Small Modular Reactors, Taxation, and the Battle for Local Control

On the October 24, 2025 broadcast, Kim Monson examines America’s energy future with Robert Bryce discussing small modular reactors and the global race for nuclear technology, school board candidates Lori Goebel and Mary Buchanan addressing education accountability in Thompson School District, Alicia Garcia advocating for armed educators through the Second Syndicate’s FASTER initiative, and Jay Davidson analyzing Colorado’s ballot measures through the lens of Austrian economics and limited government.

America’s Nuclear Energy Future and the SMR Race

Start listening at 32:02 – Hour 1

Robert Bryce, energy expert and documentary filmmaker, breaks down the emerging small modular reactor industry and America’s position in the global nuclear race. Bryce explains that SMRs range from 2 to 300 megawatts and offer significant advantages over traditional gigawatt-scale reactors, including smaller footprints and the ability to locate near power demand. Big tech companies including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are investing heavily in SMR technology to power data centers for artificial intelligence.

Bryce warns about market hype surrounding nuclear IPOs, citing companies like Fermi America with $12 billion market caps despite having no tangible assets. The conversation also addresses the ongoing land use conflicts in Colorado, where Elbert and El Paso County commissioners unanimously rejected Xcel Energy’s Power Pathway transmission project. When Excel sued both counties, Bryce noted this follows a pattern of big corporate interests attempting to roll over rural communities.

“The reality is that the fear of radiation has been much more dangerous than radiation itself.”

Robert Bryce, Energy Expert and Author

Thompson School District Accountability and Student Proficiency

Start listening at 17:55 – Hour 1

Lori Goebel, candidate for Thompson School Board, highlights the district’s declining CMAS scores, with over 60 percent of children not proficient at grade level. She emphasizes that students are often multiple grade levels behind, not just marginally below standard. Goebel, who pastors a church with her husband and previously served on the Loveland Planning Commission, is running to ensure her grandchildren and great-grandchildren receive proper education.

Mary Buchanan, also running for Thompson School Board, stresses the need to bridge the communication gap between parents, educators, and district leadership. Born and raised in Loveland with deep community roots, Buchanan believes parents have taken a backseat in their children’s education for too long and advocates for focusing on basic academics rather than social issues.

“We need to make sure our children are fully equipped when they graduate high school, that that diploma means something and that they are actually truly prepared for a future filled with success.”

Lori Goebel, Thompson School Board Candidate

Arming Educators Through the FASTER Program

Start listening at 62:52 – Hour 2

Alicia Garcia, co-founder of the Second Syndicate, announces Operation Arm the Educators, a fundraising initiative to pay tuition for Colorado educators to attend FASTER training. The $1,000 tuition cost per educator is prohibitive for many teachers on fixed incomes who want to protect students. Garcia explains that the Second Syndicate believes in being solution-oriented rather than waiting for government policy changes.

Contributors of $5 or more are entered into a drawing for a custom-engraved Springfield 1911 donated by the Damage Factory. The initiative represents grassroots Second Amendment advocacy focused on practical school safety measures rather than political debate.

“We want to make sure that if these teachers are doing their best to put their lives on the line for our students, that they are encouraged to do so and they are compensated for it in the best way possible.”

Alicia Garcia, Second Syndicate Co-Founder

Austrian Economics and Colorado’s Ballot Measures

Start listening at 71:06 – Hour 2

Jay Davidson, CEO and founder of First American State Bank celebrating 30 years in business, applies Austrian economics principles to Colorado’s current ballot measures. He traces the intellectual lineage from Ludwig von Mises through F.A. Hayek’s “The Road to Serfdom” to Milton Friedman’s “Free to Choose,” explaining how economic freedom and true freedom are inseparable.

Davidson and Monson dissect Propositions LL and MM, which they characterize as attempts to circumvent TABOR protections. Proposition LL asks to keep $12 million in excess revenue from Proposition FF’s school meals program, while Proposition MM seeks $95 million in new taxes with progressive income tax structures. Davidson notes that when 1 percent of taxpayers pay almost 50 percent of all taxation, the progressive tax system has become punitive.

The conversation extends to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s $950 million bond package, which Davidson and Monson argue actually costs nearly $1.9 billion with interest payments. They criticize the framing that claims “no new taxes” when the bonds extend existing tax burdens that would otherwise sunset.

“And the whole idea was, for the first time in recorded history, a nation was based on the sanctity of the individual.”

Jay Davidson, CEO of First American State Bank