Home Rule and Ranked Choice Voting Threaten Local Elections

On Friday, October 21, 2022, Kim Monson tackles two ballot measures that threaten transparent elections in Colorado. Candidate Marla Fernandez shares her campaign for Colorado House District 3, Brad Beck exposes the hidden dangers of home rule in Erie, Mary Alpers provides financial guidance on protecting against scams, and Kelly Notar Francesco reveals the dark money behind ranked choice voting in Fort Collins.

Standing for Conservative Values in a Challenging District

Start listening at 19:09 – Hour 1

Marla Fernandez brings a unique perspective to her campaign for Colorado House District 3, drawing on her family’s experience fleeing Castro’s Cuba in 1961. Running in a district spanning Englewood, Southeast Denver, and parts of Littleton and Aurora, Fernandez faces voters fixated on two issues: Trump hatred and abortion.

Fernandez points out that many Democrats in her district are actually pro-life, revealing cracks in the opposition’s assumed unity. Her campaign emphasizes reducing the tax burden on Colorado families rather than introducing new revenue streams. With multiple tax referendums on the ballot, she argues that the last thing Americans need is more taxation.

Drawing from her mother’s entrepreneurial journey after divorcing and her father’s success in door-to-door sales, Fernandez embodies the immigrant work ethic that built America’s middle class. Cuba was a developed nation with a stronger economy than the United States before Castro’s restrictions destroyed it, she explains, warning that similar patterns are emerging in Colorado today.

“This country has given my family many opportunities, which sadly a lot of people, few people get to avail themselves. And when they abandoned Cuba in 1961, Cuba was a developed country and they had a strong economy than the US.”

Marla Fernandez, Candidate for Colorado House District 3

The Home Rule Power Grab in Erie

Start listening at 35:28 – Hour 1

Brad Beck exposes the machinery behind Erie’s Question 3E, which would allow the town to form a home rule charter commission. While proponents tout local control, Beck identifies the operative word as control, not representation.

The Erie town administrator has publicly outlined plans for a broader tax base including excise taxes, use taxes, pollution taxes targeting oil and gas operations, business and consumer use taxes, occupational privilege taxes, and hotel taxes. Beck notes that 67.7% of Colorado communities remain statutory municipalities, contradicting claims that 93% have adopted home rule.

Beck highlights a fundamental philosophical divide: most charter commission candidates talk about providing for the town or giving back, while he stands alone in declaring that government’s purpose is to protect rights, not expand services. He cites Matt Kibbe’s philosophy: leave people alone, don’t take their junk, and don’t be a jerk.

“I’m the only one who has publicly stated, what the purpose of a government is is to protect rights. And if you study history, you study philosophy, you study human nature, you find out that more and more people, because they want to help, their empathy, their sympathies, they all want to start to do things. I don’t want to do anything.”

Brad Beck, Co-founder of Liberty Toastmasters

Protecting Yourself from Financial Scams

Start listening at 63:23 – Hour 2

Mary Alpers of Three Points Financial warns that scams are on the rise as economic conditions deteriorate. She advises listeners to be wary of offers that sound too good to be true, high-pressure tactics, and vague promises. Researching companies through the Better Business Bureau and never sharing passwords remain essential protections.

Alpers emphasizes keeping phone software updated since updates often patch security vulnerabilities. She cautions against sharing personal information in online groups and warns never to send money to someone you’ve never met, even if the connection feels genuine. One client had their entire digital identity compromised simply trying to sell furniture online, requiring weeks to restore their accounts.

For those affected by identity theft, Alpers recommends reporting to identitytheft.gov and the Federal Trade Commission, notifying financial institutions, and considering credit freezes through Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. She also reminds listeners that October 28th is the deadline to purchase I-bonds at 9.62% before rates drop to 6.48% on November 1st.

“We really care about the client. That’s why we share these things. These are not things that, you know, we’re doing it because we care about the client. A lot of people don’t do this if they’re not getting direct money for it. So we are very, very conscious of caring about our clients.”

Mary Alpers, Co-owner of Three Points Financial

Dark Money Behind Ranked Choice Voting

Start listening at 75:33 – Hour 2

Kelly Notar Francesco of Community for Fair Elections reveals that Fort Collins ballot measure 2C represents more than local election reform. National organizations backed by millions from George Soros’s son, the Hewlett Foundation, and Arnold Ventures are pushing ranked choice voting across Colorado.

Francesco explains the convoluted process: voters rank multiple candidates, and if no one reaches 50% plus one, the last-place candidate is eliminated and their votes redistributed. This cycle repeats until someone achieves a forced majority. A study of 96 ranked choice elections found that 11% of ballots were discarded due to procedural issues, effectively disenfranchising voters.

The Fort Collins measure grants the city council unilateral authority to modify election processes without voter approval. Francesco notes that promoters of the measure have posted on FairVote’s national website celebrating their success in getting this on the ballot by cultivating relationships with council members.

“If you can’t explain how your mayor got elected in some easy, easy way, that leads to distrust within our city. And we don’t want that for Fort Collins. We don’t want that for Colorado.”

Kelly Notar Francesco, Community for Fair Elections