Thoughts on Representative Government in Colorado

On the October 10, 2025 broadcast, guest host Karen Levine fills in for Kim Monson to explore how citizens can serve their communities through representative government. The program features school board hopeful Sam Myron, fiscal policy analyst Joshua Sharf, firearms educator Alicia from the Second Syndicate, and former Colorado State Representative Libby Szabo.

Volunteering Changes Lives in Jeffco Schools

Start listening at 16:03 – Hour 1

Sam Myron, a candidate for the Jefferson County School Board, brings 44 years of volunteer experience to his campaign. Myron shares a powerful story about a former student who stopped him during crosswalk duty to thank him for making a difference during a troubled childhood. The encounter crystallized what Myron sees as the transformative power of consistent adult presence in schools.

Myron argues that Jeffco needs to bring back shop classes in middle schools, contending that not every student will attend college and many thrive when given hands-on learning opportunities. He proposes partnering with trade unions and contractors to fund and sponsor classroom equipment, pointing to his own son’s success as a plumber earning forty dollars an hour. Myron also advocates for recruiting grandparents as volunteers to provide friendly faces and mentorship in schools.

“We are like a pebble on the pond of life.”

Sam Myron, Jeffco School Board Candidate

Colorado’s Compensation Commission Sets Legislator Pay

Start listening at 30:14 – Hour 1

Joshua Sharf, a senior fellow at the Independence Institute and Senate Republican appointee to the state Compensation Commission, explains how Colorado determines salaries for legislators and statewide elected officials. The commission, which meets every four years, examines whether current compensation levels are appropriate compared to other part-time state legislatures.

Sharf presents research showing Colorado legislators are compensated in the upper third nationally when calculated on a per-session-day basis. He raises concerns about potential arguments for cost-of-living adjustments, arguing that legislators who pass laws making Colorado more expensive should not be insulated from those consequences. The commission’s recommendations will take effect after the 2026 election unless the legislature votes to change them.

“They shouldn’t be insulated from the consequences of that.”

Joshua Sharf, Senior Fellow, Independence Institute

Reframing the Conversation on Firearms

Start listening at 64:51 – Hour 2

Alicia, founder of the Second Syndicate and firearms instructor with Concealed Carry Classes of Denver, challenges the way society discusses guns. She bans the word “weapon” from her classes, insisting that firearms are tools while the human mind is what can be weaponized. Alicia argues that guns were once normalized in American culture without the violence seen today.

Alicia traces modern gun violence not to firearms themselves but to societal changes including pharmaceutical use, cell phone addiction, and hypersensitivity. Her nonprofit, the Second Syndicate, raises funds to put school staff through the Faster Colorado program, which trains educators to protect students. She emphasizes that exercising Second Amendment rights should not automatically suggest intent to harm.

“The word weapon is a no-no in my class because I don’t want people to call firearms weapons.”

Alicia, Founder, Second Syndicate

Lessons from a Former State Representative

Start listening at 75:02 – Hour 2

Libby Szabo, who served in the Colorado House from 2011 to 2015 and as Jefferson County Commissioner until 2021, reflects on her decade of public service. She describes learning early that activist approaches fail in the legislature because effective governance requires building consensus across party lines. During her tenure, she served as assistant minority leader and focused on reducing business regulations.

Szabo counts legalizing ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft among her proudest accomplishments, a bill that took three quarters of a session to pass against union opposition. She contrasts her time, when majorities were narrow, with today’s supermajorities that make opposition nearly impossible. Szabo urges voters to research candidates’ records and warns against electing single-issue activists who cannot see beyond their agenda. She encourages citizens who feel called to run for office to serve their communities rather than special interests.

“Local government is the closest government you have to your actual situation.”

Libby Szabo, Former Colorado State Representative