The Myth of the Robber Barons and Cutting Grocery Taxes

On March 4, 2024, Jeff Toborg, Brian Joondeph, and Burt Folsom joined the show. Announced a grassroots campaign to repeal Parker’s grocery tax, feminine product tax, and diaper tax through citizen petition, arguing these regressive taxes hurt families during inflationary times Described visiting Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most isolated and strange countries, and analyzed Nikki Haley’s D Distinguished between political entrepreneurs who failed.

Cutting Grocery Taxes Through Citizen Initiative

Start listening at 17:09 – Hour 1

Jeff Toborg, Mayor of Parker, Colorado, announces a citizen initiative to repeal the town’s grocery tax, as well as taxes on feminine products and diapers. Acting as a private citizen rather than in his official capacity, Toborg explains that the town council declined to put the measure on the ballot themselves, so he and fellow citizens are gathering the 7,500 signatures needed by July 1st to get the question before voters in November.

Toborg argues that grocery taxes are the most regressive form of taxation, hitting families hardest during times of high inflation. He points to neighboring communities like Lone Tree, Castle Pines, Aurora, and Denver that do not tax groceries and manage their budgets successfully. Rather than replacing the lost revenue, Toborg advocates building a strong economy to grow the tax base organically, citing recent success in attracting data centers to North Parker.

“When the government raises taxes on you, do they come to Kim? Do they come to Jeff and say, hey, how is your family going to make up the revenue in your home? They don’t.”

Jeff Toborg, Mayor of Parker

Turkmenistan: The World’s Strangest Country

Start listening at 31:38 – Hour 1

Dr. Brian Joondeph describes his recent trip to Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic he calls a combination of the Las Vegas Strip and North Korea. The country, ruled by a familial dictatorship, has used natural gas revenues to build the capital city of Ashgabat into a gleaming metropolis of white marble buildings, ornate lampposts, and monuments celebrating independence.

Despite the pristine appearance, the streets are eerily empty of people, internet access is heavily restricted, and all cars in the capital must be white or silver by presidential decree. Joondeph notes the irony of being able to read Wikipedia articles about human rights abuses in Turkmenistan while visiting. The country receives only about 10,000 foreign visitors annually, making it one of the least-visited nations on earth.

“I would describe it as a combination of the Las Vegas Strip and North Korea.”

Dr. Brian Joondeph, Writer

The 2024 Presidential Race and Deep State Politics

Start listening at 49:10 – Hour 1

Joondeph analyzes Nikki Haley’s Washington D.C. primary victory, arguing it reveals her support base among the administrative state and ruling class rather than representing genuine momentum. He contends that Haley remains in the race only as a contingency plan should something remove Trump from contention, noting that her endorsers represent the establishment wing of the Republican Party.

Looking at the broader stakes, Joondeph warns that four more years of current policies on open borders, mounting national debt, and foreign entanglements could cause irreparable harm to the country. He expresses cautious optimism that Trump has learned from his first term about personnel decisions and working within the constraints of the administrative state.

“This is kind of our last gasp. And I don’t even know that it’s a limit to what Trump can do, because, again, he’s up against the administrative state, a bunch of non-elected bureaucrats.”

Dr. Brian Joondeph, Writer

Debunking the Robber Baron Myth

Start listening at 69:29 – Hour 2

Professor Burt Folsom, Distinguished Fellow at Hillsdale College and author of The Myth of the Robber Barons, argues that American prosperity grew from entrepreneurship rather than government subsidies. He draws a crucial distinction between political entrepreneurs who sought government favors and failed, like the subsidized Union Pacific Railroad, versus market entrepreneurs who succeeded without federal aid, like James J. Hill’s Great Northern Railroad.

Folsom highlights the 40-year period from 1865 to 1905 as producing the greatest outpouring of inventions in human history, including the telephone, typewriter, adding machine, light bulb, phonograph, movies, automobile, and airplane. Remarkably, most of these inventors, including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and the Wright Brothers, had little or no college education. The federal government even subsidized Samuel Langley to invent the airplane, but he failed completely just nine days before the Wright Brothers succeeded.

“Two bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio, and they did it.”

Burt Folsom, Distinguished Fellow, Hillsdale College

Free Markets, Innovation, and Modern Entrepreneurs

Start listening at 91:00 – Hour 2

Folsom connects historical lessons to modern debates about subsidies and green energy. He notes that Henry Ford experimented extensively with ethanol as automobile fuel but ultimately concluded that gasoline was simply more cost-efficient. Wind turbines and other subsidized green technologies face the same problem: if they were truly cost-effective, the market would adopt them without government mandates.

Discussing Elon Musk, Folsom acknowledges his initial skepticism about Musk’s government connections but has revised his view after reading Walter Isaacson’s biography. He sees Musk as following Henry Ford’s approach: thinking outside the box, producing competitive products at lower prices, and transforming industries like rocket technology that established contractors had stagnated. Folsom remains optimistic about American entrepreneurship and the potential for limited government to unleash innovation.

“I didn’t know I wanted an iPhone 15 years ago. Steve Jobs knew I wanted an iPhone before I did. I mean, that’s the kind of creative entrepreneurship.”

Burt Folsom, Distinguished Fellow, Hillsdale College