Join Bradley Beck as he fills in for Kim Monson, diving into the intricacies of government control over public sectors such as transportation, education, and energy. Listen to engaging discussions about the implications of bipartisanship, truth in politics, and the latest legislative updates. Discover how these elements intertwine with freedom of choice and force in today’s society.
SPEAKER 08 :
It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
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The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water. What it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 08 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
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Under this guise of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it’s actually tapping down the truth.
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Today’s current opinions and ideas.
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On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
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Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
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Indeed, let’s have a conversation. Welcome to the Kim Monson Show. No, Kim does not have a frog in her throat. I’m Bradley Beck, hosting today as she’s out for a couple days. So let’s have a conversation. Thank you for listening. Each of you are treasured and valued. You have purpose. Today, strive for excellence. Take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. We were made for this moment in history. And I’d like to thank our staff that always works with Kim, and in particular, producer Joe, who lets me in the door, lets me in the studio, and always has a smile. Good morning, Joe. Good morning, Brad. How are you doing this morning? I’m doing unbelievable. It’s a great day, and we could use a little moisture out there, but I’m glad to be in Colorado, glad to be alive, and it’s going to be a great show today.
SPEAKER 18 :
I don’t know. My knee’s hurting. I think there’s going to be some moisture out there.
SPEAKER 10 :
As long as it stays in the mountains, I’m good. So I’d like to always recommend that you go to Kim’s website, sign up for Kim’s weekly email newsletter. You’ll get the first look at all our upcoming guests, as well as her most recent essays. You can always get in touch with Kim at Kim at Kim Monson dot com. And she looks forward to hearing from you. And we’d like to thank our sponsor, our gold sponsorship from Laramie Energy. It’s reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant power from naturally occurring hydrocarbons such as oil, natural gas, and coal that powers our lives, fuels our hopes, and our dreams, and empowers us to change our own personal climate. And we also like to thank Hooters Colorado. They’re your neighborhood wing joint, home of the world-famous Hooter Girls and that craveable wings that make game day legendary. Whether you’re catching a game or UFC or just meeting up with your crew, Hooters is where the energy’s high, the beer is cold, and the wings are always saucy. Wednesday at Hooters, that’s Wednesday Wing Day. Buy 20 wings and get 10 free all day long. You can dine in or to go. However you get your wing on, we’ve got you covered. Or you can go big with all-you-can-eat wings for just $16.59. And they have a great happy hour at Hooters Colorado. It runs Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. I’m just getting hungry talking about it, Joe. Ha, ha, ha.
SPEAKER 18 :
Me too.
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Saturdays at Hooters Colorado are for kids. Kids eat free with a purchase of adult entrees all day every Saturday. So bring the family, catch the game, and let them handle the food and, most importantly, all the cleanup, which if you’ve got a big crew, that’s probably one of the most endearing parts of going to Hooters besides the cold beer and the good wings. Yeah. Joe, today I have a word of the day that’s a little different than normal. It’s one that goes back to the founding of America, and it’s in treaty. Let me spell it. It’s E-N-T-R-E-A-T-Y. The term entreaty refers to an earnest request or plea made to persuade someone to do something. It’s often used in context where someone is sincerely appealing to another person, distinguishing it from a simple request or demand. And the word is an old Middle English word evolving over time, maintaining the tone of seriousness and sincerity. And if you want to use it in a sentence, I’ll give an example. In the great Patrick Henry speech, give me liberty or give me death. He recites, we have all held the subject up in every light of which it is capable, but has been in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? So the word of the day is entreaty. Try to use it if you can impress your friends. And more importantly, expand your word ability to speak and talk and listen to other folks. Our quote of the day comes from Henry Knox. And Henry Knox, if you’re a history geek like me, he was a key figure in the American Revolution. Henry Knox was born July 25th, 1750. He died October 25th, 1806. and was an American military officer, a politician, a bookseller, and a founding father of the United States. And he was the first Secretary of War. So Pete Hegseth had it right when he changed that title of that office. He said the following, quote, The eyes of all America are upon us as we play out our part posterity will bless us or curse us end of quote and this quote emphasizes the weight of a responsibility that leaders carry knowing their actions will be judged by future generations and we’ll be talking about henry knox in our third and fourth segment with alan fuller who’s a friend and he’s got a great new organization we’re going to be talking about the henry knox institute Joe, there’s a couple things in headlines, and I was doing some reading last night. There is so much going on down at the Golden Dome. I often am leery about reading more of what they’re trying to do to us. There’s always something new and interesting. It’s amazing to me how much legislation goes through that building that we don’t need. And it’s almost scary because they’re out of control. And I always am amazed that more people are not up in arms. And speaking of arms, they’re trying to make it with this new bill, SB 26-043, which would take firearm barrels. They could not be no longer sold or transferred without being put on the numbers to trace them. And it really is regulating firearms out of Colorado. Colorado lawmakers are preparing to vote on whether they should be treated more like regular firearms. It’s amazing to me. What are your thoughts, Joe?
SPEAKER 18 :
I don’t know, I’m still digesting that. There’s a lot there to unpack.
SPEAKER 10 :
There is. And what’s amazing to me is that it comes with not only fines, but possible jail time. And so you should be aware of it, SB 26-043, and how it defines a firearm barrel. It’s broadly defined, and it really is unconscionable that there’s more gun regulation on already existing guns and new purchases as well, and all the accessories.
SPEAKER 18 :
And it’s a constitutional right that’s supposed to not be infringed upon.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yep, exactly. In other news as well, our legislation is becoming more and more onerous. Colorado passed marijuana being legal and available, and then the state, as I recall, was supposed to get the money for schools and a variety of other activities. Well, the problem with that is it always attracts the people that you don’t want, and one of the things that’s happening now is that the state is looking to legalize prostitution. And I’m all for people who are consenting adults, except it sends the wrong message. And a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Nick Henriksen, Senate Assistant Majority Leader Lisa Cutter, and Reps Lorena Garcia and Rebecca Stewart, say that they want to repeal laws for sex workers because they’re less likely to report crimes and criminalizing client conduct, which inhibits their ability to vet people who are customers. And it’s really crazy because they’re arguing that the current policies endanger consenting adults. And do we really want that morally in the state of Colorado? We already have marijuana. We’ve seen what has happened to our state. I don’t think it’s improved our state at all. There was a way to legalize marijuana in a way that people could get a prescription and go to their pharmacy. And it just it’s gone crazy here in Colorado. It attracted a crowd that probably you didn’t want as your neighbor. And now this. And I think people need to be aware of it. And I would get in touch with your representatives and say, you know what? Enough is enough. We don’t need more of these types of laws because all they do is morally attract the wrong people. But it sends the wrong message to our kids. And they’re looking what we’re what we’re doing. So it’s important to be aware of it. And the last little bit that I have here for as far as the headlines, then this comes from the Colorado Sun. There is a regulatory win for anybody who’s looking to get a car and to continue driving a gasoline vehicle. And the Trump EPA Thursday repealed the Obama-era endangerment finding statement. of federal regulations that would make having a car, all the greenhouse gas controls and the CAFE standards be pushed back. And I think it’s a great sentiment that the EPA is finally being pushed back into their box. They’re supposed to be advisory. They’re not supposed to be doing regulation. And it’s really going to help people be able to buy a vehicle, especially the poor. We always talk about how freedom versus force. Well, if the poor are forced to use public transportation and we have another situation that we’ve had with the covid mandates, people aren’t going to be using public transportation and it’s more expensive. It doesn’t always go where people want to go. There’s always that last mile where either people have to walk to where they need to go. But they’re trying to force, and when I say they, the usual suspects, as Kim says, PBIs, politicians, bureaucrats, and interested parties. They’re always trying to push us down on transportation corridors. And the question is, do we need more trains? Do we need more buses? Or would it be more affordable to have vehicles that get you from point A to point B, that people could use, they could rent, they could really work to get to where they need to be rather than where the bureaucrats want us to go. And so while the Trump administration moves to repeal all the federal climate regulation, the reality is that there are going to be the usual suspects pushing back on this, pushing the climate agenda. And trying to get us to get back in that box. And I applaud President Trump and his administration for pushing back on the policies that really made it more expensive and more challenging for us to really get to where we need to be. Mobility is about freedom. And if we have the ability to get from where we need to go, whether it’s grocery shopping to school to our jobs, we need the ability to do that unencumbered by bureaucrats who tell us what we can and can’t do. And I think everybody who’s listening also agrees if you’re in your car right now driving to work. It’s really important that we are aware of it, number one, that there’s interested parties out there that want to push us to be in public transportation and not in our personal vehicles. And the one other little piece of information I want to share with you, I got yesterday the Colorado Union of Taxpayers. They are people who are volunteers who get together and rate all the various bills coming through the legislature. And oftentimes I often see it where they’re always saying no, no, no to legislation. But I wanted to point out in this year or this week’s cut information, they have quite a few items that they agree with that are a yes. And I think that’s important to let people know about. There’s HB 26-1053. It’s the Motor Vehicle Regulation Administration and cut votes yes on it. The bill repeals the requirement that an owner of a motor vehicle have their license plates retired and are reissued new plates when the vehicle’s ownership is transferred and authorizes the owner to transfer the plates to a new motor vehicle. The cut board overwhelmingly supports this bill as a practical and an added bonus. The revenue will no longer go into enterprise funds, thereby making the revenue part of the TABOR calculation. So cut often votes no because the add taxation to many of the bills, they’re not common sense. Well, this one is, and they support it. So just wanted to point out not everything that cut votes on is a negative. It’s oftentimes a yes. 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SPEAKER 15 :
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 truth. 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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Welcome back. I’m Bradley Beck filling in for Kim Monson today. Kim’s away for a couple of days. So check out her Web site, Kim Monson dot com. And you can always get in touch with her and ask her questions or have concerns. You can email her at Kim at Kim Monson dot com. And thank you to all you folks who contribute to support Kim’s independent voice and exercise our right of freedom of speech. It’s one of our most important rights. And through all Kim’s work with veterans, she’s honored to highlight the USMC Memorial Foundation and all they’re doing to raise money to remodel the official USMC Memorial, which is located right here in Golden, Colorado at 6 and Colfax. Paula Sarris is the president of the foundation. She’s a Marine veteran and a Gold Star wife. Paula and her team are working diligently to make the remodel a reality, and you can help by donating at usmcmemorialfoundation.org. That’s usmcmemorialfoundation.org. And on the line with us, we have somebody who comes back on Wednesdays and we’re glad he does because he’s a concerned citizen. He’s an informed citizen and he’s somebody who really knows what’s going on in our local community. Mike Rolick, welcome to the Kim Monson Show. Good morning, Bradley. How are you? I’m doing unbelievable. I’m glad you’re here. Got a lot of questions for you because I know you’ve been busy. And there are things happening that folks I’m sure are not aware of. They’re living their lives. But you take the time to see what’s happening around town. And one of the most important things, I think, of late that probably nobody knows about is what’s going on up at CSU up in Fort Collins.
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Tell us about that. Well, there is a lot going on up there. Obviously, we’ve talked in the show about the BAT Lab and the other research, but just fiscally, you know, I’m interested in what’s going on. And the Capital Development Committee, a rather unknown committee that they have at the legislator, hears requests from different state entities. And they heard from CU Boulder and CSU Fort Collins yesterday. Didn’t really… clue into what was going on with cu um it’s just you know too much for any one person but i but i i am actually really impressed by the fiscal restraint in this committee shown yesterday hopefully it continues they actually discontinued the vote to get more information until thursday at a minimum and it was a bipartisan move because there is a lot of questions here what what came up was the boilers on the campus are 1960s era and they’re starting to fall apart. Makes sense. They’re asking for $29.6 million in cash right now because they have a two-year lead time on fabrication of boilers that size. That makes sense. But then what’s interesting is they also discussed the idea about getting into geothermal on campus and the slide shows that there’s an estimated 118 acres that could be used for geothermal at a cost of 320 million. However, it would only give you 41% of the total required heating and cooling. So you’re looking for replacement of boilers with modern units plus Over time, the campus, the CSU system would be looking for $320 million, whether it be student fees, whether it be from the state, what have you. It still seems interesting because you’re looking at a – I can’t call geothermal an experimental technology, but you’re looking at a technology that is only going to give you less than half and still spending – a third of a billion dollars. So that’s an interesting situation. So they tabled that total vote. They know they’ve got to do the boilers, but I’m interested to see what happens. They also kind of part and parcel to this whole question about different technologies, they also discussed Laurel Village. campus, not campus, but building, which is about 11,000 square foot or so and houses, I think, 650 people. They had an HVAC system based on something called VRF, which is variable refrigerant. And what’s interesting there is when you look at the variable refrigerant flow, some of the problems, it’s a newer type of technology, higher initial costs, risk of leaks, And also a lot of folks online were saying it’s got about a 10-year lifespan. So this kind of plays out in what was talked about yesterday. When they were talking about, this is CSU, what was asking for a bond issue, $50 million backed by some student fees from the housing and dining structure. But they’re asking for a bond issue, $50 million. over 30 years at $3.5 million per year. So it’s $105 million to rip out more experimental technology and put in more of a traditional system. I understand the need to push the envelope on technology. Otherwise, we’d still be flying around in propeller aircraft, so to speak. There’s a lot of stuff that needs to get pushed. But at what cost to the taxpayer versus should that be done more on a privately funded basis? So what had happened was they did have – the guy did talk about how the system was not sufficient, had some critical breakdowns. They tried to go back to the vendor to no avail. And now they’ve got to rip out the whole system. What was talked about yesterday – by the representatives is they said, what’s the process of a bond? Usually the cash is already there, but now they’re in kind of a new world where the Capital Development Committee is being asked to look at bond issues as opposed to saying, yes, the cash looks like it’s in place. This is a good expenditure of your current cash. And CSU talked about how they did a stress test and a 30-year pro forma test. They want to use the student fees, but what happens if you can’t? They might be losing some student services, it seems. So that was the concern there. If you go to market, the bond doesn’t really sell. You’re going to come back to the state or you have to start dropping services out of a CSU system. So the vote got tabled until Thursday, which I think is a responsible move.
SPEAKER 10 :
That is, and I’m glad you were in part of watching what goes on with our tax dollars. Curious, did they talk about their endowment at all and tapping into that?
SPEAKER 11 :
No, no. You know, I don’t know much about endowments, but I remember a long time ago I did look into endowments of different schools. And, I mean, it numbers in the billions across the country. So it is an interesting issue. If an entity has cash reserves but then they want to float a bond and incur more debt is basically where you’re probably going.
SPEAKER 10 :
And ultimately the taxpayer pays that bill, which you have an investment there, plain devil’s advocate, and you want things to work and you want them to be maintained. The question comes up is there’s many buildings on that campus, as there are in all public educational facilities, And if they don’t maintain them on an ongoing basis in a way that they’re functional and can last a little longer, ultimately they’re coming to the taxpayer to pay the bill. And you question whether or not it’s affordable any longer.
SPEAKER 11 :
True, especially when you’re thinking experimental. And it’s I get the aspiration of wanting to push the envelope, but is that the proper way to use taxpayer money versus private venture capital? And when you’re looking at pushing the envelope, if you’re trying to do a proof of concept, is there a way to fund it privately? Or like you said, is the endowment a proper way to go? Is there a different way to do it than, you know, try to push a technology using taxpayer money, especially when a state is having such fiscal issues. And I think that really kind of hit on both sides of the CDC. I think Brett Mollica is the chair, Tammy Story is the vice chair. Pelton and Winter are the, I think Baisley’s on there sometimes too, but Senator Pelton, Winter, Juan, they’re on there as well yesterday. And they had a lot of questions on all sides about fiscal restraint.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, Mike, I’m glad you’re there to review it and be aware of it and bring it to us and to Kim Monson’s listeners. What are your last thoughts?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, last thoughts are real quick. I know I’ve been really hitting on the flock safety situation. Yesterday, there was a bill by Monica Duran and I think Tish Morrow, HB 261071. Guys, I know there was a huge gun bill yesterday and there’s a lot of people testifying, but I was literally the only citizen testifying on the Avis, which is the speed safety cameras. They wanted to And they got it through committee to have local and state ability to have speed safety cameras on federal interstate highways. There was one gentleman from a trucking association, more of a professional testimony, and there was me. And they keep on saying this is not flock safety, this is not flock safety. It sounds like it’s becoming the ubiquitous term, like the Xerox or Kleenex term. other alprs are working to like genoptic and a few others are putting alpr and speed safety cameras together on the module i brought that up and i was summarily ignored the whole time they keep saying this is not a labor this is just speed safety but there is no distinction in the bill and i asked for that and it got ignored so cameras are cameras or cameras and and the technology is getting blended a lot of these random bills They mean a lot to our rights, and we need more people there at these things.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, Mike, we’re glad you’re there. Thanks for being our eyes and our ears, and I’m sure you’ll have new information for us next week when Kim’s back, and look forward to hearing your perspective on that. Mike Rolick, thanks for being here.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thanks, Bradley. Have a great day.
SPEAKER 10 :
You too, sir. Thanks. And we’ll be right back.
SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 09 :
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SPEAKER 01 :
Quickly.
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SPEAKER 01 :
All Kim’s sponsors are in inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That’s Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 10 :
And welcome back. I’m Bradley Beck filling in for Kim Monson, who’s away for the week. But you can always go to Kim’s weekly email newsletter and sign up for it at Kim Monson dot com. That’s K-I-M-M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. And you can always email Kim at Kim at Kim Monson dot com. And thank you to all you who support and contribute to our independent voice and exercise our freedom of speech. Your financial freedom is shaped by more than numbers. It’s shaped by financial planning and the realities of your personal life. At Mint Financial Strategies, Jody Hensley and her team help you assess your current reality while planning your future. Additionally, Mint Financial Strategies helps you navigate through all your emotional issues and regarding anything in the economy, as well as your career and your current status, as well as the marketplace, while encouraging you to elevate family dynamics that could influence your financial well-being. These insights help Mint Financial Strategies to design a strategy that fits your life. And you can take steps towards your financial freedom by calling Jody and her team at Mint Financial Strategies today at 303-285-3080. Again, that’s 303-285-3080. And I’m excited right now to introduce a friend of mine, somebody I’ve known quite a few years. And he’s done some incredible work that I’m proud to say I’m part of a little bit. And that is my friend Alan Fuller from the Henry Knox Institute. Alan Fuller, welcome.
SPEAKER 14 :
Hey, good morning, neighbor. How are you? Good. Good. Thanks for having me on.
SPEAKER 10 :
My pleasure, Alan. And you started something that is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that’s really trying to create not only a dialogue, but research into the proven principles of the American founding and in particular, the idea of human flourishing. So first, share a little bit with us your background. And then what is this Henry Knox Institute all about?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah. Well, it’s pretty self-evident to any of us who have been involved in politics, anybody who opens the news, anybody who opens social media. It’s pretty self-evident. We are facing a growing divide in America today. We see that. We’ve got a front-row seat for that here in Colorado. But that divide, it’s more than a political divide. It’s even more than policy differences. It seems like the divide could be cultural, but that’s not really it either. I would say the divide we’re facing and really nations all over the world are going through the same kind of split is on the perception of reality. Like that’s really where we’re at. The battle we are in is a battle for truth. And so there are warring factions and tribes and, you know, everybody’s at each other’s throats and there’s just this growing divide. And we wanted to step into that. But but instead of getting into the thick of it, we just we wanted to ask a question. And there’s so much noise around politics today. It’s everywhere. It seeps into every conversation, every text thread, every course, every time you get on social media. But sadly, we don’t see enough people asking this question. And it’s how do we actually advance human flourishing? You know, is any of this actually working? Is any of this actually making our lives better, our children’s lives better? Is this building better communities, creating more opportunities, really bolstering the American dream that is an expression of freedom and opportunity? How do we create this idyllic society that the founders intended? And so. A lot of times when we talk about flourishing, and I know some people listening are probably like, that’s fuzzy language. That’s code for a new and intrusive government program. But as our friend Laura Carno loves to say, government ruins nearly everything. And it’s certainly true. It’s no different when it comes to flourishing. And like your last guest was talking about, we see these programs at local, state, university, federal levels that are sold under the guise of flourishing. They’re actually dependency mechanisms. And unfortunately, politicians know that if you’re dependent on a program, you are most likely loyal to the politicians who gave you and continue to give you that program. But what we are chasing after is real flourishing. What we’re asking the question is, How do we give people that sense when they wake up in the morning with a zeal and their hearts are full and they’re ready for action, that they feel responsible and engaged and they’re excited for the day? And that only comes through giving people a mantle of responsibility. It only comes from overcoming adversity. And so when we started the Henry Knox Institute, and we can get into that kind of back story. We really want to talk about advancing human flourishing, not as a route for yet more waste, fraud, and abuse at the taxpayer’s expense, but creating, leveraging the time-tested principles and ideas and solutions that have historically, empirically created flourishing societies over time. So that’s what we’re trying to get to is that question of what actually works and what I believe, you believe, and I’m so grateful for your advice and counsel on this, is that the time-tested principles that helped propel America to the forefront of nations, those are ideas that are still very relevant today if we can just break through and connect with people.
SPEAKER 10 :
So, Alan, rather than just being another think tank or focusing on our 250th anniversary, this is really taking a long-term approach, looking at the next five years, 10 years out. And what are your thoughts about how we’re going to have the conversation, the research involved to understand what people are thinking and how to approach those solutions so people can flourish?
SPEAKER 14 :
That’s a great question. We’ve seen there are really – so often we conflate when we talk about politics or the legislature or campaigns, elections, any of this kind of stuff. We conflate two different things, really. There’s two axes to politics, and this is something our research has borne out over and over and over again. And it’s the same two different axes, two different variables – charts, you know, wherever you want to go with that. When we go and buy a car, when we go and buy a home, when we’re picking out, when our kids are picking out a college university, there’s certainly a metric of ideology, right? Does a specific proposal, does a specific elected official, do they generally support the expansion of the role of government or the restraint of the role of government? So there’s an ideological spectrum. Is it increasing the size and scope of government? Is it decreasing the size and scope of government? Then there’s this whole other almost independent, and we can prove this over and over and over again, this is almost independent, separate angle of emotional connectedness, of packaging, of messaging. And that’s so often where we get lost is a lot of times when we’re talking about something or someone who, is conservative, it’s really that they have a tone that we like. And we have to dig past that and say, you know, and a lot of conservatives are really good at digging past that and say, no, these are their ideas. This is their voting record. These are the things I care about. Unfortunately, not everyone takes such a nuanced, data-driven, rational approach. Gallup says 70% of our decision-making is emotional. Our choice in cars, our choice in homes, our choice in a spouse, and education, our sports teams. These are emotional decisions with which we engage very deeply. And if we can frame the conversation differently, connecting with people on their values, which is different from ideology, which is different from policy. But if we can frame it in talking about values, we can reach so many more people with these ideas that actually lead to flourishing. And when we get red in the face and we throw the phone or the newspaper or the TV and say, why aren’t more people listening? It’s because they frame the world through different values sometimes than we do. It’s not that they’re ideologically opposed to us. Often we want the same outcomes. But their worldview, their framing, the values that frame their decisions are often different from ours. And if we just think about that. and stop to think about, you know, I wonder what this person values. I wonder what’s important to this person at a deeper level. And I want to frame my conversation through that lens. Then we can really start to have breakthroughs. Then we can really start to have productive conversations. And then we can start to turn the ship back towards ideas, again, empirically are proven to create flourishing and freedom and opportunity for all of us.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, one of the things that attracted me to this concept that you created, when you talk about values, you preface the whole thing with civic virtue, with human dignity, with public impact, with a responsibility to stewardship. But the two items that attracted me most and why I’m involved with this organization is the idea of relentless curiosity and the hope and renewal of a better future for our posterity. Talk a little bit about that.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, I think we’ll remember in past administrations, we were told, you know, conservatives were told emphatically that the science was settled.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yep.
SPEAKER 14 :
There’s nothing nothing more to see here. Don’t think. Just just do. Just do. Just push forward. Science is settled. Nothing more to see here. That is the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard. The science has never settled, right? The case has never closed. We are always learning. We are always exploring. And, you know, we are in this, we’re certainly in an ideological battle. There are forces that want, you know, we’ve seen in New York City recently with their new mayor, like there are forces that want more and more government control, government control. authority, government regimentation of this often chaotic experiment in freedom. And then there’s this, you know, there’s the rest of us who are like, but that doesn’t work. It’s never worked. It won’t work. And it goes against human nature to try and say that this, you know, ordered utopia that they, the vision that they paint, it’s not going to work. So what we want to create at Henry Knox is framework a goalpost what we want to create Henry Knox as a goalpost to say what are we chasing after we believe what we’re all chasing after is is flourishing is it is a better future is more opportunity opportunity for our kids for families and then the question is how do we get there if we can unite on the goal which is a better society more flourishing and Then we can have the conversation about what gets us there. And so we’re taking a fresh lens to these timeless principles and ideas and looking at case studies all over the world, across time, across societies, where these ideas have empirically worked over and over and over again. It’s like, if we know this works, why don’t we do that?
SPEAKER 10 :
Exactly. It’s amazing. I am a member of many other organizations and they have great white papers and they have great speakers, but they don’t always have the heart or the empathy to get to the other side, to have a conversation rather than having a debate or fighting one another without really understanding what the heck that other side wants. And maybe there is more commonality than not. And when we come back on the other side, Alan, I want to talk a little bit about that and how people can get in touch with some of the ideas that you’re putting out there. There’s some social media with one of our platforms on X called The Guidepost. And we’ll get into that when we come back with Alan Fuller from the Henry Knox Institute.
SPEAKER 21 :
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 Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881. That’s 303-880-8881. Call now.
SPEAKER 13 :
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SPEAKER 15 :
Do you strive for excellence as you work with your clients and customers? Does it make sense for you to add a unique and focused branding opportunity to your marketing portfolio? Would you like to access a broad customer base that loves our country and wants to make life better for ourselves, our neighbors, our colleagues, our children, and our grandchildren? then you may be a perfect fit as a sponsor or partner of The Kim Monson Show. To learn more, reach out to Kim at kim at kimmonson.com. Kim would love to talk with you. Again, that’s kim at kimmonson.com.
SPEAKER 10 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. I’m Bradley Beck, filling in for Kim. You can check out Kim’s website at kimmonson.com. And one of the many, many folks that Kim supports is the Center for American Values. And we were just talking about values with Alan Fuller. We’ll be right back with him. But the Center for American Values, located in Pueblo, Colorado, on the beautiful Riverwalk, is focused on the foundational values of America. honor, integrity, and patriotism. Through their K-12 educational programs, their training for educators, and their portraits of valor of over 160 Medal of Honor recipients, the Center is helping to instill honor, integrity, and patriotism in our next generations. Check out their website. It’s the AmericanValueCenter.com. That’s AmericanValueCenter.com. And make sure you get down to Pueblo and see what they’re doing out there. They’re great work. On the line with us, we have Alan Fuller. Alan is the creator of the Henry Knox Institute. He’s a friend and a neighbor, and I’ve known Alan for many years. Alan, we didn’t get to the beginning of why it’s called the Henry Knox Institute. Who was Henry Knox?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, that’s a great question, and it’s a fun story. Henry Knox was a bookseller in colonial America prior to the Revolution. He lived in Boston, and he had a bookstore, and he was a voracious reader, a voracious learner. It was actually a gathering place for many of the British elites in Boston, and he got to know them. He was gregarious, and he loved talking to British officers personally. about military strategy, about naval strategy. You know, he never had any military training himself, but he loved learning about it. And he was in the company of the very people he would later drive out of Boston as the, you know, war for independence got underway the revolutionary war got underway uh… general george washington set knocks on a critical mission to retrieve cannon And he crossed frozen lakes, frozen rivers, deep in winter, in New England winter. They went to an abandoned fort, brought back 59 pieces of cannon, and brought them to Boston, where just the sight, the sudden appearance of the cannon caused the British to flee and abandoned Boston without a single shot being fired. That was the noble train of artillery, as I read. The noble train of artillery, which they still celebrate today. They have reenactment events, which is really fun. So it’s a continuing tradition. He was under President George Washington. He was America’s first Secretary of War. And one of the big things he championed was the idea of military education, and his work led to the establishment of West Point, which is still the U.S. Military Academy today. So he’s important to me because he wasn’t necessarily the guy on the front lines, but he created a situation. He created circumstances. He put programs in place. He put ideas in place, processes in place, and did everything. kind of took on special projects to make the ground fertile for others. And that’s to create opportunity for others. And there’s so many people who are on the front lines in Neighborhood conversations, you know, conversations by the mailbox, conversations around the water cooler, conversations on social media who care so deeply about this country and our founding principles. And what we want to help them unlock, we want to go through the work and the research to draw out these ideas and these tools and strategies for how we talk about these principles we care about so much. in a way that connects with people maybe in a way they’ve never seen. And so there’s someone, you know, somebody listening here today, you can very clearly in your mind see someone you care about who believes differently than you do. And you’re frustrated that they don’t embrace these ideas because you know they work and you know the ideas they’re advocating do not work and they’re actually going to make things worse. How do you reach that person? How do you connect with them? um and and start to nudge them back and that’s that’s the thing like we’re not going to sit down with somebody and have a single conversation they’re going to give and say wow it completely changed my world view thank you you know we’ve got to guide people along the path we’ve got to create create opportunities for them to self-discover ideas that that work and if the ideas don’t work what’s our like i don’t i don’t want to be an ideologue for ideologue’s sake i want to be someone who who chases solutions Who makes things better? And so that’s why we’re so passionate about looking at taking a fresh look at timeless principles through a lens of solutions. And how do those apply today?
SPEAKER 10 :
And one of the things I think most people get into trouble with is they don’t listen in the beginning. They’re too busy trying to wait their turn to talk and say, well, but you’re wrong, rather than saying, I’m curious, where did you come up with that idea? Or why is that important to you? Or who told you about that? And is there something that you can share with me? We’re too quick to jump down somebody’s throat because they disagree.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, right. You’re you’re the master of having these kinds of conversations, these thoughtful conversations. So people know Brad and I do live in the same neighborhood. We live down the street from each other. I should clarify, I’ve never knocked on his door for a cup of sugar, but I know where to get scotch and cigars. So but. Brad, I’ve got to brag on your host here. Brad knows everybody in our neighborhood, left, right, and center. And he knows what’s important in their lives. He knows who just had a baby. He is so invested in the lives of the people in his community that that Brad now has an opportunity, you, Brad, have an opportunity to have conversations. You’ve built a level of trust with people and mutual understanding. They know that you see them as more than a political target. They’re a person. You’re now in community together. You’ve built a level of trust with them to have a deeper conversation, to talk about these ideas, for them to feel comfortable stopping by, sitting down on your front porch with you and saying, it’s like, hey, I thought I believed this, but it’s just not working. Like, what am I missing?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, a lot of times people have not heard these ideas because they weren’t either told or they don’t read about them. And you mentioned something that I think is important, especially in our community, is that everybody has a front porch. And that’s sorely missing in the way that communities are built these days, where people can wave to their neighbor, they can see the kids playing in the front and they know what’s going on. So if there’s something amiss or you see a strange car or somebody walking around the neighbor that doesn’t necessarily, you don’t see them all the time, you’re curious and you can kind of stop and have a conversation. And today, most people drive into their garages, shut the door and go out in their back patio and never see another neighbor. And I think that’s sorely missing to connect with people and, And that’s why I think social media has gotten so much more endemic in our lives. And if we back away from that or connect on media platforms that invite a conversation rather than the vitriol.
SPEAKER 14 :
Absolutely. Yeah, it starts and pay attention. I hope your listeners are paying attention here to the conversation we’re having. We’re not talking at all about changing our ideas, changing our views, changing, you know, what we believe. We’re talking about taking a fresh look at how do we engage in conversation with people? How do we influence people? And that’s where I think we have an opportunity to to look at things differently, frame our ideas around current solutions. I’ll tell you right now, Brad, we’ve got elections coming up in November, the midterms. Cost of living is going to be the top issue. It’s bigger than inflation generally. That’s a part of it. But overall, the cost for a young family to try and buy a home, it’s almost out of reach. If they can’t invest in a home, if they can’t have that equity that could grow with them over their lifetime, what’s the point? There’s a younger generation here that’s dangerously close to not having the incentives to participate in the economy in a way that we have for generations. So cost of living is going to be critically important. That’s the thing we’ve got to be talking about. And it’s got to be through a lens of connecting with people and caring about their outcomes for their families and their future. And that’s the challenge, I believe, in front of us.
SPEAKER 10 :
I agree. And so, Alan, just wrapping this up, what are some ways that folks can get in touch with you, the Henry Knox Institute, and how can they engage in the socials that you’ve created?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, I’m so glad you asked. Check us out at knoxinstitute.org. knoxinstitute.org that’s kind of a gateway to to different programs we’re new we’re just getting started it’s it’s not the world’s greatest website but it’s it’s a start it tells you a little bit more about our our founding and our ideals you’ll also find links there to the guidepost and the guidepost is our goal with the guidepost is to create the the landing pages to create the content that you feel comfortable that a conservative feels comfortable sharing with someone who’s Not there yet. Sharing with someone who’s still exploring and chasing these ideas. So KnoxInstitute.org and TheGuidePost.com, these are the two kind of gateways to looking at our timeless principles through a lens of how do we connect those with a modern citizen. And through the lens of solutions and then help build the coalition and nudge people along with these guideposts of our principles, nudge them towards a path of flourishing.
SPEAKER 10 :
And you’re on X and Facebook and Instagram, I believe.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes. And all those links are there on those two Web sites.
SPEAKER 10 :
Awesome. Well, Alan Fuller, it’s always a pleasure talking with you. And we’ll have many more conversations. I wish the Henry Knox Institute lots of success. And thanks for coming on the program today. We appreciate your time.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, Brad, thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 10 :
You’re welcome. And folks, today we have a closing quote from Henry Knox. Quote, the eyes of America are upon us as we play out our part. Posterity will bless us or curse us. End of quote. So today, be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and listen well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideas, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. You are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America. Stay tuned for hour number two.
SPEAKER 07 :
I don’t want no one to cry, but tell them if I don’t survive.
SPEAKER 16 :
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 08 :
It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 19 :
The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water, what it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 08 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 19 :
Under the guise of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it’s actually tapping down the truth.
SPEAKER 08 :
Today’s current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 19 :
On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
SPEAKER 08 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
SPEAKER 10 :
Indeed, let’s have a conversation. This is the Kim Monson Show, and I am privileged to be here hosting and sitting in the big guy chair. I’m Bradley Beck, and I’m thrilled to be here today. Kim is out for a little bit, and she asked if I’d come and sit in the chair and lead this great program that talks about freedom versus force, force versus freedom. There’s a lot to talk about today, and we’ve got a great guest coming up in the second and third and fourth segments. So look forward to that with Trent Luce. But today I wanted to share with you the word of the day, which is entreaty. And let me spell it. E-N-T-R-E-A-T-Y. And the term entreaty refers to an earnest request or plea. And it’s used oftentimes in the context where someone is sincerely appealing to another person and distinguishing it from a simple request or demand. The word originates from the Middle English, which has evolved over time. And it was used in the great Patrick Henry speech, Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death, where he recites, quote, We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable, but it has been in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? So the word end of quote, the word entreaty is the vocabulary word of the day. Try to use it and hopefully you can impress your friends on using a new word. The quote of the day comes from an American hero, one of the American founders. We talked about him in the podcast. Last segment with Alan Fuller, who’s from the Henry Knox Institute. And this quote is by Henry Knox. He was a key figure in the American Revolution. He was a military officer, a politician, a bookseller and the first secretary of war. So Pete Hegseth had it right by changing the name. He said, quote, The eyes of all America are upon us as we play our part. Posterity will bless us or curse us. And this quote emphasizes the weight of responsibility that leaders carry, knowing their actions will be judged by future generations. And I wish more of our political creatures would understand that because their decisions have implications far reaching. And we need to hold them accountable as our elected representatives. There’s a lot happening in the news, but oftentimes we don’t get a chance to talk about what’s happening down at the Golden Dome. And Kim does a great job of doing that, keeping the listeners informed. There’s quite a few bills down there in the Colorado Union of Taxpayers. It’s the taxpayers voice since 1976. A group of great volunteers who read all the different bills having to do with taxation in particular, but how our legislators, our elected representatives, how they’re moving the state forward or in often cases backwards in so many of the regulations. And CUT often gets stymied with the no vote all the time. And they really don’t. They do vote wide ranging when there is something that in particular is good for the state, good for the citizens. And so they do vote yes on quite a few different pieces of legislation. As an example… There’s one that HB 26-1129 on gas utility service, and the bill requires gas distribution utilities to exclude carbon dioxide emissions from residential customers when calculating their clean heat plans. It repeals a previous prohibition on gas utilities, offering incentives to customers for establishing gas service to a property and cut votes yes on this bill. It’s clearly a step in the right direction to turn back the narrative of the net zero that the usual suspects who are trying to control our lives with. many many of these so-called renewables natural gas is a renewable it’s not manufactured by man it’s it’s used as a resource and put into play by people with human ingenuity and technology and it will help us keep things affordable especially our stoves our boilers our furnaces and natural gas of course is abundant and affordable so CUT did vote for our legislators on HB 26-1129. Yes, and that’s a positive. CUT also talks about on HB 26-1174. And that’s on the school finance mid-year adjustments. The bill makes mid-year adjustments to the 2025 School Finance Act to account for updates to enrollment and local share estimates used on original apportioned. This is a common sense bill that reduces state funding to public education based on declining enrollment. And you put the question out there, well, why is enrollment declining? And parents have taken back control of the education and the upbringing of their children, which is the most important thing a parent can do. So they’re putting them in either homeschooling or private schooling or charter schools, and many are putting them in their local public school, which a charter school is, and they’re taking control by being involved in their children’s education. So this is a great vote yes bill, school finance mid-year adjustments, HB 26-1174, that you should be aware of. And why we’re here with Lauren Levy. And Lauren is on the line. She’s going to talk a little bit about what’s going on in the mortgage and the refinancing end of the world. And Lauren, good morning. How are you doing? Good morning, Brad. How are you doing, man? I am doing unbelievable. I’m glad you’re here because I have some questions for you because there’s so much going on in the mortgage world. And one of the questions I have for you is, you know, should an individual consider either refinancing now or should they take out a second on their home?
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, it really depends. And what I mean by that is, first of all, it depends on the rate that they’re at right now in their first mortgage. So everything is a numbers game. I do have people sometimes I will call and look at refinancing their first mortgage. And if they’re looking for just a small amount of money, something that can be reasonably repaid, then oftentimes I will suggest just getting a home equity line of credit because The closing costs on those are lower. They do have higher rates than a regular mortgage because they’re in second lien positions. So the risk is considered higher. So right now, you know, they’re usually prime plus some number. So right now, you know, you’re looking around, let’s just say a seven range. upwards to an eight on our home equity line. But if you’re only going to borrow a few thousand, something reasonable, 10, 20 maybe, and you can pay it back consistently, I tell people that might be the better way to go rather than paying a couple thousand dollars in cost to refinance something and pay on it for 30 years on their mortgage. However, some people need bigger help than that. And if you need to take A larger lump sum of money and the odds of paying it back in the reasonable amount of time are not very good. Over time, that higher interest rate will get you in the long run versus if you have the ability to put it into a lower rate first mortgage. So really, there’s just math that needs to be done and a conversation about the repayment time and how long people think it might take to pay it off. A lot of times on that green line, if you can get it, It’s cheaper, and if you get bonuses at work or things like that, and you can make reasonable payments to get rid of the thing over time, it’s definitely a better way to go sometimes. But it really just depends is the answer.
SPEAKER 10 :
Especially if somebody has a lot of debt and they want to consolidate it, it might be better to refinance just to get a lower rate and get it out and stop paying those rates to the credit card companies.
SPEAKER 03 :
And it just depends on how much debt we’re talking about. There are people that have significant debt, and if they’re not going to be able to pay it back reasonably, then if you’re paying at a higher rate than you would be on your first, then it’s better to sometimes put it in the first and access the lower rate. Right.
SPEAKER 10 :
What do you see coming down the pike? What are we going to be talking about in the next week or so?
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, we’ve had a good run on data with unemployment numbers last week and the CPI. So we’re in a little lull right now, which has been pretty good. The 10-year note came down around the 405 range this past several days. And so rates have actually taken a little bit of a dip from when the 10-year note got almost back to 430 recently. So we’re seeing a couple people have opportunities this week to get on to a lower rate and do a refinance, even if they’re coming down from a lot of people are out there at 6.99, 6.875 from the last year or two, and we’re helping them get down to 5.99 and 5.875. So there is opportunity there if you have one of these higher rates that were obtained in the last year or two when rates got closer to 7%. So that’s what’s going on right now, and it’s kind of a stable market, which is nice because it’s not bouncing around a whole lot. So if people can’t make a decision in the five minutes we’re on the phone, they can call back and it’s not gone, you know. So that’s been helpful. That’s great. So opportunity is definitely out there right now for certain people.
SPEAKER 10 :
Lauren, where can people get a hold of you and ask questions and try to find out what’s the best solution for them?
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. The best way is always just give us a call at 303-880-8881.
SPEAKER 10 :
Lauren Levy, thank you for being on the Kim Monson Show. You’re a mortgage specialist, and people should heed your advice because you’ve been there and done that and know what you’re talking about. So thank you for being on the program today.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, thank you, Ben. Talk to you soon.
SPEAKER 10 :
And we’ll be right back.
SPEAKER 20 :
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 02 :
A house protects from the rain, but a home shelters from the storms of life. Additionally, homeownership has helped Americans create wealth for themselves and their families. The Colorado Metro real estate market is ever-changing and is presenting new opportunities for homebuyers that we have not seen in quite some time. If you are thinking of buying a new home or selling your home, Remax Realtor Karen Levine can help you successfully navigate the complexities of real estate transactions. Call Karen Levine today at 303-877-7516. That’s 303-877-7516. You want Karen Levine on your side of the table.
SPEAKER 15 :
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 vs. Freedom. Tune in to the Kim Monson Show each weekday, 6 to 8 a.m. with encores 1 to 2 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM. The KLZ website, the KLZ app, and Alexa. Play KLZ. Shows can also be found at KimMonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
SPEAKER 10 :
And welcome back to the Kim Monson program. I’m Bradley Beck. I’m pleased to sit in the host chair today and fill in for Kim. And she she’ll be back next week. But I’m fortunate to be here. And thank you for listening. Each of you are treasured, you’re valued, you have purpose. Today, strive for excellence. Take care of your heart, your soul, your mind and your body. We were made for this moment in history. And thank you to Laramie Energy for their gold sponsorship of the show. They have reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant power from naturally occurring hydrocarbons such as oil, natural gas, and coal. And that powers our lives, fuels our hopes and dreams, and empowers us to change our personal climate. And when you get hungry, you want to go down to Parker or to Golden to Little Richie’s Pizza and Pasta. It’s your place to go for hearty pastas and an unbeatable local vibe. Little Richie’s is serving daily specials, quick and tasty weekday lunch deals, and a happy hour that locals actually build their plans around. Whether you’re bringing your crew or catching up with friends or flying solo for a hot slice, Little Richie’s is your neighborhood hangout. Little Richie’s Pizza, go have some good pizza, good pasta, and have a good time. And you can always reach Kim at Kim’s website at kimmonson.com. Sign up for her weekly email newsletter. Get the first look at all her upcoming guests and her most recent essays. You can reach Kim at Kim at Kim Monson dot com. And thank you for contributing to support her independent voice and the exercise of our right of freedom of speech. Well, I’m lucky to have on as my next guest, a sixth generation rancher from Nebraska. He’s been on the program every Wednesday and has always an interesting perspective. Trent Luce, good morning.
SPEAKER 12 :
How are you getting along, Brad?
SPEAKER 10 :
I’m doing unbelievable. It’s a beautiful day here in Colorado. We’re lucky to be here, and I’m sure you feel the same way of wherever you are.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, it is a beautiful day in central Nebraska, but you’ve got that region down there southeast of you and a little bit of Colorado, a little bit of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and now into Kansas where these fires have gotten pretty severe. I’m seeing reports of up to 500 different fires. Wow. That just strikes me as hard to believe.
SPEAKER 10 :
It really is. Well, we’ve not had a normal winter, whatever normal is. And it’s pretty dry here, although I’m looking out at the mountains and it looks like they might be getting some snow up there, which is much needed. And the East Coast and the Southeast have gotten whomped this year. So go figure that one out.
SPEAKER 12 :
Everybody’s starting to pay attention to what’s happening in the Rockies and the lack of snow. You know, that Colorado River is so vitally important. Actually, I did the little digging, pun intended, Brad, this week. Nebraska leads the nation in 91% of our water needs come from groundwater. And so that means that we pull it out of the aquifer. You know, Colorado and many other states rely so much on rivers, and those rivers start somewhere. And I did look at historical. 1987 is the last time that this lack of snowpack in the Rockies has been in existence. And there was a couple of times in the 50s that would parallel this. But then the final kicker is that they claim that we’re 60 percent of the way through what would be a snow season to build that snowpack. So We’re getting in a very concerning period when it comes to the availability of water this coming spring with the melt.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, you bring up an interesting point because here in Colorado, one of the things that I’ve always been curious about and why we don’t have gray water systems to allow us to use for outdoor watering, the non-portable water for more of our medians and parks and golf courses and places like that, Why don’t you think that more of our legislators want to help us recycle and preserve that water that we could use perfectly well on those various places that we see and we use?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, you asked me a question why legislators don’t do something on the day after I sat in Nebraska State Capitol, testified two times during a seven-hour period yesterday. And it appears they don’t do constructive things like that because they’re too busy destroying things.
SPEAKER 10 :
You’re right. They probably see and go, oh, man, here he comes again.
SPEAKER 12 :
Just take a moment and look at California. California in 2015 passed an initiative that allocated money by the voters. The voters voted and allocated money to water resources to collect water because they Typically, where you have snow and mountains, it’s not a matter of you don’t have enough. It’s you don’t have enough at the right time of year.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right.
SPEAKER 12 :
And so if we would do more of exactly what you’re describing to enhance our water availability of the water that is there and do some cleanup. I have a friend, and this kind of speaks to the innovation that comes to your agriculture. I have a friend in Minnesota who has pigs. He was at the National Western in Denver in January, so I got to talk to Brad quite a bit. Not you, Brad, the other Brad. And he said that in 2026, they plan to be able to take the manure generated from their pig farms, clean that manure, and recycle the water back for use at the farm. If we have innovation like this at the farm level… Why can’t a city, why can’t the state, why can’t legislators see the initiative that you can be a part of this innovation anywhere?
SPEAKER 10 :
You know, it just makes common sense, and there’s not a lot of that down at the Golden Dome here in Colorado. Probably not in Nebraska either.
SPEAKER 12 :
Actually, give me a minute. I’m going to go look at the game and fish and see if common sense is actually listed as an endangered species.
SPEAKER 10 :
Normally it isn’t. But, you know, there’s many things I want to talk to you about. But one that I got the chance to listen to your rule route from Friday with Robert Farnham from here in Colorado, from Brush, Colorado. Interesting man, interesting topics. And there’s a lot going on that Robert’s aware of. And I was just blown away about the amount of licensure that Robert and his family and his businesses have to have just to produce a business to survive.
SPEAKER 12 :
Just to be a small business owner, and Robert has a feed store in Brush, but they also sell firearms, they sell ammunition, they sell liquor, and it’s a small business in a small town that continues to find a way to survive. But the part of that that I really thought you would find interesting is the all-out assault— on particularly the federal firearms license dealers across this country. And then you had Colorado, who replicated everything that the feds do. And if you don’t cross, and I have people, I know people, Brad, who have lost their license because they literally did not cross a T. I’m not saying that figuratively. I mean, literally did not cross a T. They just look for a reason to suspend you and then increase your cost to where it’s like, we can’t even afford to do this.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, and they have to have lawyers and consultants and all kinds of things that they can’t afford to compete with the big corporate entities that have a staff and have people that do that for a living as opposed to a small business that doesn’t have those resources.
SPEAKER 12 :
100%. Now, there was a bit of good news in there, and I learned something from Robert that I didn’t know, that Colorado Cattlemen’s Association was the very first… State Cattle Association and the nation.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 12 :
So there’s a bit of good news.
SPEAKER 10 :
That was. And what they’re doing to that building to refurbish it down at the Western Complex and the revenue that that will be generating, the education, that will help with our young people to understand that agriculture is the number one industry in Colorado and how it plays an important part in our makeup because they’ve got to understand where the food comes from.
SPEAKER 12 :
Did you catch in the conversation with Robert what the impetus behind Colorado Cattlemen being so early in their adopting of putting together an association?
SPEAKER 10 :
Share that with our listeners, would you?
SPEAKER 12 :
Cattle theft. Yep, yep. Cattle theft and horse theft. So it was all about establishing a brand system and then having inspectors and a bit of law involved. into preventing and finding cattle and horse thieves.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, talking about cattle and animal rights, you’ve got an interesting position in bringing some information to us on what’s happening up in Oregon. And when we come back from this break, I want to talk to you a little bit about their Initiative Petition 28. And we’ll be right back.
SPEAKER 09 :
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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.
SPEAKER 10 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. I’m Brad Beck, filling in for Kim. You can check out Kim’s website at kimmonson.com and sign up for her weekly email newsletter and get the first look at all her upcoming guests and the most recent essays, which I owe Kim an essay for my March upcoming appearance. So I’ll look forward to that. And each of us has unique goals for our lives. With over 25 years of experience and the credentials of an accredited investment fiduciary, Jody Hensley and her team at Mint Financial Strategies can help you create a strategy first for your wealth and build a plan for you and your family. Whether you’re preparing for retirement, planning for education costs, or navigating major life transitions, Mint Financial Strategies will design a Invest confidently and move forward with clarity for your life. Rent Financial Strategies today. You can call them at 303-285-3080 and embark on your journey to financial freedom. Again, that’s 303-285-3080. One of the privileges I have of sitting in this chair is getting to talk to a variety of people and One of those people is a many-generation rancher and farmer and somebody who knows a lot about agriculture and what’s going on in that world, Trent Luce. And Trent, when we left off, we were talking about what’s going up in Oregon with Petition 28. And if it’s happening on the West Coast and affecting the rural community, I’m sure it’s going to affect here in Colorado at some point. So share with us a little bit about what’s going on in Oregon.
SPEAKER 12 :
So we’ve already had this potential ballot initiative attempt in the state of Colorado. And it was previously attempted two times in Oregon. It’s never actually one time it did come to the ballot. It was defeated. They rewrote it and it came back. It did not. They did not get enough signatures last time. So this would be the third attempt in Oregon. And this is not just about Oregon or Colorado, because this is really what brought me into the media world from taking care of animals on a daily basis, Brad. And that is that I recognize the challenge that we have to continue to own animals. and to harvest these animals to enable life. And that’s what we do. We contribute to the cycle of life by taking care of the land and livestock, by harvesting them, and then getting the essentials of life to people. With that said, I want to read to you just maybe two sentences from this Initiative 28, which you mentioned in Oregon. These statutes prohibit the intentional killing or injury of animals, the withholding of care from an animal, or the injurious tethering of an animal, and the sexual contact of an animal’s mouth, anus, or genitals, but many animals are not currently protected under these laws, so we are going to eliminate those exemptions. So they literally have in this proposal that you cannot eat an animal until it dies a natural death.
SPEAKER 10 :
Unbelievable. I mean, I was at, many years ago, a town meeting for the town next to me in Lafayette, Colorado, where a group of activists from Boulder and surrounding areas wanted to give the same human individual rights to plants and animals. And I was the first one at that event, got there at like 4 o’clock. I was one of the last ones to speak because I, quote, wasn’t a resident. And there was over 300 people there, took hours and hours for testimony, and people were absolutely crazy. I was one of six talking in favor of human rights, but not animal rights, animals rights. You know, we want to protect them. We want to make sure that they’re well cared for. But they’re not human beings. And what you’re talking about here is just ridiculous, in my opinion.
SPEAKER 12 :
So I have a document that was written by one of the wealthiest animal rights organizations in this country. And just to point out something that is very relevant, I keep track of the revenue for these animal rights organizations because originally I thought that they were simply pilfering the public for profit to go in and tap into the sympathy of people and just put together a large sum of money. In 2025, and this is according to IRS tax returns, excuse me, 2024, because the 2025 tax returns are not publicly available yet, but in 2024, I can account with five, just five animal rights organizations in this country, $1.3 billion that goes into these organizations. So what I’ve also learned is that this is not just people who love dogs and cats sending $25 a month. This is from the same group of people who are financing, taking every bit of our life away, the concept of you will own nothing and be happy. The same people around the world who launder money through these animal rights organizations are the same people that try to take away our land and our opportunity to live as we see fit in a free world. And 40 years ago, there was an article, very in-depth article, probably, I have it here, I don’t know, it’s probably 80 pages long. Talking about the plan for animals to achieve personhood, and that is what you were part of in that meeting that you went to, is that they probably, the people who put together this initiative in Oregon, think there’s no chance of a pass. They don’t care. They’ve increased the discussion about giving animals rights. And I don’t know if you’re in a position where you can do a search while we’re talking. I know your master partner, Joe, can. Yeah.
SPEAKER 10 :
I’ll try.
SPEAKER 12 :
This very week, search. Anybody can go do this. Search Amazon stingless bees. And this is a movement to be the first animal species, if you want to call a bee an animal, it’s an insect. the pest, but we rely on bees for pollination, right? So a third of all food in the world comes as a result of a bee pollinating something or some pollinator transferring pollen. This is reportedly the first outside of a human being species that they want to give legal protection in the name of becoming a person. Wow. This is not just some small group of of wackos that are trying to get something done. This is an organized effort to eliminate the very animals that enable human life.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yes, I’m looking at an article from The Guardian. Stingless bees from the Amazon granted legal rights… in a world first. And people can look it up. And as they keep trying to open up the Overton window and bring these ideas to the forefront, it’s a battle for information. And earlier, I had Alan Fuller from the Henry Knox Institute talking about framing the argument How do we frame the argument that we care about our animals, we care about our agriculture, but what the opposition is trying to do is make it to where we sit down, shut up, and don’t take any action based on what they want us to do as opposed to how we want to live our life for human flourishing?
SPEAKER 12 :
We are managers of God’s creation, and what we have is what God created to continue the cycle of life. The more animals that we have on the planet, the more need for plants, because animals cannot survive without plants. We need plants for photosynthesis, taking CO2 out of the atmosphere, converting that into oxygen, but not only oxygen that goes back into the atmosphere that people rely on, but what the CO2 and the photosynthesis does to the plant itself to enable more growth with less water. And what these individuals want us to do is to worship the creation instead of the creator. We’re doing God’s work. They’re trying to disrupt that by pulling one sector out. Human beings cannot exist as we do today without animals simply because the planet will lose its health. It’s all part of the cycle of life. And here’s my favorite saying. I came up with this years ago, and it It’s just what is not understood in today’s world. Everything lives, everything dies, and death with a purpose gives full meaning to life. Nothing lives without something else dying. And people want to come in and throw that little sympathy ploy in there about us taking the life of animals in order that we can upcycle that into improving human life, but yet contribute to improving the numbers and the availability of these animals that is part of the cycle.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, that’s why we, I think, should honor our hunters, our farmers, our ranchers who use the meat and use the resources out there to sustain life and to make sure that there aren’t sick herds, there’s not overgrazing, there’s not degradation that happens when it’s not well managed and a lot of these folks have no idea how the food is managed, how our wildlife is managed and it’s an important part of that whole cycle you’re talking about.
SPEAKER 12 :
And I did want to speak in case somebody’s confused, scratching their head about the sexual contact of these animals. That is a blatant attempt at eliminating things like artificial insemination, the ultimate AI before artificial intelligence tried to hijack it. You know, we’ve made tremendous genetic strides in artificially inseminating these animals. and uh we palpate these animals that is particularly a ruminant if you have a cow it can come in there and assist into management like you described of palpating and knowing what the birth is or whether they’re bred or not bred there’s so many things and what this i-28 is referring to is what we call a standard operating procedure for livestock production. And they want to circumvent all of that and make that a crime and ultimately to eliminate the consumption of animal products.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, you could have an experiment like what’s going on in New York right now with Mayor Mondami, and everybody thought it was nice that there was going to be free bus rides and free grocery stores. But I don’t know if you heard yesterday, he rolled out that taxes are going to go up significantly and mostly on the middle class. And this is an attempt similar to that, in my mind, that— They want to eliminate so much of what we have come to appreciate and have a better life for. And that’s why people come here, for the better life, for human flourishing, and to have the things that our ancestors had to struggle for.
SPEAKER 12 :
Have you weighed in on whether he’s Jeffrey Epstein’s kid or his brother’s kid, Mark Epstein? No.
SPEAKER 10 :
I don’t go down those conspiracy theories, Trent.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, there’s a lot of evidence of his mother at the island, so I don’t think this one’s a conspiracy.
SPEAKER 10 :
We will find out at some point, I’m sure. But, you know, it’s amazing to me that a lot of folks who have no idea how agriculture benefits their communities, how livestock, how wildlife benefits our community, and they want it pristine, this idea of a utopia where nothing changes, it’s all natural, and yet without the human insistence of innovation and creativity, we lose the ability to flourish with this gift that we have with livestock and wildlife. And managing it well helps human flourishing to the point where other nations who are not so generous benefit from what we do with those innovations.
SPEAKER 12 :
I suggest that we all become better students of history. The Corps of Discovery, written by ultimately Meriwether Lewis during the Lewis and Clark Exposition, very clearly walks through in 1803 when they are on the Missouri River between St. Louis and what we now know today as St. Joseph, Missouri. Every member of the Corps of Discovery… got dysentery because they were drinking water from the Missouri River and the book says every cup of water was half filled with silt ooze and filth and the reason I bring that up is because so many people believe that that was the pristine time in our moment before man screwed it up truth of the matter is that man has used innovation to improve water quality to improve soil health to improve so many of life’s aspects today If we were just better versed in history, we would understand that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. Well, and as you read more and you learn more, you find out that it ain’t so what ancient history was or even recent history back to our great grandparents of sanitation. And even in the Civil War, the advance that that military experience helped understand bacteria and disease and amputations that were taking place and People just stick their finger in a wound and somebody would die from that, not necessarily from the bullet. And we’ve come a long way. So we’ll discuss more of this in a moment. We have a few messages from our sponsors and we’ll be right back.
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SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome back to the Kim Monson show. I’m Bradley Beck filling in for Kim today who’s away. You can check out Kim’s website at Kim Monson dot com and sign up for her weekly email newsletter and get the first look at our upcoming guest as well as her most recent essays. And we have Trent Luce on the line. He’s a sixth generation farmer rancher, and he knows agriculture better than most folks. And Trent, one of the big trends that’s happening now is the amount of land that’s being taken out of production, that’s being bought up and not even being used. And this idea of rewilding America has become to the forefront that I think most people aren’t even aware of.
SPEAKER 12 :
I spent a lot of time on this one because we do have a record low number of beef cows in the United States. People quickly want to blame the drought. But if you look at the amount of land that has left agriculture since 19, just look at 2017. Since 2017, of all the land that’s left agriculture, 88% of that in the millions of acres is grazing land that is not available for cattle anymore and you went right to the core of not only those that purchase land that do not utilize it to be sustaining they purchase land to store the assets of their wealth because they think that land’s going to hold its value in this time when our currency is very vulnerable But also, and I looked at the proposed new farm bill that came out this week. I’m opposed to the farm bill. I think we ought to just get rid of it across the board. 71% of the proposed farm bill that came out of the House, not the Senate, but the House, 71% goes to supplemental nutrition assistance programs. But there is a growth in two areas. It’s only at 1%. So it looks like it’s just a minor number. But both of them concern me. And that is both USDA numbers with money dedicated to put more conservation easements in place. And these conservation easements and conservation reserve program, both of those government programs are removing land from agriculture and in particular grazing. And so we not only have wealthy buying land, taking it out of production, we have the largest landowner in the United States, which is federal government. that owns one in three acres. But now they have found a way to give an incentive for individuals who own land to take that out of production for food as well. And it really comes back to grazing. But this is a two-pronged approach at removing land from food production. We have the amount of land to be self-sustaining in food production. And, Brad, we’re now bragging that we’re going to be at only $42 billion in an agricultural deficit for 2026. And what I mean by that is in a trade policy, we’re going to import $42 billion more in agricultural products than we export in 2026. With the amount of land that we have, what, 2.3 billion acres? There is no excuse for this. Well, you know, I’m always… I’m sorry, one more stat that I came up with this week that I thought was so significant. Because in 2020, I went to the UK, and I just couldn’t believe it. They were 65% dependent on another country for their food. We’re the same way. And in the UK, they have one acre, less than an acre, about three-fourths of an acre per citizen. They have 69 million people. They have 60 million acres. We have 330 million… Americans. We have the equivalent of seven and three quarter acres per person. And we’re still importing the same amount of food as the UK. It makes no sense whatsoever.
SPEAKER 10 :
No, you’re absolutely right. Well, when I go to the market, which I rarely do because I’m banned from the store and banned from Costco because my wife doesn’t like when I throw things in the basket. But I’ve trained myself to look at the product of origin. And it’s amazing how much of our produce and our goods are made somewhere else, especially food products. And somehow they’re cheaper than if we’d make it here. And I think part of that is the use of the marketplace in a way that the regulation in those countries is not the same as it is here. So whether it’s fertilizer or paying wages or… a multitude of different things that aren’t part of what other countries have to follow. That’s why they can do it so much cheaper than we can do it here. Even though they say they send regulators to Chile or Mexico or some other place, somehow it gets here to market much cheaper than we can grow it in the United States. Makes no sense.
SPEAKER 12 :
No, actually, they do not. You’re spot on, but they do not send regulators or USC inspectors. What they do… is that they have that supplier agree to what we’ll call it hazard analysis at critical points, that they agree that they will implement the same standards that we have in the United States. To your point, they don’t. We have no way to verify that they do. But we don’t ask questions because of the key word that you said in there, They import it cheaper, and so when people have access to something cheaper, they flock to it without thinking about the long-term repercussions.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah. Well, what I find interesting with this whole taking land out of production is Is it an opportunity for interested parties to control more of our lives in the sense that they want us in cities, 15-minute cities? They want us in transportation corridors. They want us to be captive, not having cars and transportation to get from point A to point B. And most people are not aware of what’s happening around the world with that process. And, you know, the U.N., I think, has a big part in it. Thankfully, this administration has been pushing back pretty mightily on it. But I think there’s a long way to go before we get that independence that our founders bequeathed to us.
SPEAKER 12 :
The only thing you said I disagree with is this administration is not pushing back. They’re telling us they’re pushing back, but it’s not happening on the ground.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, then what do we do to help expedite that? What are the things that a normal citizen in your mind can do?
SPEAKER 12 :
We put too much confidence in the federal government, and lo and behold, who would put confidence in the Colorado state government? But I assume there are a few that do. We have to stop thinking this is going to just take care of itself. You told us the answer. How many people actually pick up the package and read the label and know where it comes from? How many people know that if electricity goes brown, which it’s going to, we’re not going to keep up with the supply of electricity as we continue to bring these AI data centers on? We need to know where our food, where our electricity is coming from, and we need to get back to something that’s more similar to what the pioneers of this country did, and particularly our part of the region, of the nation, and that is build and strengthen communities and rely on our community instead of a bigger entity. The Constitution tells us that’s the case. The best government is local government, and that not only falls in the place of government, but the local supply as well.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, and people need to understand that just because you can flip on a switch and have light or turn on a dial and have hot water, it comes from somewhere. And where does it come from? First, from the source of all our wealth, which is our minds. And second, the ability to trade value for value and create infrastructure and have the ability to communicate and to network and to deal with one another in a way that builds community, but also communicates. adds to our ability to live the lives we want to live. And hydrocarbons, natural gas, oil, all the things that brought us to the dance to date help agriculture, and agriculture has produced an abundance because of those resources.
SPEAKER 12 :
One gallon of diesel fuel replaced 500 hours of man labor and food production.
SPEAKER 10 :
Say that again, Trent.
SPEAKER 12 :
One gallon of diesel fuel replaced 500 man-hours in food labor production. Amazing. So when we had a tractor to till and plant food, we were able to do it by removing 500 man-hours. And anybody who has a garden, who tries to keep ahead of the weeds in their garden, tries to keep on top of the pests that attack your potatoes, you understand what I’m talking about with man-hours of labor. We have had so many of what you described, and that availability of affordable energy has made all of this possible, and we are allowing them to take it away from us.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, it’s something that, one, we need to be aware of, two, we need to read more about, and three, we need to talk to our friends and neighbors about it. So it’s not a surprise when things go bad. So, Trent Luce, we’ve got about a minute left. What would you like to wrap up with?
SPEAKER 12 :
Oh, I just want to reinforce what the theme of today has been, is that we cannot sit back and expect anybody else to take care of us, and particularly our families. We truly need to engage, get involved, and show up where it matters. And it matters at these local school board meetings. And it matters at the county commission. And it matters at the most local government. And find your neighbors that will have your back. The entire mantra of the military is you want somebody that’s got your six. We need that in everyday life.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. Well, Trent, we appreciate your information and keeping on the forefront of what’s happening with agriculture and ranching. And you’re a great resource. And thank you for coming on the Kim Monson Show.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thanks. My pleasure. What a great conversation. I appreciate you.
SPEAKER 10 :
Appreciate you. And we’ll look forward to having you back next week. And our quote for the end of the show is from Henry Knox, a key figure in the American Revolution and the first secretary of war. He said, quote, The eyes of all America are upon us. We are apart and our posterity will bless us or curse us. on our decisions and this quote emphasizes the weight and responsibility of our leaders caring and knowledge and knowing about the actions that will be judged by future generations so today be grateful read great books think good thoughts listen to beautiful music communicate and listen well live honestly and authentically strive for high ideas and like superman stand for truth justice in the american way you are not alone god bless you and god bless america
SPEAKER 07 :
rising fears through the rain and lightning wandering out into this great unknown I don’t want no one to cry but tell them if I don’t serve
SPEAKER 16 :
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.
