September 4, 2025 • 36 mins
In the first hour of today's show, Kristi Burton Brown looks at Jared Polis's latest failure regarding Colorado's budget.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Dan Caplis and welcome to today's online podcast
edition of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to
give us a five star rating if you'd be so kind,
and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every
single day on your favorite podcast platform.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome back to the Dan Capla Show. I'm Christy Burton
Brown Filly in for Dan today and.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
We definitely have some news to cover for you, both
on the national and state levels.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
This morning, Governor poulis having an entire press conference on tariffs.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Now, if you look back to.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
An executive order that he issued a couple months ago,
which is what this press conference was supposed to be about.
His executive order said that he was going to direct
state agencies to figure out a plan to lessen the
impact of tariffs on Colorado businesses. So the entire point
of the executive order, as I read it anyways, was
for the Governor of Colorado and the state government of
(00:53):
Colorado to come up with solutions, to propose ideas to
help a businesses here in coloradat So anyway, he said
that's what his press conference was going to be about.
Like about the executive order, because now it was time
to announce. Well, his entire press conference, according to reporters
who were there today who I talked to, was just
about the tariffs and the supposedly bad effects on Colorado businesses.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
And obviously, when tariffs change, there are.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Economic impacts to businesses in Colorado, and not all of
them are immediately.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Positive, there's no doubt about that.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
But there was no talk of solutions, none at all,
despite his own executive order directing the State of Colorado
to come up with solutions for businesses. I think one
of the reasons this actually isn't surprising is because just
about a week ago, the governor signed multiple bills into
law from Colorado's special Session special legislative Session increasing taxes
(01:47):
on these same businesses. So it'd be pretty hard for
him to have a press conference proposing solutions to lessen
the economic burden to businesses that he literally just increased
taxes on.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
So kind of got himself in a pickle there. But
it also puts Polus in.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
League with Attorney General Phil Wiser and Secretary of State
Jenna Griswold, who.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Definitely have a huge ship.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
On their shoulder when it comes to President Trump and
the Trump administration. They're constantly, constantly, constantly looking for ways
to go attack the Trump administration in pokes averar, so
to speak. Polis has his own way of doing that.
But this press conference with him just stepping in line
with them, You're very familiar, I'm sure with all the
lawsuits phil Wiser continues to bring against the Trump administration
(02:31):
with taxpayer money, mind you, including very foolish ones like
the lawsuits to the most recent when he filed to
ask a court to order President Trump to keep Space
Command in Colorado. Like, okay, as of Colorado, and you may,
in fact a grew with me that it'd.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Be great to keep Space Command in Colorado.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Like we like the businesses I'm sorry, the jobs and
businesses for that matter, that operate in Colorado because we
have Space Command here. We like that economic boom to
our state because of it. I think we're a good
military state with a number of you know, facilities and bases.
We have Nora Ad here, Like we're a great choice
for Space Command. But you can't sue the president if
(03:11):
he chooses to move a military installation out of your state.
Like the president is the commander in chief and Phil
Wiser has absolutely zero basis to go sue him, but hey,
he's running for governor next cycle, and so every chance
he gets, he wants to use our money, taxpayer money,
to look like he is standing up to President Trump.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
So this press conference this morning, when Governor Poulis.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Went after the tariffs and talked about economic impact to Colorado,
that was his version of doing what Phil Wiser does.
And then, of course we know Jenna Griswold, you know,
tries her best to get President Trump kicks off the ballot,
and even the liberals on the US Supreme Court basically
say that has zero zero percent logic in any law whatsoever,
would be very unconstitutional to do something like that. And
(03:53):
you know, she was all over TV trying to say
he shouldn't be on the ballot, and she lost. So
you see Governor Polis stepping in the mix with all
of that, because guess what, Phil Wiser wants to run
for governor, but Jared Pulis wants to run for president
in twenty twenty eight. So everyone is just positioning themselves
against the Trump administration with very little thought as to
what is actually good for Colorado citizens and Colorado businesses.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
And you can absolutely see.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
That illustrated by the complete lack of the governor in
proposing solutions. And if Governor Pollis really wanted to propose solutions.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
For businesses and citizens here.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
In Colorado, he would a recognize the fact that we
are the fourth most expensive state in the nation according
to CNBC, the fourth highest cost of living right here
in Colorado. And he would realize that his party has
been in control for a very long time now it
is their legacy and his legacy as governor that Colorado
(04:49):
has such a high cost of living. Instead of hosting
these press conferences to blame the Trump administration, he probably
should be doing something like, you know, forming a blue
collar Commission where he brings a in industry workers, actual
business owners, small businesses to actually come up with ideas
that apparently the government is too incompetent to.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Come up with here in Colorado, on how.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
We can actually benefit businesses, stop regulations that are increasing
costs for consumers, and lower the cost of living here
in Colorado. They'll be a much better use of everyone's
time than these pointless press conferences that are just designed
to cast blame and not propose real solutions. So I
find that to be very interesting that Paul, as you know,
(05:30):
pitching his own executive order. We're going to come up
with solutions, but oh when I get to do a
press conference about it, Let's ignore the solution part and
just focus on the blame the federal government part. If
you have thoughts about this or anything else we discussed
on the show today, you can call in three zero
three seven one three eight two five five, or you
can text your thoughts to Dan at five seven seven
(05:50):
three nine. I'm Christy Burton Brown, and today we're also
going to talk with State Senator Barb Kirkmeyer.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
She has been a guest on this show before.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
She'll be coming up in about twenty five minutes, and
we're just going to talk to her about her She
has a special level of insight into what goes on
in economic matters in Colorado, the state budget, because she
is on the Joint and Budget Committee, a fairly long
serving Republican member of that committee, and so she has
inside information as to what actually happens in the budget.
(06:21):
All the claims you hear from the governor and other
liberals in charge of the state about oh, maybe we're
getting a recession. Oh my goodness, the federal government is
doing this to us. It's a convenient excuse for them
when they have actually been managing the budget in Colorado
for a good number of years now, and when we
have forty four billion dollars the budget has ballooned over
(06:44):
the last seven years here in Colorado, and they still
claim it just isn't enough.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Like right, it's never enough.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
If you're a liberal and you think government gets to
set and make decisions for people, if you think that
government should decide what it's done with money, that government
serves people better than we can choose for ourselves, well
then you want all the slush funds and you know,
all the bank accounts and all the money from the
people going to you instead of back in their own pockets.
(07:13):
One of the best ways that we can see this
illustrated here in Colorado are through three ballot measures that
were just filed yesterday. And I don't have enough time
in this segment to talk about them, so we're definitely
going to talk about them when we come back. But
these three measures are just a very silly idea, and
I don't say that to say we shouldn't take it seriously.
(07:34):
Whenever there's a liberal tax increase, proposed for the ballot.
We should absolutely take it seriously because we have to
fight it and defeat it. But I say it's silly
because when you look back over the history of ballot
measures in Colorado, you see that voters have historically said
no to income tax hikes and changes to our income
tax system in Colorado time and time and time again.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Also, when ballot measures.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Are proposed that would repeal part of TABOR or all
of TABOR, take your taper refund, change taber in the Constitution,
voters again say no, but huge margins. So I'm going
to talk about some of those examples. But these three
ballot measures filed yesterday by the Bell Policy Institute. They're
basically a liberal think tank here in Colorado run by
a former state legislator, Chris Kennedy, and they basically propose
(08:20):
a progressive income tax hike, the three different versions of it.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
In these three measures, they.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Would create a what they would call a graduated income
tax rate system here in Colorado. So they're going to
tell you that the goal is to have the wealthy
pay more, and they always like to say they are
fair share. We have a flat tax here in Colorado.
Everyone pays the same percent. I don't think you can
have a better system of everyone paying their fair share
than having a flat tax rate. And that flat tax
(08:47):
rate was actually it's constitutionally protected by TABOR, the Taxpayer
Bill of Rights TABER requires that there is a flat tax,
one rate paid by everyone in the state of Colorado.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
So they want to come in with these.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Ballot measures repeat feel that part of TABOR, which is
pretty much a poison pill when you're trying to repeal
a part of TABOR in a ballot measure, because seventy
percent of voters support the Taxpayer Bill of Rights across
the board, across political parties, So they want to do
that in that institute this graduated system. But a huge
piece of it, and we'll talk more about it after
the break, is that they're also.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Targeting businesses, small businesses.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Tens of thousands of small businesses would have their tax
rates greatly increased if these measures get on the ballot
and pass here in Colorado. I'll give you more details.
We'll talk about it when we come back from the break.
I'm Christy Burton Brown. You're on the Dan Kapla Show.
Text your thoughts to five seven, seven, three nine.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
And now back to the Dan Kaplass Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
For the break, we were talking about the three d
ballot measures that were filed yesterday by the Bell Policy Institute,
which is a far left to liberal think tank that
Governor Pols does even commonly agree with. But their three
measures were different versions of a progressive of income tax
high care in Colorado. They would repeal a key part
of TABOR, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, has instituted a
(10:07):
flat tax in Colorado. For our income tax system. Everyone
pays the same rate. And it's a system we've had
in Colorado for decades that people have supported over and
over when they've been asked to change it on the ballot.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
And a few.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Examples of that that I'll give you can go all
the way back to I think it's twenty eleven, when
far left groups asked Colorado to change the income tax system.
They said it would only be for five years, and
voter said no by a twenty seven point margin. Then
they came back in twenty thirteen and they said, oh,
(10:43):
let's change it to a graduated income tax system where
the more you make, the more you pay. And by
the way, we're going to give all the extra revenue
to education, that's what they said. Voters said no by
a twenty nine point march. And then they came back
in twenty sixteen and they had yet another idea on
how to change the income tax system in Colorado and
(11:03):
make it progressive, as they would call it progressive, which
really just means give the government more money, give them
a blank check or a slush fund to spend more
of our money how they want.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Voter said no by a seven point margin.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
And then you have the two most recent examples in
Colorado of the legislature putting measures on the ballot to
attack TABOR and to repeal parts of the Taxpayer's Bill
of Right right. So that was in twenty nineteen with
Prop CC, which voters shot down by a seven point margin,
and then you have Prop HH in twenty twenty three,
which voter's shot down by a nineteen point margin. So
(11:37):
you would think that the far left would get the picture.
People in Colorado a support the Taxpayer Bill of Rights
by seventy percent margin. That means people across the political
spectrum of multiple parties like our taxpayer Bill of Rights.
We are, in fact the only state in the nation
with TABOR and people here like it. It's a very
Colorado thing. It says we're going to limit our government
(11:57):
and say you can't just have unlimited revenue, you can
increase it by inflation plus populations. They actually still get
more money every or most years, not every year, but
most years, they still get more money to spend, but
it has to be like capped, and if you collect
more money then you're allowed to collect, you have to
return it to us. And that's why we sometimes get
refunds called our Tabor refunds. And so again it's just
(12:18):
this very Colorado thing that people continue to want to protect.
And then you also see, in addition to the desire
to protect Tabor, you see the desire of people in
Colorado to not really be told by the government that, oh,
we're just going to increase your income tax what you
pay us every single year for all these projects we're
going to promise you. I mean, you remember all their
(12:39):
promises on where the marijuana money was going to go,
Like how much of that actually came true. That was
supposed to help out education and all think education saw
much of it increase from marijuana money. So there's this
huge question out there, So like where does the money
actually go when extra revenue gets pumped into the stay budget.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Usually not where they tell voters it's going to go, or.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
You see a big misuse of the money or over spending.
Like take the wolf free introduction ballot measure that barely
passed in Colorado. Voters were told that would cost it
was either seven hundred or nine hundred thousand to the state,
and so they're like, Okay, that's reasonable for these wolves
that we want on our backyard, but up in the
mountains somewhere, and.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Already to date it has cost three.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Million dollars, with over two million designated this year for
the woof free introduction program.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
So you see that over and.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Over, voters are promised one thing on the ballot, but
the reality is very, very different. And so you wonder
why voters in Colorado, when it comes to taxes being raised,
especially income.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Taxes, have a history of saying no thanks.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Here in Colorado because there is this sort of libertarian
sentiment that we don't trust the government. We don't think
they keep their promises. We think they tell us they're
going to spend money one way, but they actually tend
to fund their own pet projects instead. I mean you
can look at the roads in Colorado as a perfect
example of what they should be spending money on, but
(14:03):
just decide not to. So if you have you have
thoughts on any of this, on this these proposed income
tax hikes in Colorado, or did you alt we talk
about today? You can always call in or you can
text five seven seven three nine start it with Dan
and the phone number is three h three seven one
three eight two five five. I'm Christy Burton Brown filling
(14:23):
in for Dan today. One other thing that I think
we should talk about with this income tax hike is
you're not going to hear how when the progressive far
left talks about it. You're not really going to hear
them talk about the impact on businesses. I this is
one of the main things that's missing in the political
conversations on the left in Colorado is how many businesses
they are driving out of the state of Colorado through
(14:45):
their policies, through their practices, through their over regulation, and
the special session that just happened. They increase taxes on businesses,
specifically targeted them for tax increases. Well, this progressive tax
income hike would not only be the largest tax increase
in Colorado history at two point three billion dollars. But
it would also say that any business that has a
(15:08):
profit of five hundred thousand or more a year is
going to get their taxes hiked. You're going to pay
more to do business here in Colorado. And five hundred
thousand of profit really isn't that much when you're a
business operating in Colorado. That is going to cover tens
of thousands of small businesses across the state. And I
wonder who works at small businesses across Colorado. Average working families,
(15:31):
middle class Colorados in many cases, Colorados who make lower
incomes also are employed by some of these businesses, and
it's actually how they get by and how they make
ends meet here in Colorado. But the far left wants
to basically tax them out of existence, or say, hey,
how about you get out of this state go operate
somewhere else where there's a lower tax rate. Now, when
this has pointed out to them, they like to push
(15:54):
away the facts and just say.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
No, no, no, we're just raising taxes on the wealthy.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Well, that's a convenient bocking point, but it's not the
reality of what they're actually doing. They are specifically and
intentionally targeting small businesses and specifically and intentionally repealing a
part of TABOR.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
So if you hear about this ballot measure.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
I know it's been in multiple news stories over the
last couple of days.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
This is what you should remember about it.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
That's what it's really doing, despite what they might tell
you it's doing. And the other piece that I think
is interesting has been covered in the media so far,
is that the one of the sponsors or leaders of
this ballot measure, or the head of Bell Policy Institute,
is actually admitting to the media that they don't have
the money right now to go collect the signatures. So
if you're familiar with the ballot measure process and the
(16:38):
organization that I work at, Advanced Colorado, we run a
lot of ballot measures here in Colorado on the conservative side.
Ours are very popular usually across the political spectrum, like
we passed truth and Sentencing last election cycle, more funding
for law enforcement without raising taxes also last cycle. So anyway,
we were very familiar with the bvlot measure process, and
you do eased to go through title Board if.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
You're posed different versions.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
But then if you get approved and you get language
that goes on the ballot. You actually have to have
the money to pay for signatures, you don't just automatically
appear on the ballot. And so the liberals proposing these measures,
you know, made a big deal in the news, oh,
we're proposing these but they also said, but we actually
don't have the funds to go collect signatures right now.
Obviously they're trying to raise it, and if they do,
(17:21):
I know that Advanced Colorado will lead the opposition against
this effort to basically destroy our economy here in Colorado.
It's could be very bad for working families and a
middle class Colorados and small businesses across our state, and
anyone who likes the tax payer Bill of Rights. But
it is very interesting that you go out in the
media and say, oh, by the way, we actually don't
(17:42):
even have the money right now to do what we're
claiming we're going to do. And especially interesting because the
exact same thing happened in twenty twenty when the Bell
Policy Institute tried to run income tax hike just like
this one slight differences. They raised a million dollars, started
collecting signatures, and then had.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
To quit part way through and pull back the ballot measure.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Because they couldn't raise enough money to finish the signatures.
It's just not not popular of an idea in Colorado.
So they're back at it, trying it again, but admitting
from the beginning that they so far don't have the
money to do it. If they end up with the money,
we'll certainly take it seriously and fight to protect the
taxpayer Bill of Rights once again. But we'll see if
this is just, you know, a bluff on their part,
(18:22):
or if they're really trying to trying to bring something
like this. But I think people need to really realize
the economic damage this would cause to average Colorado and
small businesses, family owned restaurants, so many places that we
love across Colorado. I'm Christy Burton Brown. You're on the
Dan Kapla Show. When we come back, we're going to
talk with State Senator Barb Kirkmeyer.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
She'll have a lot of good information for you.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
She's one of the key people who understands the budget
economic issues in Colorado and definitely have some disagreements with
our current governor. You can also text in your thoughts
five seven, seven, three nine.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Start it with Dan.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
You're listening to the Dan Kapliss show podcast.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
For Dan Today, we've been talking about some very Colorado
things going on at press conference by Governor Polus this morning,
where he took zero responsibility for economic downturning Colorado and
just joined Jenni Griswolden phil Wiser in blaming the Trump
administration even though he was supposed to propose some solutions
for businesses, he doesn't have any, apparently. And we've also
(19:29):
talked about the proposed progressive income tax hikes that just
got filed yesterday with the title Board in Colorado. But
I want to talk to an expert on Colorado economic issues,
budget issues, State Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Welcome to the Dan Kapla Show.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
Hey, thanks for having me. Christy greatly appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Absolutely, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
And I doubt you were at the governor's press conference
this morning, but.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
This is probably a good thing.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
But I found it very interesting that he just spent
all time blaming the Trump administration instead of taking any
responsibility whatsoever for businesses having a hard time here in Colorado.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Yeah, that would be their MO, and m I say
their m O. I'm talking about my Democrat colleagues across
the aisle and the governor. You know, we're in one
party control in the state. The House, the Senate, the
Governor's office are all controlled by Democrats, and you know,
they're like shocked that we got into this situation that
we're in when they've been in charge. I mean they
tell us all the time, well, we're in charge, and
(20:28):
I'm like, yes you are, and you got us here
all by your jails and you just keep making it worse.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Right, No, it's absolutely true.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
And I find it particularly interesting that we had zero
solutions for businesses after just signing bills to raise taxes
on them that were just passed in the special session
what about a week ago.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
I think, yeah, it seems like it was longer than that,
but that's exactly what it was. I mean, they tried
to build a build the special session as a session
that was supposed to be about the budget and you know,
fill the gap, and it really was a session just
about taxing, about how could we increase taxes because there
was nothing in that special session in the call. So
(21:06):
the call is essentially think of it as our agenda
of what we can you know, do within the call
as legislators. Governor gets to set it we have to
follow it. There was nothing in the call that allowed
for us to cut spending, nothing, nothing at all. So
it was just an increase in taxes, you know, different things.
They kept calling them loopholes. They aren't loopholes. That actually
(21:29):
means like somebody's trying to work their way around taxes.
These were things that were tax deductions that the federal
government gave us, you know, gave us all individuals, non
corporate and corporate income taxpayers, give us all a tax
tax relief at the federal level. And the state said,
oh gosh, you know, you may have got federal tax relief,
(21:50):
but we're going to make sure you don't get it
at the state level. And so things that the SAIDs
are saying, we're going to deduct, you know, from our
income and not have to pay taxes on the state
of say, no, no, no, no, we're going to have
to add those back on, especially for you businesses. And
I mean, it was just one thing after another. That's
how the whole session went. It's very very disappointing, very
(22:11):
frustrating with people that came in and testified that owned
small businesses, that said, look, after all the regulation we've
been through, in the state. We're just trying to survive
twenty five and this could be the death of a
lot of us.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Yeah, they didn't care and just continue to pass it anyway.
And I know too, Sender Kirkmeyer, that you were on
the floor time and time again saying you can't actually
just do this. We have to go to the voters
if we want to increase taxes on businesses or individuals.
The Tabor tax abial of rights is we have to
actually go to voters and get their permission. But I'm
(22:43):
guessing they didn't listen too well to that.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
No, they just wanted to ignore it. I kept pointing out,
I kept reading the Constitution to them that said, you know,
any change in tax policy that results in a net
revenue gain, and revenue gain is increased taxes for the state,
right voter approval. And I said, it's really easy. And
I said, you know, this is not hard, you know,
to read the constitution and follow it. We have an
(23:06):
oath that we take to uphold the Constitution. Maybe we
should just hold ourselves accountable. And they wouldn't do it. Yeah, No,
it's going to be up to the people to hold
them accountable.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Right exactly, exactly, and they tend to find every speak
of loopholes.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
They tend to find every possible.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Way that they can call a loophole to get around
the taxpayer Bill of Rights when it actually gets pretty
you know written there in pretty clear, plain language, but
they don't perfect exactly.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Well, Sander Kirkmyer, are there any other.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
You know, issues that if you, if the governor were
to listen to you, you would tell him he should
put on high on his agenda to fix in Colorado
right now considering we're like the fourth most expensive state,
fourth highest costs of living in the nation.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
You know, it's amazing. I've been, you know, going around
talking to a lot of different groups, especially from my
role as the Joint Budget Committee, but just listening to
folks and what they have to say, and you know,
everybody talks about how unaffordable we are in the state,
and that's that is so true. But here's the other
issue that is really coming up to the surface again,
and it's about roads. People are like, could you could
(24:10):
they just fix the Darden roads? Like could they just
get our roads fixed? And I'm amazed, I'm thinking, you know, there,
it's true. The governor, through his administration has purposely moved
money away from fixing you know, safety issues, you know,
maintaining our highways and interstates, those types of things, and
moved it to non highway building, non highway safety projects,
(24:32):
to like transit type projects in the more urbanized area.
And it's truly just missed the boat. So I hear
a lot about that. So I tell the Governor's like,
maybe you could just work on fixing our roads and
stop you know, trying to blame everybody else and just
fix the roads for a while. And he doesn't listen
to me either on that, unfortunately. But that's one issue,
and then I just think it's a whole unaffordability issue
(24:55):
and the lack of healthcare. I heard last week we
had a joint budget committee meeting with the governor. He
was supposed to tell us how he was going to
work to actually truly balance the budget, you know, stop
the games, stop the gimmicks, that kind of stuff. And
his response was, well, we're going to cut spending to
medicaid providers. Now, these are doctors and hospitals and clinics
(25:18):
and things of that nature, and we're going to cut
the rates that we reimburse them. Which will in turn, yeah,
it will basically not eliminate but certainly infringe upon and
impact over one point two billion people in our our
Yeah million people, I said billion. I met million. One
point two million people in our state that are on medicaid.
(25:41):
It will greatly infringe upon and hamper their impact in
a negative way, their access to healthcare. Right. You know,
I'm looking at him going why would you do that?
Like why would you cut that? And I asked him
the question twice and he would not answer it. He
didn't want did not want to answer me. But I
was like, why would you do that? Because when you
cut like medicaid funding and cut our general fund money
(26:03):
to medicaid, it also cuts federal funding. And I'm like,
why would you cut that? And why wouldn't you cut
something else that doesn't draw down federal funds like the
covering all Colorado and things you know that we don't
draw federal funds down on. It's like your fifty million
dollar cut is actually one hundred million dollar cut. And
he just would not answer the question, and I thought, wow,
(26:24):
you know, you've been complaining all summer about this, You've
been telling people thinking they're not true saying that, you know,
the federal government is cutting Medicaid to recipients, you know,
benefits to recipients, which is not true. And then he
does it. And I looked at my four colleagues that
are on the JBC that are democratics, like do you
guys not have anything to say, like why do you
(26:45):
think this is okay?
Speaker 2 (26:47):
You know, and they just look the other way, right,
which is super concerning when they're the party in control, claiming,
you know, often to the media that oh my goodness,
people are losing healthcare, and then behind you know doors,
when they're talking about the budget, they are plotting their
own way to take healthcare away from people.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
Yeah. So they increase taxes, they limit access to healthcare
to over one point two million people, and they think
they had a great session. And I'm thinking, you made
our budget situation worse and the people in the state
of Colorado are not better off now, they're even off,
you know, it's worse for them now, and you just
increase their taxes.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
No, that's super concerning and doesn't look like they have
any real solutions in sight, which is what we saw
from the press conference. I talked to the reporters who
were there this morning, and the governor just blames the
federal government but doesn't actually have any solutions himself to
and regulations on businesses to cut their taxes, which of
course he can't because he just raised them.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
So yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (27:43):
Mean, we tried, we tried to cut taxes, we tried
to cut regulations, which you're right. I mean, I just
got done talking to a a family that owns a
mechanic shop in Fort Loudon, and they talked about how
the price of catalytic converters have more than tripled just
the last couple of years, and it's because of policies.
And here's the thing, it's not even necessarily that a
(28:05):
law was changed. It is a rule that was changed.
And the governor has direct control over in this case,
the Air Quality Control Commission, and he doesn't do anything
to rein them in. In fact, he tells him to
go the other way, just right. I mean, I think
almost they tell people to try to make it as
difficult as possible. But the governor does have the power
to start reigning in those regulations and direct who's on
(28:25):
those commissions.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
I mean, he gets to.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
Appoint them and they should be following his lead. Obviously
he's not really leading in the state. I don't know
that he really knows how to govern. But he could
be working on cutting those regulations now. He doesn't have
to wait for coming to pass along, and he could
do that now, and he's just not willing to do it.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Yeah, clearly not well, thank you, we have to do
it or break now.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
But thank you Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer for explaining all that
to us and giving us to inside scoop on the
reality of Colorado's budget. Always enjoy having you here on
the dan Capla Show. All right, we'll take a break.
I'm Christy Burton Brown. You're on the Dan Kapla Show.
Text your thoughts to five seven, seven, three nine or
call in three zero three seven one three eight two
five five.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
And now back to the dan Kapla Show podcast.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
You missed last segment, go back and listen to it.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Senators State Editor Barb Kirkmeyer gives a really good overview
of what goes on behind the scenes in budget discussions
in Colorado, where you know, the Democrats party in church
out of one side of their mouth in the public
say oh my goodness, got to make sure everyone has healthcare,
and then behind the scenes, the governor talks about actually
cutting people's healthcare in Colorado to solve for budget issues.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
So a very interesting segment there that she'll want to
listen to speaking.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
About health I actually do want to play you a
clip with Senator Michael Bennett and RFK Junior just kind.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Of blew up today.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
There was a hearing in the Senate where our RFK
Junior was grilled by a lot of the Dems. And
you always know when Senator Michael Bennett thinks he's running
for office again, he decides it's time to start yelling
and see being super tough because it really is in
his normal personality. But when he wants to see like
someone in charge, then that's how he acts. So not
(30:13):
a real surprise that he, you know, fought with RFK
Junior on the panel today and has debely he turned
into somewhative screen match between the two of them. I
won't make you listen to all of it, but here's
a few seconds of it.
Speaker 6 (30:24):
Another It has never been as I was hit with
Maya card Idis or parent card Idis.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
And I am just saying, I am simple.
Speaker 5 (30:32):
You're trying to tell her, I.
Speaker 7 (30:33):
Am simply trying to say that the people that you
have put on that panel after firing the entire.
Speaker 6 (30:41):
VAT and the question you no, I'm asking the questions
here that question. I'm asking the questions Kennedy question. I'm
asking the questions for mister Kennedy on behalf of parents
and schools and teachers all over the United States of America.
Speaker 7 (30:58):
Who deserve so much better than your leadership. That's what
this conversation is about.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
Editor the truth, and that's where we're going to give
them for the full time in the history of agency.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
So as you can see from that small clip, apparently
Senator Bennett thinks that the way to fight for parents
and children across the United States is to yell.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
The louder you yell, the more you're standing up for them.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
But you actually should, if you're interested, go listen to
part of the hearing because it was just a really
interesting discussion on vaccines in particular, but health issues across
the United States.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
And I think there's so much.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Resistance to RFK Junior being the head of HHS and
the cabinet secretary for President Trump because he is shaking
things up and because he is in fact revealing a
lot of truth to the American people. I don't agree
with everything he says. I don't agree with every position
that he has, but what I like is that he's
not just stepping in line and doing the same thing
everyone does all the time.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
And there are a lot of moms.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Or parents closer to my age the political spectrum who
don't like with the pharmaceutical industry and even the food
industry has pushed on us for decades. And you know
that during the COVID vaccine push since twenty twenty, there
were deals with doctor's offices made where like, if you
said that someone had COVID, you would get paid a
(32:19):
certain amount of money. If you push the COVID vaccine
on them, you would get paid a certain amount of money.
That happens with other vaccines too, And so it is
honestly this corrupt system that basically provides incentives to push
push medical treatments on people who may not need them.
And so, and I'm not saying no one needs vaccines.
(32:40):
Actually give my kids a whole lot of vaccines. But
what I'm supportive of is that people should be able
to have the real information and the truth and not
pharmaceutical companies buying doctors off, so they give you false
information because it.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
You know, they have an incentive to do so.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
And I certainly think that the HIHS and the CDC
and the FDA should be honest with Americans, and that
I think is what RFK Junior is pushing that some
of the guidelines that he's changing. For example, he came
out today on another aspect of health and medication, so
called medication in the United States, and said that research
that his department has been doing indicated that the Biden
(33:17):
administration hid and hid information and then put out deceptive
information about the abortion pill for women and hid the
detrimental effects and the dangers to women that the abortion
pill causes. An addition, of course to causing an abortion
and ending the life of a child, there are major
medical risks to women and many, many many who end
up in emergency rooms that almost lose their lives from
(33:39):
these abortion pills. And they're able to get them over
the phone and like through the mail, without even seeing
a doctor getting an ultrasound. It is a giant mess.
And he announced today that they have discovered that all
a lot of us was hidden under the Biden administration,
and so a lot of people are pushing for the
FDA to change the guidelines on the abortion pill right now,
(34:00):
just because it's so so out of step with reality
and women are being lied to.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Of course, I think it should be banned entirely.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
It's a terrible, terrible medication with a terrible effect. But
even if your only concern is danger to women's health
and women's lives, this is not a good thing.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
And the FDA has been lying.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
To people about it, and so I think he's just
uncovering so many things, and so of course that you
know you're gonna have opposition when you do that from senators,
from older people who have been in this system for
a long time and thinks it needs to think that
it needs to say the way that it is. And
that's why you see a lot of moms, including a
lot of Democrat moms actually in Colorado, who wanted to
(34:37):
see RFK Junior appointed to this position because they knew
he would shed light on things of the food industry
and the pharmaceutical industry are hiding from people. And again
I'll qualify that by saying, not everything he claims is correct.
I don't agree with all of his positions. What I
like is that he's shaking up to system and you know,
taking some dies in chemicals out of our kid's food
(34:57):
and giving people more choices when it comes to vaccines
instead of just saying you must have this and it's
a requirement. And I know a lot of people are
some people, I should say, and probably not a lot
are upset about the COVID vaccine changes at the federal
level right now. But people are also misunderstanding it, and
they're thinking that the federal government is actually taking away
people's ability to get the COVID vaccine if that's what
they want. That's not actually what's happening. What they're saying
(35:20):
is that if you're a person at risk of like
having bad, really bad long term effects from COVID or
potentially dying, like senior citizens or people with about thirty
underlying health conditions, you can go get the vaccine if
you want to.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
But if you are a normal, healthy.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Person without those underlying conditions and not of that age,
you have to go get a prescription for it. That
is what the federal government regulations are saying, So they're
not saying you can't go get it. They're just saying,
have a conversation with your doctor and instead of you know,
it's sort of pushing back from the previous stance of
the federal government, which was like everyone must go get this.
It's you know, indicated for everyone, it's recommended for everyone,
(35:54):
and it really was an experimental vaccine. And so that's
why ourp junior is making these changes. Or Bennett thinks
he needs to show that he's a leader because he
wants to be governor, so he's gonna yell about it.
But I'm not really sure that makes a big difference.
You're on the Dan Kapla Show. I'm Christy Burton Brown.
When we come back, I want to talk about Ted
Cruz and Tim Kaine getting into a battle over how
(36:14):
our nation was even founded and where our rights come from?
Did they come from God? Did they come from the government.
If you have thoughts, text them to five seven, seven,
three nine, start them with Dan and stand The Dan
Kapler Show.
This is Dan Caplis and welcome to today's online podcast
edition of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to
give us a five star rating if you'd be so kind,
and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every
single day on your favorite podcast platform.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome back to the Dan Capla Show. I'm Christy Burton
Brown Filly in for Dan today and.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
We definitely have some news to cover for you, both
on the national and state levels.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
This morning, Governor poulis having an entire press conference on tariffs.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Now, if you look back to.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
An executive order that he issued a couple months ago,
which is what this press conference was supposed to be about.
His executive order said that he was going to direct
state agencies to figure out a plan to lessen the
impact of tariffs on Colorado businesses. So the entire point
of the executive order, as I read it anyways, was
for the Governor of Colorado and the state government of
(00:53):
Colorado to come up with solutions, to propose ideas to
help a businesses here in coloradat So anyway, he said
that's what his press conference was going to be about.
Like about the executive order, because now it was time
to announce. Well, his entire press conference, according to reporters
who were there today who I talked to, was just
about the tariffs and the supposedly bad effects on Colorado businesses.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
And obviously, when tariffs change, there are.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Economic impacts to businesses in Colorado, and not all of
them are immediately.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Positive, there's no doubt about that.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
But there was no talk of solutions, none at all,
despite his own executive order directing the State of Colorado
to come up with solutions for businesses. I think one
of the reasons this actually isn't surprising is because just
about a week ago, the governor signed multiple bills into
law from Colorado's special Session special legislative Session increasing taxes
(01:47):
on these same businesses. So it'd be pretty hard for
him to have a press conference proposing solutions to lessen
the economic burden to businesses that he literally just increased
taxes on.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
So kind of got himself in a pickle there. But
it also puts Polus in.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
League with Attorney General Phil Wiser and Secretary of State
Jenna Griswold, who.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Definitely have a huge ship.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
On their shoulder when it comes to President Trump and
the Trump administration. They're constantly, constantly, constantly looking for ways
to go attack the Trump administration in pokes averar, so
to speak. Polis has his own way of doing that.
But this press conference with him just stepping in line
with them, You're very familiar, I'm sure with all the
lawsuits phil Wiser continues to bring against the Trump administration
(02:31):
with taxpayer money, mind you, including very foolish ones like
the lawsuits to the most recent when he filed to
ask a court to order President Trump to keep Space
Command in Colorado. Like, okay, as of Colorado, and you may,
in fact a grew with me that it'd.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Be great to keep Space Command in Colorado.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Like we like the businesses I'm sorry, the jobs and
businesses for that matter, that operate in Colorado because we
have Space Command here. We like that economic boom to
our state because of it. I think we're a good
military state with a number of you know, facilities and bases.
We have Nora Ad here, Like we're a great choice
for Space Command. But you can't sue the president if
(03:11):
he chooses to move a military installation out of your state.
Like the president is the commander in chief and Phil
Wiser has absolutely zero basis to go sue him, but hey,
he's running for governor next cycle, and so every chance
he gets, he wants to use our money, taxpayer money,
to look like he is standing up to President Trump.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
So this press conference this morning, when Governor Poulis.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Went after the tariffs and talked about economic impact to Colorado,
that was his version of doing what Phil Wiser does.
And then, of course we know Jenna Griswold, you know,
tries her best to get President Trump kicks off the ballot,
and even the liberals on the US Supreme Court basically
say that has zero zero percent logic in any law whatsoever,
would be very unconstitutional to do something like that. And
(03:53):
you know, she was all over TV trying to say
he shouldn't be on the ballot, and she lost. So
you see Governor Polis stepping in the mix with all
of that, because guess what, Phil Wiser wants to run
for governor, but Jared Pulis wants to run for president
in twenty twenty eight. So everyone is just positioning themselves
against the Trump administration with very little thought as to
what is actually good for Colorado citizens and Colorado businesses.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
And you can absolutely see.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
That illustrated by the complete lack of the governor in
proposing solutions. And if Governor Pollis really wanted to propose solutions.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
For businesses and citizens here.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
In Colorado, he would a recognize the fact that we
are the fourth most expensive state in the nation according
to CNBC, the fourth highest cost of living right here
in Colorado. And he would realize that his party has
been in control for a very long time now it
is their legacy and his legacy as governor that Colorado
(04:49):
has such a high cost of living. Instead of hosting
these press conferences to blame the Trump administration, he probably
should be doing something like, you know, forming a blue
collar Commission where he brings a in industry workers, actual
business owners, small businesses to actually come up with ideas
that apparently the government is too incompetent to.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Come up with here in Colorado, on how.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
We can actually benefit businesses, stop regulations that are increasing
costs for consumers, and lower the cost of living here
in Colorado. They'll be a much better use of everyone's
time than these pointless press conferences that are just designed
to cast blame and not propose real solutions. So I
find that to be very interesting that Paul, as you know,
(05:30):
pitching his own executive order. We're going to come up
with solutions, but oh when I get to do a
press conference about it, Let's ignore the solution part and
just focus on the blame the federal government part. If
you have thoughts about this or anything else we discussed
on the show today, you can call in three zero
three seven one three eight two five five, or you
can text your thoughts to Dan at five seven seven
(05:50):
three nine. I'm Christy Burton Brown, and today we're also
going to talk with State Senator Barb Kirkmeyer.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
She has been a guest on this show before.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
She'll be coming up in about twenty five minutes, and
we're just going to talk to her about her She
has a special level of insight into what goes on
in economic matters in Colorado, the state budget, because she
is on the Joint and Budget Committee, a fairly long
serving Republican member of that committee, and so she has
inside information as to what actually happens in the budget.
(06:21):
All the claims you hear from the governor and other
liberals in charge of the state about oh, maybe we're
getting a recession. Oh my goodness, the federal government is
doing this to us. It's a convenient excuse for them
when they have actually been managing the budget in Colorado
for a good number of years now, and when we
have forty four billion dollars the budget has ballooned over
(06:44):
the last seven years here in Colorado, and they still
claim it just isn't enough.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Like right, it's never enough.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
If you're a liberal and you think government gets to
set and make decisions for people, if you think that
government should decide what it's done with money, that government
serves people better than we can choose for ourselves, well
then you want all the slush funds and you know,
all the bank accounts and all the money from the
people going to you instead of back in their own pockets.
(07:13):
One of the best ways that we can see this
illustrated here in Colorado are through three ballot measures that
were just filed yesterday. And I don't have enough time
in this segment to talk about them, so we're definitely
going to talk about them when we come back. But
these three measures are just a very silly idea, and
I don't say that to say we shouldn't take it seriously.
(07:34):
Whenever there's a liberal tax increase, proposed for the ballot.
We should absolutely take it seriously because we have to
fight it and defeat it. But I say it's silly
because when you look back over the history of ballot
measures in Colorado, you see that voters have historically said
no to income tax hikes and changes to our income
tax system in Colorado time and time and time again.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Also, when ballot measures.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Are proposed that would repeal part of TABOR or all
of TABOR, take your taper refund, change taber in the Constitution,
voters again say no, but huge margins. So I'm going
to talk about some of those examples. But these three
ballot measures filed yesterday by the Bell Policy Institute. They're
basically a liberal think tank here in Colorado run by
a former state legislator, Chris Kennedy, and they basically propose
(08:20):
a progressive income tax hike, the three different versions of it.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
In these three measures, they.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Would create a what they would call a graduated income
tax rate system here in Colorado. So they're going to
tell you that the goal is to have the wealthy
pay more, and they always like to say they are
fair share. We have a flat tax here in Colorado.
Everyone pays the same percent. I don't think you can
have a better system of everyone paying their fair share
than having a flat tax rate. And that flat tax
(08:47):
rate was actually it's constitutionally protected by TABOR, the Taxpayer
Bill of Rights TABER requires that there is a flat tax,
one rate paid by everyone in the state of Colorado.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
So they want to come in with these.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Ballot measures repeat feel that part of TABOR, which is
pretty much a poison pill when you're trying to repeal
a part of TABOR in a ballot measure, because seventy
percent of voters support the Taxpayer Bill of Rights across
the board, across political parties, So they want to do
that in that institute this graduated system. But a huge
piece of it, and we'll talk more about it after
the break, is that they're also.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Targeting businesses, small businesses.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Tens of thousands of small businesses would have their tax
rates greatly increased if these measures get on the ballot
and pass here in Colorado. I'll give you more details.
We'll talk about it when we come back from the break.
I'm Christy Burton Brown. You're on the Dan Kapla Show.
Text your thoughts to five seven, seven, three nine.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
And now back to the Dan Kaplass Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
For the break, we were talking about the three d
ballot measures that were filed yesterday by the Bell Policy Institute,
which is a far left to liberal think tank that
Governor Pols does even commonly agree with. But their three
measures were different versions of a progressive of income tax
high care in Colorado. They would repeal a key part
of TABOR, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, has instituted a
(10:07):
flat tax in Colorado. For our income tax system. Everyone
pays the same rate. And it's a system we've had
in Colorado for decades that people have supported over and
over when they've been asked to change it on the ballot.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
And a few.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Examples of that that I'll give you can go all
the way back to I think it's twenty eleven, when
far left groups asked Colorado to change the income tax system.
They said it would only be for five years, and
voter said no by a twenty seven point margin. Then
they came back in twenty thirteen and they said, oh,
(10:43):
let's change it to a graduated income tax system where
the more you make, the more you pay. And by
the way, we're going to give all the extra revenue
to education, that's what they said. Voters said no by
a twenty nine point march. And then they came back
in twenty sixteen and they had yet another idea on
how to change the income tax system in Colorado and
(11:03):
make it progressive, as they would call it progressive, which
really just means give the government more money, give them
a blank check or a slush fund to spend more
of our money how they want.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Voter said no by a seven point margin.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
And then you have the two most recent examples in
Colorado of the legislature putting measures on the ballot to
attack TABOR and to repeal parts of the Taxpayer's Bill
of Right right. So that was in twenty nineteen with
Prop CC, which voters shot down by a seven point margin,
and then you have Prop HH in twenty twenty three,
which voter's shot down by a nineteen point margin. So
(11:37):
you would think that the far left would get the picture.
People in Colorado a support the Taxpayer Bill of Rights
by seventy percent margin. That means people across the political
spectrum of multiple parties like our taxpayer Bill of Rights.
We are, in fact the only state in the nation
with TABOR and people here like it. It's a very
Colorado thing. It says we're going to limit our government
(11:57):
and say you can't just have unlimited revenue, you can
increase it by inflation plus populations. They actually still get
more money every or most years, not every year, but
most years, they still get more money to spend, but
it has to be like capped, and if you collect
more money then you're allowed to collect, you have to
return it to us. And that's why we sometimes get
refunds called our Tabor refunds. And so again it's just
(12:18):
this very Colorado thing that people continue to want to protect.
And then you also see, in addition to the desire
to protect Tabor, you see the desire of people in
Colorado to not really be told by the government that, oh,
we're just going to increase your income tax what you
pay us every single year for all these projects we're
going to promise you. I mean, you remember all their
(12:39):
promises on where the marijuana money was going to go,
Like how much of that actually came true. That was
supposed to help out education and all think education saw
much of it increase from marijuana money. So there's this
huge question out there, So like where does the money
actually go when extra revenue gets pumped into the stay budget.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Usually not where they tell voters it's going to go, or.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
You see a big misuse of the money or over spending.
Like take the wolf free introduction ballot measure that barely
passed in Colorado. Voters were told that would cost it
was either seven hundred or nine hundred thousand to the state,
and so they're like, Okay, that's reasonable for these wolves
that we want on our backyard, but up in the
mountains somewhere, and.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Already to date it has cost three.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Million dollars, with over two million designated this year for
the woof free introduction program.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
So you see that over and.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Over, voters are promised one thing on the ballot, but
the reality is very, very different. And so you wonder
why voters in Colorado, when it comes to taxes being raised,
especially income.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Taxes, have a history of saying no thanks.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Here in Colorado because there is this sort of libertarian
sentiment that we don't trust the government. We don't think
they keep their promises. We think they tell us they're
going to spend money one way, but they actually tend
to fund their own pet projects instead. I mean you
can look at the roads in Colorado as a perfect
example of what they should be spending money on, but
(14:03):
just decide not to. So if you have you have
thoughts on any of this, on this these proposed income
tax hikes in Colorado, or did you alt we talk
about today? You can always call in or you can
text five seven seven three nine start it with Dan
and the phone number is three h three seven one
three eight two five five. I'm Christy Burton Brown filling
(14:23):
in for Dan today. One other thing that I think
we should talk about with this income tax hike is
you're not going to hear how when the progressive far
left talks about it. You're not really going to hear
them talk about the impact on businesses. I this is
one of the main things that's missing in the political
conversations on the left in Colorado is how many businesses
they are driving out of the state of Colorado through
(14:45):
their policies, through their practices, through their over regulation, and
the special session that just happened. They increase taxes on businesses,
specifically targeted them for tax increases. Well, this progressive tax
income hike would not only be the largest tax increase
in Colorado history at two point three billion dollars. But
it would also say that any business that has a
(15:08):
profit of five hundred thousand or more a year is
going to get their taxes hiked. You're going to pay
more to do business here in Colorado. And five hundred
thousand of profit really isn't that much when you're a
business operating in Colorado. That is going to cover tens
of thousands of small businesses across the state. And I
wonder who works at small businesses across Colorado. Average working families,
(15:31):
middle class Colorados in many cases, Colorados who make lower
incomes also are employed by some of these businesses, and
it's actually how they get by and how they make
ends meet here in Colorado. But the far left wants
to basically tax them out of existence, or say, hey,
how about you get out of this state go operate
somewhere else where there's a lower tax rate. Now, when
this has pointed out to them, they like to push
(15:54):
away the facts and just say.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
No, no, no, we're just raising taxes on the wealthy.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Well, that's a convenient bocking point, but it's not the
reality of what they're actually doing. They are specifically and
intentionally targeting small businesses and specifically and intentionally repealing a
part of TABOR.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
So if you hear about this ballot measure.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
I know it's been in multiple news stories over the
last couple of days.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
This is what you should remember about it.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
That's what it's really doing, despite what they might tell
you it's doing. And the other piece that I think
is interesting has been covered in the media so far,
is that the one of the sponsors or leaders of
this ballot measure, or the head of Bell Policy Institute,
is actually admitting to the media that they don't have
the money right now to go collect the signatures. So
if you're familiar with the ballot measure process and the
(16:38):
organization that I work at, Advanced Colorado, we run a
lot of ballot measures here in Colorado on the conservative side.
Ours are very popular usually across the political spectrum, like
we passed truth and Sentencing last election cycle, more funding
for law enforcement without raising taxes also last cycle. So anyway,
we were very familiar with the bvlot measure process, and
you do eased to go through title Board if.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
You're posed different versions.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
But then if you get approved and you get language
that goes on the ballot. You actually have to have
the money to pay for signatures, you don't just automatically
appear on the ballot. And so the liberals proposing these measures,
you know, made a big deal in the news, oh,
we're proposing these but they also said, but we actually
don't have the funds to go collect signatures right now.
Obviously they're trying to raise it, and if they do,
(17:21):
I know that Advanced Colorado will lead the opposition against
this effort to basically destroy our economy here in Colorado.
It's could be very bad for working families and a
middle class Colorados and small businesses across our state, and
anyone who likes the tax payer Bill of Rights. But
it is very interesting that you go out in the
media and say, oh, by the way, we actually don't
(17:42):
even have the money right now to do what we're
claiming we're going to do. And especially interesting because the
exact same thing happened in twenty twenty when the Bell
Policy Institute tried to run income tax hike just like
this one slight differences. They raised a million dollars, started
collecting signatures, and then had.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
To quit part way through and pull back the ballot measure.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Because they couldn't raise enough money to finish the signatures.
It's just not not popular of an idea in Colorado.
So they're back at it, trying it again, but admitting
from the beginning that they so far don't have the
money to do it. If they end up with the money,
we'll certainly take it seriously and fight to protect the
taxpayer Bill of Rights once again. But we'll see if
this is just, you know, a bluff on their part,
(18:22):
or if they're really trying to trying to bring something
like this. But I think people need to really realize
the economic damage this would cause to average Colorado and
small businesses, family owned restaurants, so many places that we
love across Colorado. I'm Christy Burton Brown. You're on the
Dan Kapla Show. When we come back, we're going to
talk with State Senator Barb Kirkmeyer.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
She'll have a lot of good information for you.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
She's one of the key people who understands the budget
economic issues in Colorado and definitely have some disagreements with
our current governor. You can also text in your thoughts
five seven, seven, three nine.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Start it with Dan.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
You're listening to the Dan Kapliss show podcast.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
For Dan Today, we've been talking about some very Colorado
things going on at press conference by Governor Polus this morning,
where he took zero responsibility for economic downturning Colorado and
just joined Jenni Griswolden phil Wiser in blaming the Trump
administration even though he was supposed to propose some solutions
for businesses, he doesn't have any, apparently. And we've also
(19:29):
talked about the proposed progressive income tax hikes that just
got filed yesterday with the title Board in Colorado. But
I want to talk to an expert on Colorado economic issues,
budget issues, State Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Welcome to the Dan Kapla Show.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
Hey, thanks for having me. Christy greatly appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Absolutely, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
And I doubt you were at the governor's press conference
this morning, but.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
This is probably a good thing.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
But I found it very interesting that he just spent
all time blaming the Trump administration instead of taking any
responsibility whatsoever for businesses having a hard time here in Colorado.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Yeah, that would be their MO, and m I say
their m O. I'm talking about my Democrat colleagues across
the aisle and the governor. You know, we're in one
party control in the state. The House, the Senate, the
Governor's office are all controlled by Democrats, and you know,
they're like shocked that we got into this situation that
we're in when they've been in charge. I mean they
tell us all the time, well, we're in charge, and
(20:28):
I'm like, yes you are, and you got us here
all by your jails and you just keep making it worse.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Right, No, it's absolutely true.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
And I find it particularly interesting that we had zero
solutions for businesses after just signing bills to raise taxes
on them that were just passed in the special session
what about a week ago.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
I think, yeah, it seems like it was longer than that,
but that's exactly what it was. I mean, they tried
to build a build the special session as a session
that was supposed to be about the budget and you know,
fill the gap, and it really was a session just
about taxing, about how could we increase taxes because there
was nothing in that special session in the call. So
(21:06):
the call is essentially think of it as our agenda
of what we can you know, do within the call
as legislators. Governor gets to set it we have to
follow it. There was nothing in the call that allowed
for us to cut spending, nothing, nothing at all. So
it was just an increase in taxes, you know, different things.
They kept calling them loopholes. They aren't loopholes. That actually
(21:29):
means like somebody's trying to work their way around taxes.
These were things that were tax deductions that the federal
government gave us, you know, gave us all individuals, non
corporate and corporate income taxpayers, give us all a tax
tax relief at the federal level. And the state said,
oh gosh, you know, you may have got federal tax relief,
(21:50):
but we're going to make sure you don't get it
at the state level. And so things that the SAIDs
are saying, we're going to deduct, you know, from our
income and not have to pay taxes on the state
of say, no, no, no, no, we're going to have
to add those back on, especially for you businesses. And
I mean, it was just one thing after another. That's
how the whole session went. It's very very disappointing, very
(22:11):
frustrating with people that came in and testified that owned
small businesses, that said, look, after all the regulation we've
been through, in the state. We're just trying to survive
twenty five and this could be the death of a
lot of us.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Yeah, they didn't care and just continue to pass it anyway.
And I know too, Sender Kirkmeyer, that you were on
the floor time and time again saying you can't actually
just do this. We have to go to the voters
if we want to increase taxes on businesses or individuals.
The Tabor tax abial of rights is we have to
actually go to voters and get their permission. But I'm
(22:43):
guessing they didn't listen too well to that.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
No, they just wanted to ignore it. I kept pointing out,
I kept reading the Constitution to them that said, you know,
any change in tax policy that results in a net
revenue gain, and revenue gain is increased taxes for the state,
right voter approval. And I said, it's really easy. And
I said, you know, this is not hard, you know,
to read the constitution and follow it. We have an
(23:06):
oath that we take to uphold the Constitution. Maybe we
should just hold ourselves accountable. And they wouldn't do it. Yeah, No,
it's going to be up to the people to hold
them accountable.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Right exactly, exactly, and they tend to find every speak
of loopholes.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
They tend to find every possible.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Way that they can call a loophole to get around
the taxpayer Bill of Rights when it actually gets pretty
you know written there in pretty clear, plain language, but
they don't perfect exactly.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Well, Sander Kirkmyer, are there any other.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
You know, issues that if you, if the governor were
to listen to you, you would tell him he should
put on high on his agenda to fix in Colorado
right now considering we're like the fourth most expensive state,
fourth highest costs of living in the nation.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
You know, it's amazing. I've been, you know, going around
talking to a lot of different groups, especially from my
role as the Joint Budget Committee, but just listening to
folks and what they have to say, and you know,
everybody talks about how unaffordable we are in the state,
and that's that is so true. But here's the other
issue that is really coming up to the surface again,
and it's about roads. People are like, could you could
(24:10):
they just fix the Darden roads? Like could they just
get our roads fixed? And I'm amazed, I'm thinking, you know, there,
it's true. The governor, through his administration has purposely moved
money away from fixing you know, safety issues, you know,
maintaining our highways and interstates, those types of things, and
moved it to non highway building, non highway safety projects,
(24:32):
to like transit type projects in the more urbanized area.
And it's truly just missed the boat. So I hear
a lot about that. So I tell the Governor's like,
maybe you could just work on fixing our roads and
stop you know, trying to blame everybody else and just
fix the roads for a while. And he doesn't listen
to me either on that, unfortunately. But that's one issue,
and then I just think it's a whole unaffordability issue
(24:55):
and the lack of healthcare. I heard last week we
had a joint budget committee meeting with the governor. He
was supposed to tell us how he was going to
work to actually truly balance the budget, you know, stop
the games, stop the gimmicks, that kind of stuff. And
his response was, well, we're going to cut spending to
medicaid providers. Now, these are doctors and hospitals and clinics
(25:18):
and things of that nature, and we're going to cut
the rates that we reimburse them. Which will in turn, yeah,
it will basically not eliminate but certainly infringe upon and
impact over one point two billion people in our our
Yeah million people, I said billion. I met million. One
point two million people in our state that are on medicaid.
(25:41):
It will greatly infringe upon and hamper their impact in
a negative way, their access to healthcare. Right. You know,
I'm looking at him going why would you do that?
Like why would you cut that? And I asked him
the question twice and he would not answer it. He
didn't want did not want to answer me. But I
was like, why would you do that? Because when you
cut like medicaid funding and cut our general fund money
(26:03):
to medicaid, it also cuts federal funding. And I'm like,
why would you cut that? And why wouldn't you cut
something else that doesn't draw down federal funds like the
covering all Colorado and things you know that we don't
draw federal funds down on. It's like your fifty million
dollar cut is actually one hundred million dollar cut. And
he just would not answer the question, and I thought, wow,
(26:24):
you know, you've been complaining all summer about this, You've
been telling people thinking they're not true saying that, you know,
the federal government is cutting Medicaid to recipients, you know,
benefits to recipients, which is not true. And then he
does it. And I looked at my four colleagues that
are on the JBC that are democratics, like do you
guys not have anything to say, like why do you
(26:45):
think this is okay?
Speaker 2 (26:47):
You know, and they just look the other way, right,
which is super concerning when they're the party in control, claiming,
you know, often to the media that oh my goodness,
people are losing healthcare, and then behind you know doors,
when they're talking about the budget, they are plotting their
own way to take healthcare away from people.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
Yeah. So they increase taxes, they limit access to healthcare
to over one point two million people, and they think
they had a great session. And I'm thinking, you made
our budget situation worse and the people in the state
of Colorado are not better off now, they're even off,
you know, it's worse for them now, and you just
increase their taxes.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
No, that's super concerning and doesn't look like they have
any real solutions in sight, which is what we saw
from the press conference. I talked to the reporters who
were there this morning, and the governor just blames the
federal government but doesn't actually have any solutions himself to
and regulations on businesses to cut their taxes, which of
course he can't because he just raised them.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
So yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (27:43):
Mean, we tried, we tried to cut taxes, we tried
to cut regulations, which you're right. I mean, I just
got done talking to a a family that owns a
mechanic shop in Fort Loudon, and they talked about how
the price of catalytic converters have more than tripled just
the last couple of years, and it's because of policies.
And here's the thing, it's not even necessarily that a
(28:05):
law was changed. It is a rule that was changed.
And the governor has direct control over in this case,
the Air Quality Control Commission, and he doesn't do anything
to rein them in. In fact, he tells him to
go the other way, just right. I mean, I think
almost they tell people to try to make it as
difficult as possible. But the governor does have the power
to start reigning in those regulations and direct who's on
(28:25):
those commissions.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
I mean, he gets to.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
Appoint them and they should be following his lead. Obviously
he's not really leading in the state. I don't know
that he really knows how to govern. But he could
be working on cutting those regulations now. He doesn't have
to wait for coming to pass along, and he could
do that now, and he's just not willing to do it.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Yeah, clearly not well, thank you, we have to do
it or break now.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
But thank you Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer for explaining all that
to us and giving us to inside scoop on the
reality of Colorado's budget. Always enjoy having you here on
the dan Capla Show. All right, we'll take a break.
I'm Christy Burton Brown. You're on the Dan Kapla Show.
Text your thoughts to five seven, seven, three nine or
call in three zero three seven one three eight two
five five.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
And now back to the dan Kapla Show podcast.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
You missed last segment, go back and listen to it.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Senators State Editor Barb Kirkmeyer gives a really good overview
of what goes on behind the scenes in budget discussions
in Colorado, where you know, the Democrats party in church
out of one side of their mouth in the public
say oh my goodness, got to make sure everyone has healthcare,
and then behind the scenes, the governor talks about actually
cutting people's healthcare in Colorado to solve for budget issues.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
So a very interesting segment there that she'll want to
listen to speaking.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
About health I actually do want to play you a
clip with Senator Michael Bennett and RFK Junior just kind.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Of blew up today.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
There was a hearing in the Senate where our RFK
Junior was grilled by a lot of the Dems. And
you always know when Senator Michael Bennett thinks he's running
for office again, he decides it's time to start yelling
and see being super tough because it really is in
his normal personality. But when he wants to see like
someone in charge, then that's how he acts. So not
(30:13):
a real surprise that he, you know, fought with RFK
Junior on the panel today and has debely he turned
into somewhative screen match between the two of them. I
won't make you listen to all of it, but here's
a few seconds of it.
Speaker 6 (30:24):
Another It has never been as I was hit with
Maya card Idis or parent card Idis.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
And I am just saying, I am simple.
Speaker 5 (30:32):
You're trying to tell her, I.
Speaker 7 (30:33):
Am simply trying to say that the people that you
have put on that panel after firing the entire.
Speaker 6 (30:41):
VAT and the question you no, I'm asking the questions
here that question. I'm asking the questions Kennedy question. I'm
asking the questions for mister Kennedy on behalf of parents
and schools and teachers all over the United States of America.
Speaker 7 (30:58):
Who deserve so much better than your leadership. That's what
this conversation is about.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
Editor the truth, and that's where we're going to give
them for the full time in the history of agency.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
So as you can see from that small clip, apparently
Senator Bennett thinks that the way to fight for parents
and children across the United States is to yell.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
The louder you yell, the more you're standing up for them.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
But you actually should, if you're interested, go listen to
part of the hearing because it was just a really
interesting discussion on vaccines in particular, but health issues across
the United States.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
And I think there's so much.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Resistance to RFK Junior being the head of HHS and
the cabinet secretary for President Trump because he is shaking
things up and because he is in fact revealing a
lot of truth to the American people. I don't agree
with everything he says. I don't agree with every position
that he has, but what I like is that he's
not just stepping in line and doing the same thing
everyone does all the time.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
And there are a lot of moms.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Or parents closer to my age the political spectrum who
don't like with the pharmaceutical industry and even the food
industry has pushed on us for decades. And you know
that during the COVID vaccine push since twenty twenty, there
were deals with doctor's offices made where like, if you
said that someone had COVID, you would get paid a
(32:19):
certain amount of money. If you push the COVID vaccine
on them, you would get paid a certain amount of money.
That happens with other vaccines too, And so it is
honestly this corrupt system that basically provides incentives to push
push medical treatments on people who may not need them.
And so, and I'm not saying no one needs vaccines.
(32:40):
Actually give my kids a whole lot of vaccines. But
what I'm supportive of is that people should be able
to have the real information and the truth and not
pharmaceutical companies buying doctors off, so they give you false
information because it.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
You know, they have an incentive to do so.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
And I certainly think that the HIHS and the CDC
and the FDA should be honest with Americans, and that
I think is what RFK Junior is pushing that some
of the guidelines that he's changing. For example, he came
out today on another aspect of health and medication, so
called medication in the United States, and said that research
that his department has been doing indicated that the Biden
(33:17):
administration hid and hid information and then put out deceptive
information about the abortion pill for women and hid the
detrimental effects and the dangers to women that the abortion
pill causes. An addition, of course to causing an abortion
and ending the life of a child, there are major
medical risks to women and many, many many who end
up in emergency rooms that almost lose their lives from
(33:39):
these abortion pills. And they're able to get them over
the phone and like through the mail, without even seeing
a doctor getting an ultrasound. It is a giant mess.
And he announced today that they have discovered that all
a lot of us was hidden under the Biden administration,
and so a lot of people are pushing for the
FDA to change the guidelines on the abortion pill right now,
(34:00):
just because it's so so out of step with reality
and women are being lied to.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Of course, I think it should be banned entirely.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
It's a terrible, terrible medication with a terrible effect. But
even if your only concern is danger to women's health
and women's lives, this is not a good thing.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
And the FDA has been lying.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
To people about it, and so I think he's just
uncovering so many things, and so of course that you
know you're gonna have opposition when you do that from senators,
from older people who have been in this system for
a long time and thinks it needs to think that
it needs to say the way that it is. And
that's why you see a lot of moms, including a
lot of Democrat moms actually in Colorado, who wanted to
(34:37):
see RFK Junior appointed to this position because they knew
he would shed light on things of the food industry
and the pharmaceutical industry are hiding from people. And again
I'll qualify that by saying, not everything he claims is correct.
I don't agree with all of his positions. What I
like is that he's shaking up to system and you know,
taking some dies in chemicals out of our kid's food
(34:57):
and giving people more choices when it comes to vaccines
instead of just saying you must have this and it's
a requirement. And I know a lot of people are
some people, I should say, and probably not a lot
are upset about the COVID vaccine changes at the federal
level right now. But people are also misunderstanding it, and
they're thinking that the federal government is actually taking away
people's ability to get the COVID vaccine if that's what
they want. That's not actually what's happening. What they're saying
(35:20):
is that if you're a person at risk of like
having bad, really bad long term effects from COVID or
potentially dying, like senior citizens or people with about thirty
underlying health conditions, you can go get the vaccine if
you want to.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
But if you are a normal, healthy.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Person without those underlying conditions and not of that age,
you have to go get a prescription for it. That
is what the federal government regulations are saying, So they're
not saying you can't go get it. They're just saying,
have a conversation with your doctor and instead of you know,
it's sort of pushing back from the previous stance of
the federal government, which was like everyone must go get this.
It's you know, indicated for everyone, it's recommended for everyone,
(35:54):
and it really was an experimental vaccine. And so that's
why ourp junior is making these changes. Or Bennett thinks
he needs to show that he's a leader because he
wants to be governor, so he's gonna yell about it.
But I'm not really sure that makes a big difference.
You're on the Dan Kapla Show. I'm Christy Burton Brown.
When we come back, I want to talk about Ted
Cruz and Tim Kaine getting into a battle over how
(36:14):
our nation was even founded and where our rights come from?
Did they come from God? Did they come from the government.
If you have thoughts, text them to five seven, seven,
three nine, start them with Dan and stand The Dan
Kapler Show.
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