Dive into this episode of the Kim Monson Show where we dissect the intricate details of freedom versus force. Explore how current policies are shaping our lives and the implications of decisions made both locally and nationally. Kim and her team provide an insightful analysis of the ongoing political conversations at the Statehouse, alongside a robust discussion on taxation and economic freedom.
SPEAKER 02 :
It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
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I find that it takes work to get your brain around these ideas, and it takes work to engage in these conversations.
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The latest in politics and world affairs.
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With what is happening down at the Statehouse, I used to think that it was above my pay grade to read the legislation, and it’s not.
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Today’s current opinions and ideas.
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I see big danger in as much as we will be giving an unelected bureaucrat the power to make rules about what we inject into our bodies.
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Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
SPEAKER 16 :
indeed let’s have a conversation and welcome to the kim monson show thank you so much for joining us you eat your treasure 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 rachel zach echo charlie mike theresa amanda and all the people here at crawford broadcasting happy thursday producer joe happy thursday kim And a great show planned for you today, so be sure and fasten your seatbelt because we hope that you will learn something and be able to engage with your friends and your family and your colleagues about these important issues that we are facing. As you know, we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something’s a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. and it’s never compassionate nor altruistic to take other people’s stuff, whether or not it’s their rights, their property, freedom, livelihood, opportunity, childhoods or lives via force. Force can be a weapon, but it can be policy, unpredictable, in excess of taxation, fear, coercion, government-induced inflation, the World Economic Forum’s agenda, which we see that playing out at the UN. We see that playing out with this governor here in Colorado. Many of the senators at the… federal level and particularly those from Colorado here but also we see this locally and so many people are waking up to that we will talk with Joe Whitney in the last segment of our number two he’s with rooted in Littleton regarding something that they have on the ballot because they want to maintain their communities and their neighborhoods and this World Economic Forum agenda is really an assault upon that and so we will continue to shed light on all of these things we focus on the issues not the personalities we will mention the people that are pushing these issues but we want to make sure that we stay on the issues keep try to keep the emotion out of all this and remember if something is a good idea you should not have to force people to do it and so that’s why we look at all these things the way that we do And our word of the day is skookum. And it’s spelled S-K-O-O-K-U-M. And I was looking for a word of the day from Liberty Toastmasters. And I found this one. And it could be marked by strength or power. So they had an example from the dictionary. It was a skookum eater most times, but he pushed his bowl away. Number two, it could be marked by excellent quality, first rate, as handsome, healthy, and their example is handsome and healthy as skookum apples. So again, it’s S-K-O-O-K-U-M, and your challenge is to guess. Use that in a sentence today. Our quote of the day comes from Bastiat, Claude Frédéric Bastiat. He was born in 1801. He died in 1850. He was a French economist, writer, and prominent member of the French liberal school. He was a member of the French National Assembly. He developed the economic concept of opportunity cost economy. and introduced the parable of the broken window. He was described as the most brilliant economic journalist who ever lived by economic theorist Joseph Schumpeter. And as an advocate of classical economics and the economics of Adam Smith, his views favored a free market and influenced the Austrian school. He’s best known for his book, The Law, where he argued that law must protect rights such as private property, not plunder others’ property. And he said this, he said, life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place. And of course, taxation is such a big deal. And the fact that Mayor Mike Johnston of Denver has on the ballot five different questions regarding extending debt. Now, quite frankly, if you pay off your car, or when you pay off your car, I should say, your… Your costs will go down. You will have more money in your pocket. But what Johnston and company want to do is to extend debt to the tune of just under a billion dollars for a whole variety of different things. And the payback on that is… probably close to, I’ve got to figure that out, more than double. And the answer should be no on these. People are hurting because of taxes and high inflation. And the city and county of Denver got a big windfall with the higher assessed valuations on property taxes. So really recommending a no vote on that. And I’d recommend that you check out my website because in the voter’s guide, I do an analysis of each of those, how I got to my no recommendation on that. Also recommending no on the two statewide issues, which are, I have this in air quotes, healthy school meals for all children. But it could actually be called line the pocket of bureaucrats. And that’s another reason why I’m recommending a no. There’s already a national or a federal school lunch program. And this is a… I think, again, a bad idea. So my analysis is at my website, again, kimmonson.com. Click on the red banner at the top and put in your name and your email, and we will send you a link to download that voter’s guide. In addition, I included the phone numbers for the county clerks so that you can reach out if you want any information regarding candidates or You can get the information from them or on these municipal elections. You can call your city clerk as well and would recommend that I put in some recommendations on some questions to ask candidates as you are doing your research. on that. And also, I did include the Colorado Municipal League had a pretty extensive list of different questions on different ballots. I’ll tell you, Fort Collins, they are out of their minds with many of the things that they’re asking. What we’re also seeing on some of these ballot questions is that they are wanting to move the decision making from your elected representatives who are accountable to you are unelected, they’re unaccountable, but they’re being paid, their big salaries are being paid by your tax dollars. And so you can all check that out. I would greatly hope that this is a good tool for you as you are completing your ballot. And so many fine people are stepping up to run for office. This was the way it was supposed to be, is that we would have citizen representation. And I don’t know where she finds the time to do this, but Karen Gorday is on the line with us. She is a sponsor of the show. She is an entrepreneur and owner of Radiant Painting and Lighting. And Karen Gorday, welcome to the show. Good morning, Kim. Thank you for having me. Well, absolutely. Let’s talk your business first. And sometimes people cut corners in life. I’ve learned over time that it’s best to work with people that I trust, that we mutually want to have success in whatever project that we’re doing. and that we need to use quality products. But if people, in painting, that is really important, isn’t it?
SPEAKER 14 :
100% it is, yes. You don’t want to use the cheaper products for a number of reasons. Especially on the exterior of your house, you don’t want to use the paint from the hardware stores because you want to make sure you’re protecting your, for most people, it’s their largest asset. And when you’re using the cheaper paint, you’re not going to get… The protections that you would from the specialty paints, whether it’s Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore, those are the two largest. And honestly, you end up using more of the cheaper paint than you do using the premium, so it’s going to cost you more in the long run.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, and also thinking of costs in the long run, if you use a cheaper paint instead of a quality paint, I would imagine you would have to repaint sooner versus later. Yes? Yes.
SPEAKER 14 :
And so it costs you more all the way around, whether it’s immediately when you’re doing the project or you’re painting, you know, every two to three years. And who wants to do that? Right.
SPEAKER 16 :
I don’t think very many people do. So we’re getting near the end of probably outdoor painting, yes?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, we’ve got a couple more weeks. um we usually cut off about a week before thanksgiving however we’re we’re to the time of the year when we can’t paint every day outside and the reason for that it has to be the surface and air temperature both have to be 35 degrees or above the days we paint and for 48 hours after So, you know, we’ve had our frost warnings the last couple days, and we’re really watching temperatures because we don’t want to paint if it’s going to dip below 35 degrees in the next 48 hours.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. So moving into the two other things that you focus on, and number one would be now would be a good time to have you come out, give an estimate to spruce the inside up for the holidays, and then also to get organized for your outdoor lighting as well, correct? Correct.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, absolutely. Because Thanksgiving is going to be here before you know it. And then most people are going to want their lights on right around Thanksgiving, whether that’s before, on, or after.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. And how can people reach you?
SPEAKER 14 :
They can go to www.paintwithradiant.com or give me a call at 720-940-3887. Okay. okay now moving over to uh your campaign uh election day is right around the corner to uh bring us up to date what’s happening in lakewood um so as far as the campaign um this past weekend i actually met with the libertarians and i signed the local liberty pledge um and i’m getting you know great feedback on that because it’s showing people that Everything I put on my website, I’m going to stand by if and when I win this race. And people are like, wow, we actually have someone who’s going to fight for the people, and we don’t have that in Lakewood right now. So there’s that. And then I am looking for volunteers if you want to make phone calls. So I’ve got a report I get every day from – Jefferson County, showing me who has not turned in ballots. And this weekend, I’m going to spend most of the majority of it making phone calls trying to get ballots returned.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. And then what about these issues regarding getting this referendum? Is it called a referendum on some of the stuff they’re doing? What about that?
SPEAKER 14 :
That is correct. So I’ve talked to the referendum co-petitioners, because again, I’m not involved in that, but talk to them every couple of days. The deadline for signatures, they have to turn in the first referendum on the 30th of October. So it is crunch time. to get those signatures in. And I will tell you that the pro zoning folks are running a lot of distractions, misinformation campaigns, etc. A lot of noise trying to deter people from signing the petitions. And it really kicked up a notch after the co-petitioners let the city know, hey, we’re at the 75% mark. um because there was changes to the initiative and referendum processes thanks to our state legislature last year and now you have to let the um whoever you’re petitioning you have to let them know when you’re at 75 because if you don’t there are fines starting at fifteen hundred dollars
SPEAKER 16 :
That’s unbelievable. I remember that piece of legislation. And it’s unconscionable that we’re seeing people sometimes on both sides of the aisle that are shutting down voices. So people are paying attention. And again, give me your two websites, Karen Gorday for Radiant Painting and Lighting. What is that?
SPEAKER 14 :
Radiant Painting and Lighting is paintwithradiant.com. And then the campaign website is karenforlakewood.com. Four is spelled out.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. Karen Gorday, thank you so much. We’ll talk next week and have a great day. All right. You too. Thank you, Kim. And speaking of Karens, Karen Levine is who you need to reach out to for everything residential. Oops, I got ahead of myself in my ear. It’s Roger that we’re going to nurture. Roger Mangan. In fact, I’m going to see him later today. And he and his team can help you with all of your insurance needs. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan team is there.
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April 26, 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.
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Quickly.
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assemble at my father’s house the kim monson show is our modern day sybil luddington 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.
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There’s so much noise coming at us. Sometimes it is difficult to make sense of it all. How can you sift through the clamor for your attention and get to the truth? The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim searches for truth and clarity by examining issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. Tune in to the Kim Monson Show each weekday, 6 to 8 a.m. with encores 1 to 2 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM. The KLZ website, the KLZ app, and Alexa. Play KLZ. Shows can also be found at KimMonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
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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 dot com. And we are an independent voice on an independent station. And it happens because of all of your support, as well as all of our sponsors. I want to say thank you to the Harris family for their gold sponsorship of the show. And then also, Hooters restaurants. I got to know them when I was on city council, and it’s such an important story about freedom and free markets and capitalism versus those PBIs, those politicians, bureaucrats, and interested parties that want to live off of the taxpayer. that they want to control our lives. And so I really appreciate Hooters restaurants. They have locations in Loveland, Westminster, and in Aurora. Great specials Monday through Friday for lunch and for happy hour. And of course, a great place to get together with friends to watch all of the sporting events. And let’s see here. This is pretty interesting. First of all, it says, Denver’s budget woes are deepening as a major leaseholder stops paying $650,000 a month in rent. This city of Denver is dirty, it’s dangerous, and it’s dysfunctional. And I would say that all those things are occurring because of terrible electeds and bureaucrats and their decisions. And so what had happened, and you have to ask, why is it that these different governmental entities have money to be buying property? And when they’re buying property, they’re competing with private companies. Also, I think that they may be bailing out some of these different entities as well. And they’re doing that with tax dollars. And that’s really not okay. So what has happened here? is that the city and county of Denver bought the old, which building was it? It was the Denver Post building. They bought it in 2024 for $88.5 million, saying that the 303,000-square-foot building would eventually be needed to house Denver’s court system. The Denver City Council approved the purchase by a 9-4 vote, but several council members were skeptical of the price the city was paying, the timing of the purchase, and the need for the building. But then it goes on to say, Elisa Lumley, the director of Denver’s real estate, told council members that the deal would be revenue neutral as the monthly $650,000 payments from the master leaseholder, DP Media Network, LLC… would cover the city’s financing charges okay as i’m looking at this i gotta wonder if dp stands for denver post ah we’re gonna have to see about that but it says but in august the leaseholder dp media network llc stopped making its monthly rent payments So that is certainly going to hurt. The next thing, again, I mentioned this yesterday, but I think it’s important to re-mention this, that Denver has sued. I wonder how they’re using the money to sue Trump to refuse to drop DEI as a condition for federal money. Well, we really shouldn’t be sending federal money to these cities anyway. But you’ve got these blue cities that are defying Trump on this, and yet they want the money. And that is not okay, either. And then let’s see. I thought this was interesting. And I’m going to have to ask you, Joe, what you think about this. And that is that Michael Bennett, who is a US Senator from Colorado, and who’s running for governor of Colorado, he says, and this is from Axios Denver, that he wants the state to ban cell phones in Colorado classrooms. And I know that we want to have our kids focused on on academics and instead of having their phones. But I also think until we get our schools safe again, if my child was in a classroom where there was an attack going on, I would really want them to have their cell phone. I don’t think that this should be Bennett’s decision, but I do think that kids should be required to set their phone aside. But I think that can happen without a ban on cell phones. What do you think about that, Producer Joe?
SPEAKER 03 :
I think it’s a slippery slope, and it’s much like the guns regulation. Once they start banning one thing, they’re going to ban so many other things as well that it will be just control, in my opinion. Yeah. So I don’t think they should ban it. But at the same time, it should totally be up to the teacher’s discretion of whether or not they want to let phones in and when. Because, you know, sometimes there is study time where you’re sitting quiet in a room and they want to allow for listening to music while trying to go through their study guide or whatnot. So I think it should be up to the teacher’s discretion. But the teacher also has to enforce it.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, and the teacher, we hear so many stories of teachers that are not respected, that are not, that, what happens in the classroom? Well, you think about it, with all of this pronoun stuff that is taking our focus off of kids’ academics, or this, we haven’t talked about it for a while, these furries. and that is kids that are identifying as an animal that might be meowing or barking during class. And I would think that maybe that’s what Senator Bennett should be thinking about regarding education instead of banning cell phones. I think we need to get to a point where we have responsible cell phone use, but I typically don’t like the word ban on almost anything.
SPEAKER 03 :
I absolutely agree. And honestly, just cell phones is very much at the bottom of the list because all of those things that are happening right now are also due to over-regulation on the teacher and the parent of saying what they can and can’t do, where and when. And it’s…
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, it is control. So I think that’s interesting that he wants to do that. Also, this is from the other day, and that is from Newsmax Money. It says the U.S. budget deficit falls 2% to $1.775 trillion in fiscal 2025. Now, that deficit of $1.775 trillion is terrible. But this is the first headline that I think that I’ve seen that the deficit has fallen. So at least that’s a step in the right direction, right?
SPEAKER 03 :
That’s what I was thinking. I mean, there was a point where we were so far gone, we weren’t sure how we could bring it back. And I think we’re starting to see the other side of the taxes and tariffs now and that kind of helping the economy to prosper.
SPEAKER 16 :
And so stay tuned on that. It’s a step in the right direction. We’ve got a long way to go. As when we talked with Daniel Turner with Power the Future, he said that America, we’re basically in the ditch. If Trump can at least and his team can at least get the car back on the road, that will be success. So this is maybe getting a little wheel back on the road. So that’s really good news. I can’t believe that we are almost Halloween. And of course, Veterans Day is right around the corner. And so stay tuned. The USMC Memorial Foundation will be honoring our veterans with a special event. And so stay tuned on that. We will be talking with Paula Sarles about that. But on November 8th, they will have a Veterans Day ceremony at the Marine Memorial. And it would be a great thing to remember and to give to support the Marine Memorial. That website is usmcmemorialfoundation.org, usmcmemorialfoundation.org. So be sure and check that out. And then additionally, let’s see, I think that’s about all we have time for. at this particular point in time. But for everything mortgages, reach out to Lauren Levy. Oh my gosh, I’m ahead of myself. It’s Karen that we’re nurturing here now. I’m way ahead of myself. So for everything residential real estate, reach out to Karen Levine. And then, of course, we’ll talk about Lauren Levy in the next segment.
SPEAKER 18 :
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SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 21 :
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SPEAKER 16 :
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 dot com. And check out the website for the Center for American Values. While you’re there, Drew Dix, Medal of Honor recipient and co-founder of the Center, has a great podcast series. And his perspective is so important. He has so many different life experiences. And you really need to have trusted sources for these different issues we’re facing to get your brain around them and adding in Drew Dix’s podcast would be, I think, a great thing to add into your repertoire. And that website is AmericanValueCenter.org, AmericanValueCenter.org. On the line with me is Montrose Commissioner Sean Pond. And he is fiercely protecting or working to protect private property rights. Commissioner Pond, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER 11 :
Good morning, Kim. Thanks again for having me on.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, it’s good to have you. And I see so many things, just little headlines that come through on Facebook. And now is such a critical time in our state to reclaim our state. What’s the latest? What do you want people to know?
SPEAKER 11 :
Boy, you’re asking a broad question, Kim. There are so many things going on right now from every corner of the state, so many political races, and so many attacks on Coloradoans’ freedom that that’s a hard question to answer with a single answer. For us right now in Montrose County, obviously we’re dealing with the possibility of the non-native species introduction later this winter and early spring. So that’s been at the forefront and kind of a buzz on the media across the state. So that’s been one of the battles. But there are literally so many for the very soul of Colorado that that’s a hard question to answer. We’d be here for months.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. You recently had something published at Rocky Mountain Voice, Colorado’s legal tyranny, how it happened and how we take it back. And you said that Colorado has not fallen because of one bad election or one bad governor. You said it’s fallen because of a handful of people figured out how to take over the state legally. So let’s talk a little bit about that.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, absolutely. No, if you look back at the – well, for your – Viewers, if they haven’t read the blueprint, how the Democrats stole Colorado, I highly recommend they do. It’s not a storybook. It’s a factual plan of what they intended to do. They told us about it, and then they did it. And they did it legally. And what they’ve done is taken control of the legislative body at the highest levels of Colorado government, and they turned it into a playground for bad legislation. It’s incredible legislation. Last year, I followed and read nearly 800 pieces of legislation that came out of that session, in my opinion, the most damaging in Colorado’s history. And I was appalled. Of all of those that I read, there were less than half a dozen that didn’t infringe upon Coloradoans’ everyday lives, liberty and freedom. And it kind of propelled me into learning more about how that process worked. And if you look at all of the The people that have been elected, the people that are currently representing everything from your small town municipalities, your county government, and most importantly, your House and your Senate bodies in Colorado, that’s where they began to fundamentally change Colorado, all the way up, obviously, to the governor’s house, and we have some problems with our senators here in Colorado. But all of that collectively together has infringed upon freedoms and liberty in We now live in a state of one-party rule. It is truly the definition of tyranny.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, it is. And you mentioned this last legislative session. And I’ve got this volunteer gig as president of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers. And it’s an all-volunteer group which really are doing amazing civic duty. And that is my job as president is every Friday afternoon – We have a service called Bill Track 50 that populates all of the bills that will be scheduled for hearing for the next week. Then I go through and I look at these bills and try to assess if they affect the taxpayer, if they affect property rights, if they affect TABOR, Colorado’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights, or our parental rights. And then send that out to the board, and then we will analyze it, and we’ll take a position on that. We took a position on over 273 pieces of legislation, and our ratings report is out now, and it actually rates all of them. all of the legislators, how they scored regarding these key things that we did. And so I do want to say thank you to this group. That’s Steve Dorman, Greg Golianski, Russ Haas, Bill Hamill, Rob Knuth, John Nelson, Wendy Warner, Marty Nielsen, Rami Johnson, Mary Jansen, Dave Evans, Corey Onozorg, Paula Beard, and Ray Beard. And it’s monumental work to make all this happen. The fact that you as county commissioner are watching what’s happening down at the state house is so important. And then county commissioners, that’s a very important position. In fact, someone told me that county commissioners actually have more power over the elected than the state legislature. What do you think about that, Commissioner Pond?
SPEAKER 11 :
I’ll answer that. Carefully. One commissioner has absolutely no power, but two commissioners on a board, a board of three, being the majority vote, have a lot of authority and power. And it’s important that people understand that that power be used widely and be placed in the right hands, which is why elections are so important. Like you were talking about being weighed in power. into legislation. The counties are as well. We have an organization called CCI, and we weigh in on legislative decisions. We call them steering committees. And most of us, a lot of us go to the Front Range. We’re there in Denver for days up to a week on time. We go to the Capitol. Those of us that can’t travel, we weigh in via Zoom or phone calls. But yes, that’s a very powerful organization, CCI, that allows us to have a voice in the state capitol. The problem is, again, the Democratic Party is no longer a supermajority, but they are still a very strong minority. I’m just going to be honest. It doesn’t matter how much you or I weigh in. It doesn’t matter how much the lobbyists are up there giving them our opinions on where the legislation goes until we get the public engaged, involved, and we get more conservative-minded individuals to run for House districts and for Senate districts. That’s where fundamental change begins in Colorado, is getting more people to step up, stand out of the shadows, and get involved in local Colorado politics. It’s That’s where we start to change Colorado, where we can have our anti-blueprint. It’s right there at the ground, having good people step up and be willing to serve.
SPEAKER 16 :
So I want to address this CCI, which is the county commissioners. What is it, county commissioners?
SPEAKER 11 :
Colorado Counties Incorporated.
SPEAKER 16 :
OK. And then I was on city council for four years and CML, Colorado Municipal League, is a lobbyist for municipalities. The important thing to understand is, is those organizations do have a lot of power and many times they can drive change. both at the county level, municipal level, on making decisions. What I learned, though, is that they are not representing really the people. They’re representing the county or the municipality. And those are governmental entities with power. and have force behind them. And so while it makes sense to have these different county commissioners or different city councils, men and women and mayors come together, it’s important that each of those electeds realize that they are there representing the citizen, not the entity. And I think a lot of these different electeds, they get sidetracked on that, Commissioner Pond.
SPEAKER 11 :
Absolutely agree completely. If you want to know who’s in charge of the state of Colorado and the country as a whole, it’s lobbyist groups, right? So if you’ve ever been to the Capitol, Kim, I’m sure you have. It’s a rat race. It’s a zoo up there. And most of those people in that hall where decisions are made are lobbyists. Our lobbyists, you can’t walk out of the chamber without being confronted by a dozen lobbyists all the time. And when I say lobbyists, I’m talking about CTI has a lobbyist too, right? So when we weigh in for steering committee, that lobbyist then goes to the Capitol and tells our representatives where we stand on certain issues, much like all the other groups. And they’re on both sides of the aisle. But they they do weigh in and they do impact decisions at that state level. Absolutely. It’s important that the people understand that the lobbyists talk to your representatives every day. You need to make sure your representatives are listening to you, the people every day.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, and that’s why Colorado Union of Taxpayers, we’re an all-volunteer group. We could be down at the statehouse constantly, but we have businesses to run and families to take care of. But yet we volunteer an enormous amount of time, and we will create an email that goes out each Monday regarding the bills that we have rated or taken positions on. And that goes to all of the legislators, the governor. And if you’re a member of CUT, Colorado Union of Taxpayers, you can join us at coloradotaxpayer.org. It’s only $25 a year, Commissioner Pond, and about $2.
SPEAKER 11 :
I’m writing that down, Kim. Okay.
SPEAKER 16 :
Colorado taxpayer dot org. And you will receive that email as well. It is one of our one of our listeners said a cut is your shortcut to know what’s happening down there at the statehouse. I want to go to break a little bit early, Commissioner Pond, because I don’t want to interrupt you. this next subject, which is so important, and that is these land grabs that are happening, particularly here in the West. And we have these discussions because of our sponsors. I’m going to get it right now, Joe. And that’s Lauren Levy for Everything Mortgages.
SPEAKER 06 :
Many seniors are feeling squeezed because of inflation, higher property taxes, and increasing costs of living. If you’re 62 or older, a reverse mortgage may be the solution. Reverse mortgages can be complicated, so it’s important that you understand the process and work with a trusted professional. Mortgage expert Lorne Levy will help you craft solutions for your unique circumstances, whether a reverse mortgage, first mortgage, or a second mortgage. If you’d like to explore how a reverse mortgage might help you, call Lorne Levy at 303-880-8881. That’s 303-880-8881.
SPEAKER 01 :
Call now. 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 kimmonson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 05 :
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SPEAKER 16 :
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. We talk about freedom all the time on the show, and your individual financial freedom starts with the right guide, and Mint Financial Strategies can help. They’re an independent firm with over 25 years of experience, So call Mint Financial Strategies at 303-285-3080. They are your path to independent financial confidence. That number again is 303-285-3080. I’m talking with Montrose County Commissioner Sean Pond. However, Commissioner Pond, I’m gonna ask you to take your commissioner hat off and talk about some of these issues as a citizen. And that is really our two Colorado Senators, Senator Bennett and Senator Hickenlooper, plus Representative and Republican Jeff Hurd, are really trying to do big land grabs here in the West. And of course, Bennett is wanting to run for Governor, there’s reports that Bloomberg’s putting a whole bunch of money behind him. And so for us in the West, this is a real problem, Sean Pond.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, absolutely. If you use those two names at the same time, Hickenlooper and Bennett, I’ll give you part of the duo that has, over the last couple of decades, destroyed Colorado, especially rural western Colorado. I think if you’re on the front range, Kim, I’m over here in the west, I guess I’ll talk as somebody who lives here for five generations as a Colorado native. I don’t think that people understand that what happens in the rural western slope of Colorado definitely affects the front range, the suburbs, and those populated areas. And I’ll say that because… Senator Hickenlooper and Bennett, through land grabs and other mechanisms for decades now, have literally destroyed Colorado’s oil and gas exploration. They’ve destroyed mining. They’ve shut down coal mines and power plants. And they’ve locked up hundreds of thousands of roads and public access. Well, every one of those, those are the industries. If you look at oil and gas, that’s what powers Colorado. If you look at mining, that’s what fuels Colorado. If you look at the beef and agriculture industry, that’s what feeds Colorado. Well, every time that we crush and curtail those industries by locking up land and land access, you’re going to feel that on the front range when your food prices go up, when your energy prices go up, when the cost to heat your home goes up. And I don’t think that people understand that They’ve been preached and taught and programmed for years that oil and gas is bad, that mining is bad, that agriculture and cows on public land are horrible. But the truth of the matter is those are the jobs that Coloradoans, for as long as I can remember, worked. They fed, fueled, and fired Colorado, and they created jobs, high-paying jobs that created a tax roll benefit. So if you look at the very industries through locking up public lands and curtailing industries, I’m giving you the equation that adds up to a $1.2 billion deficit. So if those individuals… Can everyone understand when they’re casting a vote for Senator Hickenlooper, in it for governor, those votes are so important to the very future and the soul of Colorado. Simply through economic destruction, locking up land, taking jobs, you’re going to feel the effects on the front range. And again, it turned right into tyranny of the inner cities.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, and that’s why as Republicans, conservatives, libertarians, unaffiliated, moderate Democrats, these Democrats that we’re talking about right now, this Democrat Party that is in control here in Colorado, and really those that have control of the Democrat Party, it’s not the Democrat Party of JFK or your grandpa or your grandma. This is radical activists with an agenda that is really anti-human, if you really get right down to it. The problem is, is we need to have moderate Democrats and unaffiliated libertarians, conservatives, and Republicans stand up against that agenda. And I’m concerned that Republican Representative Jeff Hurd is actually agreeing with them on – what is it? Is it the Gunnison project that he’s involved with them on? Yeah.
SPEAKER 11 :
They call it GORP, Gunnison Outdoor Resource Protection Act, but I’m going to rebrand that again today. It’s grabbing our rights in public lands. In this instance, freshman Congressman Jeff Hurd did sign on and co-sponsored that law, that bill. It’s an act now, which has currently been introduced. And I will say this, Kim, that he and I have had some conversations. We actually had a very rough start to a conversation last Saturday at a Lincoln Reagan dinner. And I’ll tell you that… He has told me the reasons that he signed on to that bill. And I’m going to tell you, I guess for the first time publicly, that I’m working with him to maybe show him the error of his ways. I’m trying to show him that there’s a possibility here to maybe save a little grace. And explaining to him his ideologies and his thought process was simple. There’s five or six counties that the Grabbing Our Rights of Public Land Act is in. It’s Gunnison County, Delta County, Hensdale, Ouray, and I think part of Pitkin. Most of those counties are Democratic-ran. They’re county commissioners, they’re Democrats, they’re liberals. There are some moderate Republicans, which I have issues with there as well. But his thought process as a freshman congressman was, If my county commissioner supported it, then he would support it. And again, I’m going to give him a little grace here. He’s new to this. He wasn’t in politics prior. He’s new to this game, as am I. And as I’m talking to you today for the first time, he and I have shook hands. We’re agreeing to talk. He’s come here to Montrose. And we’re going to be talking about public land and public land issues, including the GORP grabbing our rights in public lands. And the Dolores National Conservation Area down in San Miguel, Montezuma, and Dolores counties, that was an act that was originally championed by Lauren Boebert, get the National Conservation Area, that I’m going to call the National Confiscation Area. And that was buried in committee. It’s been in process for years and years. It’s been buried. Well, unfortunately, Jeff Hurt pulled it out of committee, breathed new life into it, and allowed… Bennett and Hickenlooper to once again submit it. So those two simple acts in the first nine months have allowed or given the possibility of locking up nearly 800,000 acres of public land in Colorado that will kill agricultural producers. It very specifically lames out no oil and gas exploration, no production, coal mining, timber industry, fire mitigation. You always tie it into roadless rules and roads closed down. It’s all tied together on the attack on rural western Colorado values, the west in general, where on beef is real. All of these things tie in, and I’m just going to say this. I’m disappointed. I disagree with Congressman Hurd’s involvement in these and his involvement and work with the Democrats that have destroyed Colorado. But again, I’ll say he is listening. We’re talking. We’re actually working together on a few things behind the scenes that affect public lands. So I would say to you, to your listener, to stay tuned. I think there might be a glimmer of hope there that we can change direction of some of these things. And I’m working diligently to see if that’s a possibility.
SPEAKER 16 :
So Sean Pond, we’re talking with you as Sean Pond and kind of, I guess, commissioner on this as well. But this is important. I know that these are big issues for Western Colorado. And the fact that you have… reached out and said, let’s have a conversation. That’s what we do here on the show as well, is let’s have a conversation about this. And so for you guys to come together, and I can imagine it probably was a little rough to begin with, but that you kept at that, I find great hope in that, Sean Pond.
SPEAKER 11 :
There has to be. I’m going to touch on two parts of that statement. Whenever I hear a moderate Republican say that they’re signing on to a bill because they want to have a seat at the table, my heckles go up.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, me too.
SPEAKER 11 :
I believe that that simple form of compromise and negotiation is how we’ve lost so much of Colorado, so much of our country. There are certain things – there are issues that can be worked through, but when you start to compromise and negotiate with the Constitution, liberty, and freedom, that’s the basis of how Colorado has become what it is. But in this case, I would tell people that, yes, I’m talking to Congressman Hurd, and he’s asking, he’s listening to me both. It’s a two-way street. But don’t confuse conversation with compromise. Don’t confuse a handshake with surrender. These kind of conversations are incredibly important. There’s a lot of things I can learn from him and he from I. It goes both ways, and I believe that that’s a step in the right direction. So… I guess I would ask for a little grace for this moment in history. Let’s see what we can do together. Maybe there’s some positive outcomes. So don’t cast stones. Don’t completely discard that as a negative yet. There’s the possibility of some bright things on the horizon.
SPEAKER 16 :
So that brings up this narrative that we hear on a regular basis. Oh, there’s so much division. How do we come together? And I agree with you on that seat at the table. I used to hear that when I was on city council. And what I saw was compromise and consensus. And the consensus word, that’s a very dangerous word, Sean Pond. And And so it’s really difficult to unite with someone that wants to destroy our country. So we need to make sure that we talk about these principles first, which we go all the way back to Jefferson and the Declaration, that all men, every individual, has these rights from God of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. And so with that, we are all with the Constitution to be treated equally under the law, non-partial under the law. And those are things that I think that most reasonable people can agree upon. Jefferson and Hamilton didn’t agree on many things, but they agreed on those foundational principles of liberty. And so we have to make the… The conversation about those principles, which I think most Americans maybe still deep in their hearts have, but we can’t be working towards consensus. We have to sit down strong on these principles, Commissioner Pond.
SPEAKER 11 :
Absolutely. The very foundation of a constitutional republic, Kim. And we’ve lost that in Colorado by definition. What we have in Colorado is almost a pure democracy. We have mob rule. We have tyranny of the inner cities. We have one-party rule. I laugh every time I see these no-king rallies. People out there screaming no-king. We currently in Colorado live under King Gerotolus and the king-legislated bodies where we have no choice. Democracy is another word. People use it, they throw it around like a catchphrase. A republic is very simply where individuals freedoms matter. In a democracy, 51% agree on something, 49% suffer. People need to go back and read the Constitution, read the Federalist Papers, understand deeply what it means to be free, for individual freedoms, to be free to be who you are, do what you want, within the constraints of the law. And Colorado was strayed off of that. And I believe that this next election cycle in 2026 will be the most pivotal and most important in Colorado’s history. The governor’s race, there’s so many people out there right now, it’s still something to watch. Nobody’s talking about Governor Hickenlooper, Governor Hickenlooper, sorry, Senator Hickenlooper, who’s running again for Senate. That needs to be a strongly contested seat. If you look at Hickenlooper, Bennett, and Polis, those are the three men that have fundamentally been at the forefront of the destruction of Colorado. We need to disrupt that cycle. This is our chance. This is our time. Voter turnout’s important. And understanding the facts of who we used to be and who we want to be again is going to be so important to 2026.
SPEAKER 16 :
Right. And the way to do this is at the ballot box, engaging in this battle of ideas. So, Commissioner Pond, thank you so much. And again, I just so appreciate your voice. So keep up the great work. We’ll talk soon.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thank you, Kim, as always.
SPEAKER 16 :
And our quote for the end of the show is from Frederick Bastiat. He said, i’m gonna have to check that though i’m not sure that frederick bastiat all those years ago used the word technology so i’m gonna have to check the authenticity but i know that is the spirit of his quote 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 hour number two talking about
SPEAKER 04 :
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 02 :
It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 16 :
I find that it takes work to get your brain around these ideas, and it takes work to engage in these conversations.
SPEAKER 02 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 16 :
With what is happening down at the Statehouse, I used to think that it was above my pay grade to read the legislation, and it’s not.
SPEAKER 02 :
Today’s current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 16 :
I see big danger in as much as we will be giving an unelected bureaucrat the power to make rules about what we inject into our bodies.
SPEAKER 02 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
SPEAKER 16 :
Indeed. Let’s have a conversation and welcome to our number two of the Kim Monson Show. Thank you so much for listening. 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, Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Teresa, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Happy Thursday, Producer Joe. Happy Thursday, Kim. And Commissioner Sean Pond from Montrose County, he has got such a handle on these principles. And if you missed that interview in Hour No. 1, that show will be rebroadcast this afternoon, 1 to 2 in the afternoon. Or it’ll be on my website within 24 hours. Or you can catch it on the streaming services at iTunes and Spotify.com. But just an important conversation. So highly recommend that you check that out. Check out my website. That is Kim Monson dot com. Make sure you are signed up for our weekly email newsletter that goes out on Sundays. It’ll highlight all the upcoming guests as well as our most recent essays. While you’re there, click on the red ribbon at the top to download our voters guide, which we hope will be a great tool for you. as you complete your ballot. Ballots are due back on November 4th. And I know that there are those that are saying, get your ballot back early. I see it differently. I like to wait until very close to election day. And the reason is, is because both parties have all this data on all of us. And when they see your vote come in, they have a pretty good idea of what your vote is. And And for those that might be thinking about doing funny stuff regarding our elections, I’m like, why show your hand that early? So I hope that this will be a great tool for you. It’s important that you vote, but it’s important that you are an informed voter. You have a duty. to be informed, to do your research on the candidates. And I give you a prototype on what to do and how to do that in the voter’s guide as well. The consultants on both sides of the aisle just want you to be an influenced voter, to get emotional and watch all the ads out there and vote the way they want you to, the way their interested parties are pushing. And so that’s why this voter’s guide It’s so important. Nobody paid me to do it. And we do ask, we’d love to have you support us because we did do it. But no corporations, no PBIs have influence on that whatsoever. I look at it as what is best for you, the individual. and how that matches up with the American idea. Our word of the day is an interesting one, and that is skookum. In studio with me is my friend, Professor Kurt Kurwitz. Have you ever heard the word skookum before?
SPEAKER 20 :
I’ve never heard the word skookum.
SPEAKER 16 :
It’s S-K-O-O-K-U-M. It’s an adjective. It could be marked by strength or power. And there’s different things going through my brain about how I could use the word on that, but also marked by excellent quality, first rate. And so skookum is your word of the day, and your challenge is to use that in a sentence. Then our quote of the day is from Bastiat. He was born in 1801. He died in 1850. He was a French economist, writer, and prominent member of the French liberal school. And he said this, life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place. And so that is Bastiat. And I would say now this word of the day is marked by excellent quality or first rate. So I would say for everything residential real estate that Karen Levine is skookum. How do you like that, Karen? I don’t know. That sounds a little messy. Well, the word’s messy, but what it is is marked by excellent quality. And you strive for excellence as you help your clients. That was the dot I was trying to connect, Karen. Thank you.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, and I would say I do strive for excellence, so thank you.
SPEAKER 16 :
What’s happening in this fall selling season here in the residential real estate market?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, it seems to be very busy. There is new properties coming on the market daily, and buyers are looking for good opportunities. Some are successful, some are not. We’re finding that… because we haven’t been in this environment or a similar environment in over a decade that there are a lot of real estate professionals, realtors that don’t know how to negotiate or put a transaction together. And that’s becomes a disadvantage to the people that are being represented. And I think that’s, The skill that I bring to the table in this marketplace, which is I don’t have a fear of negotiating, and I believe I have good strategy, which then puts a transaction together that might not normally be put together. And so the market has been challenging those skills that I have.
SPEAKER 16 :
okay and yes home ownership i when things are like this when it when things are a little maybe topsy-turvy there’s always opportunity there and i think that we forget that sometimes karen i think we do i think when things are a little bit unsettled that creates a sense of unsettledness within us and yet
SPEAKER 12 :
It presents opportunity. And for those who are willing to be a little more adventurous, maybe put their toe in the water, they’re going to… obtain an opportunity they wouldn’t have otherwise and i’ve seen that both on the sell side and on the buy side here in the last 10 days and i’m like wow i wouldn’t have thought that would have happened and that was to the benefit of a buyer but it achieved the goal of my seller and and then i had another transaction that didn’t come together because i was cleaning up a contract to make it less volatile and risky for the parties, and they didn’t find that negotiation appropriate. So it’s been a little bit of a roller coaster, but roller coasters create excitement and excitement a sense of when you get off a roller coaster, you feel like the wow factor. So I think that’s the market we’re in.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. So if people are wanting to buy a home, sell a home, look at a new build, what is the best way for people to reach you, Karen Levine?
SPEAKER 12 :
The best way to reach me is… give me a call or shoot me a text at 303-877-7516. And if you are considering a new build, definitely give me a call because the builder community is looking to get some inventory sold by the end of the year, and they’re offering some amazing financing packages. And I wouldn’t want you to miss out on that if new construction is a consideration.
SPEAKER 16 :
And I know that you do a questionnaire. So what if there’s that… millennial couple out there that they have really, really wanted to get into a home, but they feel like they’ve been priced out of the market. It sounds like there might be some opportunity. So I think I know how this would work is they could call you, you would do a questionnaire with them, what they’re looking for, and then you have your finger on these new build communities out here in the metro area as well. And so there may be a possibility that people could be in a new home by Christmas.
SPEAKER 12 :
Most definitely. Most definitely. Because just in the visits I’ve made recently to some new home communities, they have product that is ready to be delivered or be delivered here in the next. six to eight weeks, and they would prefer to not carry them into 2026.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay, so that means there could be opportunity. Again, what’s that number for people to reach you, Karen? The number is 303-877-7516. That’s Karen Levine, 303-877-7516. We’ll talk next week. Sounds great. Thanks. And these discussions happen because of Karen and because of Roger Mangan and his team. And Roger and his team can create a personalized insurance plan for you. That’s what they’ve done for me. And it’s a complimentary call. Give them a call, 303-795-8855 for that appointment. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan team is there.
SPEAKER 15 :
costs to ensure your home apartment auto boat are increasing inflation high taxes grocery prices are squeezing coloradans budgets how can you save money when you bundle your insurance coverage with the roger mink and state farm insurance team you may save money on your insurance premiums The only way to find out is to reach out to the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance team for a complimentary appointment. Call the Roger Mangan team now at 303-795-8855. That number again is 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan team is there.
SPEAKER 06 :
For nearly 20 years, mortgage specialist Lauren Levy with Polygon Financial Group has helped individuals realize their hopes and dreams of home ownership, fund kids’ educations through second mortgages, and access capital by utilizing reverse mortgages. Lauren Levy works with many different lenders. and his goal is to provide home loans to his clients with the lowest interest rates and closing costs as possible. Lorne Levy pledges to help borrowers overcome roadblocks that can arise when securing a loan. Call Lorne Levy now at 303-880-8881 so that you are prepared for opportunity in the mortgage market. That’s 303-880-8881.
SPEAKER 05 :
There was a time in America when a man’s handshake cemented his word. At Ben’s Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, we are old school and believe in doing a job well. If there is ever an issue with the service that we have provided, we will make it right. Ben’s Plumbing, Heating and Cooling is proud to partner with The Kim Monson Show to bring truth and clarity to the issues we face in Colorado, America and our world. Call or text Ben’s Plumbing, Heating and Cooling at 303-995-1636 for all of your plumbing, heating and cooling needs. That number is 303-995-1636.
SPEAKER 17 :
Sometimes it is difficult to make sense of it all. How can you sift through the clamor for your attention and get to the truth? The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim searches for truth and clarity by examining issues through the lens of freedom versus force. The KLZ website, the KLZ app, and Alexa. Play KLZ. Shows can also be found at KimMonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
SPEAKER 16 :
And welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. I wanted to say thank you to the Harris family for their gold sponsorship of the show. And from Parker to Golden, Little Richie’s Pizza and Pasta is your go-to for real New York-style pizza, hearty pastas, and that unbeatable local vibe. Little Richie’s is serving up daily specials, quick and tasty weekday lunch deals, and a happy hour the locals actually build their plans around. Whether you’re bringing the crew, catching up with friends, or flying solo for a hot slice, Little Richie’s is your neighborhood hangout. And I actually had one of their calzones the other day and asked for extra sauce on that. It was absolutely delicious. You’re looking at me, Kurt Gerwitz, perplexed.
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, that’s my stomach saying that sounds amazing. You’re making me hungry.
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh, I tell you, it really is. It’s good. So again, Parker and Golden, Little Richies. Kurt Gerwitz is the voice that you just heard, Professor Kurt Gerwitz. And it’s great to have you here. You’ve been traveling and on lots of different adventures this year.
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, I went to Mexico. You know, last time I was on the air with you here, we were talking about my 10-day silent retreat that I did with the Buddhists, the Vipassana retreat. But Mexico is one of my favorite places in the world. Mexico City is… I went there for college and… I can’t say it dwarfs New York City. I think it is a Denver amount of people bigger than New York City.
SPEAKER 16 :
Really?
SPEAKER 20 :
It’s a global city. When I was there, they were saying it might be the largest or second largest city in the world. behind Tokyo. But last I checked, it’s ranked around 10 because there’s a lot of these cities in Asia that are just really full of people, lots of humans. But I’m going to say 22 to 25 million people in Mexico City.
SPEAKER 16 :
I’ve heard, wow, I can’t imagine that. I’ve heard it’s dangerous.
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, I mean, I just heard you called Denver dangerous. So I’m not sure it’s any more dangerous than a typical city in the United States. You just have to be smart, be careful. You have to know where your wallet is when you’re in a crowded space. And when you’re in an isolated space, you just have your radar up and just stay alert and go. I hate the word common sense. I’m going to say it a couple times today probably. Because common sense, the phrase always means something I know that I think everyone else should know. And that’s all it means. So I can’t call it common sense. I grew up in an urban environment personally, so I have the skills of navigating that. Here’s one for your listeners. If you are a victim of a crime, if you get mugged, Look at their shoes of the perpetrator because they’ll change their outfit, but they typically don’t change their shoes. So that’s their identifying mark. That’s one of them. The other is toss your wallet because then they’ll go to get the wallet and that creates a distance between you and them. So that increases your safety. But I didn’t need any of that in Mexico City. Look, that’s the other thing is your dollar goes farther there than it does here. So I was in a very nice neighborhood for a much lower cost than that would be here.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. And you speak Spanish?
SPEAKER 20 :
Sí, yo hablo bastante español, sí.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. Any other languages?
SPEAKER 20 :
I started to try to pick up German for my family heritage, and it’s very difficult to learn a foreign language, and I’m back on Spanish. So I’m doing a thing. I’m on my self-study. I’m in the intermediate plateau. There’s so many resources for beginner language learning, But when you get to the intermediate stage, it’s really hard. And the advanced stage, you can just watch TV or watch the news. And I’m in the middle there. And so I’m listening to the audio book of Harry Potter in Spanish. I can get it free from the library and I can get the e-book also so I can read along while I listen to it all in Spanish. And then I do have to flip over to the English to understand what’s going on. But then I come back to the Spanish and pick up some words here and there.
SPEAKER 16 :
Good for you. Good for you. Speaking of being in cities, when I was in the ladies’ clothing business, I’d go back to New York on a regular basis, typically four times a year for each of the seasons, spring, summer, fall, and winter. And I would, sometimes I would, normally we were in Midtown, and I would walk over to see a Broadway play. I loved to see Broadway plays. And I remember, and you have to just be careful in New York which street you’re on, and I’d seen a Broadway play and was headed back to the hotel by myself, and I saw up ahead of me four or five people boys or old, you know, young men. And my gut was saying, this could be danger, danger. And so I always suggest that you listen to your gut. There’s something that you can sometimes feel if there could be something that could be not good to happen. So I immediately crossed the street and then tried to make myself look pretty small as I walked by and got back to the hotel safely. But my point is that you need to really be aware, as you say, of your circumstances, and then sometimes you need to take action to try to get yourself out of that situation. If I would have walked right into them, it would have been a problem, I think.
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, you don’t know. I mean, you made a bet, right? One of my required readings for my class is a book called Thinking in Bets. Thinking in Bets? In Bets. Everything we do is a gamble. Our brain is always assessing the risk and the reward of our decisions and the cost and benefit of our decisions. And so you made a decision to cross the street. It’s very low cost. And the benefit was you really reduced a risk significantly. So, yeah, you made a good bet. But you’ll never know. You won’t know if something would have gone wrong or not. But you know that what you did was you made the right choice.
SPEAKER 16 :
You have to honor that particular decision. When you’re feeling that, there is a reason why, and you need to honor that. So let’s get over here to begin with this subject that you and I have talked about, talking about for quite some time, and that is bike lanes, bike infrastructure, road diets. So talk to me about this, Kurt Gerwitz.
SPEAKER 20 :
Oh, Kim, you know, I’m groaning because it’s a squishy subject for me. It’s so personal to me, like politics, religion, personal finance. And, you know, I like to tease people and say I don’t care about abortion or taxes or who’s president of the United States. I only have one political issue. I actually have two. But it’s funny. I always get a laugh when I say my only issue is bicycle infrastructure. I’m a one-issue voter. I know there are some other one-issue voters out there, so you can relate to me on that. But I’m pretty sure I’m in a minority here as that being my one issue. The other issue is congressional insider trading that undermines our infrastructure. economic system completely and is a real ethical and frankly moral nightmare that we are currently experiencing in the United States at a national level. But let’s talk about bikes.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay, your other’s insider trading. I want to make sure.
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, insider trading is number two. We’re here to talk about my passion project in life is bicycle infrastructure. It makes me even laugh a little because it feels silly. But off the top of my head, I always just tell people it solves obesity. It solves mobility. It solves mental health, community safety, mobility. Pollution, urban beatification makes things prettier. So again, obesity, what’s the next thing? Mobility. Mobility, okay. I didn’t know you’d be writing this down, Kim. You’re making me nervous. Mental health. Mental health. Look, exercise itself is… Anything that helps you sleep better. You know, sleep is 100% correlated to all the major psychiatric disorders is sleep disruption. So anything you can do to improve your sleep will improve your quality of life, your cognition. And so anything that goes with exercise goes with bicycling. It’s like economically super efficient economically because you’re not only just because you’re exercising during your commute, which you’re normally sitting in your car. Sitting is the new smoking. You know, it’s so it just it does a lot. And I think like, you know, I actually think I have an opinion about people like people are nice people until they’re in the car. My mom has a story about like getting out of church and her dad would get in the parking lot and curse out all the other drivers like right after church. You know, so I thought. I don’t think I’m going to win the argument that bicycles will bring you closer to Jesus, but I’ll do anything I can to get my votes here for bicycle infrastructure.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. So obesity, mobility, mental health, beautification. I think you said environment, right?
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, I’m going to say safety.
SPEAKER 16 :
Safety. Okay. Okay.
SPEAKER 20 :
And we can pick apart any of these, but the conservative argument is how much freedom it gives you. Bicycles give you real freedom. And it’s not wise for me to put bikes up against cars. I think I would win that argument, but I… Um, logically, but I think in people’s guts, if they’re listening to their guts and their hearts, they’re going to, we’ve been trained as Americans to love our cars. Um, when I was living in new Orleans, Louisiana, you know, it’s a, it’s a very bikeable walkable town. It’s, you know, it’s more French or European than American. Um, Tennessee Williams said there’s three cities in the United States, New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. And the rest are just Cleveland and no offense, Denver. But I kind of feel that way sometimes. I also live in the suburbs here, but it’s it’s like, you know, a TGI Fridays and a JCPenney’s. I could be on any Starbucks everywhere. I could be on any street corner in any city in the United States. There’s not going to be as many Starbucks. They’re closing a bunch of them. Okay. I did work for Starbucks. I was a barista. Yeah. Corporate coffee. Okay. But my point there was that you could tell. So Houston is the nearest biggest town to New Orleans. So a lot of good jobs belong in Houston. And New Orleans is kind of a satellite of the economy of Houston. Nobody wants to admit that. But a lot of…
SPEAKER 16 :
Can you bike from New Orleans to Houston for your job?
SPEAKER 20 :
No, no, you could drive a car, but then you’re behind the wheel and you’re, you know, you’re, you’re kicking out a particular matter on the streets and you’re putting wear and tear on the roads and it’s expensive. So there’s, yeah, I mean, I know it kind of goes along with our, our parallel disagreement between you and I, which is about public transportation and,
SPEAKER 16 :
Yes, all of these things and subsidizing it. So we’re going to go to break, and I’m excited to have this conversation with my friend, Professor Kurt Gerwitz. And these discussions happen because of our sponsors. And before we get to that, I did want to mention the USMC Memorial Foundation will be having an event November 8th for Veterans Day out at the memorial and would highly recommend that you You check that out. You can go to usmcmemorialfoundation.org to do so. That’s usmcmemorialfoundation.org to do so. And then we talked with her in the first hour, and that’s Karen Gorday. She is an entrepreneur and owner of Radiant Painting and Lighting. She’s also running for city council in Lakewood. But we’re getting close to the holidays, and if you want to spruce up that room in the house because the family’s coming over, be sure and reach out to Radiant Painting and Lighting.
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SPEAKER 16 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That’s kimmonson.com and sign up for our weekly email newsletter while you are at there. And we talk about freedom all the time. And financial freedom on a micro level, your own individual financial freedom is so important. And Mint Financial Strategies can help you with that. They’re an independent firm and an accredited investment fiduciary that they always put your best interests first. Mint means more than money. It stands for a meaningful relationship, information sharing, a network of smart strategies, and a thoughtful advisor who puts you in control. No cookie-cutter plans. Everything is tailored to you. So call Mint Financial Strategies today. That number is 303-285-3080. again 303-285-3080 in studio with me is my friend professor kurt gerwitz we met at liberty toastmasters which i highly recommend for everyone and we’re talking about your one issue political issue and that is bicycle infrastructure And you said that riding a bike helps regarding obesity. Totally agree with that. Certainly bicycles have mobility, but also our autos do as well. Mental health. I can see that, you know, getting outside, getting exercise. That’s important. Face to face eye contact community. Okay. Community. Beautification. I’m not quite sure on that one.
SPEAKER 20 :
I’ll send you a picture of a parking lot versus a bike lane with some trees next to it and a flowing river. It’s a decision.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. Environment. Economically. I’m not sure I totally buy that. If I am a construction worker, I can’t bike to work, and so that would affect my personal economy. So we might challenge that.
SPEAKER 20 :
I think a lot of construction workers bike to work.
SPEAKER 16 :
How do they get their tools out?
SPEAKER 20 :
Not the ones who need the tools there. I do have a strong, obviously, preference for cargo bikes, and it’s a new thing coming up in the world. We’re going to see more and more cargo bikes. Kim, I’ve got to say, I really hope America does not miss the opportunity to improve our streets or because we’ve got these electric bikes that are coming out and they are all these things we’re saying they are closer to that than a car and it’s real you know the the car lobby has a lot of power the um you know get the gasoline lobby has a lot of power that the tire the tire industry has a lot of power and if you want freedom from those powers you want freedom from the dmv um you know then this then bicycle is is better if you want freedom from opec where do we get you know america still imports a lot of oil um we make enough oil to for us to use but we actually export you know a large percentage of that and then we import it’s just the way the the economy works the way distribution works but if you want to like opt out of that system of you want to stop giving money to the to the middle east then a bicycle is one strong way to do that
SPEAKER 16 :
So I’m all about choice, as you know. And so if people want to bike, certainly. And I well, I haven’t been on my bike for a while. I do like to bike leisurely, but. I’m going to go to our friend Brad Beck and what he says about issues. And so I agree, obesity, it can have mobility and some of these other things. But the question is, who’s going to pay for all this?
SPEAKER 20 :
I love it because it’s so much cheaper than cars. Cars, not only for the individual who’s buying the car and has to, you know, I don’t know, you can’t buy a car for really less than five grand, maybe less than three grand. And then you’ve got to pay your fees to the government. You got a lot of fees to the government. It’s between three and ten thousand dollars a year for maintenance on your car. And these are the individual expenses. But the economy, so a bicycle is like between 1% and 2% the price of a car, the cost of a car.
SPEAKER 16 :
But who’s going to pay for the infrastructure for all of these bike lanes? How’s that going to be paid for?
SPEAKER 20 :
What I’m saying is that it’s cheaper than car lanes. A highway costs millions of dollars across a bunch of miles. And it is pennies on the dollar to put in bike lanes for that.
SPEAKER 16 :
But who pays for those bike lanes? Because at least with roads, gas taxes are supposed to be paying for a lot of that. And I know that a lot of the gas tax money from when I was on city council was siphoned off for these other mobility expenses. Things such as bikes and buses. So who’s going to pay for these bike lanes? How does that get paid for?
SPEAKER 20 :
It’s a good question. There’s nothing without cost, right? And we started our conversation at the top with we think in bets or what’s the cost benefit. And so for every dollar we put into it… My argument is that it’s an investment, not just a cost. But yes, I will answer your question. You know more about how dollars flow through community institutions or governments. I have a libertarian professor from Loyola, New Orleans. He’s one of the top libertarian thought leaders in the United States. And he talks about long, skinny things, that this is the argument most used against libertarians is long, skinny things, meaning railroad lines, power lines, and roads, that people just think that the government has to do those things. And if that’s the case, I think it’s good practice to always replace the word government or free money with with the phrase taxpayers. So the answer to your question is taxpayers. But there’s different kinds of taxpayers. And if we had what I wanted, the investment is so much better than what we’re currently doing with cars that we would see a savings comparing the investment of one versus the investment of other. Yes, there is a cost to everything.
SPEAKER 16 :
So I pay, as you mentioned, owning a vehicle. There’s a lot of different fees, pay fees for the roads. But Kurt Gerwitz, I come over to the station very early in the morning. It would not be safe for me, first of all, to ride a bike over here. And the time required would be so significant. And in a way, it sounds like you’re almost making the case to get rid of cars. And… I don’t want to do that. I don’t want people to take away my choice. And I also think that these bike lanes, to my knowledge, bike infrastructure, nobody biking is somehow paying any of the fees for these bike lanes. So talk to me about that.
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, you said a few things there. I mean, your safety, time and cost. I think I address the cost as best I can. For safety and time, you know, I think we really lack imagination. When I talk about Donald Trump or national politics, I have this phrase, I don’t want to talk about this unless somebody knows what kayfabe is. which is that it’s theater. It’s the type of theater that is professional wrestling, where you have a bad guy and a good guy, and the audience is one of the characters. And I don’t want to talk about bicycles unless somebody has been to or studied Amsterdam, because they made the choice. And their weather is much colder than ours. And they just made a choice that bicycles are going to be better than cars. And it’s a functioning society with arguably better mental health outcomes and a sense of community. So when you talk about your safety and your time, part of that is what we’ve done with our urban design. I do believe in the conspiracy that the car industry, the tire industry, and all the industries… The bicycles have to have tires.
SPEAKER 16 :
Right.
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, but much smaller, much less particulate matter for pollution, much less cost. The bicycle tire industry is not quite the lobby that Firestone is.
SPEAKER 16 :
Kurt, taking away my freedom of mobility to be able to live where I want to and to work where I want to, To take that away is really a policy that would be taking away my opportunity.
SPEAKER 20 :
You’re seeing it that way, and I see it exactly the same way for the fact that you don’t feel safe and you don’t have time to ride a bike is because of our urban design, and that has taken away.
SPEAKER 16 :
But you want to force me – so in essence, though, this plays right into this 15-minute cities thing, which is the World Economic Forum, where the regular people are going to be in just a small area and that because of policy, you basically can’t get out of it.
SPEAKER 20 :
I said on the air one time here that – That you don’t like it when someone else tells you how to live, but you’re okay with it when it was the internal combustion engine that tells you how to live. I don’t want the World Farm telling us… The internal combustion engine.
SPEAKER 16 :
I remember my grandfather… And the story that they’d gotten a Model T. And the fact that they had freedom of mobility to be able to get off the farm and go into town instead of having to take a horse and wagon was a big deal. And I love that.
SPEAKER 20 :
And I love that American ingenuity, and our bicycle industry in America is really cool. We’ve got the high-quality craft work. You can make a cheap aluminum bike-shaped device, not even aluminum, mostly plastic, out of China. But here in America, we make good bikes, and they’re well-made. And those roads at that Model T, I love the story of the Model T. I do love the origin of the internal combustion engine and the freedom it brings. The roads that that… model t was driving on was they were built for bicycles originally so roads all the roads that exist were you know came from that’s not true it’s well you know it was horse and wagons and at least where i’m from it was horse and wagons they weren’t riding bikes around Well, if you follow the history, the bike that we have now is called the safety bike, where the chain underneath your feet pushes the back tire. That really drove, it did drive road development in America.
SPEAKER 16 :
So one other question we’re going to have to go to break here is that bikes don’t pay any registration fees to pay for any of the infrastructure. I know a street over in Centennial. The neighbors are up in arms that one morning they woke up. There was a whole lane on both sides almost that was taken out. for a bike lane, and it was painted, and there was pylons and those turtles. And they’re like, we’ve never seen anybody in these bike lanes. And I find that troubling.
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, that’s like saying, I want to build a business here on the corner. I want to build a restaurant. He’s like, well, I’ve never seen anybody eat a sandwich on that corner.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, but you’re using government money to do this instead of the person that’s opening the restaurant is opening it up with their own risk. That’s right. Bikes don’t pay anything for any of the stuff that’s going on.
SPEAKER 20 :
You know, that’s a good question. I’ve never paid a dollar to the government for my bike other than retail sales tax. Yeah, but if we did, it’s a better investment than what’s currently happening. Okay.
SPEAKER 16 :
We’ll leave it at that. I’m sure that we will continue this discussion on that.
SPEAKER 20 :
I’m just going to go back to how much you love having choice and how much you do. How much how do you feel on your bike? You love the feeling on your bike.
SPEAKER 16 :
I know. But the force of taxes, taxes being taken from people that then are spent on something over here.
SPEAKER 20 :
Then you should hate cars.
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh, my gosh. Okay, we’ll continue this discussion when you’re in next month, Professor Kurt Gerwitz. These are such important discussions to have, though, and we have them because of our sponsors. If you’ve been injured, be sure and reach out to John Bozen and Bozen Law.
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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.
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SPEAKER 16 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Check out our website. That is KimMonson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. While you are there, make sure you’re signed up for our weekly email newsletter and also download our voter’s guide, which we hope will be a good tool for you as you complete your ballot. Those are due back on November 4th. And all you have to do is just click on the ribbon at the top of the website and then input your name, your email, and we will send you a link to download that And again, I hope that will be a great tool for you. I did want to mention the Center for American Values as we’re speaking about tools. A great tool in this battle of ideas is to add Drew Dix’s Words from the Silo, his podcast, to your repertoire. And you can get that at AmericanValuesCenter.org. That is the website for the Center for American Values. And Drew Dix is a co-founder. It’s located in Pueblo. So check all of that out as well. And… On the line with me is Joe Whitney, and he is with a group of citizens that has been concerned about the Littleton City Council and mayor and the decisions they have been attempting to make regarding their community. And we’ve talked with Joe before, and we wanted to get an update. And he is with RootedinLittleton.org. Joe Whitney, welcome to the show. thank you kim nice to be back well it’s good to have you and i recommend people check this out for people that may not know about rooted in littleton.org tell us about that
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, Rooted in Littleton is a citizens group. We’re all volunteers and we have a ballot initiative. It’s ballot initiative 3A that is going to be voted on. Well, it’s being voted on right now that preserves single family residential zoning in Littleton. We almost had the whole city rezone for multiplexes. They were going to change the definition of single-family residential to include duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes in every neighborhood in Littleton. So we were able to stop that temporarily, and the way we figure we can best address it for the immediate long term is to get this ballot initiative passed.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay, and so this is on the ballot November 4th. And I found it so interesting that initially the bureaucrats and the politicians at the city of Littleton was trying to shut down your voices and basically tried to file a lawsuit so that this question to the people of Littleton would not be on the ballot. Am I remembering that correctly?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you are. It’s actually it’s kind of like this is never ending soap opera. So so there’s a new chapter I’d like to tell you about. The city filed a lawsuit against this on September 5th. Basically, they were seeking a judicial review on October the 13th. They dismissed it. And it’s a really interesting political play. Borderline, really, when you think about it, I don’t know what the rules are in electioneering and election tampering, but boy, this year comes close. What essentially happened is the city filed this judicial review on the 5th of September. And the first hearing and the only hearing was on October 9th. At that hearing, the first words of the attorney that was representing the city was that he asked for a stay, meaning he wanted to delay the decision until after the election. He could have asked for an expedited briefing. He could have asked for an expedited hearing. He could have asked for an expedited ruling. Instead, he asked for a stay. So it was really, really clear that the city’s only motive in this thing was to put a cloud over this election and a cloud around 3A because they immediately dropped it. And by the way, they spent twenty thousand dollars of taxpayers money just just to do this. And obviously it cost us a lot of money to defend ourselves. Yes. Really strange, strange act.
SPEAKER 16 :
And what is so unfair about that is you pay taxes as the citizen, and then the, I call them PBIs, politicians, bureaucrats, and interested parties, not to be confused with elected representatives. These PBIs used your tax money to sue you, and you had to use your own money to fight City Hall. There is something really wrong with that picture, Joe Whitney.
SPEAKER 10 :
Boy, there sure is. You know, it’s funny when their attorney initially asked for the state, the judge absolutely looked at him and said, no, you either have to file a briefing in three days or you have to dismiss the lawsuit. And so they dismissed it. So they never intended to go through with it. They could have if they wanted to wait till after the election, they could have waited for after the election to file to get this judicial review that they said they wanted. They also could have proposed something to us that that would have would have circumvented the whole deal. But instead, they very clearly and strategically intended to inflict harm on rooted in Littleton and and Proposition 3A.
SPEAKER 16 :
And all 3A is is it’s asking your neighbors what they think about this, informing your neighbors. And the fact that PBIs at City Hall wanted to stop that opportunity is unconscionable to me. And if you are up for it, I know that there’s city council members, a mayor race in Littleton right now. Who would you would you like to let us know who rooted in Littleton would recommend to vote for for those positions?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, Pat Driscoll is running for mayor against the incumbent, Kaia Schlachter, who has been the major opponent to 3A since the beginning. David Carlton is the at-large representative. Darren Limerand is the District 1 representative. And Kurt Samuelson is the District 3 representative. All four of those folks are on the ballot. All professional people with strong business backgrounds, a sharp contrast to the existing city council, I’d say.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. We’ve got a couple of minutes left on this, Joe Whitney. So what else should people know? What’s your final thought about all this?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah. Final thought. You know, honestly, I’m pretty new at local elections. I’ve always followed nationally at the state level, but I haven’t really ever been involved at the local level. Certainly not to this extent. And it’s really an eye opener. to how differently a city runs and how differently people get represented than maybe you think it is. I think a lot of people like me think, you know, it’s just a local election. It’s just city council. What’s the big deal? Turns out it’s a very big deal. And the depth of what’s going on and the agenda that’s being built from a ground level at the city council level is a real eye-opener. So my final ask would be everybody get out and vote. And pay attention, not just this election, but every election, because this stuff is really important.
SPEAKER 16 :
It is really important. And so thank you very much, Joe Whitney. And Election Day is Tuesday the 4th. Make sure that you are an informed voter and vote for freedom. Vote for freedom instead of government coercion. Thank you, Joe Whitney.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thank you, Kim. Always a pleasure.
SPEAKER 16 :
And Kurt Gerwitz, can’t resist. This came in on the text line. Okay. Here we go. Okay. Ask Kurt how he got to the radio station this morning.
SPEAKER 20 :
You know, I love that you did challenge me on the show. Public challenge for me to ride my bike to the show. I’ll do it one day. We’ll figure it out.
SPEAKER 16 :
But it wasn’t this day.
SPEAKER 20 :
The city’s not set up for that, but I’ll do it anyway.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. Well, Kurt, it’s always good to have you in studio. It makes us think about these issues, and I really do appreciate that.
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, it was a fun one today. Thanks.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, it is. And so be sure and check out my voter’s guide. You can get that at Kim Monson. That’s M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. Also, on some of these questions, if you see that they, at the end of a ballot question regarding new debt or taxes, if they are asking that the revenues retained can be, there’s no limits to what they can take, say no to that. And that’s why I am a no on question 7A from the South Metro Fire Rescue, Fire Protection District. They are not only asking for $50 million, they want to keep all the revenue from that. And we need to keep government in its proper role. The quote for the end of the show is from Frederick Bastiat. He said, So, my friends, today be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and listen well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America.
SPEAKER 04 :
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.
