An Ugly Housing Market, the Heroes of the West, and the Meaning of Independence

Kim Monson devotes this pre-recorded Independence Week broadcast to conversations about American freedom as the nation marks its 250th birthday. Western novelist Casey Nash describes a writing life of more than 140 books and a new title that honors Jim Bowie for America’s 250th. First American State Bank founder Jay Davidson argues that federal regulation and years of money printing are what make the housing market ugly. Excalibur Classical Academy headmaster Priscilla Rahn and Boesen Law attorney Jon Boesen each offer reflections on what independence means as the country turns 250.

A Western Novelist’s Tribute to America’s Heroes

Start listening at 01:07 – Hour 1

Casey Nash writes Western adventures at a pace few authors match, more than 140 books in print across three series, built on six to eight hours of writing a day. He told Kim Monson that his publisher, Dusty Saddle Publishing, gathered twelve authors to mark America’s 250th birthday with a monthly release about an American hero, and that he chose Jim Bowie. His contribution, Jubal Stone: U.S. Marshal: The Blade That Cuts Deep, folds the Bowie legend into his long-running Jubal Stone series set in the Texas of the 1880s. Nash described his books as clean, fast-moving stories in the tradition of Louis L’Amour, short enough to finish in one sitting and suitable for young readers.

“America loves her heroes and we have many.”

Casey Nash, Western novelist

A New Classical Academy Opens in Centennial

Start listening at 08:11 – Hour 1

Priscilla Rahn is opening Excalibur Classical Academy, a classical Christian school in Centennial, this fall for kindergarten through third grade, with full scholarships for its inaugural families. As headmaster, she tied the school’s mission to the founders’ own classical education and to the country’s 250th anniversary, pointing to state testing data showing most Colorado fourth graders fall short of grade level in math.

Why the Housing Market Signals a Deeper Problem

Start listening at 58:40 – Hour 2

Jay Davidson, founder and CEO of First American State Bank, drew on his recent American Thinker essay on the housing market to argue that government policy drives today’s housing costs. He pointed to federal regulation and red tape that he says push builders out of new projects, and to the roughly eight trillion dollars the Federal Reserve created through quantitative easing after 2008, which he argues devalued the dollar and now shows up as inflation at the grocery store. Davidson criticized a new Trump housing bill and Colorado’s urban growth boundaries for restricting supply, and he traced the deeper stakes to the individual’s right to own property. He and Monson closed the hour on the meaning of independence, with Davidson warning that envy-driven politics leads toward the confiscation of what citizens have earned.

“The right to ownership is the foundational right to your liberty.”

Jay Davidson, Founder and CEO of First American State Bank

An Attorney Reflects on the Founders’ Legacy

Start listening at 67:34 – Hour 2

Jon Boesen of Boesen Law reflected on the country’s 250th birthday, calling on Americans to honor the founders and defend the freedoms he says are under attack.