Consumer Freedom Under Fire: Cars, Data, and Tax Policy

On December 15, 2025, Kim Monson examines the battle for consumer choice in the automotive industry, the preservation of American values through Medal of Honor education, and Colorado’s decision to diverge from federal tax policy on tips and overtime, featuring automotive expert Lauren Fix, Center for American Values president Henry Jones, and entrepreneur Susan Kochevar.

Restoring Automotive Freedom Through Deregulation

Start listening at 30:22 – Hour 1

Lauren Fix breaks down the sweeping changes in automotive regulation under the Trump administration. The Freedom for Cars Act dismantles the Biden-era electric vehicle mandate that had forced automakers to produce vehicles at a loss or face billions in EPA fines. Fix explains how corporate average fuel economy standards forced manufacturers into impossible choices between massive fines and unprofitable vehicle lines.

The automaker’s push to remove AM and FM radio from vehicles represents a calculated effort to control consumer information access. Fix reveals that General Motors led the charge to eliminate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in favor of Google-based software, effectively limiting drivers to content the manufacturers can monitor and monetize. The bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act sits stalled in Congress despite overwhelming support, leaving emergency broadcast access vulnerable.

Fix warns about new vehicle tracking systems that function as ankle bracelets for cars, charging owners $250 plus monthly fees to monitor and limit their driving. Electric vehicles compound control concerns by revealing driver locations during extended charging sessions. The administration’s deregulation efforts restore consumer choice while rolling back what Fix characterizes as government overreach into personal mobility.

“You let the government get involved and and control everything you do, whether it be what you listen to in the car, how fast you drive or where you go, which is what all this big data is about.”

Lauren Fix, Car Coach Reports

Medal of Honor Recipients and the Preservation of American Values

Start listening at 13:55 – Hour 1

Henry Jones describes how the Center for American Values in Pueblo preserves the legacy of Medal of Honor recipients through 160 portraits displayed in their gallery. As a military brat who grew up doing book reports on Medal of Honor recipients, Jones found his calling when he met Major Drew Dix during the 2008 Denver Medal of Honor Convention while serving as the Denver Police Department’s protocol officer at Denver International Airport.

The center’s HIP program teaches Honor, Integrity, and Patriotism through the stories of recipients who represent every background in America. Jones emphasizes that Medal of Honor recipients include people of all religious backgrounds, economic circumstances, and education levels, from masters degree holders to high school dropouts. Their stories demonstrate that ordinary Americans can display extraordinary courage when circumstances demand it.

The center operates entirely on private donations without government funding. Jones encourages year-end contributions and highlights the Medal of Honor Quote Book as a meaningful Christmas gift that shares the wisdom of these American heroes.

“They represent America because you have Medal of Honor, recipients of all religious backgrounds, of all social, economical backgrounds, of all education.”

Henry Jones, President, Center for American Values

Colorado Decouples from Federal Tax Relief on Tips and Overtime

Start listening at 68:49 – Hour 2

Susan Kochevar explains how Colorado legislators quietly decoupled state tax law from federal provisions that would have exempted tips and overtime pay from taxation. While President Trump delivered on his campaign promise with a federal tax break allowing workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tip income through 2028, Colorado service workers will see no such relief. Representative Lorena Gonzalez sponsored the decoupling provision.

Kochevar demonstrates how young workers fail to understand the multiple layers of taxation eating their paychecks. A 10 percent sales tax means every dollar spent yields only 90 cents of purchasing power. Combined with income taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and Colorado’s mandatory family leave deductions, workers see their earnings diminish before any discretionary spending. Employers face matching requirements and property tax burdens that prevent wage increases.

The discussion connects government housing policy to broader affordability concerns. Subsidized housing arrangements guarantee developers market-rate returns while taxpayers cover income-adjusted rent differences, creating disincentives for residents to increase their earnings. Kochevar argues that financial literacy education must help young people understand they are essentially small businesses contracting with employers for their services.

“So when you walk into a business with a dollar, you only have 90 cents to spend on yourself.”

Susan Kochevar, Owner, 88 Drive-In Theater