In today’s episode of Rush to Reason, host John Rush guides listeners through a thought-provoking discussion on the complexities of federal agency spending and its impacts on local economies, using Colorado’s latest financial freeze and subsequent thaw as a case study. We explore the implications of government involvement in everything from national debt to renewable energy subsidies, questioning the effectiveness and necessity of such interventions. As the conversation deepens, John contrasts personal responsibility with governmental overreach, sparking debate on what roles we should personally undertake versus what we expect from the state. Against this backdrop, advertising segments remind us
SPEAKER 07 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 08 :
You are going to shut your damn yapper and listen for a change because I got you pegged, sweetheart. You want to take the easy way out because you’re scared. And you’re scared because if you try and fail, there’s only you to blame. Let me break this down for you. Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes.
SPEAKER 09 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 06 :
My advice to you is to do what your parents did. Get a job, sir. You haven’t made everybody equal. You’ve made them the same, and there’s a big difference.
SPEAKER 13 :
Let me tell you why you’re here. You’re here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life, that there’s something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
SPEAKER 08 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 07 :
It’s Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right, happy Thursday. Welcome, Rush to Reason, Denver’s Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. I do not have Steve House with us today. As promised, he notified me, oh, about an hour or so ago that he was stuck on an airplane. So normally we would have Steve House with us and Dr. Kelly. Dr. Kelly has family in town, so she had already planned to not be here today. So, Dr. Kelly, if you’re listening, have fun with your family. We appreciate all that you do for us on a regular basis. I’ve got plenty of things to cover today anyway, so… No fear. The show goes on, and what I will tell you is this leaves an entire hour, or if there’s something on your mind, something you want to call in, something we’ve talked about here recently, 303-477-5600. Yesterday’s question of the day, which pioneering computer scientist described the first bug in computing history, an actual moth trapped in a relay in their logbook in 1947? 1947. That would be Grace Hopper. Found and documented the first literal computer bug, a moth trapped in a relay of the Harvard Mark II computer. She taped the moth into the logbook with the note, first actual case of bug being found. This may have helped popularize the term bug for computer problems, though the term predated this incident. Today’s impossible question in ancient Rome. What was the unusual profession of the nomenclator, and why were they particularly important to politicians? So what was the unusual profession? So there you go. That is today’s impossible question, and I would not have gotten that. All right, several things that I’m going to get into today in this hour. Number one, before we get fired off, and if Dr. Kelly and Steve were here, we would be talking about this. So earlier today, it’s been a few hours now, RFK Jr. was confirmed as the HHS Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretary. Now, Tulsi Gabbard, I believe, was also confirmed. It was either late yesterday or early this morning. I didn’t check exactly when, but she’s also been confirmed. So this will be good. To me, personally, great news. I believe that he will do a lot in the health care end of things, much like Musk is doing in the financial end of things, which I’ll get to a few things along those lines here in a minute. So the Senate confirmed. RFK Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary on Thursday, putting a longtime critic of vaccines and the medical establishment in charge of the nation’s vast and powerful health apparatus, says The Wall Street Journal. Every Democrat voted against Kennedy on Thursday, while Senator Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor who had criticized the nominee’s questioning of vaccines, was the lone Republican no vote. So everybody else on our side voted yes. McConnell voted no. It was a 52 to 48 vote. And his subsequent swearing in at the White House office, Kennedy is in a position to apply today. They’re saying unconventional views to U.S. health policy. By the way, thank you. I’m glad he is. We need some quote-unquote unconventional views of what’s going on in regards to health care. Again, something that in this particular hour, every Thursday, for the past, gosh, since, well, Steve House and I, early in COVID, so about March of 2020, started talking about these sorts of things. Dr. Kelly joined us in August of 2020. So do the math. We’ve been talking about, at least in this hour, unconventional things regarded to health during that hour. Now, on Health and Wellness Wednesdays, You know, I and Charlie both, we have been interviewing and talking about unconventional things medicine-wise for probably, even when Dan was with me, for what, Charlie, eight, nine years now probably? At least eight years or so? Been a long time. So reality is, we… On KLZ 560 and Rush to Reason, we talk about unconventional medical things constantly. Dr. Scott Faulkner, who’s one of our great sponsors, and he’s going to do some filling in for me here in the not-too-distant future. He is unconventional as a doctor. It’s partially what got him fired from his last job, which is why he’s doing what he’s doing now, because he prescribed ivermectin to a COVID patient and got canned. Now, I wouldn’t say that ivermectin and prescribing it was unconventional because, frankly, prior to all of that nonsense, that would have been the normal thing to do. But because of the powers that be and COVID and so on, and it’s partially why, by the way, I believe RFK Jr. is now our HHS. He was in charge of HHS. I believe because of some of that, it’s why he’s there. Now, some may argue with me on that, although we’ve had many a conversation about RFK Jr. And as I’ve talked about on the NCR, National Corporate Roundtable, along with Bob Duco and Neil Boron, are we all in line with RFK Jr. and everything that he believes in? No, because he has some things he believes in, i.e. abortion, that we don’t. Do I feel like we can move him over to our side more than he already is? Yes, I do. I believe he’s open-minded enough to listen to some of those things. And frankly, and I know there’s a lot on our side that don’t like RFK Jr. because of some of those things that he has said in the past along those lines. But again, I believe that A, that’s really not going to be his focus. B, he’s going to focus on things that really make America healthy again. The MAHA. That’s his motto. Make America healthy again. And we’re not. We’re not. We talk about that on Wednesdays. We’ve talked about that with Dr. Kelly on Thursdays. The reality is the food that we eat, the things that we have, the processes involved in a lot of that, and I’m not making excuses because I guess we all have choices, but I tell you what, in our world here in the United States of America, and I’ll be the first to admit it, it is easier and in some cases cheaper to eat unhealthy than it is to eat healthy. And that’s a problem. And that’s something that RFK Jr. is going to take a look at and do his best to fix. And it needs fixing, to be honest with you. So one other thing along these lines before I move on to break and keep going here. I read a lot of different things on social media, belong to a lot of different groups, and I’ve had a lot of different things that I’ve done in my background, so I follow a lot of different people. I, and again, not to boast, but because of this show, have close to 5,000 friends, I guess you could say, because they’re not followers, friends on Facebook. And do I know each and every individual? No, I do not. Do I know a lot of them? Yeah, I do. I know quite a few people. And one thing that I have been noticing a trend on from the church sides of things, and this is where I will have hard disagreements with folks, is there’s a lot of church people, all aspects, doesn’t matter what particular denomination, that are complaining and whining about USAID being, in a lot of ways, shut down because it’s going to be completely revamped. And these people are whining and complaining because this particular program that this particular entity or NGO or church organization was involved in, the funding has been shut off, and there’s all these people now wondering what’s going to happen next, and some of them don’t have income and this, that, and the other. And while I understand that a lot of these organizations do some good work around the world, the problem is there’s a lot that didn’t, as we’re seeing coming out of Doge and other places, the list of things that were absolute nonsense. And unfortunately, because there weren’t the right checks and balances at USAID, a lot of the things that they started getting into corrupted the good work that probably was done at one time. Now, I also, and I explained this to somebody earlier today, as much as I want to help personally those that are in need around the world, and that’s very noble of these individuals even on social media to express their concerns over this, We are a country that is $36.5 trillion in debt. And some would say, well, it doesn’t mean anything. We still have resources. Well, not if we keep going down that path we won’t. And so for a lot of the church folk that are out there, and I don’t get on social media and start responding and getting in debates and so on because, frankly, you’re not going to change their minds anyways, and so why go down that path in the first place? But in my heart and in my mind, I’m thinking to myself, okay, we are a country that is $36.5 trillion in debt, and anything we do to help other countries, and I’ve used this example before, is like that fancy house on the block. that has every toy known to mankind in fact the driveway is overflowing in things that they have purchased and they’ve got the nicest of everything rolls-royce parked in the in the garage maybe a couple of them they’ve got all of the eighty visa snowmobiles and trailers and so on and it’s the biggest house in the neighborhood absolutely the biggest house in the neighborhood problem is problem is everything they owned is on credit And it’s not just on credit. It’s they can’t even show what they’ve got debt for. In other words, they are so deep in debt that they don’t have enough in regards to those things that are sitting in the driveway in the house to cover the debt. And yet the neighbor gets cancer. And so because they feel a really big need to help that neighbor that has cancer, they go back out to the bank one more time and borrow more money so they can then loan it to the neighbor to then help them out. That’s what we as a country, folks, are doing. It’s exactly the same scenario. Before you get after me, yes, I know as a country we have a lot of assets, and our assets probably equal and or are more than what our debt is. But you get where I’m going with this in regards to the debt itself, the interest we pay on the debt, and so on. We can’t continue to go down that path. We are like that superpower. what looks to be wealthy family on the block that has debt coming out of their ears that wants to go borrow more so they can help the family in need next door, when, in fact, they should help themselves first. And right now, that’s what we’re doing as a country. Shutting down USAID and many other programs like it is helping us overall as a country. And I know. I know. It’s a small percentage of our national budget. I get that. But $40 billion is $40 billion. And I said this with Scott Garlis last night. Every billion counts. Every million counts. If you’re the CEO of a company that comes in and you’re trying to get things turned around, every dollar counts. When you’re a family that all of a sudden had some sort of a change, you’ve got an illness. Maybe there were two people working. Now there’s only one. And so you have to start doing some cutbacks. Even in a family, every dollar counts, doesn’t it? And I think it would be very, very wrong for us as Americans to say, well, that doesn’t matter. It’s only 1% of the budget. Why does that matter? We can just keep sending that $40 billion out. That doesn’t make any difference. Well, because here’s what happens. It’s like the family that is trying to tighten their belt and get a better handle on their budget that says, well, you know, we like cable. We like having, you know, 350 channels of whatever to watch, and we like all the streaming services we get, and we like spending $300 a month on all of this, which I’m not too far off on if you had every package known to mankind. And yet they’re not able to pay the mortgage and they’re not paying the car payments very well. They’re getting behind on some of those things. And yet they still want to have the best cable package known to mankind. You get where I’m going with this. At some point, you have to make the tough decisions to start making cuts. And that’s where we are as a country. And by the way, we are far too late to the game in this. We should have done this decades. I say decades, plural, ago. Not now. decades ago i know we did pretty well under you know even believe it or not bill clinton a democrat we did pretty well at that point in time but we still weren’t debt free And all we’ve done since then is continue to pile on, pile on, pile on. And, yes, both parties are equally at fault for that. Affordable interest mortgage is next. Kurt Rogers will be with me at 5 o’clock. By the way, we’ll talk about some of these things in regards to the mortgage world and housing and so on and see how that’s going to affect things. In the meantime, if you’ve got a question on a mortgage, give Kurt a call, 720-895-0500.
SPEAKER 10 :
Interested in buying a new home? Well, the cost may have just gone down. It’s been a seller’s market for years, and buyers are regaining some authority. Want to cut your costs when you buy? Take AIM, Affordable Interest Mortgage, 720-895-0500. Recent changes to buyer’s agent compensation now helps the buyer spend less. Sellers no longer need to raise the price to cover compensation for both sides. Your pre-approval now gives you more control in pricing and compensation. Make sure you work with a knowledgeable mortgage broker that will save you money. Take AIM 720-895-0500. AIM has a team of broker agents willing to negotiate their compensation and save you thousands. They know the new law. They’re experienced and professional. Before you sign with an agent, protect yourself with a real pre-approval letter that puts you in charge. Take AIM. Affordable Interest Mortgage. 720-895-0500. We have that team willing to work for you. That’s 720-895-0500. Regulated by Dora and MLS. 217-147-Equal Credit Lender.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right, and Dr. Scott, I was talking earlier in regards to RFK Jr. and HHS and that, and I was talking about Dr. Scott as well. And, yes, he is definitely on our side, thinks exactly the way we do. He is an out-of-the-box, nontraditional, which, by the way, they’re accusing RFK Jr. of being. He is that nontraditional thinker. Talk to him today and have him be your doctor. 303-663-6990.
SPEAKER 05 :
Are you looking for a healthcare provider who truly cares about you and your well-being? Look no further than Castle Rock Regenerative Healthcare, where Dr. Scott Faulkner is ready to provide you with top-notch care. At Castle Rock Regenerative Healthcare, you’ll experience a competent, friendly, and efficient staff that puts your comfort and care first. Dr. Scott Faulkner is a true advocate of the latest advancements in healthcare and weight loss. Worried about being lost in the crowd of impersonal health care? Fear not. Dr. Scott is a big picture doctor, not beholden to big pharma or big insurance like some other providers. He takes the time to understand your unique needs and will customize your health care to fit you, your body, and your lifestyle. Tired of waiting weeks for an appointment? Unlike other practices, Dr. Scott Faulkner has the remarkable ability to see you in a matter of days. Reach your full potential and achieve your goals. Call Dr. Scott today at 303-663-6990 or visit him online at castlerockregenerativehealth.com or find him at rushtoreason.com. Castle Rock Regenerative Health Care, your path to a healthier tomorrow.
SPEAKER 02 :
Cub Creek Heating and Air Conditioning. And, yep, a little bit warmer today. We’ve got more weather coming in, though, this weekend and next week. We’re not out of the woods yet. If you’ve got any furnace issues at all, please give Cub Creek a call. Find them today at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 12 :
Reem Certified Pro Partner Cub Creek Heating AC Appointments are already filling up, and it’s only going to get colder from here. When it’s warm or even a little bit cool, your furnace will turn on and off, giving it a rest from time to time. But when the extreme cold we are expecting this time of year comes, your furnace may run for days without shutting off. When your furnace runs constantly, it wears out quicker and the chances of it breaking down increase exponentially. Cub Creek will come clean your system and check it for potential issues. And if they find something, they’ll make sure you understand what your options are. Cub Creek techs aren’t paid commission, and they understand that you know your finances better than them. So they let you decide how you’d like to handle it after you understand the problem. So make a call today and have Cub Creek Heating and AC come out for a furnace tune-up and ensure you’re not left in the cold. Find Cub Creek on the KLZRadio.com advertisers page.
SPEAKER 07 :
No liberal media bias here. This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right, we’re back. Got a text message in, which I cannot disagree with anything in this message. We need to absolutely shut down USAID along with 50% of all federal agencies. And by the way, you might be generous in that. In addition, we need to get rid of 50% of all employees in the existing Fed agencies. I talked about that some yesterday. Again, I think you’re being very kind. Every Fed agency needs to be audited every two years. Otherwise, this is what happens. Reality is government does not care about saving taxpayer money. Government is so out of control. This is exactly what the founders warned us about. Again, you are 1,000% correct and, frankly, probably too kind in your statements. I’m not as kind because I feel like we could run on. We have 2.4 million. It’s actually, I read this morning, it’s 2.5. 2.5 million government workers. About 75,000 now have agreed to take the buyout plan that Donald Trump initiated, which, by the way, is now considered to be very legal in what he’s offering. Don’t know why that has to be approved by some dumb judge. But anyways, it has been. So 2.5, which if you get rid of 75,000, we’ll be back down to roughly 2.4 million. And again, I realize there’s a lot of things government does. But I will also be the first to tell you there’s a lot of things government does, doesn’t need to. There is so much redundancy when it comes to federal government on top of what state governments already do. It’s just stupid. You could explain it this way. It’s like that construction site where you drive by or you pull up, and there’s one guy down in the trench doing whatever it is he or she needs to be doing, and there’s about six other people with hard hats on up above watching. And you guys have seen memes and things along those lines, but really I’m not exaggerating. That’s a lot of what happens governmentally speaking. One person’s doing the actual work. while there’s six other agencies or people in those agencies making sure that that work supposedly gets done correctly or oversees it or whatever the case may be. It’s just stupid what we do. And it just grows and grows and grows and becomes a bloat. And it’s a waste of taxpayer money. I’ve got some things in a minute I’ll talk about in regards to Colorado and what some of the funds that were frozen would affect. Some of those funds, unfortunately, have been unfrozen. And I wish they’d be frozen. I’ll get through that list in a minute. Somebody else says, why is the U.S. government… Through USAID giving any money to religious organizations, that’s my money. If I want to give it to religious organizations, that’s my prerogative. What’s really ticking me off is what the Catholic churches are doing with the illegal aliens, harboring them with my money. Again, I can’t argue with anything that you’re stating there. You are correct as well. Spot on text message. And Charlie and I were just talking about that through the break. If you’re a religious organization, it doesn’t matter what kind of a church you have. The majority of organized denominations have missionary things that they do around the world, and they’ve got things set up, and some are really good at it, some are not so good. But my feeling is if you feel that burden by whatever USAID is doing, then you as an organization figure out how you’re going to raise that money in most cases. These organizations do a fantastic job of taking care of whatever needs to be taken care of with very, very, very little overhead. In fact, a lot of it is done through volunteers, so there’s not much overhead at all. So if you’re that burdened by what needs to be going on with USAID, I’m sorry to be this way. Go raise the money yourself. Go find where that money’s at and make it happen. Quit relying on on the government, me, the taxpayer, to support those things. It’s gotten out of control, and it’s got to be reined back in, much like you guys that are texting in are saying. And you are 100% correct, and you know where I stand on this stuff. So, all right, before we move on, I’ve got a couple other text messages I’ll read at break. It’s hard for me to read and talk at the same time. I’m not that good. I can scan and talk, but I cannot read word for word and concentrate and do things at the same time. I’m sorry to say I just can’t do it. I’m not that good. I wish I were. So let me read to you a few things that were frozen here in Colorado that, frankly, in my opinion, should still be frozen. Now, John Hickenlooper, Senator John Hickenlooper, which is going to be up for election in 2026, said that the majority of the dollars that I’m going to list to you have already been awarded to contractors and the work’s already begun. I don’t care. Pull it back. Cancel it. I could care less. Doesn’t matter to me. Here they are. And you’re going to be, well, you won’t be shocked because you’re my listeners, but we should be shocked. Grid resilience formula funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, $25 million. Home energy efficiency rebate program from the U.S. Department of Energy, $70 million. Keep in mind, these are Colorado programs now. So these are things inside of Colorado that the funds were frozen. Some of these have been released, unfortunately. And, of course, we’ve got politicians, Phil Weiser and others, whining and complaining about this money not coming into Colorado. State Energy Program formula funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, $2.8 million. State Energy Program bipartisan infrastructure law from the U.S. Department of Energy, $6.9 million. Home electrification and application rebate program from the U.S. Department of Energy, $70 million. RECI Advanced Building Performance Standards from the U.S. Department of Energy, $2.5 million. RECI Colorado Advanced Energy Code Adoption and Enforcement Program from the Department of Energy, $2.5 million. So I will just tell you, those last two, total waste of money. Not one penny of that should go to that. Total, absolute waste of taxpayer money. Fully. CPRG, Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, $3 million. Another complete waste of money. Weatherization Assistance Program, WAP block it’s called, from the U.S. Department of Energy, $22.6 million. Another complete waste of money. Weatherization Assistance Program, WAP, IIGA, from the U.S. Department of Energy, another $50 million. So we’ve got 77, almost $78 million going into the Weatherization Assistance Program. Now, I know this is going to sound really harsh. I’m going to say it anyways. If you live in Colorado… and you can’t afford to properly weatherize things with your home correctly, by the way, because you’re spending $300 a month on cable, which I’m probably not too wrong in saying, you ought to move to a warmer state. I’m being 100% honest, folks. If we need to take $77 million of taxpayer money here in Colorado alone and help people weatherize their homes, they ought not live here. I know that sounds really harsh. But you know what? Sometimes it’s harsh words that need to get to reality so people really wake up and understand what’s going on and make the necessary adjustments in their own life to make things better for themselves. Because the reality is I, as a taxpayer, don’t want $77 million, almost $78 million of my money going there. And I’m sure most of you listening don’t either. I weatherize my own home. You guys listening, you weatherize your own homes. And again, my feeling on this is, and I don’t know exactly how the program works, but I highly doubt, I highly doubt they have to prove their budgets before getting this money. I’m guessing it’s all based on income and where they live and a zip code and so on. I don’t know, but I’m probably not far off in my thought process because I’ve seen enough of these programs and know enough about how these work that that’s most likely the case. So at the end of the day, nobody in these programs is having to prove that you don’t go to fast food or do whatever else however many times a week. You’re not wearing the most fancy Nike shoes they have out there instead of wearing Skechers, which, by the way, I wear. In other words, you’re not on any kind of a budget, and you have that high cable bill, and I can keep listing the things. On and on we go. And the reason for that is because if you’re getting free help on this, why would you have to budget? If I can get you as a taxpayer to help me weatherize my home. Why would I have to budge anything? And again, please, I’m not trying to throw anybody that’s elderly or they can’t do some of these things on their own and they’re living Social Security check to Social Security check and they need some help. But folks, believe me, I can already guarantee you that’s not the majority of cases here. Now, what you’ll hear coming out of those in Colorado that want these programs to continue is probably the scenario I just gave you, but I will tell you, by and large, that’s most likely not the case. And again, we have enough other charities and things along those lines where if this was really a big burden, we have other ways to make these things happen. Energy efficiency revolving loan fund from the U.S. Department of Energy, $1.6 million. Energy efficiency and conservation block grant from the Office of State and Community Energy Programs, $2 million. Training for residential energy contractors, $2 million. from the U.S. Department of Energy. So we’re paying $2.5 million to train residential energy contractors. Total waste of money. Solar for… Oh, this one’s going to crack all of you up. Actually, it’ll probably make you ticked. Solar for all from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, $156 million. This is going to Colorado. Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, $129 million. IRA codes competitive award collaboration solutions from the U.S. Department of Energy, $20 million. Renewable energy siting through technical engagement from the Energy Department’s Energy Works, $1.9 million. Energy futures grant electric deployment from the U.S. Department of Energy, $500,000. Adopt Build Code’s Formula Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. In other words, how are we going to make your homes more efficient and make you spend more money at the same time? $12 million. National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure from the Colorado and Federal Transportation Departments. I talked about this one yesterday and Tuesday as well. $44.5 million. Okay. Folks, every one of those should make each one of you mad at the fact that our federal tax dollars are going back into not only Colorado, but a lot of other states as well. And it’s an absolute joke. Joke. So if you’re on the side of, yeah, this needs to happen. Yeah. Sorry. No, it doesn’t. There’s not a single thing on that list that needs funded. Not one thing. I’ll go to break and come back. Golden Eagle Financial is coming up next. Al Smith, who would love to help you with your financial future and, by the way, help you even budgetarily speaking. Where are you going to be in retirement? How do you get there? How do you stay there? Talk to Al today. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 03 :
We’ll be right back. Starting to save even a few years earlier could mean the difference of hundreds of thousands by the time you enter retirement, even if the same amount is contributed annually. The longer you wait, the more you miss out on the compounding effect of time, making it much harder to catch up. Let Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial help you today by contacting him on the klzradio.com advertisers page. Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management LLC, a registered investment advisor. BCM and Golden Eagle Financial Limited are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCM, but are offered and sold to individually licensed and appointed agents.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right, Roof Savers of Colorado. And hey, it’s a nice day today. Dave could definitely be out today doing work on your roof. So whether you’re looking for a full replacement, you need to extend the life of your roof, you’ve gotten one of those nasty letters from an insurance company, give Dave a call today, 303-710-6916.
SPEAKER 01 :
At Roof Savers Colorado, we are about more than roofs. We are about helping you make the best decisions with the right information. Being a homeowner isn’t getting any easier or cheaper, and neither is getting your roof the solution it needs. Deductibles are going through the roof, and with every passing year, insurance covers less than the one before. Due to a record amount of hailstorms recently, insurance companies have started limiting your coverage and pulling out of states entirely. We know the industry. With over 3,000 roofs under our belts and 23 years of experience, Dave Hart and his team are ready to complete a free roof inspection and discuss the option that is best for you. Don’t wait. Policy renewals are increasing by as much as 50%. Now is the time to get the solution you need. Call Roof Savers Colorado today at 303- 710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com. That’s 303-710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com to schedule your free inspection and start saving your roof today.
SPEAKER 07 :
High Five Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric can install a tankless water heater as soon as today. Tankless water heaters are preferred to tank heaters because they heat the water as you use it, meaning you’ll never run out of hot water again. Tankless water heaters also save you money on energy costs because you’re not constantly heating up that big tank. And because they are so efficient, you will save more money in the long run. High Five customers also enjoy tankless heaters because they take up less physical space in your utility closet or laundry room. These tankless heaters can even add to your home’s resale value. In addition to all these benefits, you can receive incentives and rebates of up to $3,200 from Uncle Sam, so it pays for itself. Find out more about tankless water heaters on the klzradio.com advertisers page and get in touch with High Five for answers to your home questions today.
SPEAKER 09 :
Live and local, back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right, some of you laughing at my Skechers comments. Actually, I don’t wear the slip-in Skechers you saw on the Super Bowl ads that you get at Kohl’s. No, I wear Skecher boots, believe it or not. They actually have a really comfortable boot. And when it’s cold out, especially, I have an insulated boot that I have on right now that I’m wearing that’s actually a little warm because it’s warmer out today. But, yeah, no, I actually like their boots, and I’ve worn them for, gosh, a decade. Plus now, maybe longer. Actually, they wear very well. They’re very comfortable, and I’ve worn those for quite some time. Also, Dan from Blackhawk mentioned that one thing that we’re not in favor of, and I’m not either. He’s not in favor of it. I’m not either. And you’ve heard this coming out of the Trump administration, and I love Donald Trump. You guys all know that, but I’ll call it like I see it. I am not in favor of the feds getting involved with capping interest rates on credit cards. Let the free market dictate that. If somebody wants to come out with a low-interest credit card and you’re of the qualifications of, then so be it. Again, I’m not in favor of government meddling in things along these lines. What I am in favor of, which is starting to happen, is let’s deregulate some things banking-wise. Let’s let local banks get back into the credit card business if they’d like to. Because, by the way, they’re not. Some are, but most aren’t. Let your local credit union do some of this if they would like to. And if they want to offer a 14% rate instead of a 35% rate, and they can gain more customers by doing so, and have more customers coming to their bank, putting deposits in, and so on, so let them go for it. Let them do it. So, yeah, Dan, I’m with you. I am not in favor of any kind of a credit card rate cap from the federal government. I don’t think that’s, again, that is not the proper role of government. You hear me talk about that a lot, but I mean that sincerely. It’s not the proper role of government. And that’s something I haven’t talked about here for a while, and it’s something that, you know, let’s take a couple of minutes here and go through that. Because government gets involved in all sorts of things. I just read you a list of funding that was frozen, how much of it’s been unfrozen coming into Colorado. And by the way, some of you just said it. You just made your stomach turn as I was reading that. Yeah, mine too. And I will tell you. that other than the $25 million, and I don’t even know what grid resilience formula funding is, because from the looks of that, that’s not really doing anything to the grid resilience. It’s probably just a study. I’m all for spending money on the grid. Now, do I think that needs to all come from the Department of Energy? Well, no, I don’t, actually. I think our utilities should be handling some of that. Now, if we need to strengthen the grid in other ways and we need to help out in certain ways and it’s justifiable, okay, that’s infrastructure. I’m for that to a degree, small degree, as you guys all know, because I’m a small government person. And as we had the texture early saying at least half of the federal workers need fired, that’s being kind. That’s being kind. I think you could actually go through the list and look at every single department and probably find that, in some cases, just eliminate it. We don’t need it at all. I’ve said this before. Do we need the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency? No, we don’t. Each state has a Department of Health or a Department of Environmental Services, in some cases both, which, again, that’s a state issue where they don’t need both either. Haven’t gotten there. I talked a little bit about that yesterday, how every state should have a DOGE department, but I’ll talk about that maybe at another time. I’m just talking right now on the federal level. So much overlay. When it comes to what we do federally speaking, the majority of what happens in the federal government outside of defense, outside of collecting revenues, which you could actually put back to the states as well. That’s another conversation. In other words, does the IRS need to exist? I believe no, they don’t. No, they don’t. You could put all the tax collection on the state level. In fact… I’ll go one step further. I don’t feel like employers, myself included, should be the tax collector. Some of you are thinking, well, John, you’re not. Yeah, I am, actually. Every employer is. Because you pull money out of the gross wages of an employee, and it’s up to you to send that into the government. Frankly, I don’t think that should be my responsibility. I don’t think garnishments should be my responsibility. I think all of those functions should come from the person themselves, not me. I don’t think an employer should be responsible for doing those things. Not my proper role. The employee, the person, the personal responsibility of said person should be responsible for those things, not me. And believe me, our tax situation, this spending that we’re talking about at Doge and so on, if every single employee was sending off their own personal withholding check on a monthly basis, believe me, things would change overnight. The problem is nobody sees that money coming out and where it goes. They see a net check. Yeah, they look at the figures, and yeah, they’re disappointed that their gross wages were X and their net wages are now this. And in a lot of cases, they don’t even pay attention to what’s going out the door tax-wise. Because the employer is the tax collector. And frankly, it’s a bunch of crap. It shouldn’t be that way. I, as an employer, should not be the tax collector. You, as an employer, your employer, should not be a tax collector. You should be sending that off on your own. And I know I’m speaking heresy in a lot of ways when it comes to the federal government and state government, but we should not be the tax collectors. Each employee should take care of that themselves. Now, here’s why we are. Because you can’t rely on the employee to pay it. So they make us do it. Again, it’s a bunch of crap. We should not be responsible for doing that. Every single taxpayer and worker should be responsible for their own. I should not be the one in charge of doing that. And by the way, you talk about lessening the burden on businesses. If all we as businesses had to do was calculate wages based upon either a salary, a commission, or an hourly wage, and all we did was write a direct check to them and they took care of everything else themselves, oh my word, would you eliminate a lot of positions in a lot of companies across the country. And boy, would you free up productivity for them to go do something else to make those businesses grow, help those businesses grow. cutting costs, and so on. I will tell you, there are so many ways to lower overall costs in this country, and a lot of it hasn’t even been talked about yet, and I just gave you one of them. I’ve talked about this in the past, another area that I’m disappointed in Trump in. You could literally overnight lower the gas burden in this country by making an executive order and having four blends of fuel instead of the 24 we now have. Overnight, Donald Trump could lower gas prices tomorrow by doing what I just said. I don’t know why somebody hasn’t informed him of that, and I don’t know why he hasn’t done that yet. He should. That move alone would help families out coast to coast overnight. Because it’s a direct, you know, our costs, food and otherwise, are directly related to a gallon of gas and that price. You could literally, and I’m not exaggerating, you could cut 30 cents a gallon Coast to coast, out of the fuel costs of people by doing what I just said. Why hasn’t he done that? I got to believe there’s advisors around him telling him these things. I mean, again, as I said yesterday, I don’t have the highest of IQs. If I can figure these things out, I’m sure there are people around him that have as well. Why is this stuff not happening? So am I against Donald Trump? No, I’m for all of what he’s doing. I want more, I guess is what I’m saying. I want more things done. I want more cuts. I want more federal workers’ jobs eliminated. I want more departments canceled. I want more. And I know some of you listening do as well. So I am the opposite of some of these that get upset when they see such and such department canceled. I’m not that person. I read some of the comments on social media at times, and I just shake my head and think to myself, you’re not really that stupid, are you? But, yeah, I guess they are. What are you going to do for your child’s education when they cancel the Department of Education? You know what? Your kid will be just fine. In fact, probably be better off. And, in fact, will be better off because he won’t have to learn about DEI and transgenderism and all this other crap that’s forced out on schools through the federal system. On and on and on we go. All right, I’ll take a break. We’ll come back. We’ll do another full segment when I come back. Veteran Windows and Doors is next. Dave Bancroft, make sure you’re dialed in when it comes to your Windows and Doors today and find out what the next deal is that he’s got. Give him a call today. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 12 :
Veteran Windows and Doors knows that when you’re feeling cold drafts near your windows, that means your windows are likely failing. Cold air seeping through and ice in between your window panes are just a couple of signs that your windows aren’t functioning as they should. When windows are installed incorrectly or the windows are not properly engineered for your area, the mechanics of your home will start to decline. This causes your home to not maintain the temperature inside and makes your HVAC system work overtime, increasing your energy costs. Veteran Windows and Doors guarantees the windows they install are up to code and engineered for your area, so you can be confident your windows will work. Veteran makes sure every window is weathertight, meaning the window is sealed and properly flashed so that no weather ever gets inside. Connect with Dave and Veteran Windows and Doors to receive 40% off three or more windows with free installation by going to klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right. Bruce Simmons, he is a reverse mortgage professor. If you’ve got a question on reverse mortgage, talk to Bruce today. klzradio.com is where you find him.
SPEAKER 03 :
Reverse mortgage expert Bruce Simmons has seen it all. So many people think the unexpected can’t happen to them until it does. Life can change fast, really fast. Then you need that money now. Home modifications, a new accessible stairway, medical expenses you weren’t anticipating, and it all costs much more than you would have expected. upgrading your home now to help with a medical emergency can even increase your home’s property value and over time with a reverse mortgage if you add a line of credit that balance increases too bruce can help you plan for the unpredictable and he can help you build that line of credit in case an emergency arises having access to that money is very powerful and can be a lifesaver Bruce knows having a line of credit will help you weather life storms. Connect with our reverse mortgage expert, Bruce Simmons, today at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 02 :
Ridgeline Auto Brokers, where if you’re looking for a new used car, they’ve got you covered. They can help you buy a new car as well. Ridgelineautobrokers.com.
SPEAKER 04 :
Are you in the market for a reliable car, truck, or SUV that won’t break the bank? Does your vehicle need high-quality auto repair? Then look no further. Ridgeline Auto Brokers and Legacy Auto Repair specialize in quality used cars that cost between $15,000 and $25,000, making them a great option for first-time drivers or anyone looking for a great deal. At Ridgeline, we pride ourselves on providing a transparent and happy hassle-free car buying experience. That’s why we never charge any dealer fees. Plus, all of our vehicles are inspected by our team of ASE certified technicians. You can trust that the car you’re buying is in excellent condition. And remember, we can also service your vehicle after the sale. At Ridgeline, we can take your current vehicle on trade, and we also offer competitive financing options for vehicle purchases and also for vehicle repairs. Ridgeline now has two locations, one in Boulder and now a second location in Fort Collins located at 1101 North College Avenue. Both locations offer full-service auto repair and a host of off-road accessories. Check out all their services at RidgelineAutobrokers.com. Ridgeline, the smart way to buy or service or accessorize your car, truck, or SUV.
SPEAKER 09 :
It’s time to leave your safe space. This is Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right. Several of you, by the way, agreeing with the credit card cap and the fact that we should not do that. And I’m still getting comments on my Skechers. Mike, go ahead, sir.
SPEAKER 11 :
So I came in from outside. I was listening. I was working, doing things outside and Somehow, through the power of your audience, the other thing that just drives me crazy is why Trump, and I say President Trump with great respect, because I… But anyway, I cannot figure out why two things, two or three things. Why do we still have subsidies going for wind generation and solar panels? Because those two items all by itself probably… ends up being hundreds of billions of dollars for China right there, because that’s where it goes to. So we’ve got to cut those subsidies.
SPEAKER 02 :
And let that fade away because it is not… Well, and correct me if I’m wrong, Mike, but isn’t that something that Doge and… Aren’t they currently looking at those things as we speak? And again, I don’t know exactly where you’re running into some issues, is when some of this was in the last infrastructure, which I call it the inflation bill from Biden. But given that they’ve already voted on and approved those things… I mean, is this something that the new Congress has to go back in and reverse? This is above my pay grade.
SPEAKER 11 :
So I spend probably two or three hours every night on the computer just going through different news sites. It has not shown up on any news site at all that I look at.
SPEAKER 02 :
Okay, well, because what I’m reading is, on the first day in Oval Office, this is coming out of factcheck.org, on his first day in Oval Office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that attempted to slow the growth in the country’s wind generation capacity. I haven’t looked up solar yet. The order paused all leasing on federal waters for offshore wind and paused new and renewable energy. New and renewed approvals for onshore and offshore wind projects on federal land until the outcome of a comprehensive assessment and review of the federal wind leases and permitting practices. The order also suspended a large and previously approved project in Idaho. Although the order described the provisions as temporary, no end date is specified. So they are on that path right now, Mike. They haven’t got them all done, but it sounds like that’s not as quick as what you and I would like it to be.
SPEAKER 11 :
Now that you mention it, I do remember reading that about the federal land and water and maybe even one or two of those. While the approved projects that were already on the East Coast, they were tanking even before Biden ever left office. So that was a good thing. But let me go on to another point here and just to see what you think. Our founding fathers, I don’t want to get you riled up too much, but our founding fathers… said, without truth, honesty, and full disclosure, our system of government will not work.
SPEAKER 02 :
That’s right.
SPEAKER 11 :
And you can see right now where, when my two girls were growing up, their granddad was on national television explaining how they were to all the questions on a college acceptance test. And… those two programs that they do for college testing were equal questions with language that everybody should be able to understand. And I would tell my girls, I would say, do you think if somebody was cooking the books at the college where your grandfather is a professor, if they were cooking the books and they needed to have him sign off on a paper that wasn’t correct or legal, financially not good? Do you think your grandfather would do that? And they both said no. And that’s where this whole, I cannot believe, John, this goes, I cannot believe, we have such a hard time even when a bill comes up to get even one or two Democrats ever to break away from the Democratic Party and do the right thing.
SPEAKER 02 :
You’re correct.
SPEAKER 11 :
And it drives me absolutely crazy, and I just have to ask this question. If you’re going to call yourself a Christian, how can you belong to the Democratic Party? Because when you look at the things that they’ve done in the last 25 years, it’s They’ve just been overtaken by special interests, and they’re basically communists.
SPEAKER 02 :
They’re Marxist, Mark. I mean, Mike, we talk about it constantly. They are a full-out Marxist movement. If you’re on that side of the aisle, period, you’re involved in some way, shape, or form. You said it best. You’re not even voting outside of that party, meaning that you’re a part of the problem, not a part of the solution. And I’m with you, Mike. I don’t know how in the world you could call yourself a quote-unquote Christian, and be lock, stock, and barrel with God himself, I don’t know how in the world you could do those things, Mike, and not go against his will.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yep, and I’ll let you go here. I’ll let you comment on one other thing that I’m going to say here, and then I’ll hang up because it’s breaking on top of the hour.
SPEAKER 02 :
Gotcha.
SPEAKER 11 :
Colorado, and Kim Munson actually said this a couple months ago, even when Doge first came out, But Colorado needs to have its own Doge team set up. to go through our own funding. How much money are we spending for blankety-blank wolf on the western coast of Colorado?
SPEAKER 02 :
I’ll let you go with that, Mike. No, I am with you on that one, Mike. Sorry, I didn’t mean to hit the button just a tad too soon. My apologies. We’re running out of time, though. But, yes, absolutely. I’ve said that, that not only Colorado, but every state should have their own DOGE department where we are going through and analyzing every single thing like what we’re doing at the federal level. Because, yes, Mike, I guarantee you – this one I could bet my life on – We as Coloradans and our tax dollars that come into the coffers at the Golden Dome, you’ll come into the Treasury here in Colorado, are wasted. And I don’t know how many cents on the dollar, but I’m guessing it’s at least 40 cents on the dollar, if not higher. We’ll be back. Hour number two is next. Rush to Reason, Denver’s Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 08 :
Average Guys. Average Guys. Average Guys.
