Energy Shortages, Agricultural Trade Deficits, and the Fight for Limited Government

On December 18, 2024, Paula Sarlls, Steve Dorman, and Trent Loos joined the show. Discussed Fort Carson food quality improvements, the healing power of the Marine Memorial for veterans contemplating suicide, and the Buy a Brick matching program for the memorial remodel Previewed CUT’s 2025 legislative session preparations, explained how the organization rates 259 bills affecting taxes and property rights, and urged citizens to. Honoring Veterans Through the USMC Memorial Foundation Start listening at 18:21 – Hour 1 Paula Sarlls, Marine veteran, Gold Star wife, and President of the USMC Memorial Foundation, reports promising news about Fort Carson’s dining facilities following listener advocacy and media pressure. While initial reports suggested inadequate meals for soldiers, recent information indicates the main mess halls maintain adequate food supplies, with logistics challenges primarily affecting mobile food delivery to troops across the base. Sarlls emphasizes the healing power of the Marine Memorial, recounting how at least three veterans contemplating suicide have found hope through visiting the memorial and connecting with fellow servicemembers. The foundation’s Buy a Brick program offers supporters an opportunity to honor military service, with matching donations available through year-end doubling every contribution toward the memorial’s planned remodel. “I know personally of three suicides over the years that have been prevented. Just visiting the memorial and talking to me and coming back for the ceremony prevented him from committing suicide.” Paula Sarlls, President, USMC Memorial Foundation Colorado Union of Taxpayers Prepares for 2025 Legislative Battle Start listening at 31:06 – Hour 1 Steve Dorman, Colorado Union of Taxpayers board member, warns that Colorado’s slide from a top-performing economy to the bottom ten in GDP growth stems directly from the erosion of TABOR protections and mounting regulatory burdens. CUT volunteers analyzed 792 bills proposed during the 2024 legislative session, taking formal positions on 259 that affected taxes, fees, and property rights. Dorman highlights how the political landscape has shifted dramatically, noting that voting alone no longer suffices to protect taxpayer interests. He calls for citizens to move beyond passive voting and engage actively with organizations like CUT, which serves as the taxpayer’s unpaid lobbyist against the countless special interests employing professional advocates at the Capitol. The organization’s January 23rd legislative kickoff event at the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association offers citizens direct interaction with legislators. “In days gone by, the two political parties mostly wanted the same things. We wanted good education, prosperity, health, clean communities. Today, I don’t think the two parties even want the same things. We have one party who is borderline anarchist.” Steve Dorman, Colorado Union of Taxpayers Board Member America’s Growing Vulnerability in Energy and Food Production Start listening at 70:17 – Hour 2 Trent Loos, sixth-generation farmer and rancher, delivers a sobering analysis of America’s precarious position in energy and food security. A Morgan Stanley research report projects a 32-gigawatt electricity shortage by 2028 as data centers and AI facilities demand exponentially more power while reliable coal and natural gas infrastructure faces systematic destruction. Each cryptoc...