On December 13, 2022, Kim Monson tackles the higher education bubble and its discontents with venture capitalist Mike Gibson, author of Paper Belt on Fire. Lauren Fix exposes the hidden costs of electric vehicle mandates, while Casper Stockham outlines his vision for rebuilding the Colorado Republican Party.
Mike Gibson co-founded the 1517 Fund, a venture capital firm that invests exclusively in teams led by dropouts, the uncredentialed, and renegade scientists. His fund has generated returns exceeding what the Ocean’s Eleven team stole from the Bellagio, proving that college degrees are not prerequisites for entrepreneurial success.
Gibson argues that universities have become gatekeepers rather than educators, charging ever-higher tuition while imparting fewer marketable skills. The $1.7 trillion in student debt represents a massive transfer of wealth from taxpayers to institutions that face no accountability for graduate outcomes. He points to Switzerland’s apprenticeship system, where 70% of teenagers participate in practical training combining work and education, as a superior alternative to America’s credential-obsessed approach.
“We have little Kremlins in every town, these Soviet systems of public schools. And the fact that we don’t recognize them as socialists, I think, is a big, big mistake.”
Mike Gibson, Co-founder of 1517 Fund
Lauren Fix, the Car Coach, reveals the troubling truth behind the electric vehicle push: not a single automaker makes money on EVs, yet government mandates force them to produce these unprofitable vehicles. The consequences extend far beyond corporate balance sheets. Half the Dow Jones is impacted by the auto industry, meaning EV mandates threaten the broader economy.
Fix warns of a looming environmental catastrophe as the first generation of EV batteries approaches end-of-life. Unlike conventional car batteries that are recyclable, lithium-ion cells will burst and leak hazardous materials including mercury, cadmium, and cobalt. Switzerland already restricts EV charging and video streaming quality to manage grid strain, a preview of what American consumers face if current policies continue.
“When those cells burst, you are poisoning in the environment. You can’t bury it in the ground. You can’t put it in a concrete cell. You can’t send it to the moon.”
Lauren Fix, The Car Coach
Casper Stockham announces his candidacy for Colorado Republican Party chair, promising to transform how the party engages with voters. After a decade of stagnation that produced dismal 2022 election results, Stockham proposes building year-round relationships with minority communities rather than last-minute get-out-the-vote efforts.
His TSI task force plan addresses transparency, security, and integrity in elections while simultaneously expanding party outreach. Stockham emphasizes that Republicans must ballot harvest legally since the practice is permitted in Colorado, rather than ceding that ground to Democrats. The March election will determine whether the party embraces this new direction.
“We have to change that, and we have to work at getting our voter registration numbers up. We have to work at getting more involvement from the youth, getting more involvement from the minority communities.”
Casper Stockham, Colorado GOP Chair Candidate
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Episode from The Kim Monson Show