Civic Engagement, Internet Freedom, and the Green Movement’s Hidden Costs

On this Election Day broadcast, November 7, 2023, Kim Monson explores the importance of civic engagement with Kathleen Chandler from the Independence Institute, examines FCC attempts to regulate the internet with Phil Kerpen of American Commitment, exposes the green movement’s anti-human agenda with Daniel Turner of Power the Future, and discusses fiscal responsibility in local government with Colorado Springs City Councilman Dave Donaldson. Taking Back Your Community Through Local Government Start listening at 16:49 – Hour 1 Kathleen Chandler, director of the Local Government Project at the Independence Institute, encourages citizens to move beyond just voting by serving on local boards and commissions. Chandler has spent eight years helping approximately 300 Coloradans get appointed to various governmental bodies, from park and recreation commissions to planning and zoning boards. She emphasizes that unelected positions in government often shape policy more than citizens realize. When people complain about government but refuse to participate, Chandler argues, they get exactly what they deserve. Her upcoming class, scheduled for November 9th via Zoom, teaches the practical steps needed to stop complaining and start taking action. Chandler highlights Stephanie Hancock, a success story from her program who is running for Aurora City Council after years of engagement on local commissions. The Independence Institute provides ongoing support to those who step up, offering policy guidance and encouragement when elected officials face pressure from bureaucrats pushing agendas. “And the point is that you, all the listeners, me, we can be that person as well. We don’t need to wait for a Stephanie Hancock. I can be that person. You can be that person. And all you need to do is to have that step one.” Kathleen Chandler, Director, Local Government Project at Independence Institute FCC’s Flawed Justification for Internet Regulation Start listening at 32:46 – Hour 1 Phil Kerpen, president of American Commitment, warns that FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel is using her poor home Wi-Fi signal as justification for reimposing Obama-era net neutrality regulations on the internet. Kerpen points out the absurdity of a sitting FCC chairman apparently not understanding that Wi-Fi router performance has nothing to do with public internet regulation. The free market approach to the internet, established under the Clinton administration, produced remarkable results. When the Trump FCC repealed Obama’s public utility-style regulations, critics predicted catastrophic outcomes including deaths from inability to access suicide prevention resources. Seven years later, none of those predictions materialized. Instead, internet speeds tripled, private investment increased substantially, and prices remained flat or declined. Kerpen explains that economic regulation inevitably leads to content control. The Biden administration has already pressured social media companies to suppress conservative voices, as revealed in the Missouri v. Biden litigation heading to the Supreme Court. With hundreds of billions in government broadband subsidies replacing private investment, the path to government-controlled networks becomes clearer. “The best decision government’s made in decades was to not mess with this incredible technology that was emerging, just to leave it alone and see what happens.” Phil Kerpen, President, American Commitment Big Pharma’s Pattern of Profits Over People