A Broadcasting Career Ends as Producer Steve Reflects on Service, Faith, and American Virtue

On this Thursday, August 24, 2023 broadcast, Kim Monson dedicates the show to honoring Producer Steve Ebling on the occasion of his retirement. Paula Sarlls provides updates on the USMC Memorial Foundation, Karen Levine examines Colorado’s property tax challenges, and Paige Agostin from the Center for Renewing America exposes the games being played with government spending in Washington.

Honoring Those Who Came Before

Start listening at 00:39 – Hour 1

Kim Monson opens with a reading from the Medal of Honor quote book published by the Center for American Values. She shares the story of Robert E. Bush, who at age 18 became the youngest member of the United States Navy in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor. During combat on Okinawa in May 1945, Bush maintained life-saving blood plasma for a wounded officer while drawing his pistol to fight off a Japanese counterattack, suffering the loss of an eye in the process.

The segment sets the tone for a show focused on service, sacrifice, and the transmission of values across generations. Kim emphasizes the importance of keeping such stories alive for future generations and recommends the Medal of Honor quote book for every family’s freedom library.

USMC Memorial Foundation Celebrates Flag Relighting

Start listening at 17:50 – Hour 1

Paula Sarlls, president of the USMC Memorial Foundation and Gold Star wife, announces the successful repair of the memorial’s electrical system after heavy rains damaged it in early summer. The flags had to come down on July 4th, a painful moment for the organization. A volunteer stepped forward to complete the repairs at reduced cost, and solar lights now ensure the flags will remain properly illuminated.

Sarlls describes the upcoming Saturday ceremony at 6 PM to celebrate the 46th anniversary of the memorial’s 1977 dedication and the relighting of the flags. The event will feature the Higher Ground Men’s Chorus, a flag disposal ceremony conducted by the Young Marines, and remarks from Colonel Bodish of the Naval ROTC at CU. The foundation continues raising funds for a major remodel with a goal of approximately $50 million to complete all planned improvements including a visitor veterans center.

“The memorial is dedicated to remembering those stories, because if you don’t remember them, you’re bound to repeat the bad history.”

Paula Sarlls, President, USMC Memorial Foundation

The Man Behind the Board Steps Forward

Start listening at 33:16 – Hour 1

Steve Ebling, known to listeners as Producer Steve, takes his place on the guest side of the glass as he prepares for retirement. Growing up in Pennsylvania, Steve found his high school performance declining by senior year. When an industrial electrician apprenticeship fell through due to the 1975 economic downturn, he enlisted in the Air Force, a decision he calls the best of his life.

Testing placed him in electronics, leading to tech school at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi and a career in military data and voice networks. Two years in Germany at Ramstein Air Base and 15 months at NORAD in Colorado Springs shaped his early career. The political intensity of both assignments, with officers behind every tree, eventually pushed him toward civilian life.

A friend’s business card led to 20 years at United Airlines working on the company’s data network and reservation system. When corporate reshuffling moved him progressively further from the airline, a job offer from his church’s broadcast ministry opened a new chapter. Twelve years of radio and television production there prepared him for Crawford Broadcasting, where he began with Angie Austin before eventually becoming Kim’s producer in 2017.

“We have been adrift for 60 years and we’re seeing that now. In terms of this, it’s not a democracy. It’s a constitutional republic, and it’s taking a beating at the hands of people who are just not that virtuous anymore.”

Steve Ebling, Producer, The Kim Monson Show

Property Taxes and the Assault on Homeownership

Start listening at 63:29 – Hour 2

Karen Levine, award-winning REMAX Alliance realtor, reports that 1,700 homes took price reductions in the past week as the market continues to adjust. She traces the affordable housing shortage partly to decade-old construction defect legislation that makes builder insurance prohibitively expensive, preventing developers from bringing condominium products to market at reasonable prices.

The conversation turns to Colorado’s property tax crisis. Kim describes her concern that everyday Coloradans face 39-42% increases in Douglas County alone. She argues that Prop HH, which will appear on the November ballot, purports to offer property tax relief while actually threatening TABOR protections. Levine acknowledges that voters themselves initially drove policies creating green space and urban boundaries, but warns that special interests have since exploited those desires.

“Affordability has truly been threatened because lack of for-sale product. And we continue, Kim, to talk about legislation that was passed a decade ago that is affecting what’s happening in the front range.”

Karen Levine, Realtor, REMAX Alliance

The Freedom Caucus Draws a Line on Government Spending

Start listening at 74:33 – Hour 2

Paige Agostin of the Center for Renewing America expresses frustration at Kevin McCarthy sending Congress home for August recess while critical issues remain unaddressed. The border remains unsecured, the DOJ targets school board parents as domestic terrorists, and the military funds travel for abortions while recruiting suffers.

When Congress returns after Labor Day, they face a September 30th deadline with only one appropriations bill passed. McCarthy’s choice becomes clear: either pass all 12 spending bills with actual cuts and policy changes, or rubber-stamp a continuing resolution that locks in Biden-era spending levels. Agostin reports that Freedom Caucus members including Lauren Boebert and Chip Roy have declared they will shut down the government rather than fund policies they oppose.

The debt deal gave away every leverage point, she argues, allowing $4 trillion in new debt through the end of Biden’s term. She predicts the uniparty’s first priority upon returning will be a Ukraine supplemental, despite Americans paying $100 more weekly for groceries and nearly $4 per gallon for gas. Only the brave few in the Freedom Caucus stand willing to buck the cartel and demand accountability.

“It’s an abdication. It’s a refusal to actually do their job, to pass the spending bills that actually look at where the money is going. A CR just rubber stamps spending at the same level that Joe Biden put in place.”

Paige Agostin, Center for Renewing America