In this episode of The Kim Monson Show, tune in for a rich discussion that unpacks the layers of new mandates and their repercussions on local entrepreneurship. The show also highlights the power of choice in energy efficiency, reflecting on past experiences with home heating systems. Meet the Dream Team as they share insights on navigating the challenges posed by increasing regulations, providing a thought-provoking take on freedom versus force. Don’t miss a chance to understand the legislative process better and how it shapes our communities.
SPEAKER 13 :
It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 18 :
An early childhood taxing district? What on earth is that?
SPEAKER 13 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 18 :
I don’t think that we should be passing legislation that is so complicated that people kind of throw up their hands and say, I can’t understand that.
SPEAKER 13 :
Today’s current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 18 :
And it’s not fair just because you’re a big business that you get a break on this and the little guy doesn’t.
SPEAKER 13 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
SPEAKER 18 :
Indeed, let’s have a conversation. And welcome to 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, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Happy Friday, Producer Joe. Happy Friday, Kim. I say that affectionately because we’ve been working like maniacs to record great featured guests for next week so that we can take a little bit of respite during Easter week.
SPEAKER 17 :
You should have seen my list of things to do yesterday. It was ginormous, but it’s closing and it’s going to be a good Easter week.
SPEAKER 18 :
It’s going to be a great Easter week. So thanks for all your hard work. I really appreciate it. Check out my website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. And make sure that you are signed up for our weekly email newsletter. Even if you are, you need to sign up for the Daily Digest. After three years of planning a couple of weeks ago, we opened the Kim Monson Community and also the Kim Monson Newsroom to… come in and be the third press of the Kim Monson Broadcast Show. And we’ve got a full house in studio with us right now. I think I need to mention that. We have the Dream Team, and we have a guest member of the Dream Team because Kane is not here, and that is Representative Max Brooks. It’s great to have you here.
SPEAKER 09 :
It’s great to be here, Kim. Thank you for the invitation. I’m honored to be able to sit in.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, it’s great. And the Dream Team is Alan Thomas. Great to have you here.
SPEAKER 04 :
Always great being here.
SPEAKER 18 :
And Ben Williams with Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, thanks, Kim.
SPEAKER 18 :
And our latest addition, and that is Teddy Collins with Spartan Defense.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thanks for having me, Kim.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, and also you’re running for state senate.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, ma’am.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay, so Alan Thomas. We’ve got something really great getting started here with this community. And we’re going to have online town halls. We’ll have networking town halls. We’re going to have classes. And you will be teaching our first class, which we are going to kick off on April 23rd. Tell us a little bit about it.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, as many of the longtime listeners know, I’m pretty affectionate about the Federalist Papers, so it’s going to be a pretty deep dive into the first part of the Federalist Papers and just reintroducing that pivotal book that Thomas Jefferson even said it’s one of the most outstanding books on governance in general. So we’re going to take a deep dive into a book that’s kind of hard to read, But make sure and pull out all of those interesting tidbits and life advice and just a good study on human nature along with how our Constitution was created and why it was created that way.
SPEAKER 18 :
I’m really excited about this, and it’ll be a 10-week course, Thursday evenings, kicking it off, I think it’s the 23rd of April, right? That’s what we have penciled in, yes, ma’am. And you’ve been with us for the whole three years. We thought it would be… We had a date, then we moved the date, and then we moved the date. But what we have created, and thank you to Zach for all of his hard work on that.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, absolutely. Zach’s been working hard.
SPEAKER 18 :
It is pretty amazing. So check out the website. That’s kimMonson.com. And you can email me at kim at kimMonson.com. The text line is 720- 605-0647. Thank you to all of you who support us because we are an independent voice on an independent station searching for truth and clarity as we look 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 to take other people’s stuff, whether or not it’s their rights, their property, freedom, livelihood. Opportunity, childhood, or lives via force. And force can be a weapon, but it can be policy and unpredictable excessive taxation, fees, fear, coercion, government-induced inflation. This agenda of the World Economic Forum and globalist elites we see playing out all the way down to municipal and special district levels. So remember, if something’s a good idea, you should not have to use force to implement it. On the show, we focus on the issues, and we’ll mention the people behind those issues, but we really work to stay out of all the personality name-calling, except if Kane’s here. Then there’s a little name calling then, but that’s not me doing it. I’ll say that. I want to say thank you to our goal sponsor, which is the Harris family. And in fact, Susan Harris was on the show yesterday. And let’s get into our word of the day. I chose a swage, which is from Alan Thomas for your essay or your article that we will publish tomorrow. We might get it published today. That’s our new goal. I don’t know if we’re going to get that done, but for sure it’ll be in the newsletter on Sunday. But it’s spelled A-S-S-U-A-G-E. Am I saying that correctly, Eswage? And it could be to make milder or less severe, relieve, ease, mitigate. Number two, to appease, satisfy, or allay. Or number three, to soothe, calm, or mollify. And this is from Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. Representative Brooks, being in the minority down at the State House, you try to many times assuage some of the really bad bills with amendments, correct? Yes.
SPEAKER 09 :
that’s right that’s right and on a radio show like this i try to assuage the fears of uh the electorate that you know we’re still working for colorado and we’re still able to get some things done down there despite the lopsided math that we uh that we face uh great word uh and yes the amendment phase is is interesting um there are representatives they actually just ran into this yesterday that on the other side of the aisle that take great offense to bringing amendments on second reading. Just real quick recap of the process. First reading is technical, right? That’s when it’s read across the desk. You have a bill, let’s call it 1-0-0-0, right? That’s right across the desk. That’s just done when it’s assigned to a committee. That’s usually done with just the speaker and a couple of the nonpartisan staff. Or in the Senate, it’s done with their president and nonpartisan staff. And they’ll assign it to a committee. Once it goes to a committee, then that’s where the public can hear it. They come in, participate, and sign up as a witness. then after he gets out of committee, it’ll go to the floor of that chamber of origin. So if it’s a House bill, then it goes to second reading in the House. And then that is where we should be able to amend bills. Because keep in mind that unless it’s one of the larger committees where we have 13 members still the vast majority of the members of the house have not heard that bill they haven’t sat in there everybody has their own committees i have three that i say well four that i sit on but still there are a number of bills that that will hit the floor that i’ve never heard before right i have a general awareness i’ve read the the title of the bill uh understand kind of what the bill does but we rely on committee members that were in those hearings to be able to really get into the nitty-gritty and then that’s where we can hopefully make the bill better and there are members that will say I’m never going to take any amendments on second reading Like, well, why do we have second reading? You know, let’s just go straight to the recorded vote, third reading and final passage. Go straight to that if you’re not going to take any amendments. So, unfortunately, we’re unable to assuage all the time.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well done. Is that second reading on the floor? Is that where that’s at?
SPEAKER 09 :
Correct. Yes, second and third reading are both on the floor. And second reading is a voice vote. And so if you’re ever visiting the House and if you’re in the chamber and you hear a voice vote, and let’s say that it’s one of these awful gun bills. I’ll just pick one off the shelf and just say it’s an awful gun bill, right? And you hear it on second reading. You hear all the debate. You’re up in the gallery. You’re thinking, okay, here comes the voice vote. They’ll say all those in favor of Senate Bill 043 say aye, right? And there’ll be one person in there that says aye, you know, one Democrat that says aye. And then all those opposed say no, and everybody yells no. and said, OK, Senate Bill 043 passes. Yeah, yeah. Well, it’s because people get up in arms. They’re like, what just happened? That’s just a miscarriage of democracy. It’s because if we forced a recorded vote There are only 22 Republicans in the House to the 43 Democrats. And so if we called a division and forced a voice vote, they would simply just bring 24 Democrats back into the chamber, because they’re usually off doing something else anyway, to be able to get that passed. So there’s an understanding that if it’s a Democrat bill and they want that Democrat bill to move forward… that it moves forward on seconds, irrespective of how we vote or what we say about it. Interesting. It’s an odd process.
SPEAKER 18 :
It is an interesting process. Well, let’s continue on. I have a feeling we’re going to learn a lot today from Representative Max Brooks. I did want to mention a couple of our sponsors. One of those is Hooters Restaurants. And how I got to know them is a really important story when I was on city council about freedom and free markets and capitalism. And they have three locations, and that is Loveland, Westminster, and in Aurora. Great specials Monday through Friday for lunch and for happy hour. And… March Madness is in full swing right now. Alan, you love basketball, don’t you?
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, yeah. Duke plays tonight. Unfortunately, Kansas lost last weekend. At the buzzer. At the buzzer. And there was a buzzer beater last night to knock Texas out. So that always makes me happy, too.
SPEAKER 18 :
So you’re happy today. Okay. But a great place to watch the games is Hooters Restaurants. And, again, they’ve been great sponsors of both the Kim Monson Show and America’s Veterans Stories for many, many years. Another great sponsor of the show is the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance Team. And Roger has been in business for over 50 years serving his customers and taking care of his family. and serving the community. And for help with any of your insurance needs, give them a call. That number’s 303-795-8855. Ben Williams with Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. You were able to save a little money.
SPEAKER 04 :
About $3,000.
SPEAKER 18 :
By just calling Roger Mangan.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay, that number’s 303-795-8855. Give that a try. And we have a full house here, Representative Max Brooks, Alan Thomas, Teddy Collins, Ben Williams, and we will be right back.
SPEAKER 05 :
State Farm Insurance recently lowered auto insurance rates for new and existing customers. Roger Mangan and his State Farm Insurance team would be delighted to talk with you about possibly saving money on your auto insurance coverage. Plus, if you already bundle your insurance coverage, you might save additional money. That’s real after-tax money in your pocket that you can save or use for everyday expenses. To find out if you can save money, Give the Roger Mangan team a call at 303-795-8855 for a complimentary appointment to review your insurance coverage. That’s 303-795-8855.
SPEAKER 10 :
Radiance Power specializes in providing expert electrical solutions for your home. Their licensed electricians excel in electrical installations, ensuring your systems are safe and efficient. Radiance Power offers comprehensive panel upgrades to enhance your electrical capacity, reliable generator installations to keep your home powered during outages, and custom lighting installations to illuminate your space beautifully. Colorado-owned Radiance Power offers better pricing for your electrical needs because of less overhead than the big guys. Contact RadiancePower.net for all of your electrical needs, delivering quality, safety, and peace of mind with every project. That’s RadiancePower.net.
SPEAKER 17 :
Bozen Law is a personal injury law firm that puts you first. Bozen Law has recovered millions on behalf of their clients. Whether hurt on the road, at work, or in a hospital, the Bozen team is ready to stand by their clients and help them move forward. They know that life can seem overwhelming after an accident or injury. That’s why the Bozen team guides, supports, and fights for the full compensation that their clients are owed. If you have been injured, prompt action makes a difference. Call Bozen Law today at 303-999-9999 for a complimentary appointment. That’s 303-999-9999.
SPEAKER 02 :
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 Kim at kim at kimMonson.com. Kim would love to talk with you. Again, that’s
SPEAKER 18 :
It is finally Friday. Welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. And we’ve got a full house. We have Representative Max Brooks and Alan Thomas, Teddy Collins and Ben Williams with Ben’s Plumbing, Heating and Cooling. You are a great sponsor of the show and we’re pleased to have you here. And we just did a new spot where it was from one of our conversations. Yeah. You might be able to save somebody $10,000 to $20,000. In fact… You actually did that recently.
SPEAKER 04 :
We did, yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
For a convention listener, right?
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. Yeah. Yeah, the gentleman called. His furnace had quit working. Now, he had purchased a really high-quality furnace, you know, thinking, hey, this is going to last me a long time. And it just went away and just quit working. Now, he knew that it was old. It was actually 30 years old. But some of these, if you buy the right furnace, some of them come with like a 99-year warranty on the heat exchanger.
SPEAKER 19 :
Really?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. Okay. So his guy that typically works on it couldn’t figure it out, and he was thinking he was going to have to replace the furnace, but he called us. My son went out there and did some troubleshooting, went through it very thoroughly, and it turned out it was a computer control board. So he replaced that, and this gentleman was very, very happy.
SPEAKER 18 :
Because a new furnace could be $10,000.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, now more than that. Because of regulation. Because of regulation.
SPEAKER 18 :
You want to talk about that, right?
SPEAKER 04 :
I do, but first I have a question for you, Kim. Okay. What do you call a pirate with two eyes, two arms, and two legs? What do I call a what? A pirate who has two eyes, two arms, and two legs. The new guy.
SPEAKER 19 :
Ho, ho, ho.
SPEAKER 04 :
So some of these furnaces and new water heaters that have been mandated cost an arm and a leg. So if you see somebody walking around without an appendage, you know what might have happened there.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay, the new guy.
SPEAKER 04 :
So, yeah, you know, I was thinking about this, Kim, when I was growing up up in Minnesota. We had a fuel oil kind of a space heater or furnace, whatever you want to call it. This was basically like a 55-gallon drum with a metal shroud around it. And it had a little copper line coming in that brought the fuel oil and had a valve to shut it on and off. And you could regulate, you know, make it a little warmer, a little hotter by the flow of fuel oil. Kept us warm. And then mom and dad were able to get a cast iron stove that came out of a caboose, had patents stamped on there from the 1800s. Interesting. And we would go out and chop a lot of firewood and load that baby up, and it kept us warm.
SPEAKER 20 :
It’s a lot of work.
SPEAKER 04 :
A lot of work. And it was not super efficient. burned through a lot of wood, but it kept us warm. Ironically, after all of us kids grew up and left home, mom and dad decided that it was time to get a more efficient wood-burning stove. So now they could load it up with wood and burn for hours on one load of wood. So that was their choice. While they had plenty of wood and plenty of kids, they didn’t mind. But they made the choice eventually to get something that was more efficient. But it wasn’t anything that was forced on them. That was just their choice, market driven. Water heaters have been fascinating. In 2003, they mandated that the combustion chamber on a water heater had to be sealed instead of just open. This is so that if you’re storing your gas can next to the water heater, it won’t ignite that. I don’t know, I call that the Darwin effect.
SPEAKER 1 :
Got it.
SPEAKER 04 :
And in 2015, Obama signed an energy efficiency bill that required water heaters to have more insulation, which made them wider. And you know, in some of these townhouses, they were built with basically a little closet where the water heater went. And I literally had to cut out some doors and walls because the new one wouldn’t fit. Kind of a bummer.
SPEAKER 18 :
Obama didn’t care.
SPEAKER 04 :
He didn’t care. So it’s just fascinating. You know, we took, my son and I took a class.
SPEAKER 18 :
We should explain. Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. It’s B-E-N-Z, but there’s two Ben’s.
SPEAKER 04 :
There’s two Ben’s. Ben Senior, Ben Junior. Got it. So my son and I were taking a class on these ultra-low-nox furnaces. And, you know, Kim, I’m not always the sharpest knife in the room, but I can usually follow along on these classes. And they were talking about all this equipment we have to have to program the furnace and read the error codes. And I felt like I was in a computer programming class. And I looked at my son and I said, are you getting this? He says, oh, about 60, 70% of it. It’s crazy. I mean, now physically installing the furnace or whatever is the easy part. It’s the programming and setup that’s crazy. And then, of course, the new ventilation that may be required, you know, to handle these.
SPEAKER 18 :
And this is a new – this was legislation that was passed that it’s now kicking in. January 1st is when it went into effect.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. And was that –
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. House Bill 23-11-61, the furnace mandate. Thank you, Representative Brooks. You may be aware of this then, huh?
SPEAKER 09 :
Unfortunately, we track a lot of regulatory bills in the House. We love regulation in this state. We are the sixth most regulated state in the country, and it’s just absolutely strangling small business, I feel for you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, and I feel for the homeowners who have to foot the bill on all this. And you know what’s crazy? If you read the energy code, there’s a little clause in there that says something to the effect of, All this has to be done, blah, blah, blah, to save energy unless it’s not cost efficient. And I don’t know why somebody has not taken that to court to say, hey, this is not cost efficient. Because some of these, I know Denver, my brother’s doing a job for a restaurant that’s going in. Denver is saying you have to put in water heaters for this restaurant that are, like instead of being fuel fired, they’re electric, but not just electric, they have to be, think of like a heat pump. So basically it draws heat out of the ambient air temperature to help heat the water. So it’s almost set up like an air conditioner in reverse. These things cost $20,000 a piece. How does that even begin to pay for itself? It doesn’t.
SPEAKER 18 :
So, Teddy, on that, you’re running for office.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, ma’am.
SPEAKER 18 :
And we’re hearing politicians all the time talk about affordability. Yeah. But many times what we see from the Democrats is it’s a new government program taking money from we the people, and they are under the guise of affordability.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 18 :
Look at this. This rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 14 :
Pretty soon here we won’t even be able to have gas appliances whatsoever because of how the state is legislating things and how they’re trying to… basically interfere with our ability to be affordable. I mean, rules, regulation, and red tape, that’s what’s leading to the unaffordability in Colorado. Colorado is one of the least affordable states, and that’s why. It’s government control. Keep the government out of her business. Keep them out of her pocket.
SPEAKER 04 :
there you go yeah so 20 so your brother is so denver is also mandating this yes because because denver is even ahead of the state of colorado as far as their how radical they are you know and and so here’s what’s crazy because these water heaters are less efficient instead of putting in one you know say 100 gallon fuel fired water heater they have to put in three
SPEAKER 18 :
Honestly.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s $60,000 for the cost of the units without any labor.
SPEAKER 1 :
Unbelievable.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. How many hamburgers are you going to have to sell to make that up? A lot. So… Anyway, there are some things that I’m thankful for. It’s always interesting when you go to a car show and people are either driving in or driving out with these 1940s, 50s, 60s cars, and there’s kind of the blue plume of smoke coming out the tailpipe. It’s like, you know, I’m glad that we’re not…
SPEAKER 18 :
Doing that.
SPEAKER 04 :
Doing that. Just like with my parents, buying a better, efficient wood-burning stove, that’s great. I just wish that the government wasn’t forcing all this on us and driving up the cost so bad. But historically, this has gone on for eons of time. The Bible is full of many accounts of wicked government rulers demanding more and more money, forcing people to be their slaves, killing children, killing the Christians. And basically all this is just a result of a society allowing demonic forces to be the rulers. And it really comes, you know, we’ve talked about this, Kim, it really comes down to one person making a difference, right? Look at the impact that Sybil Ludington had. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Donald Trump, Kim Monson. Teddy Collins and Max Brooks, these are individual people who are just standing up and saying, you know what, I’m gonna take the fight and go make a difference, right? So we as individuals need to get involved in that one thing that we’ve been designed to do. Don’t back down. We wanna be an influence to those around us, especially the younger generation. You know, it’s interesting, if you, Read in your Bible in the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 28. It’s the chapter that talks about the blessings and the curses. You would feel like you’re reading the headlines of today.
SPEAKER 18 :
Really?
SPEAKER 04 :
God just says, hey, if you will follow me and obey my commands, these are the good things that will happen. If you don’t follow me and obey my commands, these are the bad things that will happen. And I’m telling you, you could track identical all the bad things that are happening based off of Deuteronomy 28. So that’s why it’s just so important for us as individuals to examine our hearts and say, okay, it starts with me. What am I going to do, right? And that’s why I make Bibles available to people. We’ve talked about the McGuffey readers. But also Ben Monson wrote a book that I think can be very influential for young kids called Hoback the Backhoe. So he has these friends, Grizz and Gray. They have to overcome some dire odds to get back home. So it’s kind of a mental challenge for those who are reading it. So the story follows a hero’s journey of persistence and faith. And this is the kind of thing that we need to be putting into our children’s minds, teaching them good moral values and perseverance. So I want to make five of those books available to our listeners. Now, here’s the deal. People, listen before you call in. please leave your name and your mailing address. If you just say, hey, I heard you on the show and I’d like a book, makes it kind of tough. So whether you call or text, please leave your name, your mailing address, and I’d like to send out five of those books to our listeners. You can contact me, either call or text at 303-995-1636.
SPEAKER 18 :
Again, that’s 303-995-1636, and it’s a darling book. It really is. So thank you, Ben. You always have a giveaway, and those McGuffey readers, that was a great giveaway as well.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, those are so powerful.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, and then you normally also do Bibles.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I carry Bibles in the truck and offer them to customers if they want them, and I’m happy. If somebody would like a Bible, I’d love to send it out to you. This is a modern translation, still extremely accurate, But it reads like we talk today. It’s not the these and the thous.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. Well, great. Thank you so much. And we so value Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling as a sponsor of the show. So thank you so much as well.
SPEAKER 20 :
Thank you, Kim.
SPEAKER 18 :
And let’s see. We’re going to go to break. So it’s the Spartan Defense Nurture that I need to have. And just amazing that Teddy Collins is in studio with us. And he and his wife own Spartan Defense.
SPEAKER 07 :
When Coloradans want the very best in firearms, they go to Spartan Defense, conveniently located in Colorado Springs. As the largest family owned and operated gun store in the state, they offer an impressive inventory, including brands you won’t find anywhere else in Colorado. Owner Teddy Collins says their selection is built to serve everyone from first time buyers to serious firearms enthusiasts. Spartan Defense also offers training and an advanced shooting simulator designed to help you carry confidently and with purpose. And if you’re shopping for the best deal, they’ll match any competitor’s price on any firearm as long as it’s above their cost. Learn more about the impressive firearm inventory and next-level training at SpartanDefense.com. That’s SpartanDefense.com.
SPEAKER 15 :
As an entrepreneur and owner of Radiant Painting and Lighting, Karen Gorday knows that your home is one of your most important assets. That’s why Karen Gorday and her team at Radiant Painting and Lighting use only high quality paint for your interior and exterior projects. At the heart of Radiant Painting and Lighting are values that guide everything they do. Integrity, transparency, respect, and care. Radiant Painting and Lighting goes above and beyond to ensure your satisfaction and comfort throughout your project. Make your appointment now by going to paintwithradiant.com. That’s paintwithradiant.com.
SPEAKER 07 :
April 26th, 1777. Colonel, the British are raiding Danbury and burning the town. I’ll go tell them. Sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington mounted her horse and rode 40 miles through night and pouring rain. That’s twice the distance of Paul Revere to sound the alarm.
SPEAKER 01 :
Quickly, assemble at my father’s house.
SPEAKER 07 :
The Kim Monson Show is our modern-day Sybil Ludington, bringing us the latest breaking news in the battle for truth and freedom. Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling is proud to stand with Kim. Will you stand with us? Get engaged with the issue that keeps you up at night so that you can influence your school and community with truth and justice. And for quality craftsmanship at a fair price, call or text Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling at 303-995-1636. That number again is 303-995-1636.
SPEAKER 01 :
All 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 Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thank God it’s…
SPEAKER 18 :
thank goodness it’s friday and welcome back to the kim Monson show and i did want to mention the usmc memorial foundation they are having their great fundraiser their golf tournament in mid-may and sign up for that it’s a great way to support the usmc memorial foundation and have a great day of golf out at the Ridge and Castle Pines. You can get all that information by going to usmcmemorialfoundation.org. And I think if you register before the end of this month, you still get early bird pricing. Next thing I wanted to mention before we get over here to Alan Thomas, I wanted to mention that Representative Max Brooks is in studio, Ben Williams with Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling, Teddy Collins with Spartan Defense, and Alan Thomas, who is a frequent guest host, co-host, An author at the Kim Monson Show. It’s great to have you here. But let’s go to the Medal of Honor quote book. And this, you can get that by going to the Center for American Values website. That’s AmericanValuesCenter.org. And this is regarding Ryan M. Pitts, United States Army Medal of Honor. He was born in 1985. You want to kick this off for us regarding the citation on this, Alan?
SPEAKER 08 :
Sergeant Ryan M. Pitts distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a forward observer in the 2nd Platoon, Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion Airborne, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, during combat operations against an armed enemy at Vehicle Patrol Base Collar in the vicinity of Wanat Village, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on July 13, 2008. Early that morning, while Sergeant Pitts was providing perimeter security at Observation Post Topside, a well-organized anti-Afghan force consisting of over 200 members initiated a close proximity sustained and complex assault using accurate and intense rocket-propelled grenade, machine gun, and small arms fire on Wanat Vehicle Patrol Base. An immediate wave of rocket-propelled grenade rounds engulfed the observation post, wounding Sergeant Pitts and inflicting heavy casualties. Sergeant Pitts had been knocked to the ground and was bleeding heavily from shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs. But with incredible toughness and resolve, he subsequently took control of the observation post and returned fire on the enemy. As the enemy drew nearer, Sergeant Pitts threw grenades, holding them after the pin was pulled and the safety lever was released, to allow a nearly immediate detonation on the hostile forces. Unable to stand on his own and near death because of the severity of his wounds and blood loss, Sergeant Pitts continued to lay suppressive fire until a two-man reinforcement team arrived.
SPEAKER 18 :
Sergeant Pitts quickly assisted them by giving up his main weapon and gathering ammunition, all while continually lobbing fragmentary grenades until they were expended. At this point, Sergeant Pitts crawled to the northern position radio and described the situation to the command post as the enemy continued to try and isolate the observation post from the main patrol base. With the enemy close enough for him to hear their voices and with total disregard for his own life, Sergeant Pitts whispered in the radio situation reports and conveyed information that the command post used to provide indirect fire support. Sergeant Pitt’s courage, steadfast commitment to the defense of his unit, and ability to fight while seriously wounded prevented the enemy from overrunning the observation post and capturing fallen American soldiers, and ultimately prevented the enemy from gaining fortified positions on higher ground from which to attack Walnut Vehicle Patrol Base. Sergeant Ryan M. Pitt’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Company C, 2nd Battalion, Airborne, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, and the United States Army. And many of us were alive during this time. And I’m trying to think, what was I doing on July 13, 2008? I was living my life with so many blessings because men have put their lives on the line for us. And we need to be really grateful for that. So that’s why it’s great to support the Center for American Values in Pueblo as well as the USMC Memorial Foundation. But this is the quote from Ryan M. Pitts from the Medal of Honor quote book. He said, Wars are won by all the men and women whose contribution go unrecognized and by the true heroes who don’t come home. Our duty to lead lives worthy of their sacrifices and, when necessary, defend the freedom that they secured. And we are in a great battle of ideas. And we are called every day to step into this battle because… Actually, it’s been attributed to Stalin that he said, ideas are more powerful than guns. We wouldn’t let our enemies have guns. Why would we let them have ideas? And that’s why what we do here, I think, is important. And Alan, you’re a big part of this. And you… You write such thoughtful articles, and this is the specters of the Constitution. So walk us through this, Alan Thomas.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, in the excitement of the class kicking off next month, we kind of wanted to introduce a little bit of where the Federalist Papers come from and why they were even needed, right? Because we sit here in this wonderfully air-conditioned room kind of taking for granted a little bit where the Constitution really came from. Like to us, especially if I could take a poll of the room, everybody would raise their hands if we said, is the Constitution a good idea? We would all say, yeah, it’s worked pretty well, 250 years. That’s a pretty remarkable achievement. But when you go all the way back to when the Constitution was created, The states were just coming out of this war with the greatest military might the world had ever seen up until that point. I mean, Britain was powerful. We had barely squeaked by. When you talk about people sacrificing their lives in Valley Forge, they were losing their lives just because they couldn’t get enough clothes and supplies and food and tents. So we have to take ourselves back and realize that there was actually a time in our founding where the Constitution was being debated. And it was being questioned. And it was with very good questions. Is this a good idea? Is this a wise way for us to govern ourselves? And what I wanted to kind of bring to light is there were a lot of valid points that were brought forward about why the Constitution might not be a good idea. And there were a lot of fears that the states had about a federal government that might take their power away. So, you know, of course the number one thing that they were scared of at the time was another authoritarian government, another monarchy, if you will, right? And so the Federalist Papers is really born in the midst of this great fear of a monarchy. And the Articles of Confederation were our governing document throughout the Revolutionary War and the beginning of our founding. And they conspicuously leave out an executive branch. And Hamilton and Washington and many of our founding fathers who fought in the Revolutionary War realized we nearly lost the war because we didn’t have an executive branch. We didn’t have an authority that could step in in emergencies and help direct what needed to be directed. We had this very, very condensed version of a government that was basically ineffective. So you can almost hear Patrick Henry when Virginia was having its ratifying convention. You can hear the passion in his words when he says, away with your president. We will have a king. The military will salute him. Your militias will protect him. And basically, he will fight against you. We don’t want this president that you’re proposing. We don’t want this new monarch dressed up in different clothes and called by a different title. Is that fair? Is that fair for him to say? Of course, they fought against the king, right? They fought against a king who refused to govern them. And when you read the Declaration of Independence, it’s not just taxes in there. Most all of it is all about, hey, you’re not governing us the way you need to govern us. We don’t have a fair court. We don’t have a way to redress our grievances. You don’t assign people and laws to actually effectively govern. mitigate the issues that we are facing all the way across the Atlantic. And so you can hear him say, wait a minute, I’m just trading one tyrant for another with this proposed constitution. So that’s when the Federalist Paper steps in and says, okay, you know, yes. We are putting him in charge of the Army, but also go talk to General Washington about why that is and why that’s a good thing. But also look at all the friction we’ve created. Look at how we’ve prevented him from consolidating power. We’ve created this legislative branch that, oh, by the way, can impeach him and remove him from power if need be. the legislative branch can also say, hey, you can’t just have infinite control of the army. We have to declare war. We can also take away funding for the army at any time. So it’s valid to be worried about this monarchy But we’ve thought about that. We’ve implemented controls so that it will never happen. And, you know, we face it even today, right? I mean, these no King’s Days protests, you kind of sit back and you go, okay, well, the founders actually gave us a very real way to make sure that the president never becomes king, becomes a king, because guess what? The colonists in the new states back then were way more fearful of a king than any of the modern-day liberals will ever be.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay, Alan, a couple of things. I’m sure all of you know the dates, but I wanted to clarify that we’re celebrating our 250th birthday. So 1776, we declare our independence. The war goes on until 1783. 1787, September 17th, 1787 is Constitution Day. So there was a real period of time there where they were under the Articles of Confederation.
SPEAKER 08 :
Exactly. And basically the Constitutional Convention started out as, hey, this isn’t working. Let’s amend the Articles of Confederation. And the second point, the second specter that the Federalist Papers really had to overcome was the Articles of Confederation. Because people were like, hey, we have a governing document. We sent you guys to just update it, to tweak it, right? And yeah, maybe some major tweaks, but you scrapped the whole thing and started over. That’s not fair. That’s not what we wanted you to do. You proposed this whole new government with this Constitution. It wasn’t a constitutional convention until afterwards when they actually proposed the Constitution. It was originally supposed to just change and tweak this Articles of Confederation. And then they say, hey, now you have this president. Now you have a legislative branch. You’ve proposed way more control over the states than the Articles ever did. Like, what’s going on here?
SPEAKER 18 :
And that’s why the Federalist Papers are important. I think that’s probably also why they asked George Washington to oversee the Constitutional Convention so that it would give it validity, don’t you think?
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. I mean, he was the most famous politician. He had the gravitas, if you will, to stand in there and to give it the authority of meaningful change.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. Okay. When we come back, I’d like to dig down a little bit more on this No Kings Day. I guess there’s going to be one here soon. And the No Kings Day is actually July 4th, 1776, if you want to get it right. And so we will continue to have the discussion. We have these great discussions because of our sponsors for everything mortgages. Reach out to Lauren Levy.
SPEAKER 16 :
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SPEAKER 10 :
With all the chaos and confusion in our world, how can you plant yourself on a foundation based on truth and clarity? The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim examines news, politics, and opinion through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom, and shares human interest stories that will inspire you and make you smile. 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, and the KLZ app. Shows can also be found at kimMonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
SPEAKER 06 :
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SPEAKER 11 :
The Kim Monson Show is expanding and augmenting our voice and reach. In addition to the Kim Monson Show broadcast, we have created the Kim Monson Newsroom and the Kim Monson Community. We call them the three presses, and they are foundational to free speech and engaging in responsible self-governance. Go to Kim Monson.com. Click on the newsletter tab and sign up for the weekly email newsletter and the daily digest and join the Kim Monson community, which is a modern salon where you can contemplate, connect and converse around the principles we cover daily. Sign up today at Kim Monson.com.
SPEAKER 18 :
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 your financial freedom is shaped by more than numbers. It’s shaped by planning for the realities of your life. At Mint Financial Strategies, Jody Hinze and her team help you assess your current reality while planning for your future. Additionally, Mint Financial Strategies helps you navigate through your emotions regarding the economy, your career, and the market, while encouraging you to evaluate family dynamics that could influence your financial well-being. These insights help them to design a plan that fits for you, for your life. So take that step towards financial freedom. Call Mint Financial Strategies today. That number is 303-285-3080. Again, 303-285-3080. And in studio with us is Colorado Representative Max Brooks. It’s great to have you here.
SPEAKER 09 :
Good morning.
SPEAKER 18 :
And Ben Williams with Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling.
SPEAKER 04 :
What’s that number? 303-995-1636. And I’ll say real quick, we’ve had several people either call or text to get the book, Ho Back the Backhoe. Already? Yeah. I can make a great gift for your kids here around Easter. So still have a few more available if anybody else wants to call in on that or text.
SPEAKER 18 :
And leave your name and address.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, please.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. And Teddy Collins, Spartan Defense, and also running for office. What’s the two websites that people can find you at?
SPEAKER 14 :
So for my business, it would be SpartanDefense.com, and that’s defense with an S, not a C, because some people spell it the other way. And for Senate District 4, that would be CollinsForColorado.com, and that’s spelled out, F-O-R, not the number 4. So CollinsForColorado.com.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. And Alan Thomas, we’re talking about your… essay, The Specters of the Constitution. And the founders and many were just so concerned about a monarchy, a king. And now we fast forward to 2026 America, and there’s these no kings protests. And the real no kings day is July 4th, 1776.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. And, you know, we kind of talked off break that while they were scared of a monarchy, there also was this just overriding fear of authoritarianism, right? And that’s the irony in How we had set up our government is the colonists and the state citizens of the day, they had put a lot of hard work into the governing documents of each of their states. For instance, Virginia was very proud of its state constitution. And they said, wait a minute, this federal government, it’s going to get too big. It’s going to start infringing on the rights of all of our states. It’s going to start taxing our citizens. The articles don’t do that. We don’t want this heavy-handed government taxing individuals. We don’t want it telling us how to live our lives in Virginia all the way from Washington, D.C. We don’t want here in Georgia or New Hampshire, we don’t want this federal government telling us how to live our lives. It doesn’t know us. It doesn’t know what we do. So keep it out of our lives. We want to keep it as far away as possible. But we do want the benefits of it. We want a federal government that will protect the borders. And that was the biggest one, is this threat of Britain or Spain coming back. And it’s like, well, yeah, we need to unite as all these 13 colonies and states and say, yeah, we do need the added might of each other. But also, we kind of like how this is set up, where each of us gets to decide what each of us does. And this fear of authoritarianism is something that was very inherent in how our government was set up. And one thing they did not plan for that we now have is this fourth branch of government, this authoritarian bureaucratic state where – Ironically, they set it up. They said, well, the legislative branch will never want to give up its authority. The executive will never want to give up its authority. So they’ll constantly be fighting, right? And that’s what this bureaucratic state actually absolved, is it said, OK, the legislature said, we’re going to defer some power to the president to just put in this unelected bureaucrat and have these agencies and run these things and not be accountable to the people. Which, again, was one of the arguments that the Federalist Papers made was this whole new system of government is so radically different because for the first time in the history of the world, it gave all of the power to the people. Not this Lord’s class, not this technically these people that have high power and prestige. It said, no, no, we need every citizen in the country to be active and engaged in their government because we need to hold people accountable by electing them. That is how a republic works, is it uses democracy to create a republic to allow the people to say, whoa, you’re no longer representing my interests. I need to vote you out of here. I need to say you’re gone. You’re getting too power hungry. You’re proposing things that go against the best interests of my state or the best interests of my family. So now we have this authoritarian fourth branch of government that bypasses the entire design of our country And now the irony is we have these folks that are saying no King’s Day. It’s like, okay, well, I’ll join in if you agree to get rid of, what, over half the departments that are proposed right now? Because they act like kings. Because they act like kings over life. I mean, we heard over the break about Teddy Collins was trying to buy a fireplace, a more efficient fireplace from Europe, and he couldn’t because of EPA regulations.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, it’s insane. It’s insane the amount of things that are out there, the bureaucratic rules that they just make up. I mean, even with departments like the ATF, they just literally make up rules that violate our Second Amendment, right, which is the ultimate no kings protection. Absolutely. Yeah.
SPEAKER 08 :
And so it’s very ironic. If I could, it’s the necessity of going through and re-familiarizing ourselves with our founding, with these wonderful books like the Federalist Papers, is because we are at a spot and at a point to where we can actually come alongside some of these folks and say, hey, Your attitude and the idea that you have is maybe just a little misapplied. Let’s direct it towards this. Let’s move it here towards this. Because truthfully, if you think Donald Trump is a king, there’s ways to strip that king of power. And we can do it through this founding document that was created 250 years ago. And so if you truly want to strip Donald Trump of power… I actually would raise my hand and say I want an executive branch that is less powerful and less involved in my life. I would happily come alongside them to strip that executive branch of power because we’re not always going to have the elected official we want in the executive branch. And that was the point that they always said is we get the government that we deserve because we the people will either use the right that we have to install politicians or we will absolve ourselves of our own right to get the government we want.
SPEAKER 14 :
I was just going to add to that you know it’s very important that people understand the difference between a democracy and a Republican because republic is a form of democracy democracies don’t last Republic’s do democracies in their pure form are mob rule and generally getting up against the minority. The point of a republic is to protect the minority that’s how our system is set up it’s to protect it. So that’s you know when one side takes power by one vote they can’t just ram anything they want down the throats of the minority.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. And that’ll be class number three right there.
SPEAKER 18 :
And so join the Kim Monson community. There’s three different levels, $50 a year, $100 a year, or $200 a year. You get everything. And the first 250 people that join in honor of our birthday will be known as founding patrons. And Ben Williams, you’re one of those founding patrons. It’s great to have you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Proud to be on board.
SPEAKER 18 :
Awesome. Our quote for the end of the show, I went to Medal of Honor recipient Eddie Rickenbacker. And if you don’t know who Eddie Rickenbacker is, he was born in 1890, died in 1973. He was an American fighter pilot in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He had 26 aerial victories, and he was the most successful and most decorated United States flying ace of the war. He was also a race car driver, and he was a longtime head of Eastern Airlines. He said this, The four cornerstones of character on which the structure of this nation was built are initiative, imagination, individuality, and independence. 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. God bless America. Stay tuned for our number two and the Dream Team.
SPEAKER 1 :
I don’t want no one to cry, but tell them if I do.
SPEAKER 21 :
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 18 :
An early childhood taxing district? What on earth is that?
SPEAKER 13 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 18 :
I don’t think that we should be passing legislation that is so complicated that people kind of throw up their hands and say, I can’t understand that.
SPEAKER 13 :
Today’s current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 18 :
And it’s not fair just because you’re a big business that you get a break on this and the little guy doesn’t.
SPEAKER 13 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
SPEAKER 18 :
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. And thank you to the team. That’s Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Happy Friday, Producer Joe. Happy Friday, Kim. A very robust first hour, I would say, Producer Joe.
SPEAKER 21 :
Definitely. I learned a lot already.
SPEAKER 18 :
I did as well. And in studio with us is Representative Max Brooks. It’s great to have you here.
SPEAKER 09 :
It’s great to be here. Thank you so much for the invite. I always have fun coming in on this show. It’s fantastic. I always love to be able to talk about the things that we know that matter most to hard-working Colorado families.
SPEAKER 18 :
I like it. I like it. And that was the correct answer.
SPEAKER 09 :
Good. I’m invited back.
SPEAKER 18 :
And Ben Williams, great sponsor of the show with Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. It’s great to have you here.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wonderful to be here, Kim.
SPEAKER 18 :
And Teddy Collins, owner, a family-owned business, Spartan Defense. And I’ve been to Spartan Defense. It is impressive.
SPEAKER 14 :
I appreciate that, Kim. Yeah, we’ve been building that business up. I mean, when we started, we were only a couple thousand square feet. Now we’re close to 10,000 square feet and 30-something employees. So, yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
And those employees look like they know what they’re doing.
SPEAKER 14 :
They do. They do. I try to hire people with actual experience. You know, I really do. I make an effort to hire veterans especially. We like to support the veteran community and make sure that vets have good jobs.
SPEAKER 18 :
That’s great. And Alan Thomas, I learned so much, and we’re teasing your class. So the Kim Monson community, and there’s different levels, but at the top level, I think it’s the top two, I think they get the class. And it’s going to be a 10-week class beginning on April 23rd regarding the first half of the Federalist Papers.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, and it’s going to be exciting. It’s making it accessible. They’re not easy to read. The arguments are very much so 250 years old. So it’s how do we apply the Federalist Papers to today, and what can we learn from them? So they have a lot of great life advice about just how people and human nature is. There’s also just great rhetoric and persuasion techniques in them. And then, of course, you get to also learn how and why the Constitution was crafted the way it was.
SPEAKER 18 :
so join us and the first 250 people to join at the mount vernon level we named this after the estates of some of our founders so the 50 level is montpelier which was james madison’s estate and then monticello is the 100 a year level uh and that was thomas jefferson’s i excuse me i’ve been there and it’s fascinating and it was just so fascinating to walk through Have you been there, Representative Brooks?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, I have. If you’re going to head out in that area, you have to make a stop and see it for yourself.
SPEAKER 18 :
For sure. And how I ended up there, Yvonne Paez, who’s also a frequent guest host on the show, we were at a fundraiser for the USMC Memorial Foundation, and they were auctioning off this special… location. She thought it was in the Rocky Mountains, but it was actually in Virginia right next to Monticello, and so she asked a number of us to go with her, and that’s how I got there. But just going through, and the stairs, they’re steep, and they’re skinny, and I’m just thinking about All the people that walk through there. But anyway, that’s the Monticello level. And then our top level is Mount Vernon in honor of George Washington. And the first 250 that join at the Mount Vernon level in honor of our birthday will be known as founding patrons of the Kim Monson community. And also check out our newsroom as well. And the newsroom has a… It’s an arm’s length from me, which is important. And we’re really working on… journalistic integrity I will have my commentary on it but we’re bringing back how journalism is supposed to really be so it’s great to great to be able to do that our word of the day is assuage and that is s-a-s-s-u-a-g-e and it could be to make milder or less severe to relieve ease mitigate and Number two, to appease, satisfy, allay. Number three, to soothe, calm, or mollify. I think I need to have mollify as a word of the day as well, but I chose that because that’s one of the words that you used in your article, Alan Thomas.
SPEAKER 08 :
And the context is, you know, the Constitution was meant to assuage the fears of many of the states and the citizens who were scared of monarchy, of authoritarianism, and why it was actually going to be a good idea, and The test of time has proven it’s lasted quite a while, so I’m pretty glad that the 13 states got on board and passed it, and we got to try this wonderful experiment.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, I think that we got fat and happy, and we didn’t pay attention to… who we were electing and the different powers. Ginny had texted me. She said, states need to quit taking the federal cocaine. She says, and that’s federal grant money. States are giving up Amendment 14, their state sovereignty. And she says, those who pay have the say. And she’s absolutely right, Teddy Collins.
SPEAKER 14 :
Absolutely. It’s definitely, you know, everything comes with strings attached. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
SPEAKER 18 :
You sound like my father. Teddy Collins.
SPEAKER 14 :
I’m an old soul.
SPEAKER 18 :
You know, that’s what they said about George Washington as well. They said those Washingtons, they’re all old souls. And that’s a great segue. I was going to ask you, as we’re having these different interviews and you’re running for office, I’m hearing that you understand the proper role of government. How did you learn about the American idea?
SPEAKER 14 :
So, you know, it’s kind of interesting. I mean, I’ve always been very pro-American. I had the benefit when I was younger to go to military school almost my entire life, and it really did instill patriotism into me. College is when I really found my way and my conservative principles. In college? In college is where I really, really started to learn that I was indeed a conservative. I was actually, a lot of people don’t realize this, I grew up in a family where my stepfather was a Democrat trial lawyer. And it’s one of the reasons I became a Republican, because I didn’t get along with him too well. So… Yeah, yeah. No, so it’s in college, you know, I had a professor who was really a big influence in my life, in my political science class in my first freshman year. And he stayed out of telling what his personal beliefs were. He wanted to challenge us to see where we stood on the issues. And this was during the first election for Barack Obama, and this was during the primary season. We were all assigned a primary candidate at random. We did not get to choose, where we had to do a 14-page essay on it. I was assigned Hillary Clinton, and then I discovered really quickly that I was definitely a Republican, because that was one of the first elections I actually got to vote in for president. So, yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
That is fascinating. What do you think about that, Alan Thomas? Isn’t that the fascinating experiment that should be happening in colleges?
SPEAKER 08 :
Exactly, it is. And you’ve got to love learning about candidates that actually have real-world experience too, right?
SPEAKER 18 :
And instead of, I’m just guessing with some classes now, it’s write 14 pages and tell us why Hillary Clinton should be president.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, it was one of the hardest term papers ever. i’ve ever had to do in my life and we had to be convincing we had to do it from a pro perspective yes so uh we had to convince the class that they were the candidate it was one of the worst papers i’ve ever written in my life and definitely was a very tough thing to do it is a tough thing when you have to take the other side that’s for sure oh yeah and uh so you’re running for office yes ma’am and tell us about that So I’m running for state Senate, Senate District 4, one of the largest Senate districts in the state. It comprises eight counties. So just to give you guys an idea, we’ve got rural Jeffco and Douglas. We’ve got Fremont. We’ve got Teller, Chaffey, Custer, Lake, and Park. So a very large district comprised of almost all of central Colorado and then some of the southern rural areas of Douglas and Jeffco. Yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
So you’re putting miles on your vehicle?
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I have visited every single county at this point. I was just in Chafee last night at the Salida Gun Shop for their podcast. And then the day before that, I was up in Jeffco. So I’ve been all over the place.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. How can people get more information and tell us what’s coming up and…
SPEAKER 14 :
Absolutely. So I mean, you know that we’ve got it. We’ve got our special district since it’s a multi-county assembly coming up in next week on Saturday. But to get more information, if you want to support the campaign, if you want to donate to support us and support a pro-liberty candidate, you can go to collinsforcolorado.com spelled out.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. Okay. And your day job is you have the family-owned business, which is Spartan Defense.
SPEAKER 14 :
I do. I’m also an investor, though. I’ve got my hands in other things, and I’ve been a realtor in the past. A lot of people don’t know this. I was a landman at one point as well. So the gun store is kind of a hobby for me to support my local community. Okay. I enjoy it. I do enjoy it. But I feel a calling to do better things, greater things, and to help people. And I feel like I need to be up in the gold dome to be able to fight back against the tyranny we’re experiencing here in Colorado.
SPEAKER 18 :
The way to help people is make sure that you protect their private property rights, their freedom. Those are the things that need to be done. So we’ll talk with Representative Brooks when we come back from break about that. I did want to give the quote of the day from our Medal of Honor recipient. United States Army, Ryan M. Pitts. He was born in 1985. And you can get the Medal of Honor quote book by going to AmericanValueCenter.org. And, of course, the center is located in Pueblo. The co-founders are Drew Dix, Medal of Honor recipient, for actions he took during the Vietnam War and Brad Padula. And just I think everybody should have this particular book at their home on their Liberty shelf. But this is what… What he said, he said, wars are won by all the men and women whose contribution go unrecognized and by the true heroes who don’t come home. Our duty is to lead lives worthy of their sacrifices and when necessary, defend the freedom that they secured. And we are called at this particular point in time to defend this in the battle of ideas, and that’s why we do this show and all that we do. So we’re going to go to break, and I do want to say thank you to our great sponsors. One of those is the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance Team, and they know that life can be challenging, and they will answer your call or text 24 hours a day so that you have that 24-hour peace of mind. That number is 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan Team is there.
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SPEAKER 11 :
The Kim Monson Show is expanding and augmenting our voice and reach. In addition to the Kim Monson Show broadcast, we have created the Kim Monson Newsroom and the Kim Monson Community. We call them the three presses, and they are foundational to free speech and engaging in responsible self-governance. Go to kimMonson.com. Click on the newsletter tab and sign up for the weekly email newsletter and the daily digest. And join the Kim Monson community, which is a modern salon where you can contemplate, connect, and converse around the principles we cover daily. Sign up today at kimMonson.com.
SPEAKER 17 :
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SPEAKER 10 :
With all the chaos and confusion in our world, how can you plant yourself on a foundation based on truth and clarity? The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim examines news, politics, and opinion through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom, and shares human interest stories that will inspire you and make you smile. 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, and the KLZ app. Shows can also be found at kimMonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes. It’s right!
SPEAKER 18 :
It is Friday. 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 Little Richie’s, located in Parker and Golden, is your spot for authentic New York-style pizza and pasta. They’re locally owned and have been serving Parker and Golden for over 20 years. And Saturdays is Calzone Day. And you buy one calzone, you get the second calzone half off. And they are, I think, the best calzones I’ve ever had.
SPEAKER 14 :
Heck of a deal.
SPEAKER 18 :
Have you been to Little Richie’s?
SPEAKER 14 :
I haven’t. I’m going to go try it.
SPEAKER 18 :
You need to try it.
SPEAKER 14 :
I will.
SPEAKER 18 :
I drove by the other day and had to zoom in, and they’re pretty delicious.
SPEAKER 14 :
There you go.
SPEAKER 18 :
So check that out. But another great sponsor of the show. Alan Thomas, you’ve written this important piece, The Specters of the Constitution, and it’s set up some things for… Representative Brooks that I think I want to try to connect some dots on. But Ben Williams with Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Coolings in Studio. And you’re such a great sponsor of the show. And these giveaways that you do, have you given away all five books yet?
SPEAKER 04 :
I’ve got one left. Yeah, four people have called in. So this is Ho Back the Back Ho, great influential book for your children. I’ve got one left. If you would like to call or text, please leave your name and mailing address, and you can reach me at 303-995-1636. Okay.
SPEAKER 18 :
Thank you for doing that. And Teddy Collins, Spartan Defense, candidate for?
SPEAKER 14 :
Senate District 4.
SPEAKER 18 :
Senate District 4. Great to have you. So we’re now going to put Representative Brooks on the hot seat. Let’s do it. And Representative Brooks, one of the things, I’ve got this volunteer gig that you’ve got to call us all crazy. And I have to say thank you to my fellow board members of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers. And I really recommend that you join us. And Teddy, you have signed the pledge.
SPEAKER 14 :
I have the only candidate running for Senate District 4 that has signed that pledge.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, okay. And you can find the pledge by going to coloradotaxpayer.org. And we have created also Cut Engaged, where we put up anywhere from three to five bills that we have rated during or taken positions on that week. And you can actually make your voices heard on those bills. And you probably have gotten something on some of these bills. Representative Brooks, yes?
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, absolutely. I get the email, I believe, weekly that tells me what positions Colorado Union of Taxpayers is taking on the bills as they review them. As your amazing volunteer team will sit down and go through the bills. It is such, let me tell you. It is such an amazing resource for legislators because we’ve already had four to 500 pieces of legislation that have run through the system. So when you’re trying to keep track of all of that, particularly the ones that are not coming through your committees where you have the benefit of being able to sit down hear the presentation from the bill sponsors, hear testimony from the public. It is such a valuable tool and resource to be able to pull up the Colorado Union of Taxpayers and be able to see, do you support, do you oppose, and the reasons why. Because every bill, and you can speak to this much more effectively than I can, but every bill that you rate, it’s done so on a set of principles. And if you’re not passing the legislative sniff test, then you know what? This is not something that we should be supporting. And that is an incredible, incredible asset for us to be able to use in the Gold Dome.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, thank you. And I know the team, many of them listen every day, so I’m going to say thank you to them. Steve Dorman, Greg Golianski, Russ Haas, Bill Hamill, Rob Knuth, John Nelson, Wendy Warner, Marty Nielsen, Rami Johnson, Mary Jansen, Dave Evans, Corey Onusorg, Paula Beard, and Ray Beard. And… I think you can attest to this, Representative Brooks, we really are nonpartisan. We really are looking at the principles. But you reached out and said, hey, would you take another look at something? And we did. Because we don’t always get it right. And so we love hearing from legislators and why you would want us to reconsider it. I think it can attest to that we really are nonpartisan. We’re really not political. We are founded on these principles.
SPEAKER 09 :
That’s right. And let’s go ahead and just chat briefly about that particular bill because it might give some insight because ultimately we disagree on it, right? Right. And that’s a good thing. We’re supposed to. We’re supposed to embrace that, right? It’s Senate Bill 134, if I’m remembering the number correctly. And I’m a House co-sponsor. Not a co-prime, but I’m a House co-sponsor. Basically, it is a bill that is meant to remove the credit card profit margin. on swipe fees to charge on taxes and tips. You understand when you go into a restaurant and you use your credit card, there’s going to be a swipe fee that that restaurant is going to pay. That’s fine. But there should not, in my mind, be a profit margin that that credit card is making on the taxes and the tips part of that transaction. Restaurants, it depends on what kind of volume they do, will pay thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars in swipe fees just on taxes and tips to the credit cards. Right now in Denver, something like 20, 25% of restaurants have closed. Part of that is due to the regulatory nature that we just oh so love here in the state of Colorado. Again, sixth most regulated state in the country. We just love us some regulation. But the problem is that whether it’s bins, heating and cooling, or if it’s a restaurant, they have real-world consequences. When we start regulating the absolute life and strangling small businesses of Colorado, the heartbeat, the cornerstone of this state, those have real-world consequences. This would be able to put thousands of dollars back into the hands of some of these small businesses, small retailers, not just restaurants, but anybody that has to pay that swipe fee. So I believe fundamentally shouldn’t make money on taxes. However, this is where I disagree with you. And you disagree as a cut union of taxpayers, Colorado Union of Taxpayers, is that there’s a role of the government. And so we have these conflicting principles. At the end of the day, what is the role of government? What’s the proper role of government? And sticking their fingers into these affairs, So for Colorado Union taxpayers, which I do agree with, that’s not the proper role. So we’re on slightly opposite sides. The intent is there, but we understand that perhaps it’s just not the role of government to get involved in this.
SPEAKER 18 :
But to your point, and I let the team know, is that Representative Brooks said fundamentally he doesn’t think that government should be making money on the taxes that people are already paying. And I think that’s valid as well. But what I love is that we had the conversation.
SPEAKER 09 :
Absolutely, and I appreciate you taking a review of it, right? Because Colorado Union of Taxpayers had already taken a position. I looked at that position. I’ll be perfectly honest, all right? I’m trying to also influence Republicans in the Senate to get this thing out.
SPEAKER 18 :
Because this is Democrat-sponsored primarily.
SPEAKER 09 :
It is, yes. It’s brought by Senator Linstead. It was a House rep, but he just took Faith Winter’s spot. So it is, and the Republicans have not embraced it. We got it out of the House last year, so this is the second time through. So I’m trying to find a couple of Republicans that I know are very good, tax-centric, very smart. They pay attention to Colorado Union of Taxpayers. And so I was trying to possibly get them off the bench and say, hey, you want to push this along? And that actually speaks to the influence. that Colorado Union taxpayers has, you know, when they rate bills. We pay attention to that. So big thank you to all of those. That’s a long list of folks that are involved. So thank you to every one of you for being involved with that tool and that asset for us.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, thank you. And what we do is we have a software that we purchased. It’s called Bill Track 50. And it was created by a woman that lived in Denver. She now lives in London. And it actually tracks bills in all 50 states as well as Congress, which is amazing. And on… Friday afternoons, my job as the president is to go through and take a look at the bills that are scheduled for hearing. So as of right now, there may be some more. There’s 48 bills that are scheduled for hearing. Some of them I may have already looked at. I go through and move those off. Then we go through the balance, and I look at it from… from how does it affect the taxpayer, Tabor, Colorado’s taxpayers bill of rights, property rights and parental rights. And then I’ll put it out to the team and Representative Brooks, you can take a look at this. Let’s see here, bills to rate. Let me do this and get over here into hidden. And then you can see, I put it out to the team. And they each then, and not everybody each week has time to do everything, and then you’ll see that they will put opposed, and then they’ll give many times their commentary on that. It’s pretty intensive.
SPEAKER 09 :
You know what’s interesting about that is just looking at the screen, I started seeing some of the legislators’ names and opposed right by it. I’m like, yeah, that makes sense. You touched on the taxpayer bill of rights. Okay. Just very quickly, it’s a very interesting subject in and of itself, probably worthy of an entire show. But the Democrats are continuing to try to run into rounds on the taxpayer bill of rights. have no legal authority. Legislator has no legal authority to create new taxes because of the taxpayer bill of rights. So what the Democrats do is they’ll attack fees and enterprises and inter-rounds. So then that way, basically what they’re doing is they’re taking money directly out of the pockets of hardworking Colorado families because they hate the taxpayer bill of rights. One of them has actually gone so far as to say, you know, That’s the reason we can’t have nice things. No, that’s not the reason we can’t have nice things. It is a protection to be able to ensure that government is running in a fiscally responsible nature here. And that’s why they don’t like it, because their big ideas cost a lot of money. And it’s coming right out of your pocketbook.
SPEAKER 18 :
which means when it comes out of my pocketbook, I can’t afford nice things.
SPEAKER 14 :
Right, Teddy Collins? Yeah, I was going to say, you know, the purpose of taxes is supposed to be for the general welfare of the taxpayer. That’s not what it’s being used for. In a lot of cases, it’s being used as punishment, ways to influence behaviors. We’re seeing a lot of that. I think the founding fathers would be rolling over in their graves when we went to war over a 4% T-tax to be at the level we are here in Colorado today. legislators need to understand that taxation hurts our economy. People are fleeing high tax states like Colorado. We just lost Palantir, one of the biggest companies in the United States, whether you agree with what they do or not. Now they’re in another state giving that tax dollars to Florida when we could have them here. And the fact of the matter is, is the more taxes there are, the less business friendly and the less money that’s actually in people’s pockets in the economy. The left does not understand that. And maybe we need a message better on that because they need to.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, and we need a message to everyday people because these elections really matter. But even Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling, you said your brother is putting in a new restaurant in Denver. And that instead of one water heater, which is efficient,
SPEAKER 04 :
Like instead of one efficient gas-fired water heater, they have to do three electric that are like $20,000 a piece to purchase the units. Wow.
SPEAKER 18 :
And then what happens when Xcel says they’re going to shut down power because of the wind?
SPEAKER 04 :
Hopefully they have called Radiance Power and got a backup generator that will run on natural gas or propane or gasoline.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well done, Ben Williams. Well done. And we have these important discussions because of our sponsors. And for everything residential real estate, reach out to Karen Levine.
SPEAKER 06 :
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SPEAKER 07 :
Your right to keep and bear arms and your ability to protect yourself and your family is facing growing legislative and regulatory pressure right here in Colorado. Teddy Collins, co-owner of Spartan Defense, knows that’s exactly why now is the time to make sure that you own a firearm you trust and that you’re confident using it. Spartan Defense, located in Colorado Springs, is the largest family-owned gun store in the state with an inventory built for real-world needs, not just display cases. They’ll also match any competitor’s price on any firearm as long as it’s above their costs. To learn more, visit SpartanDefense.com. That’s SpartanDefense.com.
SPEAKER 01 :
All Kim’s sponsors are in 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 Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com.
SPEAKER 18 :
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 Alan Thomas, we’ve been talking in the first hour, this important essay that we will be publishing here, The Specters of the Constitution. And we talked about no kings. You mentioned no kings. The real no kings day is July 4th, 1776. Representative Brooks. But as I am watching this legislation, a king doesn’t have to be a person. It could actually be a group of people that are acting like kings. And I actually see that many of these pieces of legislation that are being proposed by primarily Democrats, and this Democrat Party down at the State House is not the Democrat Party of your grandpa and your grandma or JFK.
SPEAKER 09 :
Or even Bill Clinton, more recently. Yeah, that’s right.
SPEAKER 18 :
And I see them acting like kings in as much as many, they want to control things, even want to control your water heater. But in addition, using taxes and fees to take the fruits of our labor. Now, we all realize that some taxes are appropriate, but this is out of control.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, understand it. I mean, it’s the Democrat Socialists of America. I mean, that’s what this is. It’s socialism. It’s green grift. It’s enviro-justice. And they’ll fund it by any means necessary and on the backs of businesses and out of the pockets of taxpayers. There is a division within the Democrat Party. You’ve got the more moderate, kind of the Clinton-esque moderate Democrats, but then you have a very rapidly growing number of the very far progressive left, the Democrat Socialists of America. Now, look, I get it. I’m there every single day, and so I’m very close to the forest, and so I try to pull back and kind of – Every day, kind of what does this mean to the voter kind of standpoint? The House flushes every two years. That means every single member of the House of Representatives in Colorado has to stand for reelection every two years. That’s kind of a pain for somebody like me because I’m basically always in campaign mode. But it is a beautiful thing when we go back to the points that Alan Thomas has been making that, you know what, this is a people’s government. we need to stand up and we need to make sure that even though it’s the midterms, I get it, we have got to show up and we’ve got to vote because it’s an opportunity to have the people speak to make sure that we’ve got the representation that we want at the state capitol. That is so vitally important. So please make sure that you’re exercising that right and you’re exercising the ability to be able to change things The composition of what we have at the Statehouse in Colorado, honestly, I’m trying not to be hyperbolic here, but the future of the state is at a tipping point, and we’ve got to change it now. That’s not assuaging any fears, but if we’re able to get into a better math situation, we’ll be able to do much better work for the state of Colorado.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, Colorado, I think Representative Brooks and Teddy Collins, you’re running for office, so jump in here. I think that Colorado is at the tip of the spear for a number of the radical things that are being proposed. And what I’m learning, Representative Brooks, as the president of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, I look at some of these bills. Like I saw this one, and I was going to talk with… I couldn’t lose about it. I forgot. And that was House Bill 26-1323, wildfire resiliency prohibiting taking of beavers. And I looked at that, and then I thought, this is connected to, I’m not sure if you’re aware of it, but at the beginning of the month, the bureaucratic, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, pushed forward a ban on fur, which would affect animals. people that make their living from that.
SPEAKER 09 :
That’s right. We still have an economy of fur trading. Look, you look around, you can see sky, you know, see the high rises and see all the urban development, but we’re still a cow town. I mean, we’re mostly an ag state and there still are going to be very, a lot of A lot of trade and retail and commerce that folks that live in urban areas just don’t understand. That doesn’t mean that we should just get rid of it, right? So you could think, well, gosh, we’ve got to protect the beavers. But this is the other piece that is important. boiling under the surface is that is the erosion of local control. We have got to support our local municipalities, our counties to be able to make the decisions that are right for them. The gold dome doesn’t have all the answers. I know we think we do. But the Gold Dome does not have all the answers. And that local control, because of the vast differences that we have from county to county within this very unique and varied state, we need to be able to make sure that we’re supporting that and supporting those local elected officials. So then that way, if they’re doing things that you don’t like, guess what, Alan Thomas? You can vote them out, right? You can exercise your vote and have people that actually reflect your ideals, morals, and what you need for your community.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and kind of to that point, what we’re seeing is the House of Representatives is supposed to be closest to the people, right? That’s right. The Senate is supposed to be this longer-looking body where, you know, the House comes forward and they say, you know, the people are saying we need to do this, we need to do this. They pass a bill and the Senate goes, you know… We have a longer term, so we don’t have to worry about getting re-elected in two years. I have six years. I think in six years, this is going to end up hurting the people, and it’ll be forgotten. So we’re going to vote it down. And Madison warned us. He said, if one party, if one faction controls both the House, the Senate, and the presidency, as we’re basically seeing here in Colorado, the House, the Senate, and the governorship, you lose those incentives of a longer-term-looking Senate And a governor who is a lame duck now, who doesn’t have to worry about his reelection anymore, and now they’re just power hungry because they have no incentives to create friction in the passage of bills. And we’re reaping the consequences of Colorado voters saying, no, we want friction. We need to put a little bit of a backstop in the system to allow some of these… nonsensical bills to get killed. But again, that’s what we need to put the point out is, hey, our government is designed for friction and we need that friction back.
SPEAKER 09 :
Just very quickly on that, this is the very dangerous tipping point that we’re at. We are one seat away in both the House of Representatives and one seat away in the Senate. from those bodies being in a super majority. What happens if we lose those seats? The super majority means that they can override the governor veto. So that loses that friction, that loses that check and balance to where now legislature can run roughshod over the entire state of Colorado with no backstops in place.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, just to speak on that, just to speak on that, you know, when I first moved here to Colorado, it was, this is close to a decade ago, we were a bipartisan legislator. And at that time, Colorado was ranked one of the best states to live in in the country on almost every metric, whether it be, you know, raising a family, affordability, low crime. We’ve had eight years of partisan control with one party control. And what has happened? We’ve become one of the worst in every single metric. The reason for that is there’s no compromise. They’re putting through every pipe dream they can imagine. And by the way, Colorado collects a lot of taxes per capita. We collect nearly 40% more than a state like Florida collects per person. And what are we doing with that money? We’re wasting it on pet projects. The amount of fraud that has to be here in Colorado where these funds go because they’re not being sought, they’re not being looked after, they’re not being seen, where are they actually going? We need to doge this state. I guarantee you that that money could be reallocated to the actual needs of the people.
SPEAKER 09 :
Kim, I ran a doge bill last year. I bet you know what happened to that. It died before the ink dried off. On a party line vote, right? Oh, boy. Absolutely. I went to the kill committee, and I got rolled up in plastic real quick. Of course.
SPEAKER 18 :
So a couple of things. That bill regarding commercial trapping of beavers, that did die, I think.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, it did.
SPEAKER 18 :
But I think, didn’t you have, wasn’t that audit bill yours?
SPEAKER 09 :
The audit bill was mine, yes. Right. And that also died on the party line vote. it’s inexplicable honestly still um there’s three for sure three different agencies that are not meeting audits that’s correct and in just very high level uh the the legislative audit committee which i sit on is uh is the interface between the office of the state auditor and the agencies. Office of the State Auditor is a nonpartisan organization, and they go through and they make sure that the state agencies are doing things the way that they’re supposed to be done, right? When they audit an agency, if they’re found to be noncompliant, the agency will offer a time of when they will implement the fix. Oftentimes, it’s a year, year and a half out. It gives them plenty of time to be able to correct the audit deficiencies. What we’re seeing is there are a small handful of agencies that are months, if not years, behind in meeting the implementation that they agreed upon for their audits, for their For an agency like the Office of Information and Technology, where you’re controlling all of the data infrastructure for the entire state government, to be out of compliance and with material weaknesses is of profound concern.
SPEAKER 18 :
Do you think that I could say I’m not paying my taxes until they complete what they’re supposed to do? I don’t think that would work out very well.
SPEAKER 14 :
I like the idea. I’m not exactly sure how that works.
SPEAKER 18 :
I don’t think that would work out very well. Teddy.
SPEAKER 14 :
I was going to ask something of the representative here. I have been told that a lot of the Democrat legislators like to create commissions and appoint their fellow members to those commissions with pay and additional aids and things of that nature. Is that something going on in the Capitol? Are we seeing that kind of thing going on?
SPEAKER 09 :
A lot of the Democrats will have their nonprofits that they run. That’s coming from our pockets, right? The employees of the nonprofit. A lot of it’s funded from out of state, honestly. You can start ticking down the list of the Soros and those folks that are doing this. But, yeah, you start looking down the payroll and you see a lot of family relationships there and wives and brothers and friends.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, you know, it’s kind of like in Congress where you see someone get elected to Congress and then all of a sudden they become a millionaire pretty quick. I mean, in Colorado, legislators are not paid very well. And honestly, I think they should be paid nothing. But that’s just me. Sorry. We pay too much to rob Colorado. That’s my thoughts. That’s my thoughts. So I guess the question is, is we see these legislators come in that don’t really have real world experience or on the left especially that don’t have businesses. And all of a sudden now they’re making six figures a year. You know?
SPEAKER 18 :
That’s a question. I think that Doge, Colorado would be an excellent idea. I’ll go in with you on that, Max. Okay. And so we’re going to go to break. I did want to mention, though, for sure, Mint Financial Strategies, and each of us have unique goals for our lives. With over 25 years of experience and the credentials of an accredited investment fiduciary, Jody Henze and her team at Mint Financial Strategies can help you create a plan that is built for you. So whether you’re preparing for retirement, planning for education costs, or navigating major life transitions, Mint Financial Strategies will design a customized plan to help you invest confidently and move forward with clarity for your life. That number is 303-285-3080, 303-285-3080. Another great sponsor of the show is Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling.
SPEAKER 12 :
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SPEAKER 02 :
We’ll be right back. love to talk with you. Again, that’s Kim at Kim Monson.com.
SPEAKER 18 :
And welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. In studio with us is Representative Max Brooks. And you’ve got a day of it down at the Statehouse, right?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, I’m going to get after it today, absolutely.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. And Ben Williams with Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. It’s always great to have you here.
SPEAKER 04 :
Great to be here.
SPEAKER 18 :
Are all the books spoken for now?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, we’ve actually got seven that are going to be going out today. Oh, that’s awesome.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah. Okay, great. And Teddy Collins, Spartan Defense, and you’re running for office.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, ma’am. Senate District 4. That’s currently Mark Baisley’s seat, highest-rated Liberty score senator in the Senate. He is running for U.S. Senate. I just want to give Mark a shout-out here. Visit markbaisley.com, support him. We need to take Hickenlooper out of office, and Mark Baisley is our best chance to do that. We can do it. We can take that seat back and make it red again.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. And Alan Thomas, always great to have you here. Always great being here, Kim. And I neglected to mention, Representative Brooks, you are one of our CUT awardees.
SPEAKER 09 :
Honored to have received that award. That was fantastic. I tell you, if you come to my office at the Capitol, you’re going to see it right there on my desk. I’ve got to get down there. Okay.
SPEAKER 18 :
And gentlemen, we’ve got a couple of guests on the line. And first is Jake Zavala. Did I get that right, Jake Zavala? Okay. Okay, Jake Zavala, welcome, and you are stepping forward and running for City Council, correct?
SPEAKER 03 :
That’s right, City Council District 2 here in Colorado Springs.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay, and when is that election?
SPEAKER 03 :
So it’s not an election process. It is a appointment process. And the applications closed on Wednesday this week. And the interviews are set to be held the 6th of April as determined by the city council. And then the swearing-in process is on the 13th of April.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. So this is now. What do you want people to know about you and why you’re running for city council? I was the first person. In the running for this position, I should say.
SPEAKER 03 :
Of course. So I was the first person that stepped up from this role literally on day one at the opening hours of the application process. And on the 20th of December, 2024, my now service canine and myself, Halo, were walking home in the Pine Creek neighborhood in District 2 of Colorado Springs when we were heinously hit by a criminal behind the wheel of a 5,000-pound vehicle at over 30 miles an hour. And that person decided that it was acceptable to leave us for the dead. And By the grace of God, we were blessed to have been saved and get back up off that cold hard asphalt and then jump right back into the fight and our lives of service as I was a Colorado Springs fireman for many years until that. Since then I’ve been working with various legislators not only across the state of Colorado but across America as a whole to improve all things public policy that truly impact individuals that really need our assistance. I hope to bring that back to Colorado Springs as there’s a severe amount of public distrust, especially in Colorado Springs District 2 going on so much so that Mr. Bailey was decided to resign in lieu of a recall election of which he would have very well lost. So I’m here to bring back public trust as all of my citizens across this entire city, not just in District 2, have trusted me for years and years to do what’s best for them on their absolutely worst days. So simply put, suffered a severe incident and i’m still in the fight and will still fight for my citizens rather than developers or people that have radical agendas okay and jake again how do you spell your last name and how do you pronounce it it is s-a-v-a-l-a and it’s pronounced savala okay and do you have a website or anything I do not, since this has been rather a quick process.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay, okay. Well, very good. And is there a call to action for listeners?
SPEAKER 03 :
The only thing that listeners could do is to call, text, or email, or even go visit with the current eight city council members and tell them to select me for an interview and put me in the seat.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. Jake Zavala, thank you so much. And we have a movie star now, Molly Zavala. Lamar, you just sent this over. You sat down for an interview with one of the television stations, and Molly Lamar, you’ve been keeping us up to speed with the toxic environment that’s been occurring at the administration level in Cherry Creek Schools. Molly Lamar, welcome. Well, thank you, Kim.
SPEAKER 19 :
I’m honored to be following quite the lineup that you had this morning. I’m thinking next time you need to be in studio, too. Speaking of Doge, someone was, I think one of you mentioned Doge, Colorado. We need Doge Cherry Creek. We haven’t even been back from spring break for a week. And I mean, honestly, we have a month worth of updates. They’re not good. I was interviewed by Channel 7. They interviewed former board president, Jennifer Churchfield. We learned this week who’s on the external audit committee. Your listeners will remember that the committee is supposed to investigate this toxic culture and nepotism and conflicts of interest that have been uncovered to exist in Cherry Creek schools. But the committee isn’t external at all. It includes two board members. One is the husband of the woman who hired Chris Smith. and eliminated the conflict of interest policy. He hardly seems external. The second board member is Mike Hamrick and his wife was the leader of the teachers union. And he worked for one of the largest district vendors. So not sure how that’s independent. And then we have two senior administrators. One is the CFO who sets the budget. And the other is the assistant legal counsel whose job is to protect the district, but clearly not doing a very good job of that. I was interviewed by Channel 7 because I had done a CORA request asking for some of the employment contracts. Through that CORA request, we found that one of the assistant superintendent’s new contracts was essentially null and void because it had two contracts or two signatures on it that were not valid. The district has now admitted that it’s not just that contract, it is 14 more employment contracts that are not valid. So they’ve had to go back and fix those. The question is how much are we spending on legal to fix these negligent mistakes? you know, where’s the oversight. And then of course, we have this committee that is being formed and what it looks like is the district is just essentially auditing itself. Denver Post came out with an article this morning and it’s showing that our former superintendent has traveled the world on taxpayer dollars and created contract with that the district is obligated to. So I have forwarded the stories to you. If listeners wanna learn more, they’re more than welcome to go to my Facebook page. It’s Molly for Co-Kids. And I will continue to update them there. But just want to give you a huge shout out and say thank you so much for continuing to, you know, keep everyone updated as to what’s going on. We really do need a Doge Cherry Creek.
SPEAKER 18 :
Agreed. And also at the Kim Monson newsroom, we’ve done a couple of important pieces. Molly Lamar, thank you so much. We’ll talk again soon. Thanks, Kim. And Representative Max Brooks, thanks for being here.
SPEAKER 09 :
I really appreciate you being here. These are items that I think we could talk about pretty much all day. I’m about to go do that.
SPEAKER 18 :
I know you are. Ben Williams with Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling gave away seven books today.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, it’s an honor to rub shoulders with the big guys here.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, I know, the dream team. We’re missing Kane, but Representative Brooks, thank you for stepping in. Part of the dream team, and that’s Teddy Collins with Spartan Defense.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thanks, Kim. Yeah, if anybody needs anything, has any questions, call the store, 719-917-1776.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. And Alan Thomas, the Kim Monson community, you’re a big part of that, and we’re kicking it off. Soft launch right now. People are joining, and they can do that by going to my website. But the Federalist Papers, this is going to be a great class.
SPEAKER 08 :
It’s going to be a lot of fun.
SPEAKER 18 :
And thank you, gentlemen. Our quote for the end of the show is from Eddie Rickenbacker, Medal of Honor recipient and a World War I flying ace. He said, the four cornerstones of character on which the structure of this nation was built are initiative, imagination, individuality, and independence. 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’re not alone. God bless you, and God bless America.
SPEAKER 21 :
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.
