s budget crisis with Representative Stephanie Luck. Explore the dynamics of legislature and the governor’s role, and discover the effects of policies on taxpayers. The episode also covers wildfire risks and insurance insights with Roger Mangut, revealing the real stakes in preserving our state’s safety and financial stability.
SPEAKER 13 :
It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 03 :
The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water. What it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 13 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 03 :
Under this guise of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it’s actually tapping down the truth.
SPEAKER 13 :
Today’s current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 03 :
On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
SPEAKER 13 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
SPEAKER 03 :
Indeed, let’s have a conversation. And welcome to The Kim Monson Show. Happy Monday to all of you. And happy Monday to you, Producer Joe.
SPEAKER 14 :
Happy Monday, Kim.
SPEAKER 03 :
We’ve got a jam-packed show planned for you today to help you get your brain around these issues. And all of this happens because of our sponsors. I want to say thank you to Laramie Energy for their gold sponsorship of the show because it is reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant power. from naturally occurring hydrocarbons, such as oil, natural gas, and coal, that powers our lives, fuels our hopes and dreams, and empowers us to change our own personal climate, which what that means is it’s to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. And so I really do appreciate their sponsorship of the show as well. Let’s get into several of these things. First of all, as you know, We are looking at these issues. Well, first of all, I have to say thank you to all of you. I’m jumping in here because we’ve got so much to do, but I want to say thank you to each and every one of you. You each are treasured, you’re valued, you have purpose. Today, strive for excellence, take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment in history. And the team that I get to work with is Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Teresa, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. As you know, we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through this lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something’s a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And it’s never compassionate nor altruistic to take other people’s stuff, whether or not it’s their rights, their property, freedom, livelihoods, opportunities, childhoods, or lives via force. And force can be a weapon. But it’s also policy, unpredictable and excessive taxation, fear, coercion, government-induced inflation, the agenda of the World Economic Forum and the globalist elites that play out the United Nations and this Colorado state legislature, this Colorado governor. But we also are seeing it play out in local government now. As one of our listeners has said, Jenny had said that They think globally. They act locally. And I think many of these electeds don’t even realize that that is what they are doing. They are following many times what staff and interested parties are encouraging them to do because they’re not hearing from everyday people who, first of all, it’s difficult to keep your finger on the pulse of everything that is happening at the local, the county, the state, and the federal level. But also people are busy. And that is why we are doing what we’re doing is to work to help change the culture, to reclaim our beautiful state that we love, Colorado, and these principles of our country that all men are created equal. with these rights from God of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. And so we focus on the issues. We’ll mention the people pushing those issues, but we stay out of all of the personality fighting that can happen in politics. And also wanted to say thank you to Hooters Restaurants. They have locations in Loveland, Westminster, and on Parker Road here in Aurora. And wonderful specials for lunch and for happy hour. And they have been sponsors of both the Kim Monson Show and America’s Veterans Stories for many years. And I really do appreciate them. And speaking of America’s Veterans Stories, we have gold in many of our collections. interviews that we have done. And so we are dusting off some of the interviews that we have done a little while ago. And Joe is working on the audio quality because sometimes that can be a little bit challenging. But the gold of talking to these veterans, many of them World War II veterans, is so important. We broadcast an audio an interview with a World War II veteran. He was on a PT boat, Arthur Frangello, this last Sunday. That will rebroadcast this next Sunday, 10 to 11 p.m., and then the next Saturday, 10 to 11 p.m. And so we do have three America’s Veterans Stories every weekend on KLZ 560. Our word of the day. I went to the word yeoman’s work, and yeoman is spelled Y-E-O-M-A-N, apostrophe S, and of course work or service. And what it means is very good, hard, and valuable work that someone does, especially to support a cause or to help a team. And I was thinking of my fellow CUT board members. I tell you what they did this last weekend is absolutely amazing. As you know, we’ve had the special session of the Colorado Legislature, and we went through the bills that made it through, made it to committee. And took positions on that. So the team worked diligently. Last Friday, we got that email to the legislators and all of you who are members of Colorado Union of Taxpayers. That email went out on Saturday morning. There is one other bill that was kind of a late-breaking bill. bill and we did not do that one yet so I’ve got to get that out to the team but we will be talking with Colorado Representative Stephanie Luck in this next segment about what was going on there but you can go to coloradotaxpayer.org that is our website and in fact Zach got cut engaged already and You can make your voices heard, even though many of these bills have passed. You can go ahead and still take action and let legislators. Well, it would be the main sponsors as well as your legislators. Let them know what you think about each of these bills. And Zach did Yeoman’s work as well on that. Our quote of the day is from Paul Revere. And Ben Williams with Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling has said that the show is really the Paul Revere or Sybil Lennington of the day to let people know what is happening out there. So I thought, well, let’s check out some Paul Revere quotes. And Paul Revere was born in 1734, died in 1818. He was an American silversmith, military officer, and industrialist who played a major role during the opening months of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts, engaging in a midnight ride in 1775. to alert nearby Minutemen of the approach of British troops prior to the battles of Lexington and Concord. And he said this, he said, it is not only our right, but our duty to stand against tyranny. And my friends, we are at this time right now. It’s an ideological battle. And that’s why being a member of CUT, Colorado Union of Taxpayers, knowing what’s going on, it’s only $25 a year now. which works out to $2.08 a month. And so please join us, and we would greatly appreciate that. This show happens because of your support and the support of our sponsors. And a much appreciated sponsor of the Kim Monson Show is the Roger Mangut State Farm Insurance Team. And Roger, we see headlines, devastating headlines of wildfires, particularly in the West. And what should people know about wildfires?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, next to hail losses, it’s the second biggest cause of losses in Colorado for insurance companies. Wildfire season is May through September. So obviously what happens in the winter when we get all that wonderful snow and all that moisture, in the spring we have a lot of growth. And that growth is… kindling for fires, especially in the mountain areas. So those months are most dangerous. You would probably not believe it, but per year in Colorado, there are 2,400 wildfires reported. By 2050, it’s estimated that this will cost the industry $440 million wildfires. And that’s conservative. What causes most wildfires, 85% by humans, could be campfires not put out, discarded cigarettes, arson. Natural causes, it would be lightning as the primary. And if we go, if we look at different areas of Colorado, believe it or not, Castle Rock has the highest risk in Colorado of having a fire somewhat like the Marshall Fire. Lots of vegetation in that area. Greeley would be the lowest since it’s mostly farms and land that’s barren. Now, speaking of the Marshall Fire, that fire was the most destructive in history. Over 6,000 acres were burned. That was December 30th of 2021. The fire lasted a couple days. Over 1,100 structures burned. Two people died. All within 24 hours. Of the structures, some of them were, I was speaking of houses primarily when I said structures, but in terms of housing units, there were almost 2,000 housing units with apartment buildings being burned, so people did not have places to live. And the number of building permits issued against that fire from 2021, only 14% of those applied for have been issued. And only six homes have been rebuilt to date from that fire. 1,000 homes have been destroyed and 149 property damage occurred. And that total damage exceeded $2 billion. 37,500 people were evacuated in that 24-hour period. So if you can imagine, it’s going to take quite a fire to beat that record. And it’s a record, of course, we don’t ever want to experience.
SPEAKER 03 :
Roger, I… This stops me on my tracks. Six homes built since that fire. That’s unbelievable.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, that is unforgivable. But I think a lot of it, Kim, is everything’s got tied up in lawsuits. The lawyers are very busy with the Marshall Fire to this day. I met someone at a gathering, and he… He has not lived in the area. He still isn’t in his home, and he’s got two lawsuits pending. And it could be against the insurance company. It could be against Xcel Energy, where they think the primary cause of the fire occurred. They think. I’m not sure. In my opinion, it’s probably correct. But Xcel’s… High voltage lines were partially responsible, along with heavy winds that spread the fire so quickly. And that wet spring, of course, that followed the dry season in the fall. So we had dry season, wet spring, a lot of growth, and tall grass that went pretty quickly.
SPEAKER 03 :
So what should people do to protect themselves against a wildfire?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, if you live in Castle Rock, I would certainly be calling the fire department. You know, I used to live in Colorado Springs, and that was a high-risk fire area. And the HOA would call the local fire people. They would come out and mitigate, cut down a lot of the burr oak or the beautiful red oak in the fall that is kindling for those kind of fires. Your HOA has to be very proactive, and you too. As far as me insuring something in a wildfire area, very hard to do nowadays. State Farm, probably over the last 10 years, has withdrawn from the wildfire area simply because there’s no way to control a wildfire. ponderosa pine standing right next to your house and you don’t want to cut it down because it’s a beautiful tree. The insurance company is saying, cut it down or we’re not going to insure because if a fire occurs, it’s going to go up and it’s going to ignite your house. So it’s a… Living in Colorado is a beautiful place, except for the traffic, which I experienced this morning, and the traffic going up. 70, a couple weeks ago to Breckenridge, it was… It was very bad. So I think living here is the risk you take with wildfires and hail, and your insurance premiums reflect that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, most definitely. And so that’s why you need to have a trusted source for all your insurance coverage, and that is the Roger Megan State Farm Insurance Team. What’s that phone number? Yes.
SPEAKER 17 :
Hey, before I give you that phone number, one quick thing. I talked to a guy the other day, a nice guy, and he said he changes his insurance every year to get the best rate. I would be very weary of that because you need to build some relationship with the agent who’s going to represent you when the time comes on a claim. And I’m not saying that just to… you know to feather my own nest but we do take care of people if there’s a claim and there’s an issue we’re on the side of the client not necessarily the insurance company until we’re totally convinced that the client’s being unreasonable okay and that number again 303-795-8855 like a good neighbor the roger mangan team is there
SPEAKER 15 :
The Second Amendment was established to ensure that all individuals have the right to resist oppression, stand firm against government overreach, and protect our ability to defend ourselves, our families, and our freedoms. Today, that right is under relentless attack in Colorado. Colorado’s premier grassroots Second Amendment organization, the Second Syndicate, is on the front lines fighting to preserve and protect your constitutional rights. We expose the most pressing threats to the Second Amendment and provide the education, resources, and tools to stay informed, empowered, and prepared. Join the movement. Protect your rights. Visit thesecondsyndicate.com. That’s thesecondsyndicate.com, where the second is first.
SPEAKER 21 :
There’s so much noise coming at us. Sometimes it is difficult to make sense of it all. How can you sift through the clamor for your attention and get to the truth? The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim searches for truth and clarity by examining issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. Tune in to the Kim Monson Show each weekday, 6 to 8 a.m. with encores 1 to 2 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM. The KLZ website, the KLZ app, and Alexa. Play KLZ. Shows can also be found at KimMonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is KimMonson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. And sign up for our weekly email newsletter while you’re there. And I’m pleased to have on the line with me, Stephanie Luck. She is Colorado representative for House District 60. Representative Luck, welcome to the show. Good morning, Kim. Well, it is good to have you. And the special session convened this last Thursday. Is it over? I wasn’t sure because I saw that there was a bill that was scheduled for hearing yesterday. So where are we at with this special session?
SPEAKER 04 :
You’re right. The special session did start on Thursday. We still have two days at minimum remaining in order to clear the docket before us. The last question before the House is on what to do with artificial intelligence policy. But the Senate still has quite a bit on their docket.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. And so what does today look like then for you, Representative Luck?
SPEAKER 04 :
Today is a light day compared to what I’ve had the last four because, like I said, there’s only the one topic, which equates to two potential bills that we may discuss. So today is a light day. But we’ve had very interesting conversations that are all grounded in the governor’s proclamation, which was very narrow. So as I’m sure you’re aware, both the legislature and the governor can, under the Colorado’s constitution, convene a special session. In this case, it was the governor who convened a special session, and he lays out the particular topics for discussion. and that is his constitutional right to do. However, what he did in his proclamation was legislate from the governor’s mansion because he narrowed the scope so so tightly that he left no room for real discussion about anything beyond what he wanted to talk about. And so I actually ran a resolution to put forth a constitutional amendment ballot question so that the people of Colorado might restore the balance of power between the two branches on this point. I don’t believe that the governor should be dictating the exact policy that the legislature can take up in any legislative session. And so we have been trying to work within that scope. It has provoked a lot of unnecessary controversy because certain problems that could have been solved in a different way were not solvable under the scope that he provided. What’s been curious, Kim, as well, is that we are there largely to address a billion dollar shortfall. Now, the majority party blames that on the congressional and federal government and our current administration, presidential administration and Republicans in Congress. we on the minority see the the problem much differently and we see it as a result of bad policies promoted in colorado especially since 2019 So there is a fight over that. But I think everyone can agree that if you’re trying to close a budget deficit, you do that either by raising revenue or decreasing spending or a mixture of the two. But what we have seen is actually that they’re putting forth policy to… raise spending, which is counterintuitive. When you think about trying to get out of a hole, you don’t just continue to dig it deeper. So it’s been a very interesting time. I’ll also note that the policies that have passed through the House, so all of the budget-related policies, they only close about $350 million of that billion-dollar gap. And so we haven’t even accomplished what the governor called us in to do. So we’ll see what happens. It’s never a dull moment under a gold dome.
SPEAKER 03 :
So Representative Luck, I don’t understand this. And again, I mentioned that the Colorado Union of Taxpayers team, and I need to mention them, Steve Dorman, Greg Golianski, Russ Haas, Bill Hamill, Rob Knuth, John Nelson, Wendy Warner. Marty Nielsen, Ramey Johnson, Mary Jansen, Dave Evans, Corey Onozorg, Paula Beard, and Ray Beard. They really did yeoman’s work in taking positions on all of the bills, except we have not done 1008, which was scheduled a little bit later. And so I think the team will go to work on that as well. But as we were looking at this, and people can find information about this by going to coloradotaxpayer.org, is I did not see spending cuts that I could recall anywhere in any of those bills. Am I remembering that correctly?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, there’s no net spending cut. There are a few instances, one mainly of transfer of funds. But no, there is no actual cut to spending. And like I said, there’s actually an increase of spending through some of what they’re doing, both now and in the future.
SPEAKER 03 :
So what’s going to happen? Because we’re supposed to have a balanced budget in Colorado.
SPEAKER 04 :
So what I’m hearing is that the legislature will tackle, through this special session, about a third of the deficit through legislation, which all boils down to either raiding the unclaimed property tax fund or trust fund, which is the money that people have forgotten about that they don’t know is out there. You know, they close out utilities and utilities. don’t realize that they have some sort of refund. And so at some point it gets remitted to the state for safekeeping. And there’s a list you can go and you can find it and see if your name is on there and claim your money back. And so they’ve rated that fund to the tune of $100 million. They have increased revenue. So what that means is they’re increasing taxes. on folks. In our view, in contravention of Tabor, there’s absolutely no look to reduce spending.
SPEAKER 03 :
This is really irresponsible. It has Colorado on a trajectory that is not sustainable, Representative Luck.
SPEAKER 04 :
You’re speaking to the choir.
SPEAKER 03 :
I realize that. What are some of the bills in particular you would like people to have on their radar?
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, well, one of the bills will be on the ballot this November, and it will ask the people of Colorado to allow for more dollars to go towards the Healthy School Meals for All program that was approved by the voters a couple of years ago, which obviously is a work to diminish TABR refunds and then put those dollars back into programs that the majority wants to be pushed. But that was decided, that ballot question was decided in the regular session. But through this session, the question will also be asked on that ballot whether or not those dollars can also go to pay for SNAP benefits, not just the Healthy School Meals for All program, which has a record of extreme amount of waste. So just, you know, that’s one thing that your folks need to be aware of because they will have to decide that ballot question this coming November. Another, you know, if you’re running a corporation that is an S-Corp, a sole proprietorship, an LLC, something that is a pass-through entity, there is going to be a continuation of what was supposed to be a temporary tax of your income over and above. $500,000, which to some folks sounds like a lot of money. But if you understand the way that these kinds of pass-through entities work, people aren’t necessarily receiving those dollars. I’ll just give an example. Let’s say you and I are in business together and our business profits a million dollars in a given year. You own 60% of that company. So on your taxes, you would have to say that you brought in $600,000. you may not have actually brought that money down from the company’s bank account. You may have actually kept it there for the purpose of expanding or improving your product or making sure that your business is continuing. And yet in Colorado, they want to tax you at a higher rate. Now, it’s curious what they’re doing as they’re responding to what the federal government did in the 2017 Jobs Act. and saying, we don’t want to give special treatment to these folks. We think that they should pay more. But the reason that that particular tax credit that they’re eliminating from the federal, from having impact on Colorado, the federal decisions that have impact on Colorado, was made at the federal level because there was such a striking reduction in C-Corp taxes that they wanted to bring parity to these other companies. And so what they’re doing is actually putting small businesses in harm’s way from a competitive advantage standpoint, even greater than they already are, as opposed to the C corps that have much greater protection. So what does that mean in practice? It means that your local boutique is likely to be taxed at a higher rate than your big box store. And I don’t know that that makes a whole lot of sense, even from the paradigm of the majority.
SPEAKER 03 :
Wow. So, Representative Luck, we are just about out of time, but we are working on our cut, our Colorado Union of Taxpayers ratings report. And at CUT, what we focus on is protecting the taxpayer, which happens to be everybody in Colorado. Property rights, school choice, and protecting TABOR, Colorado’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights. And we took positions on… Almost 260 of the regular session bills and 12 already of the special session bills. But we then, on the bills that we have rated out of those 260-ish bills during the regular session, our statistician does an analysis. And then we come up with, we recognize our taxpayer champions, guardians, and warriors. and to be a champion it’s a score of 90 or above to be a guardian it’s 80 or above and i want to let you know that we’ll be congratulating you because you got the second highest mark of all the legislators either representatives or senators at 89 which is yeoman’s work to use our word of the day to yeoman’s work in protecting everyday people and we want to congratulate you for that Thank you. I appreciate it, Kim. Okay. And your final thoughts, Stephanie Luck?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, there’s still lots of work to do to figure out how to balance this budget. And I’m not sure what that is going to look like. That conversation will have to continue into the next session. And because All of the couch cushions of the state have been raided. Every last quarter that was buried here, there and yonder, I think, has been found. And so in order to balance this budget, I think we’re actually going to have to start getting into cuts. And since the majority is not at all inclined in that, there should be very interesting conversations moving forward. So for those who love politics, keep your eye on the statehouse because a lot of fireworks may transpire here in the near future.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, thank you for the work that you’re doing. And that is Colorado State Representative Stephanie Lux. She represents District 60. Thank you. We greatly appreciate it. on and hope you have a good day right back at you and these discussions to help you know what’s going on come from our sponsors like karen levine
SPEAKER 01 :
award-winning realtor karen levine with remax alliance understands the importance of home ownership karen levine works diligently at the local county state and national levels to protect your private property rights with over 30 years experience as a colorado realtor karen levine will help you navigate the complicated metro real estate market whether you are buying your home selling your home considering a new build or exploring investment properties Kim Monson highly recommends Karen Levine call Karen Levine at 303-877-7516 that’s 303-877-7516 for answers to all your real estate needs
SPEAKER 22 :
A serious accident or a life-changing injury can leave you with seemingly insurmountable physical, emotional, and financial challenges. How will you be able to afford your medical bills? What if you can’t return to work? The attorneys at Bozen Law understand the immense stress you are under and want to help. Bozen Law’s attorneys have decades of experience helping people like you navigate some of the most difficult times in their lives. Bozen Law can provide the guidance and support you need to get back on your feet. Call Bozen Law now at 303-999-9999 for a complimentary appointment. That’s 303-999-9999. Don’t delay.
SPEAKER 20 :
When you’re looking for a premium quality painting experience or professional temporary outdoor lighting, call our friends at Radiant Painting and Lighting. The owner, Karen Gorday, spent over 20 years in the customer service industry. She and her experienced professionals will treat your home as if it were their own and take great pride in their work. They only deliver excellence. When giving your home a beautiful new paint job, they use premium caulk and paint and will always deliver what they say. They don’t just enhance your space, they transform it. When you want excellence, call Radiant Painting and Lighting at 720-940-3887.
SPEAKER 19 :
All of Kim’s sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That’s kimmonson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Got a question for you. Do you want more freedom and confidence with your money? Mint Financial Strategies can help. They’re an independent firm with over 25 years of experience, and as an accredited investment fiduciary, they put your best interests first, always. With a strategy-first approach, they’ll help you build a plan that fits your life. So call Mint Financial Strategies today. That number is 303-285-3080, 303-285-3080. And on the line is a fan favorite, and that is Lauren Fix with Car Coach Reports. Lauren, welcome to the show. Oh, thanks for having me back. And, boy, there’s a lot to talk about. But I was, well, first of all, how can people find you?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, I’m easy to find. It’s Car Coach Reports on YouTube or CarSmarts for the car review. If you’re looking to just, where can I find it all in one, just go to my website, which is CarCoachReports.com. And you can find me on all social media at Lauren6. That’s L-A-U-R-E-N-F-I-X.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. So I had been going through and looking at the different things you’re talking about. And I found this article that you had – or this issue that you had brought forth is why states are quietly moving to restrict how much you drive. And then last night I have several different text threads. And one of my friends – actually had linked that and sent that to the text thread. I said, well, you’re going to be on tomorrow to talk about this. But it is why states are quietly moving to restrict how much you drive. This is a direct assault upon our freedom of mobility to go where we want to, when we want to, to access the jobs we want to, to take our opportunity. So walk us through this, Lauren Vicks.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay, so we know that we had the California restrictions. And because the federal restriction had gone away with EV mandates through the EPA and Lee Zeldin, we started to notice that states quietly, individual states quietly made some changes. Now, when I first posted this article that the government wants to track your driving and restrict how much you drive, i had a lot of blaming trump this has nothing to do with the federal government each state is its own government and they can make their own rules and so the first thing when i found out quickly was massachusetts and they’re moving quicker than the rest of the states uh they have a senate bill it’s already passed uh by senate majority leader cynthia cream it’s senate bill if you want to look it up it’s interesting to read because the way it’s written is very crafty it’s senate bill s 2246 So how it’s written will probably be the framework of what you’ll see in other states. You’ll see words carefully chosen. And that’s what caught my attention. So it sets the stage for basically future government tracking, limiting your miles driven each year. and it’s not a french proposal this is actually working its way through legislature right now and uh other states are filing and i’ll go through some of the states and i’m sure colorado is one of them because we know how this goes um but at its core it’s really about transportation and they’re claiming it’s about emissions but we know better it’s about power and it’s about control so the the legislation and this is where i want you to really kind of pay attention and look for it in colorado you’re going to see it in other states as well They’re going to say that they want to track your vehicle miles traveled, that’s ZMT, that’s what they call it, that’s their three-letter acronym, and implement policies to reduce them over time. So while the bill doesn’t impose exact mileage caps, that’s how they get it through, because if they put that in the bill, people would flip out. So instead they say, well, this is, you know, to be proposed down the road. And that’s when you have to, whenever you see that, that means they’ll start up with something minimal. And by the end of, you know, two years, it’ll be super restrictive. And they always pass these, by the way, on Friday nights. You know, on a holiday weekend at midnight, you know, nobody sees it. I live in New York State. Kathy Hochul is known for this. So was Cuomo before him, before her. Same thing. So the bill outlines coordination with automakers in the use of vehicle inspection data to monitor individual mileage. You see how craftily it’s worded. It’s totally harmless. We’re just… checking in on you making sure all is good but it suggests changes to urban planning encouraging development to walkable neighborhoods 15-minute cities is what that really means and fewer parking options which by the way over the weekend i haven’t even covered this anywhere new york city took away 200 parking spaces on the upper west side i used to live on the upper west side part-time because i did a lot of tv in the city they wanted you live in studio and i had a little apartment parking was always a challenge then they took a bunch of them away and called them bus routes where only the bus could make right hand turns they took like four or five car spaces on each road then they put those silly bikes in that are always a mess uh so they put the bike rentals in that took a more spaces now they’re saying no we’re going to restrict it even more so what happens is it causes congestion it causes a big fight over the few parking spaces there there are but it also makes it extremely inconvenient which is what they want they want to make it so inconvenient that you look at other options now you may go well i don’t live in new york i live in you know denver well they do it in denver too they just they just don’t say anything new york gets caught out because there’s so many people there but it happens in denver when you’re trying to get to working like i always parked here this was the parking garage and now they’re restricting spaces or this is the parking lot and now they’re restricting spaces even though they may be privately owned they’re saying oh you have to save even more spaces for electric charging or for handicap and they make it inconvenient for everybody else But the bill is modeled in similar policies in places like Colorado and Minnesota, where these pilot programs they’ve already put in place are already testing new ways to tax drivers based on how they travel. So that’s what you’re going to start seeing in the state of Colorado. Specifically, they’re committed to reducing VMT, that’s vehicle miles traveled, through state-level planning. So the state’s going to say, you live in Colorado, you’re not going to be able to drive all these miles. And you’re like, well, hold on. I go skiing in the winter and I live out in the suburbs and I go into the city for work. Or maybe you’re a salesperson who sells medical supplies and you’re going from doctor’s office to doctor’s office. I don’t know how they’re going to get around that because that’s what you do for a living. And these are the kind of things that they don’t care. It’s about control. Besides Massachusetts, Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, of course, California and Washington state are actively developing road usage charges, congestion pricing and vehicle miles traveled taxes. And they’re already in the planning stage for all those states. And what begins as a pilot project, we’re just testing. We’re just no big deal. You know, it becomes law silently and quietly without your input. That’s where the problem comes into play.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and I’ll make a plug for Colorado Union of Taxpayers, a volunteer group that were watching legislation. This is not new. When I was on city council in 2012 to 2016, Lauren, they were talking about VMT at that time, Vehicle Miles Traveled. And so this is nothing new. But they continue that when I say they, those that want to have power and control over everyday people, they don’t give up until they get what they want. And man, it’s going to be difficult to walk that back. Denver City Council. I think they just passed this. I know it was on their docket, and I’m pretty sure they passed it. There is no minimum parking requirements for new development in Denver. To your point, this puts people in positions where… You put them in denser and denser neighborhoods and make it difficult for them to have a vehicle, for them to go after their hopes and dreams, to have that job that they want. They come home from a long day at work, try to find a place to park. Their parking’s spilling over into neighborhoods. It starts to… get people to just feel tense and how they react to that many times is not good. I almost think it’s by design on that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Oh, absolutely. 100% it’s by design. Because they figure, and I actually noticed it in some of the urban planning, that some of the apartment buildings they’re building has no parking. so where are you supposed to park I’ve also noticed that recently with some of the multi-unit complexes like condominiums where they have like really recently in my area I’ve noticed that as well I’m out in the suburbs you’ll see a whole row beautiful beautiful condos you know three levels just really nice places there’s no parking there’s no garage and there’s no parking so where do you park now they’re saying okay well you can walk but in many areas there’s no place to walk to you would have to take an uber you would have to get a cab or something and that may sound great on the surface if you’re just going out to dinner but it does not sound great if you’ve got you know kids and a dog and you want to go on vacation or you want to just you know go see your mother who lives out in the suburbs you can’t do that you’re done and that’s they figure well you’ll just use an uber Honestly, and this is personal, I hate using Ubers. The people that drive them, I don’t know if they even have licenses in many cases based on their driving skills, cracked windshields, check engine lights, brake lights, airbag lights. I see it all in the dash. And as an ASE certified technician, I’m a mechanic as well as an engineer. I see this and it makes me want to scream because I’m thinking I’m sure the tires are bald as well. Why not? Let’s just stack it up. And the thing is, based on their driving skills, I’d rather drive myself. And there’s also a nice privacy about getting in your car with your family, having a conversation that others aren’t listening to, and just, like, have a moment of peace. You don’t get that when you don’t own a vehicle. You can have that in your home, but if you want to drive somewhere, you don’t. And Colorado’s big for all of their winter sports. You won’t be able to do that if you can’t have a car. You can’t park a car anywhere. And they really want to restrict it in every city they can. So you say, well, I don’t live in Denver. I only go there randomly. Well, they’re hitting the suburbs as well. And so I know that you cover all the suburbs. You’ll start noticing less and less parking spaces in front of offices, in front of buildings, no parking lots, commercial applications. That’s a problem. And that just makes it more stress for everybody.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes. That was the word I was looking for, was stress. And when people are stressed, they react differently, and that’s not good. We’re going to continue the discussion with Lauren Fix, but I did want to mention that the USMC Memorial Foundation had their great event for the 48th anniversary of the Marine Memorial. They’ve got a 5K run that they’re going to be – sponsoring in september so stay tuned for all the details on that but paula sarles i want to say congratulations to her mary the whole team out there for a great event and you can help the usmc memorial foundation by going to usmcmemorialfoundation.org and um He’s going to be in studio tomorrow, and that is Lorne Levy. We’ll be talking about mortgages and the pressure that the Federal Reserve is getting from Donald Trump to lower interest rates. But for everything mortgages, reach out to Lorne Levy.
SPEAKER 08 :
High inflation and increasing property taxes are making it more challenging for seniors to make ends meet. If you’re 62 or older, a reverse mortgage may be the solution for what’s keeping you up at night. It is essential that you understand the process and work with a trusted professional. Mortgage expert Lauren Levy will help you craft solutions for your unique circumstances, whether a mortgage, a second mortgage, or a reverse mortgage. If you’d like to explore what a reverse mortgage can do for you, call Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881. That’s 303-880-8881. Call now. Ugh.
SPEAKER 23 :
It’s in the middle of summer and our AC just went out.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hey, don’t worry about it. I got a guy.
SPEAKER 23 :
And the basement flooded and there’s the kitchen remodel.
SPEAKER 07 :
Forget about it. I got a guy.
SPEAKER 23 :
Honey, it’s hard to trust you when you use that voice.
SPEAKER 06 :
Sorry, I had something in my throat. It’s not just any guy. It’s Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. They bring craftsmanship, common sense, and integrity. Call or text at 303-995-1636. 303-995-1636.
SPEAKER 21 :
Do you strive for excellence as you work with your clients and customers? Does it make sense for you to add a unique and focused branding opportunity to your marketing portfolio? Would you like to access a broad customer base that loves our country and wants to make life better for ourselves, our neighbors, our colleagues, our children, and our grandchildren? Then you may be a perfect fit as a sponsor or partner of The Kim Monson Show. To learn more, reach out to Teresa at 520-631-9243. Teresa would love to talk with you again. That number is 520-631-9243.
SPEAKER 11 :
Franktown Firearms, in conjunction with Colorado CQB, will prepare you for real-world defense of your life and property. Imagine you get home and walk through your front door and something seems off. A smell, a noise, a shadow that shouldn’t be there. What you do next makes all the difference. Franktown’s Shoot House is the only facility of its kind in Colorado where they run live-action scenarios using Airsoft. Real rooms, real cover, and real training with highly qualified instructors. and their training is available for people of all skill levels, including you. For June and July, when you sign up for a range membership at Franktown, you’re automatically enrolled in CQB for free. You’ll get discounted firearm classes, concealed handgun training, and more. Classes at CQB fill up quickly, so sign up now while you can. Go to klzradio.com and click on the CQB link to learn more. or just send them a question through the online form. Franktown Firearms, where friends are made.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Check out the website for the Center for American Values. That website is AmericanValuesCenter.org. They’ve got a lot of great things that are coming up. There will be a Patriot Day on 9-11, an On Values speaker series presentation on October 21st, and in mid-September, a training for secondary educators. The Center is nonpolitical. It’s nonpartisan. It’s focused on these values of honor, integrity, and patriotism. Lauren Fix is on the line with me, Car Coach Reports. And before we get into it, how can people find you, Lauren Fix?
SPEAKER 10 :
You can find me on literally every form of social media at Lauren Fix. If you’re looking for articles, content, and you choose not to use the regular traditional outlets, you can find me on Substack at Car Coach Reports. I’m on Rumble. I’m on Truth Social, Getter, of course, the usual Instagram and YouTube. I am Car Coach Reports. All the car reviews have been moved to Car Smarts. And I just put up a really cool story on 100 years of Rolls-Royce Phantom. And I got a chance to interview the CEO of the company. Beautiful cars. This is really cool. And if you’d love to look at these cars, we also covered Monterey Car Week, which we just posted on Sunday night. A podcast that’s 45 minutes long about the reason we went all the way to Monterey from New York to see one specific car.
SPEAKER 03 :
Wow. And the freedom of mobility, cars, Americans love our cars. And there is this movement to get us out of our cars. And we were talking about that now at the federal level. I thought that Lee Zelen said we’re going to get rid of these EV mandates. So it seems to me like these VMTs, vehicles, miles traveled, is a workaround by the states to, even though we get rid of the EV mandates, they still want to control what we’re doing. It seems like there’s a dot to connect there.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yes. So Trump’s EPA, which is Lee Zeldin, who’s actually in New York, he ran for governor, he targeted a trillion dollars in EV mandates. They removed the electric vehicle mandate. President Trump has signed that into law. So that cannot be undone. So when the federal level says, uh-oh, we can’t do this anymore, the states now can make choices. There were initially 17 states who were all supporting of the electric vehicle mandate. We’re now down to 11 ridiculous states of which you and I live in some of them. New York, New Jersey, Colorado, California, of course, Washington State, Oregon. And it all sounds great on the surface. Oh, yeah, well, I’ll go electric. There’s not enough electricity. My personal electric bill has doubled. I’m waiting for it to be $1,000 a month. Why not? Let’s just keep jacking up the price. We have the most expensive, not just your state, but mine and California have the most expensive electric bills because they tax them. There’s all kinds of surcharges. And if you get your bill and you look at the bottom, you start seeing all these additional fees. All of that adds up. Now, they’re also taking your tax dollars to put in charging stations. which again makes no sense because when cell phone towers came in to be a good example uh they were put in by at t verizon and all of them then created an arrangement so they could use each other’s towers much like gas stations going farther back in time where there was chevron put up a station or accent or mobile or whoever it was put up stations And those are privately owned. But they want the public EV charging to be funded by people that don’t own electric vehicles. And the charging is not free. You’re still paying for charging. So you’re getting nailed both directions. And then, of course, if you decide to put a charger in your home, that electric vehicle charger credit goes away at the end of the year. So if you do own an electric vehicle, you love it, you haven’t put a charger in, you want to do that by the end of the year or that credit goes away. And if you’re thinking about buying an electric car because it meets your needs, that $7,500 tax credit goes away in just about a month. September 30th, it’s gone forever. If you’re really smart, though, and you want an electric vehicle, you can layer on from the one big beautiful bill the tax credit as well as the $7,500. And that would be your best opportunity, but you have a month left to make that decision. Personally, electric cars don’t work for me. They’re like owning a phone. At some point, they just don’t charge as quickly. They don’t last as long. Cold weather, you live in Colorado. In some cases, it’s colder than Buffalo. In other cases, it’s not, depending on what elevation you’re at. But when it’s cold, you lose about a third of your battery life. And I’ve witnessed it here. I’ve witnessed it in other states. When it’s cold, batteries don’t like to start. And when they do, they have a shorter life. So keeping that in mind, if it works for you and you only go a few miles to work and it’s just your work car, great. You’re going to school and it works for you, awesome. But for the most part, most of America doesn’t. And I expect by the time this tax credit goes away, you’ll maybe see 3% to 4% of sales, which is minimal. of people considering electric vehicles.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, it’ll probably be difficult for people that have an electric vehicle when they get to a point where they want to trade it in and get a new one. What do you think that scenario is going to look like?
SPEAKER 10 :
A disaster. That is an absolute disaster today. If you purchased a Tesla or any electric vehicle, whatever it may be, high-end, low-end, and you want to trade it in, nobody wants it. The dealers don’t want it. The used car lots don’t want them because it’s like selling a used cell phone. You know, how long did they charge it? Did they leave it on the charger all the time? Did they cycle the battery properly? What’s the maintenance? It’s different than an engine. Did you change the oil? Well, I can change the oil, put fresh oil in. I can do that. With a battery, it doesn’t work that way. With a battery, if you don’t charge it on full cycles and you just keep tapping, you know, topping it off. It’d be like never letting your gas tank go below three quarters or a half tank. It wouldn’t hurt a gasoline-powered vehicle, but an electric car, you’re cycling the battery on short cycles, and it doesn’t last as long. And you don’t know that. And so the resale value and the replacement of a battery is substantially more than an engine. So why everyone thinks, oh, it’s great, it’s less, it isn’t. It costs more to insure, and nobody wants them on trade-in. So if you do purchase an electric vehicle, go for the lease. Don’t buy it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. We’ve got a couple of minutes left. What do we do about this assault upon our freedom of mobility, Lauren Fixx?
SPEAKER 10 :
This is challenging, and this is part of what President Trump has been saying from the beginning. We need to be more active, and that means get on city councils, start local. I’m on the local IDA board. I don’t have the time or the, we’ll say, the interest in being involved in the heavy political, so I’m involved in the industrial development area, keeping big businesses out that want to destroy my little town because I live in a very little town. But you can be on the town board. You can go to town board meetings. You can monitor them virtually if you don’t have the ability to get to these meetings. But you really need to start being vocal. And on top of that, whoever you vote for better be on the same page because For the longest time, I think we all got complacent and we let these people get in and they’re only in it for their best interest. And when you get to a higher level, the state and the federal level, you really have to monitor it. Some of these people are getting funded by pharmaceutical companies, by the electric company, by who knows who else of this funding to get these people elected. And I’ve been asked to be a senator before and I said, absolutely not, not a chance. Not because of the political angle of it and taking me away from cars, which I love. There’s a lot of money changing hands. And the honesty is a lot of dishonesty. And that’s a problem. And a lot of these people are owned by companies that have their own agenda. So make sure you try to find people like President Trump. They’re owned by nobody. And when you find a local business person who you like, who you trust, who’s not being funded by anyone… That’s your guy. That’s your girl. That’s your person who could help make change. But you’ve got to talk to these people because many of them get compromised. And that’s, you know, you really have to watch that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and it is very, very difficult. But we have to be engaged. That’s why we do this show. And that’s why it’s great to have you every month on the show, Lauren Fix, to talk about these things, these freedom of mobility, so that we can go where we want to, when we want to, because that is freedom, Lauren Fix.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yes, it is. You are correct. So if you want to keep your freedom, remember that people you elect and you have to vote. I know a lot of people say there’s voter fraud. Whatever there may be, if you don’t get out and vote, we can flood the vote by everybody coming out and vote. So those people say, well, I’m not going to vote. It doesn’t matter. I have a couple of friends. I spent hours convincing them if you don’t vote, then you’re not allowed to complain.
SPEAKER 03 :
This is true. Lauren Fix, thank you so much. We’ll talk again next month.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. Great. Thank you.
SPEAKER 03 :
And our quote for the end of the show is Paul Revere. He said, Courage is not merely doing great things. It is standing tall in small ones. Today, be grateful. Read great books. Think good thoughts. Listen to beautiful music. Communicate and listen well. Live honestly and authentically. Strive for high ideals. And like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you. God bless America. And stay tuned for hour number two.
SPEAKER 16 :
I don’t want no one to cry But tell them if I don’t survive
SPEAKER 12 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
SPEAKER 13 :
It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 03 :
The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water, what it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 13 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 03 :
Under the guise of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it’s actually tapping down the truth.
SPEAKER 13 :
Today’s current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 03 :
On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
SPEAKER 13 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
SPEAKER 03 :
Indeed, let’s have a conversation, and welcome to our number two of the Kim Monson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You each are treasured, you’re valued, you have purpose. Today, strive for excellence, take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment in history. Thank you to the team. That’s Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Teresa, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Happy Monday, Producer Joe. Happy Monday, Kim. And your colleague, producer Luke, is in studio. We will have you two as our featured guests this particular hour as we are continuing our book review of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. Great to have you here, producer Luke. Great to be here. Thank you. So we’ll jump in on this here in just a little bit. But several things that we wanted to talk about was, first of all, the USMC Memorial Foundation did a great event for the 48th anniversary of the Marine Memorial. And that was Saturday evening out in Golden at 6th and Colfax. And nearby is a restaurant that I love. They have the best calzones that I’ve ever had. And Luke, that is Little Richie’s Pizza and Pasta. which is there’s one in Golden, but there’s one over on, let’s see, Lincoln as well in Parker. I don’t know if you’ve ever been there or not.
SPEAKER 05 :
I pass through it every day.
SPEAKER 03 :
It’s very, very good. And so from Parker to Golden, Little Richie’s Pizza and Pasta is your go-to for real New York-style pizza, hearty pastas, and that unbeatable local vibe. Little Richie’s is serving up daily specials, quick and tasty weekday lunch deals, and a happy hour the locals actually build their plans around. So whether you’re bringing the crew, catching up with the friends, or flying solo for a hot slice Little Richies is your neighborhood hangout. And again, there’s one in Parker and one in Golden. Our word of the day, I went to Yeoman’s Work. And yeoman is spelled Y-E-O-M-A-N apostrophe S work. And it could be very good, hard, and valuable work that someone does to support a cause or help a team. And I was thinking of my fellow CUP board members on the work that they did this last weekend to get, first of all, take positions on, we still have one more to do, but the bills that were made it through to hearing in this special session. And you can make your voices heard at CutEngaged. So that website is coloradotaxpayer.org. And thank you to the whole team. I will mention them. That’s Steve Dorman, Greg Golianski, Russ Haas, Bill Hamel. Rob Knuth, John Nelson, Wendy Warner, Marty Nielsen, Rami Johnson, Mary Jansen, Dave Evans, Corey Onozorg, Paula Beard, and Ray Beard. And then also Zach did an amazing job to get the cut engaged onto the website. This was truly yeoman’s work. And so your challenge is to use yeoman’s work in a sentence today. That hopefully should be somewhat easy to do. Our quote of the day is from Paul Revere. He was born in 1734. He died in 1818. He was an American silversmith, military officer, and industrialist, played a major role in the opening months of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts, engaging in a midnight ride in 1775 to alert nearby Minutemen. of the approach of the British troops prior to the battles of Lexington and Concord. And he said this, he said, it is not only our right, but our duty to stand against tyranny. And that is Paul Revere. So question, producer Luke.
SPEAKER 05 :
I have an answer.
SPEAKER 03 :
I’m sure you do. 1775, 250 years ago this year, There was a lot of stuff happening because we didn’t get to just all of a sudden we’re going to declare independence July 4, 1776. There was a lot happening. And 1775 was a big year. It was the right of Paul Revere, Sybil Luddington. Just a really big year.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes, absolutely.
SPEAKER 03 :
And do you guys think about that? Do you learn about that in school or no? No.
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, the riot of Paul Revere, yeah. I mean, American history was a big part of the curriculum. Okay. At the very least, when I was going to school.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. And you went to school in California. I did, yes. Well, that’s good to know. Did they teach you to, how can I ask this, like America, hate America, or gave the whole history? What would you say?
SPEAKER 05 :
My interpretation of it is they kind of just gave the whole history. It was pretty nonpartisan, very objective. Just here are the facts and the timeline of events and how it happened and the why and who and all that fun stuff.
SPEAKER 03 :
What about a question on World War II and Vietnam? I’ve heard that in many of the textbooks that there’s maybe just a few paragraphs on those two pivotal events in our country. What do you recall on that?
SPEAKER 05 :
I recall a larger section on World War II that encompassed a much bigger… piece of the curriculum, Vietnam was pretty short. I remember it being very, very minimal. It’s like a, this is why it happened, this is how long it happened for, and then a lot of the stuff I know about the Vietnam War has come after getting out of school and doing my own research.
SPEAKER 03 :
And the Korean War, which is in between World War II.
SPEAKER 05 :
Very little on that one either.
SPEAKER 03 :
And it’s been known as the forgotten war. And in all the work that I’ve done with America’s veteran stories, it’s been, I would say the Korean War veterans have been the most difficult to get to talk about their experiences.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I, as a matter of fact, out of just about every major war that the United States has been involved in, I think the Korean War is the one I know the least about. I’ve learned very little about it in school and then even after school, kind of difficult to find firsthand accounts or, you know, information easily accessible. Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
I know. And that’s why the work at America’s Veterans Stories, interviewing these veterans, broadcasting it, archiving it, recording all that, that is so important. And you can get more information by going to AmericanVeteranStories.com. I’ve got so many things going on in my brain here. Next thing, wanted to give you an update regarding Save at Walla French Bakery on Lookout Mountain Road in Golden. It’s still Jefferson County wants to use zoning to basically say they cannot have their tiny homes on their property. And if that’s the case, then it’ll be very difficult for them to stay in business. So sign the change.org petition at that is change.org. Just put in French bakery so that we can show that. And people are very involved in this. And I find it ironic that you have all of these land issues. are these zoning rewrites land use codes rewrites that is being pushed for higher density less vehicles for people saying they want people to live when i say they that’s the pbis they want people to live where they work drive fewer miles That’s exactly what’s happening with Et Voila French Bakery. All Jefferson County needs to do is just give a variance on the zoning. They seem to be digging in their heels. So this is a stay tuned, but we need to do what we can to help save Et Voila French Bakery. You probably haven’t. This is the first you’ve heard about this, right?
SPEAKER 05 :
This is the first I’ve heard of this specific issue. But I’ve been aware of America’s awful zoning laws and that regulation for a while.
SPEAKER 03 :
And there’s another one I need to get this lady on. And she apparently put a greenhouse on her property and gets a knock on the door. Hey, you can’t have that greenhouse here. It’s ridiculous. It is. It is. We’ve gotten way, way off the rails on this. So go sign the petition at change.org. Save at Voila French Baker.
SPEAKER 05 :
What’s the spelling on that? Because I know the French spelling is a little weird sometimes.
SPEAKER 03 :
It’s E-T, then V-O-I-L-A. Got it. And then the other headline I wanted to hit, this is from Axios Denver. It says, Colorado and Denver reject the DOJ’s immigration ultimatum. And it says Governor Jared Polis and Denver’s acting city attorney sent letters last Tuesday to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi refusing to roll back laws that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. And this move defies Bondi’s demand that they submit a plan to roll back their sanctuary laws. And she threatens to prosecute state and local officials who won’t comply. Additionally, the Trump administration says that they’ll withhold funding. Because of this, one, first of all, has to ask why cities and states are getting all of this federal funding. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. But with Colorado in a big budget deficit and Denver in a big budget deficit, you think that they might try to make a decision where they would not be in a rub with the entity that they would like to get money from. What do you think, Luke?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, you’d think. I mean, especially with such like hot button issues, it feels like a lot of logic goes out the window in favor of sort of standing by your personal principles. And when these personal principles are so at odds, you seem to get a lot of interesting clashes. Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, and people can have their personal principles, but they need to have it on their own dime.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, very true.
SPEAKER 03 :
You think? Okay. So we will continue this great discussion with Producer Luke. We’ll be bringing Producer Joe in as well as we do our book review of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. These discussions happened because of our sponsors. Had a great discussion with Roger Mangan in the first hour regarding wildfires. But the team at Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance can help you create personalized insurance plans to cover all your needs from protection for your cars to your home, condo, boat, motorcycle, and business renters coverage. Contact the Roger Mangan team now, 303-795-8855 for a complimentary appointment. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan team is there.
SPEAKER 09 :
Car thefts, hailstorms, and uninsured motorists are presenting unique insurance challenges for everyday hardworking Coloradans. The Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance Team knows that when you need to make an insurance claim, financial strength matters. State Farm consistently receives high marks for the company’s financial condition and ability to pay claims. For that peace of mind, to know that you are working with a financially strong company, contact the Roger Mangan team now at 303-795-8855 for a complimentary appointment to assess your insurance coverage. That’s 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
SPEAKER 01 :
Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty, wrote founding father John Adams. RE-MAX realtor Karen Levine has been working diligently at the local, county, state, and national levels to protect property rights and home ownership. Karen has navigated the often challenging Colorado metro real estate market for years. Karen Levine is the trusted professional for you to turn to when you are buying or selling your home, considering a new build, or exploring investment opportunities. Realtor Karen Levine. You want her on your side of the table. Call Karen at 303-877-7516. That’s 303-877-7516.
SPEAKER 20 :
When you’re looking for a premium quality painting experience or professional temporary outdoor lighting, call our friends at Radiant Painting and Lighting. The owner, Karen Gorday, spent over 20 years in the customer service industry. She and her experienced professionals will treat your home as if it were their own and take great pride in their work. They only deliver excellence. When giving your home a beautiful new paint job, they use premium caulk and paint and will always deliver what they say. They don’t just enhance your space, they transform it. When you want excellence, call Radiant Painting and Lighting at 720-940-3887.
SPEAKER 21 :
We’ll be right back. To learn more, reach out to Teresa at 520-631-9243. Teresa would love to talk with you again. That number is 520-631-9243.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back. And my friends, financial freedom starts with the right guide, and Mint Financial Strategies is here to help. As an independent firm with over 25 years of experience and the credentials of an accredited investment fiduciary, they offer advice that’s focused on you, not a sales quota. Their strategy-first approach is all about helping you live life on your terms with clarity, confidence, and control. Call Mint Financial Strategies today. That number is 303-285-3080. 303-285-3080. Mint Financial Strategies, your path to independent financial confidence. And in studio is producer Luke. And, of course, always in studio is producer Joe behind the boards. Gentlemen, it’s always great to have this show that’s focused on you as we’re doing these different book reports. Or book reviews, I guess it is. Yes. So, before we get into this and how it started, I think, Luke, you were filling in behind the boards. And you and I started to have a really interesting discussion, kind of, I think, about economics. So, I said, how about if we do a book study on economics in one lesson by Henry Hazlitt? So, we went through that. Super interesting. We brought Joe in then as well. And then I said, okay, Luke, you get to choose the next book. And you chose?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. Okay. A favorite of mine.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. And then, Joe, you’ve already chosen your book, right, that we’ll do next, right?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, ma’am. I thought it would be interesting to do the Communist Manifesto. I figured we could pull some things out of comparison.
SPEAKER 03 :
I think it’ll be very interesting. Before we jump into this, though, Luke, we had talked about America’s veteran stories and our different veterans, World War II, Vietnam, and I’ve interviewed guys and women from all of our countries. different conflicts. But I mentioned the Korean War is the forgotten war, and then you got a text from your father.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, my father texted me because he’s listening into the show right now. Hello, father. He said that my paternal grandfather was in the Korean War. He served in the army during that time in the Korean War. And we were asking, texting back and forth a little bit. Apparently, he didn’t even say a whole lot about it or speak much about being in the Korean War to my father. Wow.
SPEAKER 03 :
Don’t you wish you had that story now?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. Yeah, I was going to say, it’s kind of interesting to see it almost immediately reflected where you say, it’s really hard, they don’t really talk about it, to learn that my grandfather was in it and then didn’t talk about it. And you didn’t know. I had no idea. Well, I might have been told 100 years ago, it feels like, but this is the first time I’m remembering being told, so I had no idea. Wow.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, well, let’s jump in here to our book review with The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. And this was written in the, gosh, what was it?
SPEAKER 05 :
1500. 1500. 1500. We’ve mentioned the date a couple times. It’s a hard date to pin down because there’s the time he wrote it and then the time it was published because it was published after his death. So there’s two dates that kind of get thrown around there.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. And so we are doing a review of chapters 9 and 10. The first is of the civic principality. So Luke, why don’t you start us off with this?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. These are both pretty short chapters. Nine and ten are what we’re doing. But nine covers the idea of power sort of rising from the people. And while he uses the term principality as that’s the most common form of governance kind of stated at the time, there’s still a lot of interesting parallels there. you see power coming about through the populace, right? People rising up or an individual within the community rising up to power. And just in the very beginning, I kind of wanted to get your opinion on this. It mentions individuals rising to power. And it says, because in all cities, two distinct parties are found. And from this, it arises that the people do not wish to be ruled. Sorry, let me correct my eyes real quick. In all cities, these two distinct parties are found. And from this, it arises that the people do not wish to be ruled nor oppressed by the nobles, and the nobles wish to rule and oppress the people. And from these two opposite desires, there arises in cities one of three results, either a principality, self-governance, or anarchy.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, that is so interesting. And you have the online version.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes, my version is coming to us from an educational website. We are in, let me make sure I’m getting my sources. This is from the Florida Center for Institutional Technology. is the online version that I’m drawing from. I do have two physical copies, but I don’t like marking in them, so I keep them in my bookshelf.
SPEAKER 03 :
I do do that.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yours is fine. I have a very fancy version. Oh, well, then you can’t do that.
SPEAKER 03 :
So my written version says something a little bit different, and I think that this is important. So it says, for in every city, these two opposite parties are to be found arising from the desire… of the populace to avoid the oppression of the great and the desire of the great to command and oppress the people. I think that’s probably pretty similar. Pretty close. Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
Pretty close.
SPEAKER 03 :
But then it says, and from these two opposing interests arises in the city one of three effects, either absolute government, liberty, or license. And your version said something different. What were those three things?
SPEAKER 05 :
My version says a principality, self-governance, or anarchy. interesting what is your what is your say producer joe and if you’re following us it’s in that first paragraph mine is actually the same one as yours kim’s so it says the same thing interesting you know it’s something interesting to keep in mind too especially when it comes to the prince uh is that english is not the language it was written in right uh this is uh An old text from the 1500s and has been seen many different translations. So I imagine we would be receiving some different information. Were we capable of reading it in the language it was written in? We’re kind of relying on the individual translators to translate not just the words but in tense. So it’s kind of interesting to see the two different uses of kind of nouns it’s decided to pick there.
SPEAKER 03 :
yeah and so the three different effects uh absolute government liberty or license which in license they referred to anarchy liberty is where we are here in uh america and liberty is the responsible exercise of freedom and even though at least in my version he they use the word liberty again we have to remember this was probably 200 years before the founding of america luke
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, almost exactly 200 years. Really, if we’re going based off of the like right of Paul Revere into the founding documents, you’re pretty close to 200 to about 250.
SPEAKER 03 :
OK, moving down a little bit further into this chapter nine. And this is, I guess, the next to the last paragraph. He said, I want to go to an experience that I’ve been trying to get my brain around from when I was on city council. The area that I live has had a lot of sales tax revenue because Park Meadows Mall is there. There’s a Costco that’s there. It’s a sales tax city. It’s had a lot of revenue. And therefore, there’s been a lot of excess revenue that staff, city council has had a lot of license to do things with. And people, I don’t think, are totally paying attention. Because, like coming home, the roads are in pretty good shape. The medians look pretty nice. It seems like everything’s pretty much in order. But… but i think a lot of money was being used for pushing forward different things and i’m thinking in essence the new development of ridge gate which is really a i would say more of a world economic forum has the light rail into it like to focus on walking and biking which is fine if you want to do that but forcibly doing that by limiting parking spots and people’s mobility i don’t agree with But if people are kind of happy, they’re not paying attention to other things, Luke.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, that’s very true. As a matter of fact, it talks a lot about that in this chapter. It’s one of these instances where it’s like, I kind of wish I had a highlighter on my phone to mark out some of the places. Yeah, you see a lot. Machiavelli talks about this plenty in the essence that having the people on your side is… It’s decent, but having the nobility on your side, those in power, those with influence, those with money, lends you to more. It’s like a higher risk, higher reward. Because if you have someone in power, if you have more money to play with, if you have more power to put towards things, you can get a lot more done. Conversely, he mentions even here in this chapter that you have to be a little wary because they also have their own ambitions, right? Yes. For as much as you are using them, they are using you. It’s interesting, though, you mentioned the people. And while Machiavelli mentions that having the people is important, he also says that the worst that a prince may expect from a hostile people is to be abandoned by them. But from hostile nobles, he has not only to fear abandonment, but also that they will rise against him. For they, being in their affairs more far-seeing and astute, always come forward in times to save themselves and to obtain favors from him who they expect to prevail. Which is kind of a very fancy way of saying really what I just said. It’s kind of unfortunate, I think, and you see it a lot, I think you mentioned, in City Council. The people can handle a lot of grievances if they’re happy. You give them bread and a show, make sure there’s no potholes in the road and things look nice. They will allow a lot of real bad stuff to go on under their noses, which is really unfortunate, I think.
SPEAKER 03 :
I think that you’ve nailed it. You just totally nailed it. Producer Joe, before we go to break, what do you want to add to this conversation?
SPEAKER 14 :
I don’t really have much to add. I completely agree.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and I was just thinking about that. We’ve got concerts in the park, and I want to talk about the concert in the park when we come back just a little bit. I’m talking with Producer Joe, Producer Luke. These are important discussions. They happen because of our sponsors. And the Second Amendment was put into the Bill of Rights in our Constitution to protect everything else. That’s why the work of the Second Syndicate is so important.
SPEAKER 15 :
The Second Amendment was established to ensure that all individuals have the right to resist oppression, stand firm against government overreach, and protect our ability to defend ourselves, our families, and our freedoms. Today, that right is under relentless attack in Colorado. Colorado’s premier grassroots Second Amendment organization, the Second Syndicate, is on the front lines, fighting to preserve and protect your constitutional rights. We expose the most pressing threats to the Second Amendment and provide the education, resources, and tools to stay informed, empowered and prepared join the movement protect your rights visit thesecondsyndicate.com that’s thesecondsyndicate.com where the second is first
SPEAKER 08 :
The current level of interest rates is causing challenges and creating opportunities. For nearly 20 years, mortgage specialist with Polygon Financial Group, Loren Levy, has helped individuals realize their hopes and dreams of homeownership, fund kids’ educations through second mortgages, and access capital by utilizing reverse mortgages. Loren’s not constrained to work with just one lender. Because he works with many different lenders, Loren offers you choices for your individual mortgage needs. Knowledge is power and preparation leads to success. Call Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881 so that you are prepared for the opportunities in the mortgage market. That’s Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881.
SPEAKER 23 :
It’s in the middle of summer and our AC just went out.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hey, don’t worry about it. I got a guy.
SPEAKER 23 :
And the basement flooded and there’s the kitchen remodel.
SPEAKER 07 :
Forget about it. I got a guy.
SPEAKER 23 :
Honey, it’s hard to trust you when you use that voice. Okay.
SPEAKER 06 :
Sorry, I had something in my throat. It’s not just any guy. It’s Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. They bring craftsmanship, common sense, and integrity. Call or text at 303-995-1636. 303-995-1636. Focused and
SPEAKER 18 :
wise marketing is essential for your success, especially during tough economic times. If you love the Kim Monson show, strive for excellence and understand the importance of engaging in the battle of ideas that is raging in America. Then talk with Kim about partnership sponsorship opportunities. Email Kim at Kim Monson dot com. Kim focuses on creating relationships with individuals and businesses that are tops in their fields. So they are the trusted experts listeners turn to when looking for products or services. Kim personally endorses each of her sponsors. Again, reach out to Kim at Kim Monson dot com.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Wanted to say thank you to Laramie Energy for their gold sponsorship of the show because it is reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant power from naturally occurring hydrocarbons such as oil, natural gas, and coal that powers our lives, fuels our hopes and dreams, and and empowers us to change our own personal climates to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer and there’s something pretty fun that’s going to be happening this next saturday august 30th you can step into history at the commemorative air force mile high wings summer concert series at shell terror bjc on the rocky mountain metropolitan airport in broomfield Rock out with the Petty Nicks experience and special guest Sons of Genesis as vintage warbirds and a golden hour runway set the stage. Doors open at 5 p.m. Music starts at 6.30 p.m. You can grab dinner from the Blue Sky Bistro. Bring your friends and help support Tunnel to Towers. Tickets are just $25. Save $5 with a promo code of KIM. All ages are welcome. VIP parking is available. So thank your spot now at 1943events.com. That’s 1943events.com. That sounds like that’s going to be a lot of fun. In studio with me is producer Luke, producer Joe. We’re doing our book review of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. It was written back in the 1500s. We’re looking at relevancies to today. And Producer Luke, you mentioned, I think, something about concerts and bread or circuses and bread.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, circuses and bread.
SPEAKER 03 :
So in my little town, they’re having summer concert series and using tax dollars to do that. And what I found interesting is that as they were preparing and through the whole evening, the music was so loud that you could hear it all over the neighborhood, even if you weren’t at the park. And I thought, huh. Now, if I had a neighbor that was playing their music that loud… The city would probably be knocking on their door saying, turn it down. But since it was government and they had made that choice, they got to do that. And again, I have to ask, using government dollars for entertainment when you’ve got, for example, Susan Kochavar, 88 Drive-In Theater, who’s an entrepreneur who’s trying to make a living to have government compete with her. I found it interesting, the loud music and government dollars competing, but people seem to like it. So what are your thoughts about that?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I think it’s a saying as old as time, and for a reason, it’s because it works. Give them bread and give them circuses and you won’t have to worry about anything. They will allow a whole lot of stuff to go on. And to kind of wrap up this chapter, to kind of play off that, Machiavelli talks a lot about keeping the people happy, and how, and again, to kind of reestablish a foundation is that Machiavelli was the guy for rulers, right? If you were a prince, if you were a noble, if you were someone important and in power, you had Machiavelli in your corner, right? He was the dude who was talking in your ear, telling you how things are supposed to go, and if you followed his directions, then you usually ended up pretty all right. This isn’t a dude sitting alone in his basement writing about theory. This is a man with real practical experience on how the rulers and those in power keep their civilizations manageable. And he says at the end of this chapter… Therefore, a wise prince ought to adopt such a course that his citizens will always, in every sort and kind of circumstance, have need for the state and of him. And then he will always find them faithful. Keep the citizens reliant upon you, and they will always be faithful. Very interesting, isn’t it? Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
The problem is, that’s socialism, and ultimately they run out of other people’s money. My version says, therefore a wise prince will seek means by which his subjects will always, and in every possible condition of things, have need of his government, and then they will always be faithful to him. Joe, your thoughts?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, I’m just thinking about the…
SPEAKER 03 :
the companies that the government helps funds and subsidizes right now that’s just reeling through my head at the moment you mean corporate welfare okay basically okay that would be the i would say that would be the uh what was it uh the not the people what was the other thing he called them uh nobles yeah the nobles so that would be the nobles so that would be the nobles but yeah it’s
SPEAKER 05 :
It kind of goes to this age-old saying, and this is something that I’ve thought about a lot, this idea of don’t feed the ducks, where they have a whole bunch of signs posted around lakes, especially in California, because you have plenty of ducks in these duck ponds. You’re not supposed to feed the ducks. Because if you do, they will become reliant upon other people to hand them bread and crackers and seeds. And they will forget how to gather food for themselves. And like I said, this is something I’ve really had to think about a lot of. And I think the idea of social welfare and providing for the people. And while on one hand, I do… truly believe that there are individuals in need of assistance. There also shouldn’t be this gross, all-encompassing, we’ll just give anyone who asks anything they want, because it de-incentivizes this need or drive to provide for yourself. So when Machiavelli mentions, don’t just give them stuff, make them reliant upon you. Ensure that You know, the people need your governance. It’s not just wanted. It’s not just taking for the sake of taking. It’s that they are reliant upon you. And then you’ll never have to worry about anything. And you can see kind of the inner workings of people in power trying to make that happen. Right. You can see it. You can see kind of a little bit behind that curtain. Those with power and money influence trying to make you reliant upon them.
SPEAKER 03 :
So, Luke, then what happens? And I’m thinking of the homeless situation in Denver. Senator, then at the time, I think maybe he was mayor, then he was governor, Hickenlooper. I don’t know where he said that exactly, but he said, basically, give us money and we will eradicate homelessness in Denver. Well, guess what? You give them money and you feed that that duck, if you will, and then what happens is you have more and more and more. But the nobles, the interested parties, take their cut of the money as it goes by to solve that problem and in fact one of our listeners had sent me a meme of of a homeless person that said there were three different agencies that had him signed up under their agencies because each agency received money from the government because they were supposedly helping people but the other thing is is there’s now big money The nobles, or the interested parties, are making big bucks off the backs of the tragedy of homelessness. We’re out of time, basically, and haven’t gotten to Chapter 10, so maybe we do Chapter 10 and 11 next time?
SPEAKER 05 :
Chapter 10’s real short. It’s just measuring the strength of a nation.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let’s do that then, quick.
SPEAKER 05 :
And it just basically says that you can tell how strong or how weak a nation is by its capacity to defend itself. And that, you know, those with big armies who can go out and make change are the nations that you need to keep an eye out for. And those who hide behind their walls, you know, might be secure, but they’re not necessarily strong. Which is interesting, you see that same kind of idea exacerbated around the nations here where you have some nations with very big armies and our armies are supporting other nations who predominantly will hide behind some walls. more just like relevancy you can kind of see a lot even though this was written forever ago 1500s right uh you still have very old school style of fighting you know you’re still line fighting with either very early firearms uh you know even some like you know basic like you know pre-gun powder artillery and stuff like that um Even back then, you know, even all those years ago, 250 years before the founding of America, this idea that there are the very strong who support the very weak, and then there are the very weak who hide behind their walls and rely on the very strong.
SPEAKER 03 :
So it’s just so interesting. This was written before the founding of America and self-governance. And so it’s really interesting to be going through this. So we’ll be doing probably chapters 11 and 12 next time. As always, Producer Luke, I really do appreciate it. And certainly Producer Joe, I know he’s working the boards there. I appreciate both you young guys. You’re both, I think, 27 now, right?
SPEAKER 05 :
I think so.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. I love having this perspective in these discussions, and it really makes me think, and I really do appreciate it. So thank you.
SPEAKER 05 :
I enjoy being on, and I allow being given the opportunity to share.
SPEAKER 03 :
I love it. And I did want to mention the USMC Memorial Foundation, a great event that they had for the 48th anniversary of the Marine Memorial this last weekend. And there will be a 5K run in September. I can’t believe September is right around the corner. You can get more information for that by going to usmcmemorialfoundation.org. That’s usmcmemorialfoundation.org. And then if you have been injured, you will want to reach out to John Bozen at Bozen Law.
SPEAKER 22 :
You don’t have to suffer the consequences of someone else’s negligence on your own. The attorneys at Bose & Law have extensive experience handling all types of personal injury and wrongful death claims involving motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, defective products, catastrophic injuries, and more. Bowes & Law also assists clients with matters related to workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability, SSD. Bowes & Law takes pride in truly getting to know their clients and genuinely cares about helping you seek the justice you deserve. Call Bowes & Law at 303-325-7000. 999-9999 for a complimentary consultation. That number is 303-999-9999. Call Bowes & Law now.
SPEAKER 21 :
There’s so much noise coming at us. Sometimes it is difficult to make sense of it all. How can you sift through the clamor for your attention and get to the truth? The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim searches for truth and clarity by examining issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. Tune in to The Kim Monson Show each weekday, 6 to 8 a.m., with encores 1 to 2 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM. The KLZ website, the KLZ app, and Alexa. Play KLZ. Shows can also be found at kimmonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
SPEAKER 19 :
All of Kim’s sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That’s kimmonson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 11 :
Franktown Firearms, in conjunction with Colorado CQB, will prepare you for real-world defense of your life and property. Imagine you get home and walk through your front door and something seems off. A smell, a noise, a shadow that shouldn’t be there. What you do next makes all the difference. Franktown’s Shoot House is the only facility of its kind in Colorado where they run live-action scenarios using Airsoft. Real rooms, real cover, and real training with highly qualified instructors. and their training is available for people of all skill levels, including you. For June and July, when you sign up for a range membership at Franktown, you’re automatically enrolled in CQB for free. You’ll get discounted firearm classes, concealed handgun training, and more. Classes at CQB fill up quickly, so sign up now while you can. Go to klzradio.com and click on the CQB link to learn more. or just send them a question through the online form. Franktown Firearms, where friends are made.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is kimmonson.com. And also check out the website for the Center for American Values. The center is located in Pueblo on the beautiful Riverwalk. That website is americanvaluescenter.org. They’ve got a number of events coming up. They’ve got an event in September for Americans. secondary educators, and they’re focusing on these values of America of honor, integrity, and patriotism. The center is nonpartisan, nonpolitical, but be sure and check out their website. That is AmericanValueCenter.org. I have on the line with me Joe Whitney. He is with a citizens group rooted in Littleton. And I go to church in Littleton and had seen these signs. And I thought, well, this is super interesting because I’m also seeing all of these proposed rewrites of zoning codes and comprehensive plans and land use codes for cities and cities. towns and counties and i thought this is so interesting i wonder what’s happening so we have joe whitney on he is with this group rooted in littleton joe welcome to the show thank you kim so tell us what’s going on i find this pretty fascinating
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, we do too. We are a group of volunteers that bound together to basically fight City Hall. The city of Littleton had gotten, last January, had gotten to the point where they were going to pass. an ordinance that was going to rezone all of Littleton, but they didn’t call it zoning. They call it a text change to the ULUC code, which is the universal land use code. And that text change basically changed the definition of single family residential homes to include duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes. So they were going to do that all across the town. And they tried to put this through over the holidays. And a bunch of people found out. And we all got together and protested. And for now, we have warded them off. But we have a big election coming up in November.
SPEAKER 03 :
goodness a text change this is pretty I see two sneaky things I served on city council of Lone Tree and I know I understand so the wording is important and then the timing was important and this is not what representative government is there is supposed to be a transparent relationship between the citizen and the elected representatives who are there to represent the people. And what happens, sometimes these electeds think that they are there to represent a special agenda. And that sounds like what happens here. So to change the definition from single family home, which single family means one, right, to duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes. And that’s just, I think, the camel’s nose under the tent, Joe Whitney.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, it really is. We were irate, and the entire community was irate. We were fortunate. We got three news crews to come down to City Hall Chambers when they did their final reading, which was January 7th. And we had three TV crews and about 400 people jammed in there. All were pretty irate, honestly. And oddly enough, the response from city council was you should have been paying closer attention. We’ve been discussing this for a year and a half. Where have you been? Kind of a thing. Non-apologetic, but they withdrew it temporarily with the intent of bringing it back this summer. But because it’s such a hotly contested issue, they have now decided to wait till after the election to push it forward. And now they’re saying we’re only looking for gentle density.
SPEAKER 03 :
Gentle density.
SPEAKER 02 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 03 :
So there is obviously an election. Have there been candidates that have stepped forward to actually represent the people instead of special interests?
SPEAKER 02 :
There is. There is. You know, the mayor was really driving this whole thing, and he is up for reelection. So one of the council people that was opposed to the mayor, one of two, actually, is actually running against the mayor. His name is Pat Driscoll. So he’s a good guy. And, you know, at the end of the day, this is really what the city wants. The city does not want to see this density. And the mayor wants to push it through. And that’s what we’re fighting. And Pat is kind of the champion of that.
SPEAKER 03 :
So how is this going about informing people? And I’ll tell you, I’ve seen a lot of these rooted in Littleton signs as I’ve been driving around Littleton. But I saw something for the opposition, which I thought the words were so interesting. And I’ve only seen one. But it says, we love new neighbors. So the implication is, is that if you want to keep your community… the fabric of your community as it is, then you’re not being friendly to other people. I thought that was a very interesting sign that I saw.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, there are a few of those around, not that many. We kind of joke that they really want new neighbors because they don’t like the ones they have. You know, we have been fighting this thing for quite a while now. None of us are politicians. None of us have political experience. And the first thing we did was we said we need to see if, you know, we’re a minority or if everybody wants this. Because it seems like everybody wants this. But City Hall kept telling us we’re a minority. So we conducted a survey. We hired a third-party group called Magellan. They do surveys for schools. They do surveys for political groups. And we sent it out to 27,000 people across Littleton. Had a statistically significant number that totally matches the demos of Littleton. And what it said is 65% of homeowners do not want more density in Littleton. And 73% of homeowners said that they want to be notified if there’s any significant change to land use or zoning in town. And that’s pretty glaring.
SPEAKER 03 :
That is pretty glaring. So what’s this next step for Rooted in Littleton? Is your focus on this election or what is that exactly?
SPEAKER 02 :
We actually created a charter amendment that we went around and got 2,200 signatures, and we got it onto the ballot. So there will be a charter amendment on the ballot, which freezes the current zoning from January 1st of this year in perpetuity. And City Council, they can go and put their own charter forward in a couple of years, but But basically what this does is it forces the city to listen to the people. It means that we all will have a voice in determining how we plan growth for the future versus city council just passing ordinances. So we very much want to get this charter passed. because it’ll give the city of Littleton and the community of Littleton a chance to really participate in how we shape the future of Littleton.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and Joe Whitney, this is what representative government is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be a relationship. between the people and their elected representatives. Instead of elected representatives having a holiday meeting and putting these things forward and people just finding out, people are busy. And I’ve seen this also, just kind of an arrogance of people that are in elected office and staff that said, oh my gosh, you should have been informed and watching. I think that there actually should be communication, and I think that is one of the things that you’re saying you want, communication from the jurisdictions to the citizens so the citizens know what’s going on instead of the citizens having to dig around to try to find it, correct?
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. We were floored that this was happening. And we actually went through the city council archives and turns out that they discussed it for a year and a half, but they always used the term ULUC code, which nobody, I mean, regular people don’t know what that is. And they didn’t use the word zoning until November when they got ready to do their first reading. So it absolutely was a covert effort. And it’s really shameful. I mean, it really is shameful what they’re doing.
SPEAKER 03 :
And it is disingenuous. And again, there should be this relationship of trust between electeds and the people that they represent. And words matter. I no longer refer to electeds as elected officials. They are elected representatives. And I recommend all of us do that because it reminds us and them that they are our representatives. Joe Whitney, thank you for joining us. That website is rooted in Littleton. I had it right up here.
SPEAKER 02 :
rooted in littleton.org and your final thought joe whitney this is a big election and the people need to come forward and vote that’s that’s our biggest concern because we know we’re on the on the right side of of the future of littleton but we need people to come out and vote
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and yes, and when people think that your vote doesn’t matter, we had Rebecca Kelty on, a Colorado representative, on Friday talking about the special session, and she won by her race by three votes. So voting matters. Being informed matters. We have a civic responsibility to know what’s going on. So I thank rootedinlittleton.org for what they are doing with this. Joe Whitney, thank you so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you, Kim. Really appreciate you having us on.
SPEAKER 03 :
And again, that website is rootedinlittleton.org. And our quote for the end of the show, I went to Paul Revere, and he said this. He said, Courage is not merely doing great things. It is standing tall in small ones. So my friends today, be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and listen well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America.
SPEAKER 16 :
And fast on a rough road, riding high through the mountains, climbing, twisting, turning further from my home. Young like a new moon, rising fierce through the rain and lightning, wandering out into this great unknown. I don’t want no one to cry. But tell them if I don’t survive.
SPEAKER 12 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
