Fighting Government Overreach and Defending Liberty

Broadcast February 3, 2023, Kim Monson examines multiple threats to American liberty. Paige Agostin from the Center for Renewing America details the debt ceiling fight in Washington. Roger Hays discusses Colorado bills threatening the caucus process and burdening small businesses. Steve Cruz provides investment guidance amid economic uncertainty. Kurt Gerwitz explores the promises and perils of artificial intelligence and digital currency.

Artificial Intelligence: Promise and Peril

Start listening at 67:41 – Hour 2

In this extended segment, Kurt Gerwitz joins Kim in studio for a spirited debate about artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT and its implications for society. Gerwitz, a finance professor who teaches the Anderson Reports course at Metropolitan State University, approaches AI with optimism about its potential to liberate humans for higher-level thinking and creativity. Kim, however, expresses deep concerns about AI as a tool of control and surveillance.

The conversation explores practical use cases for ChatGPT, including consolidating information, writing code, drafting content, and even creating biographies of deceased loved ones. Gerwitz explains that the new essential skill will be AI prompting, knowing how to effectively communicate with artificial intelligence to get useful results. He compares it to the calculator, which requires understanding math to use properly.

Kim raises alarm about Amazon’s cashless stores using facial recognition and QR codes, warning this technology could lead to a social credit system like China’s. She connects AI to Central Bank Digital Currency, arguing that together they could eliminate freedom as we know it. The discussion touches on surveillance capitalism, the consolidation of power among tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, and whether convenience is worth the loss of privacy and autonomy.

Gerwitz acknowledges Kim’s concerns are valid and worth discussing, but suggests that adoption of these technologies may be inevitable given human nature’s preference for convenience. Callers and texters weigh in, with Richard warning that AI is the mousetrap that will catch all of us, and Bill from Wyoming advocating for using paper bills and checks to maintain independence from digital systems.

The segment concludes with both agreeing that human flourishing should be the goal, but disagreeing on whether AI enables or threatens it. Kim emphasizes that liberty is the responsible exercise of freedom, and warns against the World Economic Forum’s vision of owning nothing and being happy.

“The technology really threatens the high school English classes. If I’m going to assess my students on what they know, I can’t just have them turn in an essay because they can turn in something written by ChatGPT and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The new skill is AI prompting. Look for it. It’ll be on resumes. It’s absolutely what your children and your grandchildren will be tested on.”

Kurt Gerwitz, Finance Professor

The Debt Ceiling Fight and Fiscal Responsibility

Start listening at 16:19 – Hour 1

In this segment, Paige Agostin joins Kim to discuss the critical debt ceiling negotiations in Washington. With America’s national debt exceeding 32 trillion dollars and reaching 120% of GDP, conservative members of Congress are demanding spending reforms before agreeing to raise the debt ceiling. Unlike previous years when this became a routine process, a slim House majority has empowered approximately 24 Republican representatives to hold firm on their principles.

Agostin explains that Speaker McCarthy made commitments during the speaker fight, including placing conservatives on key committees and agreeing to pass a 10-year balanced budget. The Center for Renewing America has released a detailed budget proposal that balances within 10 years without touching Social Security or Medicare benefits. Instead, their plan targets the woke and weaponized government, cutting funding to nonprofits that wage culture wars with taxpayer dollars, reforming disability insurance to get people back to work, and eliminating discretionary spending on programs that don’t serve the American people.

The conversation highlights how federal grants come with strings attached, mandating radical gender ideology and race-based policies. Agostin emphasizes that courage is contagious among these conservative representatives, and there is real hope for meaningful reform. She encourages Coloradans to call Washington and demand no debt ceiling increase without spending cuts, noting that Lauren Boebert is among those standing firm.

“Spring is coming for the American people. There are a handful of solid conservative members of Congress that are clear that they got elected to do something for the American people and do something about the out-of-control spending. And they got wins, and Speaker McCarthy had to give a lot to them.”

Paige Agostin, Center for Renewing America

Small Business Under Siege

Start listening at 31:50 – Hour 1

In this segment, Roger Hays joins Kim to discuss the mounting regulatory burden on Colorado businesses. Hays, CEO of Passio HR, a professional employer organization serving small to mid-sized businesses, explains how his company helps employers navigate the increasingly complex web of regulations, benefits administration, and HR compliance. He notes that nobody starts a business to fill out government paperwork, yet that’s what Colorado’s legislature keeps demanding.

The conversation focuses on House Bill 23-1118, the Fair Workweek Employment Standards Act, sponsored by Democrats Emily Sirota, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, Julie Gonzales, and Faith Winter. This predictive scheduling bill would devastate restaurants and retail businesses by requiring two weeks’ advance notice of employee schedules, paying penalties for any changes, and creating a bureaucratic nightmare for employers trying to respond to customer demand fluctuations.

Hays also addresses the FAMLI leave insurance program, which Colorado voters approved through the initiative process. Now that workers see the paycheck deductions, frustration is growing. New legislation seeks to expand who can benefit from the program. Kim and Hays discuss how this represents another tax burden on working Coloradans and their employers, making it increasingly difficult to do business in the state.

“Nobody starts their business to sit in the back and fill out government paperwork, to manage all that Affordable Care Act stuff that they have to do. We come in and take care of that for them. We do it at a much better rate than they could get if they had to hire a payroll person or an HR manager.”

Roger Hays, CEO of Passio HR

Investment Strategy in Uncertain Times

Start listening at 61:22 – Hour 2

In this segment, Steve Cruz joins Kim to discuss the importance of sticking to an investment plan amid economic volatility. Cruz, co-owner of Three Points Financial, a comprehensive fee-only financial and tax-focused company, emphasizes that while uncertainties abound including inflation, government spending, and market fluctuations, maintaining discipline in your investment strategy is crucial.

The conversation touches on how current economic challenges stem from poor monetary and fiscal policy decisions. Cruz explains that while short-term market movements can be unsettling, a well-designed financial plan accounts for these cycles and keeps investors focused on long-term goals. The discussion reinforces the importance of having a fiduciary advisor who puts client interests first, rather than earning commissions on product sales.

“With so many unknowns out there, sticking to an investment plan makes sense. You have to have discipline and not react emotionally to short-term market movements.”

Steve Cruz, Co-owner of Three Points Financial