Civic Duty and Fighting Proposition HH

On this Thursday broadcast, Kim Monson dedicates the first hour to Liberty Toastmasters Day, exploring what it means to fulfill civic duties as American citizens. Carol Baker, Vice President of Education for Liberty Toastmasters Denver, joins Kim as co-host. The second hour brings tax policy experts Natalie Menten of Colorado Engaged and Brandon Wark of Free State Colorado to break down the deceptive Proposition HH and strategies for fighting property tax increases. Citizens Step Up: Two Toastmasters Announce Candidacies Start listening at 31:27 – Hour 1 Carol Baker leads the Liberty Toastmasters segment, facilitating a discussion on civic knowledge and responsibility. The segment takes an unexpected turn when Rick Rome, a civil engineer and longtime Toastmaster, announces he is running for Centennial City Council. Rome explains that his entire career has prepared him for municipal governance, from understanding city budgets to standing before councils presenting engineering projects. Terry Goon follows with her own announcement: she is running for Mayor of Longmont. Goon articulates a clear free market philosophy, arguing that citizens who want performing arts centers or rec centers should pool their own funds rather than forcing all taxpayers to subsidize facilities used by few. She points to a 1902 example where 40 individuals in Long Island gathered their own seed money to finance a factory privately, contrasting this with modern expectations of taxpayer-funded development. “I believe you should fund and work for your priorities while I do the same for mine.” Terry Goon, Mayoral Candidate, Longmont The Proposition HH Deception Start listening at 71:14 – Hour 2 Natalie Menten, creator of Colorado Engaged, exposes how Proposition HH uses deceptive language to mask its true purpose. The 48-page measure claims to offer property tax relief, but Menten reveals it will actually gut Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) refunds. Government insiders have called the money-funneling scheme “a game of Plinko,” referencing the unpredictable game show where outcomes are random. Menten emphasizes that the Blue Book description is critical because it reaches every registered voter household. She is testifying at the legislative hearing to demand clearer language: “state retention of TABOR refunds” instead of the misleading “retain state revenue.” The so-called property tax cap in the proposition is actually a soft cap that excludes all school districts and home rule jurisdictions, and remaining governments can simply hold a public hearing to waive it. “At the end of the day, it’s going to take our TABOR refunds, gradually grows the size of government by one percentage point, taking money from the private sector, our pockets, growing the size of government, yet they’re trying to pass it off as meaningful property tax relief, which is a joke.” Natalie Menten, Creator, Colorado Engaged Five Ways to Fight Property Tax Increases Start listening at 76:48 – Hour 2 Brandon Wark, founder of Free State Colorado, outlines actionable steps citizens can take. He urges voters to find their county assessor’s website, type in their address, and discover the full list of taxing authorities charging mill levies. Most people are unaware of how many government entities they pay property taxes to, from park and recreation districts to fire districts to schools. Wark emphasizes that local elections in 2023 o...