Municipal Broadband Risks and Judicial Retention Elections

On November 4, 2022, Kim Monson welcomed Joni Inman of the Colorado Women’s Alliance, Jarrett Skorup of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, and Matt Arnold, founder of Clear the Bench Colorado. The broadcast explored post-election civic engagement, the pitfalls of government-run broadband, and the critical question of how voters should approach judicial retention elections.

Post-Election Civic Engagement

Start listening at 17:35 – Hour 1

Joni Inman, Executive Director of the Colorado Women’s Alliance, promoted the organization’s third annual Wine and Wine Down with Women of the Airwaves event scheduled for November 15th. The gathering offers a relaxed atmosphere for political engagement after an intense election season, featuring female radio hosts and reporters discussing their post-election perspectives.

Inman shared polling data showing that swing women voters in Colorado prioritize crime, the economy, and education over abortion, which registered at only about one percent in their surveys. She noted that Democratic messaging on abortion appears to be falling flat with female voters who are more concerned about practical issues affecting their daily lives.

“The top concerns of women voters, and we are the majority in this state, is crime and the economy and education.”

Joni Inman, Executive Director, Colorado Women’s Alliance

Government Broadband vs. Private Enterprise

Start listening at 31:18 – Hour 1

Jarrett Skorup, Senior Director of Marketing Communications at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, analyzed why municipal broadband projects consistently fail. He pointed to numerous examples across the country where government-run internet services have wasted taxpayer money while delivering substandard service compared to private alternatives.

Skorup explained that despite massive federal subsidies and local tax support, government broadband projects typically cannot compete with private providers on price, speed, or reliability. The fundamental problem lies in government’s inability to respond to market signals and innovate as quickly as private companies competing for customers.

“Broadband, that’s just high-speed Internet. Obviously a very important thing, increasingly important. I think a lot of people are realizing they can do jobs, and there’s educational options and things that they can do if they have high-speed Internet. So the question is, what’s the best way to get this?”

Jarrett Skorup, Senior Director, Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Navigating Judicial Retention Elections

Start listening at 73:02 – Hour 2

Matt Arnold, founder of Clear the Bench Colorado, provided voters with guidance on the often-confusing judicial retention ballot questions. He explained that Colorado’s 1966 constitutional amendment replaced contested judicial elections with gubernatorial appointments followed by retention votes, ostensibly to depoliticize the judiciary.

Arnold criticized the judicial performance commissions as providing no meaningful information to help voters make decisions. He noted that all judges currently receive “meets standards” ratings, making it impossible to distinguish good judges from problematic ones. When voters lack substantive information, Arnold suggested that voting no serves as a reasonable default and sends a message that judges are not entitled to their positions.

The discussion also examined how judicial nominating commissions, appointed by the governor, attorney general, and chief justice, shape the bench. Arnold emphasized that gubernatorial and attorney general races have long-term implications for judicial appointments, as these officials determine who serves on the commissions that nominate judges.

“If you just vote out a bad judge, that’ll just give the governor a chance to appoint another bad judge. Well, great. Rinse and repeat. Keep voting out the bad judge.”

Matt Arnold, Founder, Clear the Bench Colorado