State-Forced Zoning, Orchestrated Protests, and Angels for America’s Fallen

On the February 5, 2026 broadcast, Kim Monson examines Colorado’s escalating property rights battle as HB26-1001 threatens local zoning authority, explores the well-funded machinery behind anti-ICE protests, draws lessons from the Whiskey Rebellion for today’s tariff debates, spotlights a nonprofit supporting over 16,000 children of fallen military and first responders, and welcomes a Weld County Sheriff candidate focused on constitutional accountability.

Lakewood Zoning Referendum Rallies Regional Support

Start listening at 7:08 – Hour 1

Karen Gordey, owner of Radiant Painting and Lighting and a driving force behind the Lakewood Citizens Alliance, reports that the Lakewood City Council voted to send zoning ordinances to a special election on April 7. Ballots will be mailed starting March 16, and the election is mail-in only with no in-person voting option. Gordey announces a significant development: the coalition has joined forces with Rooted in Littleton, a similar citizens group from a neighboring community, bringing additional volunteers and resources to the campaign.

She warns residents to watch for their ballots and not dismiss unexpected mid-March mail. The Lakewood Citizens Alliance website serves as the hub for information and volunteer coordination. The zoning provisions at stake mirror much of what HB26-1001 would impose statewide, including the conversion of schools and other properties into housing and the permanent removal of citizens’ voices from development decisions. Gordey draws a direct connection between the local referendum and the broader legislative threat, suggesting HB26-1001 may serve as a backup plan if Lakewood citizens succeed in blocking the local ordinances.

“We have met with Rooted in Littleton and we’ve joined forces. Rooted in Littleton has said we will help you in any way, shape or form, including our volunteers, and so we are bringing an army to this fight.”

Karen Gordey, Owner, Radiant Painting and Lighting

Colorado’s Most Egregious Zoning Legislation Bypasses Local Authority

Start listening at 22:32 – Hour 1

Ramey Johnson, a former Colorado state legislator and Lakewood city councilwoman who serves on the Colorado Union of Taxpayers board, calls HB26-1001 the worst piece of legislation she has ever encountered. The bill gives nonprofits and school districts the ability to develop affordable housing while bypassing local planning processes and comprehensive plans in 115 Colorado cities.

Johnson highlights a critical concern: Jefferson County has closed upward of 20 schools as enrollment declines, and HB26-1001 would allow those school-owned properties to be developed without community input. She argues that the land and buildings belong to the people, not the school districts, and surrounding homeowners deserve a say in what happens next door. RTD transit land faces a similar threat under the bill. The Colorado Municipal League opposes HB26-1001, and Johnson notes the bill strips away the foundation of responsible growth and balanced planning that has historically operated at the local level.

Johnson connects the housing push to a larger social engineering agenda, comparing high-density developments to controlled environments designed to keep populations concentrated and manageable. She warns that changing housing patterns will permanently alter voting demographics across Colorado and urges listeners to use the CUT Engaged tool at ColoradoTaxpayer.org to contact their legislators directly.

“I think any time I look at legislation, Kim, I ask myself, who’s going to win and who’s going to lose? And the people that are going to win are the developers. And the developers are starting to own this state. Developers from outside of this state. The government is going to win. It’s going to get bigger. The staff and people that are unelected. But who are the losers? It’s us. It’s autonomy and it’s freedom. That’s what the losers are.”

Ramey Johnson, CUT Board Member and Former State Legislator

Orchestrated Protests and the Cloward-Piven Playbook

Start listening at 38:12 – Hour 1

Susan Kochevar, entrepreneur and owner of the historic 88 Drive-In Theater celebrating its 50th year, traces the organized nature of anti-ICE protests sweeping blue cities back to a coordinated network of donors and foundations. She references documentation showing how dozens of ostensibly independent groups push identical narratives simultaneously, funded by the same sources and filing the same kinds of lawsuits with identical messaging.

Kochevar identifies the Cloward-Piven strategy at work: overwhelm institutions, delegitimize authority, exhaust the public, then step in as the solution. She and Monson draw parallels to the Bolshevik Revolution, noting how a small but loud minority can dominate through organization and intimidation while the majority simply wants to live their lives. The politics of envy serves as the recruitment tool for people who genuinely believe the manufactured outrage.

The conversation turns to tariffs and founding-era economics. Kochevar notes that Alexander Hamilton advocated moderate tariffs to nurture American manufacturing, and argues that the current tariff strategy combined with regulatory reduction explains why predicted inflation spikes have not materialized. She urges listeners to study history’s patterns rather than accept the 24-hour news cycle’s framing, and to counter the darkness with beauty, classical music, great books, and foundational truth.

“What we’re seeing now has the same donors, the same foundations, the same year, dozens of independent groups all pushing the same narratives at the same time. It’s just, it’s all horribly orchestrated. They sell protests as spontaneous outrage. It’s not the people uprising at all. It’s elites pulling the strings.”

Susan Kochevar, Owner, 88 Drive-In Theater

Spring Market Momentum and a Golden Gem

Start listening at 64:17 – Hour 2

Award-winning realtor Karen Levine of RE/MAX Alliance reports strong activity in the metro Denver residential market as mild February weather draws buyers out early. Competing offers have returned on some properties, and she expects more inventory between now and April as the spring selling season gains momentum. Interest rates remain steady after the Federal Reserve took no new action.

Levine highlights a ranch-style home at 17537 West 59th Place in Golden, listed at $897,250. The four-bedroom property sits on 1,800 finished square feet with a partially finished basement that could bring the total to 3,300 square feet. An oversized three-car garage with an extra-deep third bay accommodates hobby vehicles, and the cul-de-sac location backs up to North Table Mountain for privacy and views. The home was built by a quality small entrepreneurial builder in 1994.

The listing carries a personal story: Levine represented the builder who sold the home to the current owners three decades ago, and after maintaining that relationship, they chose her to handle the sale. She considers that continuity a testament to the trust-based approach she brings to every transaction.

“I’ve kept in touch with these folks, these homeowners, for over 30 years. And when their situation changed and it was time to make a change in their real estate, they said, we want you to represent us. And that always makes me feel good that I serve them well over the years.”

Karen Levine, RE/MAX Alliance Realtor

Supporting Children of America’s Fallen Heroes

Start listening at 72:58 – Hour 2

Joe Lewis, a military veteran who served in the Army National Guard, Marine Corps, and Air Force, co-founded Angels of America’s Fallen in 2013 after losing friends in every branch of the military, including two Marines who had babies on the way they never got to meet. The nonprofit enrolls children of fallen military and first responders in extracurricular activities with coaches and instructors in their local communities, addressing a gap between initial grief counseling and adult scholarships.

Angels supported 635 children in activities last year, with an average enrollment length of 8.8 years per child. The organization commits to keeping each enrolled child engaged until age 19, creating a significant long-term financial obligation funded entirely by donations at $3,000 per child per year. More than 16,000 children have lost a military or first responder parent since September 11, 2001, and the current waiting list stands at over 800 children.

Lewis reveals that approximately one-third of supported children lost their parent to suicide, a crisis affecting both military veterans and first responders who accumulate trauma throughout their careers. The nonprofit’s case managers provide year-round follow-up and connect families to peer support networks that prove particularly impactful for young widows navigating survival mode alone. The upcoming Angel Gala on April 18 at the Hotel Polaris in Colorado Springs will feature supported children performing the activities Angels funded, with keynote speaker Rachel Flick, widow of Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Flick.

“We have not failed to keep a child engaged once we’ve made that commitment to them because we take that commitment very, very seriously. And actually right now, as of the end of last year, of 2025, the average length of support for the child once they’re enrolled is 8.8 years.”

Joe Lewis, Co-Founder, Angels of America’s Fallen

A Constitutional Sheriff for Weld County

Start listening at 102:34 – Hour 2

Phil Lukens, a veteran law enforcement officer running for Weld County Sheriff, pitches himself as a balanced constitutional defender who will protect all amendments, not just the Second. His career spans the Lafayette, Erie, Louisville, and Alliant police departments, the CU Boulder Police Department, and a current assignment as director of police at TF Green International Airport in Providence, Rhode Island.

Lukens identifies three priorities: strengthening constitutional protections across the board, including Fourth and Eighth Amendment concerns at the Weld County jail where a significant lawsuit is pending; modernizing policing with responsible technology adoption; and increasing transparency and voter-driven accountability. He cites a troubling example: Weld County is one of only two sheriff’s offices in Colorado now requiring notarized documents for public records requests, a hurdle even Denver and Boulder do not impose.

On ICE cooperation, Lukens supports collaboration to remove criminals from communities while preserving law enforcement discretion for case-by-case evaluation that protects taxpayers from unwarranted liability. He distinguishes himself by petitioning directly to voters rather than seeking caucus endorsements, arguing that the people, not party insiders, should determine who appears on the ballot.

“I’m a balanced constitutional defender. I’m not just going to defend the Second Amendment, but we need to deal with the search and seizure issue and we need to deal with, you know, cruel and unusual punishment, right? So I say all of the amendments to the Constitution are absolutely important.”

Phil Lukens, Candidate for Weld County Sheriff