Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's going to remain my favorite day of the week,
even though I have to talk to John Caldera.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Now it's okay, Thursday your favorite day of the week. Yeah,
it is.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
It has long been my favorite day of the week,
partly because the next day is Friday, and partly because
Thursday used to be ladies night at some of the
better nightclubs in Chicago when I lived when I lived
in Chicago, which always gave me the sense that I could,
you know, go to a club on the Thursday night
and meet some lovely young lady and you know this
and that, and my aspirations were much higher than my game.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Yeah, so you took hope over experience.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Yeah, so you know what I did when that didn't work,
I just bought a bar instead, or bought into a bar.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
And then that did.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
And then that didn't work either either. No, that didn't
work either. It did for everybody. I made a huge mistake, John,
So I don't I don't know if you know the story.
I was one of the bigger partners in the most
popular nightclub in Chicago, like the the Rolling Stones came
and I never told me this. The Rolling Stones were there.
Paula duel when she was a big deal, was there?
(01:01):
I sang with Jimmy Buffett at my own club, but
and still you couldn't get a woman so and and
like all the hottest models in Chicago came to our club,
as you would if it was that kind of club.
I made it, like one of the biggest mistakes.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
In my life.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
John, Yeah, I had a girlfriend the whole time, even
and she wasn't a very nice girl. She was a
good looking girl, but I knew it wasn't going anywhere,
and I stayed loyal to her.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
And what a mistake. Yeah, we all have those stories.
But it had a happy ending.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Did it not? Yes, it did. I ended up in
a just in case your wife is listening.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah, boy, are you glad you didn't hook up with
Paula abdul.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Gosh.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
All right, you're here to talk about a particular thing.
But before we get to that particular thing, I don't know.
I'm gonna put you on the spot because you probably
can answer these questions in your sleep. But if you
had any time to think about this proposed ballot measure
for this unbelievable so called you know, progressive income tax
(02:08):
here in.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Colorado, We knew this was coming for years, if not
a decade. This is been part of their plan all along,
because it makes such great political sense. You give most
voters a small tax increase and then you just stare
away all the productive people at the higher end. You know,
we'll see if it makes it to the ballot, so
(02:30):
before we lose our cool, there's a long way from
here until there as somebody who's done a lot of
ballot initiatives. There's let's let's see how much they get going.
But it would be the death of Colorado. Why in
the world, when the rest of the nation states are
competing with one another to lower their tax rates or
(02:53):
to get rid of them all together, why would we
emulate California. You know, I can't believe that the people
California who are refugees come to Colorado and say, you know,
let's import the same tax policy that destroyed our state.
So I think it is defeatable. I think it will
take some education. Independence Institute. Our organization was crucial in
(03:18):
creating the flat tax back in nineteen eighty seven. Here's
a little bit of tidbit for you. It won't surprise you.
Barry Paulson, our economists at the time did the calculations,
and a revenue neutral tax flat tax to take care
of replace the progressive income tax would.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Have been four and a half percent four and a
half So.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
What did the Republican legislature and Democratic governor do? They
made it a five percent tax, So the flat tax
was actually a tax hike it when we got it there,
and over the years we've been able to lower the
Independence Institute put two different tax cut proposals on the
ballot before the legislature changed the way that we could
(04:02):
do that, and now it's at four point four percent.
We have a plan to bring it to zero over time.
And that's how we save Colorado. We must make Colorado competitive.
It's already unaffordable. Why Chase Away employers couldn't agree more?
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I wonder you know, you know better than most that
Colorado's have gone pretty crazy in terms of the ballot
measures they're willing to support.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
In the last couple of election cycles.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
It's actually seemed to me that California voters have been
more sane than Colorado voters on ballot measures. So I
do hope you're right that they don't even make it
to the ballot but I'm.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
A little nervous.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Even though Coloradin's have tended to vote down this kind
of thing, I'm a little nervous.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
But they haven't.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
They haven't voted down tax on other people. Think of
cigarette taxes. Since now only fifteen percent or so of
adults smoke, it's easy to eat up the smokers, which
is odd. Why we push marijuana. We beat up the smokers.
You think of tourism taxes, like the car rental tax
(05:10):
or the hotel taxes. You know, so Colorado, like everybody else,
can say, oh, I'm just taxing somebody else, but they
don't do the next step. What was it? Henry Hazl.
The economists always say, finish the equation. If you tax
the most productive people, the people who bring in the
most jobs, that start businesses, they leave and so it
(05:33):
might be a tiny tax cut for you, but in
the long run, it's going to destroy the state. And
I think people understand that. We need to make sure
that people do understand that. And the fact is right now,
rich here in Colorado pay exorbitantly more in tax than poor.
We've done studies on this, and you can look at
(05:55):
the Department of Revenue's own numbers. They break our people
into fifths, and the bottom fifth pay the least amount
of taxes by percentage of their income. Why because they
get tax credits they have the higher deductions. So people
at the lower end already pay a marginally less than
(06:18):
four point four percent, and people in the top, because
they don't get all those tax breaks or are blown
by them, they pay a much higher percentage, not just
in raw numbers, but a percentage. Right.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I also also already has a progressive income tax, right.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
And I would also note that with that insane free
school lunch for rich kids thing, that they eliminated most
available tax deductions or they capped most available tax deduction
for people making over three hundred thousand, and they're gonna
put another ballot measure on to reduce it even further.
(06:54):
So if you make over three hundred thousand dollars a year,
you essentially don't get any deductions.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
So they're gonna they're gonna the rich even even more.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
And by the way, I don't know that I properly
introduced John John Caldera as president of the Independence Institute.
Thinkfreedom dot org is probably the easiest website to remember.
Thinkfreedom dot org and every year the Independence Institute does
a wonderful party called the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Party,
(07:23):
although just to be very precise as the day goes along,
the firearms come before the alcohol because you can't shoot
if you've been drinking.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
But it's the ATF Party and.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Lawyers em lawyers really everything. So tell us about this
year's ATF party. Oh yeah, so you've been a speaker
at the ATF Party.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
We go out to Kiwa Creek Sporting Clays, which is
a little bit out east. They've got this beautiful shotgun
course for people who do sporting clays, and we do.
We just do a wonderful day of sporting clays and
then we relax with great cigars, a great whiskey, and
a great speaker. I mean except the year that you
came and spoke, and it's a kick. We've been doing
this now for I don't know twenty five years and
(08:03):
it started as a lark. Yeah, it's like the nannyists
get hacked off when we enjoy the perks of adulthood,
and so we just leaned into it and it's really
become this fun, fun thing. John Fund will be speaking
this year, you know, John Fund, formerly a.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Wall Shirt journal is very interesting guy.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
I don't know a guy who knows more about state
politics on a federal level than John Fund.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
And you've come many many times.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
We always appreciate having you. You usually wear your Celebrate
Diversity t shirt when you do, and I'm always appreciated
for those who don't know. The first time I met Ross,
he's wearing this shirt and it says celebrate diversity and
it had like twenty different diverse handguns all.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Over it, and he's like, Oh, we're gonna be friends.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
And so we do this. It's a fundraiser for Independence
Institute for all the work we've done, and we've been
doing it for forty years now. It's hard to Independence
Institute has been pointing to the free market north Star
here in Colorado, working for lower tax, educational choice and
gun rights and all the all the rest that we've done,
and so it's it's a way to celebrate. It's also
(09:14):
a way to hack off the left, because I swear
to god, they do not like people like you and
I having a good time being adults, having a cigar
whiskey and shooting clays.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
And so it's just.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
A wonderful wonderful time. People should go to Thinkfreedom dot org.
We're gonna be closing up the registration I think at
the end of the day today or tomorrow morning. We've
got to get all the numbers and we've got a
couple seats left. And it's just it's it's a rip.
You've been there. What do you think?
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
It's it's I would be there, except I'm going to
be out of town with friends, but I would.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
It's one of my favorite, you know, party days. The
crowd is always so great. John Fund is going to
be great, and I want to just mention again in
case we sort of blew by it a little bit quickly.
The ATF party is next Saturday, right and again at
the thirteenth, And as John said, you can go to
Thinkfreedom dot orgon right there on the front page. You
(10:08):
will see it's a kind of a yellow and orange
little banner thing that you'll click on. It says alcohol,
tobacco and Firearms party. It is a wonderful day. You
don't have to be a great shooter either, and there's
usually some folks there who will give you a couple pointers.
And also you don't even necessarily.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Have to own your own shotgun, right John, No, No,
they're just lying around on the ground. You just pick
them up for over your feet.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Someone alone you a gun, or you can rent them,
or you can rent one.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
It's a great place if you just want to go
to what's called the five Stand. We have instructors there
because shooting clay targets those plate clay pigeons.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
When you miss them and miss them and miss them,
it's eh, this is getting kind of weird. And then
you hit one, it's like, oh, that was cool.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Yeah, And so to have some folks, it is a
different style of shooting than when you're at the range
holding a handgunstead of very here you have to move
the gun, move your body while you shoot. Yeah, so
you remember to follow through.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
You don't want to stop moving as soon as you
pull the trigger, which is also very different from right
shooting a long gun or a pistol.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
So it's odd women tend to naturally be better at it,
and I think it's for the same reason women tend
to be better dancers. They they can move and men
are very rigid, and it's more of a challenge like that.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
They all right, folks thinkfreedom dot org.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Click on the link.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
You'll see at the bright orange and yellow sign that
says alcohol It's back One Firearms Party. Sign up while
you still can not much longer available to sign up.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And go and enjoy. We're going to Ross.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
You always make it a kick, so we'll be saying
bad things about you in your absence.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Please do, please do, Thank you, John Ross. All right
It's going to remain my favorite day of the week,
even though I have to talk to John Caldera.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Now it's okay, Thursday your favorite day of the week. Yeah,
it is.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
It has long been my favorite day of the week,
partly because the next day is Friday, and partly because
Thursday used to be ladies night at some of the
better nightclubs in Chicago when I lived when I lived
in Chicago, which always gave me the sense that I could,
you know, go to a club on the Thursday night
and meet some lovely young lady and you know this
and that, and my aspirations were much higher than my game.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Yeah, so you took hope over experience.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Yeah, so you know what I did when that didn't work,
I just bought a bar instead, or bought into a bar.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
And then that did.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
And then that didn't work either either. No, that didn't
work either. It did for everybody. I made a huge mistake, John,
So I don't I don't know if you know the story.
I was one of the bigger partners in the most
popular nightclub in Chicago, like the the Rolling Stones came
and I never told me this. The Rolling Stones were there.
Paula duel when she was a big deal, was there?
(01:01):
I sang with Jimmy Buffett at my own club, but
and still you couldn't get a woman so and and
like all the hottest models in Chicago came to our club,
as you would if it was that kind of club.
I made it, like one of the biggest mistakes.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
In my life.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
John, Yeah, I had a girlfriend the whole time, even
and she wasn't a very nice girl. She was a
good looking girl, but I knew it wasn't going anywhere,
and I stayed loyal to her.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
And what a mistake. Yeah, we all have those stories.
But it had a happy ending.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Did it not? Yes, it did. I ended up in
a just in case your wife is listening.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah, boy, are you glad you didn't hook up with
Paula abdul.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Gosh.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
All right, you're here to talk about a particular thing.
But before we get to that particular thing, I don't know.
I'm gonna put you on the spot because you probably
can answer these questions in your sleep. But if you
had any time to think about this proposed ballot measure
for this unbelievable so called you know, progressive income tax
(02:08):
here in.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Colorado, We knew this was coming for years, if not
a decade. This is been part of their plan all along,
because it makes such great political sense. You give most
voters a small tax increase and then you just stare
away all the productive people at the higher end. You know,
we'll see if it makes it to the ballot, so
(02:30):
before we lose our cool, there's a long way from
here until there as somebody who's done a lot of
ballot initiatives. There's let's let's see how much they get going.
But it would be the death of Colorado. Why in
the world, when the rest of the nation states are
competing with one another to lower their tax rates or
(02:53):
to get rid of them all together, why would we
emulate California. You know, I can't believe that the people
California who are refugees come to Colorado and say, you know,
let's import the same tax policy that destroyed our state.
So I think it is defeatable. I think it will
take some education. Independence Institute. Our organization was crucial in
(03:18):
creating the flat tax back in nineteen eighty seven. Here's
a little bit of tidbit for you. It won't surprise you.
Barry Paulson, our economists at the time did the calculations,
and a revenue neutral tax flat tax to take care
of replace the progressive income tax would.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Have been four and a half percent four and a
half So.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
What did the Republican legislature and Democratic governor do? They
made it a five percent tax, So the flat tax
was actually a tax hike it when we got it there,
and over the years we've been able to lower the
Independence Institute put two different tax cut proposals on the
ballot before the legislature changed the way that we could
(04:02):
do that, and now it's at four point four percent.
We have a plan to bring it to zero over time.
And that's how we save Colorado. We must make Colorado competitive.
It's already unaffordable. Why Chase Away employers couldn't agree more?
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I wonder you know, you know better than most that
Colorado's have gone pretty crazy in terms of the ballot
measures they're willing to support.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
In the last couple of election cycles.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
It's actually seemed to me that California voters have been
more sane than Colorado voters on ballot measures. So I
do hope you're right that they don't even make it
to the ballot but I'm.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
A little nervous.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Even though Coloradin's have tended to vote down this kind
of thing, I'm a little nervous.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
But they haven't.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
They haven't voted down tax on other people. Think of
cigarette taxes. Since now only fifteen percent or so of
adults smoke, it's easy to eat up the smokers, which
is odd. Why we push marijuana. We beat up the smokers.
You think of tourism taxes, like the car rental tax
(05:10):
or the hotel taxes. You know, so Colorado, like everybody else,
can say, oh, I'm just taxing somebody else, but they
don't do the next step. What was it? Henry Hazl.
The economists always say, finish the equation. If you tax
the most productive people, the people who bring in the
most jobs, that start businesses, they leave and so it
(05:33):
might be a tiny tax cut for you, but in
the long run, it's going to destroy the state. And
I think people understand that. We need to make sure
that people do understand that. And the fact is right now,
rich here in Colorado pay exorbitantly more in tax than poor.
We've done studies on this, and you can look at
(05:55):
the Department of Revenue's own numbers. They break our people
into fifths, and the bottom fifth pay the least amount
of taxes by percentage of their income. Why because they
get tax credits they have the higher deductions. So people
at the lower end already pay a marginally less than
(06:18):
four point four percent, and people in the top, because
they don't get all those tax breaks or are blown
by them, they pay a much higher percentage, not just
in raw numbers, but a percentage. Right.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I also also already has a progressive income tax, right.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
And I would also note that with that insane free
school lunch for rich kids thing, that they eliminated most
available tax deductions or they capped most available tax deduction
for people making over three hundred thousand, and they're gonna
put another ballot measure on to reduce it even further.
(06:54):
So if you make over three hundred thousand dollars a year,
you essentially don't get any deductions.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
So they're gonna they're gonna the rich even even more.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
And by the way, I don't know that I properly
introduced John John Caldera as president of the Independence Institute.
Thinkfreedom dot org is probably the easiest website to remember.
Thinkfreedom dot org and every year the Independence Institute does
a wonderful party called the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Party,
(07:23):
although just to be very precise as the day goes along,
the firearms come before the alcohol because you can't shoot
if you've been drinking.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
But it's the ATF Party and.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Lawyers em lawyers really everything. So tell us about this
year's ATF party. Oh yeah, so you've been a speaker
at the ATF Party.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
We go out to Kiwa Creek Sporting Clays, which is
a little bit out east. They've got this beautiful shotgun
course for people who do sporting clays, and we do.
We just do a wonderful day of sporting clays and
then we relax with great cigars, a great whiskey, and
a great speaker. I mean except the year that you
came and spoke, and it's a kick. We've been doing
this now for I don't know twenty five years and
(08:03):
it started as a lark. Yeah, it's like the nannyists
get hacked off when we enjoy the perks of adulthood,
and so we just leaned into it and it's really
become this fun, fun thing. John Fund will be speaking
this year, you know, John Fund, formerly a.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Wall Shirt journal is very interesting guy.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
I don't know a guy who knows more about state
politics on a federal level than John Fund.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
And you've come many many times.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
We always appreciate having you. You usually wear your Celebrate
Diversity t shirt when you do, and I'm always appreciated
for those who don't know. The first time I met Ross,
he's wearing this shirt and it says celebrate diversity and
it had like twenty different diverse handguns all.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Over it, and he's like, Oh, we're gonna be friends.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
And so we do this. It's a fundraiser for Independence
Institute for all the work we've done, and we've been
doing it for forty years now. It's hard to Independence
Institute has been pointing to the free market north Star
here in Colorado, working for lower tax, educational choice and
gun rights and all the all the rest that we've done,
and so it's it's a way to celebrate. It's also
(09:14):
a way to hack off the left, because I swear
to god, they do not like people like you and
I having a good time being adults, having a cigar
whiskey and shooting clays.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
And so it's just.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
A wonderful wonderful time. People should go to Thinkfreedom dot org.
We're gonna be closing up the registration I think at
the end of the day today or tomorrow morning. We've
got to get all the numbers and we've got a
couple seats left. And it's just it's it's a rip.
You've been there. What do you think?
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
It's it's I would be there, except I'm going to
be out of town with friends, but I would.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
It's one of my favorite, you know, party days. The
crowd is always so great. John Fund is going to
be great, and I want to just mention again in
case we sort of blew by it a little bit quickly.
The ATF party is next Saturday, right and again at
the thirteenth, And as John said, you can go to
Thinkfreedom dot orgon right there on the front page. You
(10:08):
will see it's a kind of a yellow and orange
little banner thing that you'll click on. It says alcohol,
tobacco and Firearms party. It is a wonderful day. You
don't have to be a great shooter either, and there's
usually some folks there who will give you a couple pointers.
And also you don't even necessarily.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Have to own your own shotgun, right John, No, No,
they're just lying around on the ground. You just pick
them up for over your feet.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Someone alone you a gun, or you can rent them,
or you can rent one.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
It's a great place if you just want to go
to what's called the five Stand. We have instructors there
because shooting clay targets those plate clay pigeons.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
When you miss them and miss them and miss them,
it's eh, this is getting kind of weird. And then
you hit one, it's like, oh, that was cool.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Yeah, And so to have some folks, it is a
different style of shooting than when you're at the range
holding a handgunstead of very here you have to move
the gun, move your body while you shoot. Yeah, so
you remember to follow through.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
You don't want to stop moving as soon as you
pull the trigger, which is also very different from right
shooting a long gun or a pistol.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
So it's odd women tend to naturally be better at it,
and I think it's for the same reason women tend
to be better dancers. They they can move and men
are very rigid, and it's more of a challenge like that.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
They all right, folks thinkfreedom dot org.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Click on the link.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
You'll see at the bright orange and yellow sign that
says alcohol It's back One Firearms Party. Sign up while
you still can not much longer available to sign up.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And go and enjoy. We're going to Ross.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
You always make it a kick, so we'll be saying
bad things about you in your absence.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Please do, please do, Thank you, John Ross. All right
The Ross Kaminsky Show News
Popular Podcasts
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com