On this Monday broadcast, Kim Monson welcomes two guests who challenge mainstream narratives from different angles. Valdamar Archuleta, president of the Colorado Log Cabin Republicans, makes the case that Pride Month has become counterproductive to the LGBT community, while Tamara Lich, organizer of the 2022 Canadian Trucker Convoy, shares the inside story of peaceful protesters who faced frozen bank accounts and government overreach.

Start listening at 71:29 – Hour 2

Tamara Lich shares the remarkable story behind the 2022 Canadian Freedom Convoy in her new book “Hold the Line.” When the Canadian government imposed a vaccine mandate that would prevent unvaccinated truckers from cross-border travel, Lich reached out to fellow organizer Chris Barber and offered her logistics and organizational skills to mount a peaceful protest.

Truckers came from every corner of Canada, from the Northwest Territories to Newfoundland, converging on Ottawa in January 2022. What the world witnessed was a country coming together across racial, religious, and economic lines. Lich describes it as the most amazing experience of her lifetime, watching Canadians drop their labels and unite under a common cause. The convoy raised $10 million through GoFundMe, which was shut down, then raised $12 million more through another platform.

The government response shocked many observers. Prime Minister Trudeau invoked emergency powers, and approximately 280 people had their bank accounts frozen without court orders. Mothers could not pay for groceries, families could not buy medication for their children, and people could not pay their mortgages. Lich herself was arrested, held in solitary confinement for 18 days initially, and later re-arrested and held for 30 days. She and co-accused Chris Barber face trial in September on mischief charges, with prosecutors seeking 10 years imprisonment.

“We watched the entire country come together, and it didn’t matter what color your skin was, what God you worship, what your income bracket was, what part of the country you lived in. We just dropped all the labels, and we were just Canadians.”

Tamara Lich, Organizer, Canadian Freedom Convoy

Start listening at 5:06 – Hour 1

Valdamar Archuleta, president of the Colorado Log Cabin Republicans and a former pride festival organizer, presents a provocative argument: the month-long celebration of Pride has become counterproductive for the LGBT community. Drawing from his personal experience organizing parades in Colorado Springs and Denver, Archuleta argues that the constant visibility campaign has shifted from securing rights to alienating potential allies.

Archuleta points out that on a systemic level, the LGBT community now has equal rights, making the continued aggressive activism unnecessary. He suggests the community should focus on assimilation and building understanding with neighbors rather than parading stereotypes down the street. The discussion also addresses the concerning trend of drag performances for children, which Archuleta believes has damaged the reputation of both the drag community and the broader LGBT movement.

The conversation extends to transgender issues and children, where Archuleta expresses concern about irreversible medical interventions for minors. He argues that children cannot fully understand the lifelong consequences of such decisions and that parents should support their children without rushing to medical solutions.

“A month-long celebration of pride is counterproductive. I say this as a gay man who, at one time, was very active in the gay rights movement and organizing pride festivals.”

Valdamar Archuleta, President, Colorado Log Cabin Republicans

On this Friday broadcast of June 9, 2023, Kim Monson welcomed Holly Page from the No Labels organization to discuss bipartisan political solutions, while also examining the federal indictment of Donald Trump and Colorado property tax issues with callers from across the region.

Start listening at 30:00 – Hour 1

Holly Page, Senior Advisor with No Labels, presents an alternative vision for American politics that puts country over party loyalty. No Labels has already secured ballot access in Colorado for a potential 2024 presidential ticket that would feature both a Republican and Democrat running together, committed to bipartisan governance.

Page emphasized that the vast majority of Americans exist in the “common-sense majority” rather than at the political extremes. She pointed to immigration as an example where both parties prefer using a broken system as a political weapon rather than working together on solutions. “You are not a nation without borders, period,” Page stated. “We have to have borders. We have to have secure borders. We also have a system of immigration that was created in the last century. We have to modernize it.”

When pressed on constitutional principles, Page affirmed her support for founding documents, describing the words as “timeless” and suggesting they represent “a vision of the future” that each generation must strive toward.

“The promise of this country is opportunity. That is what we have to protect and expand.”

Holly Page, Senior Advisor, No Labels

Start listening at 10:00 – Hour 1

Kim Monson opened the show addressing the federal indictment of Donald Trump over classified documents, drawing sharp contrasts with the treatment of Joe Biden and Mike Pence in similar circumstances. Monson characterized the situation as “banana republic stuff” and warned that weaponizing government agencies against political opponents threatens all Americans.

Producer Steve noted this represents “election interference at its worst” and questioned whether alienating half the country serves any productive purpose. A listener texted comparing the situation to Hitler’s tactics in the 1930s, a comparison Monson acknowledged as “pretty spot on.”

Start listening at 70:00 – Hour 2

Caller Wyatt from Wyoming proposed a creative alternative to property taxes: a uniform “citizen tax” tied to voter registration. Under his proposal, all citizens would pay equally for government services, and those who don’t pay would lose voting privileges. Young adults aged 18-21 could earn voting rights through public service.

The discussion connected to Colorado’s Proposition HH, which Monson criticized as trading permanent TABOR refunds for temporary property tax relief. Multiple callers challenged the fairness of property taxes where larger property owners pay more despite not using additional services.

Start listening at 65:00 – Hour 2

Caller Gammy from Colorado Springs reported on local research into organizations targeting youth with gender ideology. She described finding numerous websites offering “vetted counselors” providing hormone blockers and counseling to children, sometimes without parental knowledge. Gammy urged parents and teachers to research what schools are doing behind parents’ backs and hold local government accountable.

On this Thursday, June 8, 2023 broadcast, Kim Monson examines two critical property rights issues facing Coloradans. Patent attorney Jennifer McCallum and law clerk Ashley Stephens reveal how the town of Estes Park revoked a small business license over a disputed workforce housing fee, while Ben Murrey from the Independence Institute breaks down why Proposition HH represents a bait-and-switch that would cost taxpayers billions in TABOR refunds.

Start listening at 31:22 – Hour 1

Jennifer McCallum, a patent attorney with more than 20 years of experience in intellectual property law, brings attention to a troubling case in Estes Park. Her clients, Rick and Cheryl Grigsby, have operated short-term rental cabins since 2016 after following all proper licensing and permit procedures. The town recently imposed a workforce housing linkage fee of $1,390 on short-term rental permit holders, placing the burden of affordable housing solely on one class of business.

When the Grigsbys protested the fee and requested a hearing on their third license, the town immediately revoked their license without providing any hearing or notice. Within days, they lost one-third of their business. McCallum filed a federal complaint on June 2, 2023, arguing this violates due process protections under the 14th and 5th Amendments. The case highlights how local governments use fees instead of taxes to circumvent Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

“The right to lease your home has been a Supreme Court mandated right since 1923. So on two of their licenses this year, they protested, but they paid. On the third, they requested a hearing and protested. Immediately, they lost their license.”

Jennifer McCallum, Patent Attorney

Start listening at 31:41 – Hour 1

Ashley Stephens, a law clerk with McCallum Law, provides legal analysis of the Estes Park case. She emphasizes that due process protections are among the most fundamental principles taught in law school. When property interests vest, citizens are guaranteed minimal procedural protections under both the 14th Amendment and the 5th Amendment. The town’s action of revoking the Grigsbys’ license without any pre-termination or post-termination hearing represents an egregious stretch of authority.

Stephens notes the irony that while the General Assembly passes new regulations making it harder for landlords to operate, they simultaneously declare housing increasingly unaffordable. Government regulations account for approximately 25% of the cost of new single-family homes and 40% of multifamily housing costs according to industry associations. The Estes Park case demonstrates how government itself contributes to the housing affordability crisis while claiming to solve it.

“Once that interest has vested, the minimal procedural protections that every citizen is guaranteed is that 14th Amendment and the Fifth Amendment as well. I have a hard time understanding where the town of Estes Park kind of gets its authority to do something like this.”

Ashley Stephens, Law Clerk

Start listening at 68:22 – Hour 2

Ben Murrey, Director of Fiscal Policy at the Independence Institute, warns that Proposition HH is not property tax relief but rather a bait-and-switch scheme. After Republicans and Democrats together repealed the Gallagher Amendment three years ago, they promised to replace it with something better. Instead, they waited until property valuations skyrocketed, putting homeowners over a barrel.

Murrey explains that Proposition HH offers two bad options: vote against it and face the largest property tax increase in Colorado history, or vote for it and still face massive tax increases while giving up TABOR refunds forever. Over the next 10 years, taxpayers would surrender over $10 billion in surplus revenue. After 30 years, the state would retain over $400 billion in extra tax revenue. Murrey advocates for a mechanism similar to TABOR that would limit property tax revenue growth to inflation plus new construction, forcing local governments to reduce mill levies when property values surge.

“Proposition HH is not property tax relief. It is a massive tax increase. It’s a bait and switch. Politicians have put us in a lose-lose situation. There’s no reason why your local government needs a 40% increase in tax receipts from one year to the next, just because your home’s value went up by 40%.”

Ben Murrey, Director of Fiscal Policy, Independence Institute

On this Wednesday broadcast from June 7, 2023, Kim Monson examines two critical threats facing Colorado communities. Denver School Board candidate Kwame Spearman presents startling data on student literacy, while sixth-generation farmer Trent Loos exposes a ballot initiative that could shut down Denver’s meat processing facilities.

Start listening at 78:18 – Hour 2

Trent Loos, sixth-generation farmer and rancher from Nebraska, sounds the alarm on a proposed Denver ballot initiative that would ban meat processing facilities within city limits. The measure would directly impact Superior Farms, an employee-owned lamb processing plant, setting a dangerous precedent for food production nationwide.

Loos connects this local initiative to broader global efforts to control food systems. He points out that animal agriculture provides 128 pharmaceutical products used in hospitals, including thrombin for blood coagulation during surgery, and stearic acid found in every American tire. Beyond nutrition, grazing animals promote plant growth that absorbs atmospheric elements and produces oxygen.

The discussion touches on Wisconsin dairy farmers who invested $35-40 million in methane capture systems after government promises of carbon credit payments, only to have those payments revoked for minor infractions unrelated to gas production. Loos warns this pattern of government dependence followed by punishment appears across agricultural sectors.

“It’s about minimizing the food production system so that they can control lives. And it comes in so many different shapes and sizes.”

Trent Loos, Sixth-Generation Farmer

Start listening at 30:53 – Hour 1

Kwame Spearman, owner of the Tattered Cover Bookstore and candidate for Denver Public Schools Board, presents sobering statistics about student achievement in the city. Only 5% of black and brown students and 30% of white students read at grade level by third grade, a critical benchmark for future success.

Spearman, who attended Denver Public Schools K-12 before earning degrees from Columbia University, Yale Law School, and Harvard Business School, argues the school board must refocus on student outcomes. He notes that in 2022, board members spent only 2% of their meeting time discussing student achievement. His campaign centers on parental choice, teacher support, and practical preparation for students to contribute to their communities.

The son of a Denver public school teacher, Spearman saved the Tattered Cover from bankruptcy during the pandemic by applying business principles learned at Bain Company. He believes those same pragmatic approaches can transform public education.

“There’s some incredibly sobering data that’s coming out that says about 5% of our black and brown students are at third grade reading level by the time that they’re in third grade.”

Kwame Spearman, Denver School Board Candidate