1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: To night. Michael Brown joins me here, the former FEMA 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 1: director of talk show host Michael Brown. Brownie, No, Brownie, 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: You're doing a heck of a job the Weekend with 4 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: Michael Brown broadcasting Life in Denver, Colorado. You've tuned into 5 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: the Weekend with Michael Brown. Happy to have you joining 6 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: in the program today. Rules of engagement Text any question 7 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: or comment to this number on your message app three 8 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: three one zero three three three one zero three. Start 9 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: your message with one of two keywords, either Mike or Michael. 10 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: Go follow me on ex at Michael Brown USA, at 11 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: Michael Brown USA for years now, Ken you know, having 12 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: dinner with friends last night and bringing the story came up, 13 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: and then I went home last night I started digging 14 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: around trying to find out more information about it. But 15 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: conservative Californians have just been leaving the state in droves 16 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: because they went to escape all the radical and of 17 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: course the social and economic policies of Governor Newsom, and 18 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: all this fellows socialists and Marxists in the California State Assembly. Likewise, 19 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: New York City elect O fram Mom Donnie promising socialism 20 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 1: for the Big Apple. He's still out there talking about 21 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 1: how he wants to implement a rent freeze, which will 22 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: just destroy the rental market in New York. But you know, 23 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: residents are considering moving out of New York because they 24 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: want to find a place where they can actually afford 25 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: to make a living. You ever thought about that phrase, 26 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: they want to afford to make a living. So across 27 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: the country, Americans are voting with their feet because they 28 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: want to avoid politicians that don't represent their core values, 29 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: or for that matter, politicians who don't care about their 30 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: economic well being. But it's not only conservatives that are 31 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: picking up you hauls and heading into the heartland in 32 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: search of the American dream. And this is what bugs me. 33 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: Democrats in Republican states are putting up for sale signs 34 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: and moving to places where they can congregate with their 35 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: neighbors who share their worldview. At the beginning of the program, 36 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: I forget what the context was because I've since moved 37 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 1: on from the first hour. Oh you're talking about Henry 38 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: Quayar on that pardon, But I mentioned Texas, and Texas 39 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: is a great example of this. Texas is the holy 40 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: grail for Democrats because with all of their electoral votes, 41 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 1: if they could turn Texas blue, then they could own 42 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 1: the presidency for the rest of our lifetimes. However, what 43 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: they're doing is when and I'll get into more details 44 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: in just a minute. They're picking up and they may 45 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: be moving, say from a rural part, you know, maybe 46 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: they're moving from Amarillo, Texas out in the Panhandle, and 47 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: instead they're moving down to Dallas, Fort Worth or San 48 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: Antonio or Waco or Austin or Harris County, Texas, which 49 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: includes all of Houston, and so they're turning those areas 50 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 1: purple and then blue. The same thing happened in Colorado 51 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: twenty years ago. Three three leading Democrats, a big tech giant, 52 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: our current governor who used to be a congressman, and 53 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: a heiress to a medical device fortune got together and 54 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: created what was called the Blueprint, and they used that 55 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: blueprint as their way. They were going to pretty much 56 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: invade the front range of Colorado. If you look at 57 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: a map of Colorado, many people think, for example, that 58 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: Denver is up in the mountains. Denver is not in 59 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: the mountains. The mountains are, I mean, they're close to us, 60 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: but we're pretty much flat landers. If you've ever been 61 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: to Calgary, Canada, we're not quite as far away from 62 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: the Rocky Mountains as Calgary is, say getting up into 63 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: the bamf area, but where you know. You get out 64 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: to Golden Colorado suburb of Denver and you start heading 65 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: up I seventy, you're in the mountains, but everything else 66 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: is flatland. Same as true if you're looking again looking 67 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: at the map of Colorado, say from Fort Collins down 68 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 1: through Loveland, Longmont, Boulders up against the mountains, the People's 69 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: Republic of Boulder, and then Denver, Lakewood, Broomfield. I'm gonna 70 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: leave out different places. But then you get into Littleton, 71 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: the Highlands, ranch into the Castle Rock, get down into 72 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,919 Speaker 1: Colorado Springs. That's the Front Range, and it's called the 73 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 1: Front Range because we're up against the Rocky mountains. That 74 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: area has turned Colorado blue. Now there's still pockets of blue. 75 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: You get to some of the hoity toy places like 76 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: Aspen or Vale or tell your Ride, and they're definitely 77 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: blue counties. But the rest of the state, just in 78 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: terms of square miles, we should be a red state. 79 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 1: But the problem is most of the population is in 80 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: the Front Range. All in all, though it's conservative leaning residents. 81 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: Going back to the general topic, it's conservative leaning residents 82 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: who think that their quality of life in these Democrats 83 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: strongholds is bad enough to break ties with communities where 84 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: sometimes they and their families have lived for generations. The 85 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 1: New York Times had a story where they found that 86 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: nine million more people moved from blue states to red 87 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: states over the past twenty years than the other way around. 88 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: David Brooks, who is the putitive the so called conservative 89 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: calumnists for the New York Times, elaborates this way. He 90 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: says the quote. Between twenty ten and twenty twenty, the 91 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: fastest growing states were mostly red places like Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, 92 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: South Carolina, and during the pandemic that trend accelerated, and 93 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: once again most of the big population gaining states are 94 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 1: governed by Republicans. If you go back farther, you see 95 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: decade after decade of migration toward the more conservative South. 96 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: But they're not moving in search of warmer weather or 97 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: simply because they don't like having a Democrat governor. It 98 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: has to do with what has I would say, over 99 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 1: the past six weeks has become the buzzword affordability. At 100 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: dinner last night, I heard my wife say to a 101 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:46,720 Speaker 1: friend of hers that she had bought chicken breass and 102 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: they seem to be slightly less expensive. I wasn't really 103 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: they were talking. The girls were talking about something else, 104 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: and I didn't hear a lot about it, but I 105 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: heard her say that chicken breas seemed to be a 106 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: little cheaper. And then we got to gas, and I said, well, gas, 107 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: I paid two dollars seventy seven cents a gallon for 108 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: premium unleaded just a few days ago, which shocked them 109 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: because they live in another suburb. And the cheapest they 110 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: found that four was three sixteen. Prices for many things 111 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: have come down, and the rate of inflation is obviously 112 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: dropped from the highs of you know, down to a reasonable, 113 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: you know, what's pretty normal two percent. But we still 114 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: have an affordability problem because that increased inflation, particularly during 115 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: COVID Inflation Reduction Act, and you know, all of those 116 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 1: brillions of dollars spent by some by Trump and mostly 117 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: by Biden established a new baseline. And that baseline means 118 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: that even though prices may have come down, and my 119 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: wife recognizes that chicken breast costs have them down, it's 120 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: only down from the newly established higher baseline. A few 121 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: years back, the American Enterprise Institute analyzed data from the 122 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: Census Bureau trying to answer a question, are there any 123 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: significant differences between the top ten inbound and top ten 124 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: outbound states when they are compared on a variety of 125 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: measures of political party control, business climate, business and individual taxes, 126 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: physical health, electricity, housing costs, economic performance and outlook, and 127 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:47,079 Speaker 1: labor market dynamists dynamism. What did the aae AEI American 128 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: Enterprise Institute find out? That's next, I'll be right back. 129 00:08:58,000 --> 00:08:59,839 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Weekend with Michael Brown. Glad to 130 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: have you with me. Do me a favor and subscribe 131 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: to the podcast. Would you do that for me? On 132 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: your podcast app? Search for the Situation with Michael Brown, 133 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,679 Speaker 1: The Situation with Michael Brown. Once you find that, hit 134 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 1: that subscribe button, leave a five star review that helps 135 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: us spread out the podcast even further, and then that 136 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: will automatically download the weekday program that I do Monday 137 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: through Friday here in Denver, plus the weekend program, so 138 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: you'll get all six days of meet So what did 139 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: Who's moving where and why? Well, here's what the American 140 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 1: Enterprise Institute found the evidence suggests that Americans are moving 141 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: from blue states that are more economically stagnant, fiscally unhealthy 142 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,599 Speaker 1: states with higher tax burdens and unfriendly business climates with 143 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: higher energy and housing costs and few economic and job opportunities, 144 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 1: from there too, to fiscally sound red states that are 145 00:09:55,440 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: more economically vibrant, dynamic, and business friendly, with lower attacks 146 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:03,959 Speaker 1: and regulatory burdens, lower energy and housing costs, and more 147 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: economic and job opportunities. Does it take a rocket scientist 148 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 1: to figure out that one of those two is a 149 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: good thing and one is a bad thing. Now, before 150 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 1: I get into more details about what this study shows, 151 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:25,559 Speaker 1: I want you to stop for a moment and instead 152 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: just put the idea about who moves where and why 153 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: aside for just a moment. Can you do it? Come on, 154 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 1: come on, you guys can do this now. I want 155 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: you to think about this. The politicians like I have 156 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 1: here in Colorado, Governor Jared Polis, a billionaire dumbass who 157 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: likes to focus on importing gray wolves into the state 158 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: or forcing the public utilities to comply with a Public 159 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: Utilities Commission rule that everything has to become electrified by 160 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: a certain date in order to reduce our emissions, and 161 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: wants to create more affordable housing, but does so by 162 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,559 Speaker 1: a bunch of grifting and corruption involving all these developers 163 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: and getting housing vouchers and payments from taxpayers for bonds 164 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: and bul I mean, it's horrific. Colorado is one of 165 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: the most expensive places to live. It's horrible. I actually 166 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 1: despise it. I love my state. My grandparents settled in 167 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: this state back during the dust Bowl. They would look 168 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: at it today and go, what the hell happened to 169 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: you guys, And I'd say, well, twenty years ago, Republicans 170 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,319 Speaker 1: were asleep with the switch. Somebody came up with a 171 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: roadmap about how they were going to turn this state 172 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: into a Democrat hello, and Republicans just were whistling dicks 173 00:11:52,960 --> 00:12:00,120 Speaker 1: against and let it happen. And here we are. And truthfully, 174 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: I really don't. I mean, I suppose if I were 175 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: really going to move, I would move, you know, I 176 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 1: might move where. You know, well, one of my children 177 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: is still here, my adult kids. One's down in Arizona. 178 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: I've got the house down in New Mexico. But I 179 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: like Colorado. I like the climate, I like the amenities 180 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: and things, But holy cow, it's crazy. So think about 181 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 1: the politicians when we see the data that says, oh, 182 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,680 Speaker 1: you're a blue state governor, and people are now a 183 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: lot of people still move into Colorado simply because of 184 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: our climate and geography, because of our sports team's heritages, 185 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: because it's a beautiful state, so we have a natural draw. 186 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 1: But then they get here and then they realize, holy cow, 187 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: my car insurance is what, my home insurance is. What 188 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:09,199 Speaker 1: I know. My sales tax is somewhat high. But when 189 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: I look at all the fees I pay that are 190 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: truly taxes, but you call them fees. And we have 191 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: a flat income tax, but you want to convert it 192 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:22,079 Speaker 1: to a progressive income tax. Why am I here? Why 193 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: am I here? Yes, Purple Mountains, majesties, But oh I 194 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: could take a vacation instead. I just for the life 195 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: of me, cannot understand what I do understand. And I'm 196 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,959 Speaker 1: gonna tell you why. It amazes me how blue state 197 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: politicians continue to pursue their ideology because they are truly 198 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: so dogmatic in their beliefs that they cannot see that 199 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 1: what they are doing is killing the goose that lays 200 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: the golden egg. And that's what's happening in these blue states. 201 00:13:54,480 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: But they're so blinded by their desire for power, for control, 202 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:06,479 Speaker 1: for turning, you know, for being the first to successfully 203 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: turn a democratic, constitutional republic into a socialist or Marxist utopia, 204 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: that they're not going to change. And it drives me 205 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: backcrap crazy. The decision to move to another state with 206 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: a friendly, er political environment. I understand that that's pretty 207 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: easy to understand, but still, economic conditions should not be 208 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: so different, so divergent from state to state to cause 209 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: people to pick up their kids out of schools, or 210 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: to break important bonds with their neighbors, their churches, their work. 211 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: To move from one town to another's one thing, but 212 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: there's certainly a clear segment of our society that feels 213 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: the American dream is simply not possible where they live, 214 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: so they're just going to uproot everything and go somewhere else. Now, 215 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 1: we've always been a mobile society, and I think will 216 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: always be a mobile society. But what fascinates me and 217 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: discuss me are the politicians in the Blue states that 218 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: continue to destroy their states all to try to achieve 219 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: their socialist Marxist goals. Well, the very people that fund 220 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 1: that are leaving in droves. See if I can find it. 221 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: Real quickly, I had a text message that, uh here 222 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: it is from Guber number thirty one to fifteen, Mike. 223 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: Washington State has become a hell hole. People are leaving 224 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: along with businesses due to our high record to our 225 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: record high tax budget that our imbecilic governor approved. Meta 226 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: Facebook just pulled five building leases out of the state. 227 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: Amazon and Meta just let go of a bunch of 228 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: corporate employees. Our stupid government answer more taxes. It's awful 229 00:15:53,640 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: and we're stuck. That's what boggles my mind that the 230 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 1: data is right in front of these governors and for 231 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: that matter, of the legislators to see that they're destroying 232 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: their own states, and yet they don't do it. That's 233 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: the economic side of it. And I, as I said, 234 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: the decision to move to another state with a friendly 235 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: or political environment, that's certainly understandable. I mean, I can 236 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:25,600 Speaker 1: tell you it's absolute hell living in Colorado and listening 237 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: to some of the dumb ass rey coming out of 238 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: the Colorado polit Bureau or the governor's mouth. It's amazing. 239 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: What I wouldn't give for even a at this point 240 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: I'd be happy with a moderate governor, just somebody that 241 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: understood basic economies, that understood the whole Laffer curve, that 242 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 1: understood that growth has to come from the private sector, 243 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: not from more government employees or more government programs. But 244 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: here's the kicker from this study. It's not all about 245 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: identity with a political party or a certain political movement. 246 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: Axio says that politics isn't the main reason people consider 247 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 1: moving to another state. The biggest drivers are more likely 248 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 1: to be economic reasons, the cost of living in jobs, 249 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:21,119 Speaker 1: or personal or family reasons. Now that may be true, 250 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:26,919 Speaker 1: the political ideology has a direct impact on all of 251 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,360 Speaker 1: those other things, the economic reasons, the cost of living, jobs, 252 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:35,160 Speaker 1: personal and family reasons. Of course, political ideology affects that, 253 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: and they don't get it. They absolutely don't get it. 254 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: But at some point I don't necessarily want to be around. 255 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: It'll all go to hell in a handbasket and some 256 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 1: wady all wake up and go, oh, there's a different 257 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 1: way of doing things. It's the weekend with Michael Brown. 258 00:17:53,680 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: Hang tight, I'll be right back tonight. Michael Brown joins 259 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: me here. The former FEMA director of talk show host 260 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:07,439 Speaker 1: Michael Brown Brownie no, Brownie, you're doing a heck of 261 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:12,640 Speaker 1: a job. The Weekend with Michael Brown broadcasting life from Denver, Colorado. 262 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: It's the Weekend of Michael brownl I'm glad you joined 263 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: the program today. Text line, of course, has always open, 264 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: whether you're listening live, delayed or in podcast. On your 265 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:24,879 Speaker 1: message app the numbers three three, one zero three. Just 266 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 1: use the keyword Mike or Michael. Tell me anything, ask 267 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: me anything, and then do me a favor. Go follow 268 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,959 Speaker 1: me on x at Michael Brown USA. So I'm we 269 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:39,440 Speaker 1: were talking about everybody moving from state state, but one 270 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: of the reasons that people move is obviously because of costs, 271 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 1: and costs of living in any particular place can be prohibiting. 272 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: And I find it fascinating that politicians don't understand that 273 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:59,440 Speaker 1: in pursuit of their idealistic yet unrealistic goals, whether that 274 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: be because of so called climate change, or it's because 275 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: they have a secret, kind of subliminal desire to control 276 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 1: every aspect of your life. And I'll give you an example. 277 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 1: I really want to talk about electricity. You tuned, didn't 278 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,679 Speaker 1: talk about electricity. Yeah, well that's what you're gonna get. 279 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,639 Speaker 1: But before I talk about electricity. I want to I 280 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:28,399 Speaker 1: want to mention roads because in Colorado, in fact, I'm 281 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 1: in the process of trading cars, and I'm doing it 282 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:35,399 Speaker 1: with an out of state dealer, and the out of 283 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 1: state dealer even even from a state that is well, 284 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 1: I'm guessing twelve hundred miles from me. Maybe not quite 285 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 1: that far, but far enough away that I didn't want 286 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 1: to go drive to pick up the car. So they're 287 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: going to transport. He said, oh, yeah, you guys have 288 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: really bad roads. How do you know that? And he goes, well, 289 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 1: you have bad roads because of putation. You have bad 290 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 1: roads because we've sold cars in your state before and 291 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:05,960 Speaker 1: people have had bitch and moaned about you know, blah 292 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: blah blah blah. And he says, and of course I've 293 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 1: been to Colorado. Oh, so now we get to the 294 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,679 Speaker 1: real truth. So you've actually driven here. So whether you 295 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: were coming along I seventy or coming down the twenty five, 296 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: you hit the state line and the first thing you 297 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:25,280 Speaker 1: hit was a bothole. Yes, that's exactly right. Do you 298 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 1: know why we have bad roads in Colorado? Now, to 299 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 1: be objective, I will first say it's because of our climate. 300 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: For example, today is a gorgeous state. Let me look 301 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,200 Speaker 1: at my watch and see what the temps. It's forty 302 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: five degrees outside right now. Now, if you live in 303 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: a really cold climate, you may think, what, that's balmy, 304 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: that's really good. Well I think it's good too, because 305 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,479 Speaker 1: earlier this week we were in the zeros and the teens, 306 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 1: we had a cold front moved through. So when you 307 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: think about whether it's a concrete road, an asphalt road, 308 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 1: or anything, the melting and the thawing, the melting in 309 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,959 Speaker 1: the thawing, of course, tears up the asphalt, tears up 310 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: the concrete, and we have bad roads because of that. 311 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 1: But I don't believe that's the primary reason because other states, 312 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: let me look over my shoulder to the north. Oh yeah, 313 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: look at Wyoming. They've got it even worse than we do. 314 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: And their roads are one hundred percent better than Colorado. 315 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: So what's the difference. The difference is in Colorado we 316 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:29,160 Speaker 1: have a governor and a state legislature and a Department 317 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: of Transportation that is more focused. And I believe, I 318 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:38,200 Speaker 1: don't just believe this, I can qualify it. They want 319 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: us out of our cars, and part of that insanity 320 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: is they don't recognize again if you look at a 321 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 1: map of Colorado, I forget how many square miles we are, 322 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: but you know we're kind of a square state, and 323 00:21:56,280 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: we've got the eastern plains, We've got the Cotton Old 324 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:06,359 Speaker 1: Divide coming down across the you know, the what would 325 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 1: be the western one third of the state. And then 326 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 1: on the western slope you get back into a plains 327 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:14,680 Speaker 1: where you can grow wine and all sorts of fruit 328 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: and things. And then in southern Colorado you've got a 329 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: little mixture of both plains and mountains. Getting people out 330 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: of their cars, say on the eastern plains, where driving 331 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:29,679 Speaker 1: from in these towns won't mean anything to you unless 332 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 1: you live in Colorado. If you want to drive from 333 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: Sterling in the northeast corner down to Campo, which is 334 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 1: a little, tiny, tiny town barely I don't think even 335 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,879 Speaker 1: has a stop sign, let alone a stop light in 336 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:49,360 Speaker 1: it anymore, we'll take you all day long, all day 337 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 1: long to drive that. And they want they. When I 338 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:57,160 Speaker 1: say they, I'm referring to Governor Jared Polus, the Democrat 339 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 1: governor of the state, the legislator in the Colorado Pullet Bureau, 340 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: and the bureaucrats around the color of Colorado Department of Transportation. 341 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:09,400 Speaker 1: They don't think about those people because those people out 342 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,120 Speaker 1: on the eastern Plains, well, they're just the you know, 343 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,400 Speaker 1: they're the plebs out there. And while they provide all 344 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 1: the oil and natural gas and the wheat and soybeans 345 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 1: and the corn and the pheasant hunting and the quail 346 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: hunting and everything else that we need, no, no, we 347 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:26,400 Speaker 1: don't care about them. We only care about the cool 348 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: people that live in Denver and it's environs, and we 349 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:35,160 Speaker 1: want to get them out of their cars because well, 350 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 1: we have traffic jams like you're you're driving the five 351 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,360 Speaker 1: in California, the four oh five we got, we now 352 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 1: have traffic jams like that, or if you're driving a 353 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: ninety five on the East coast, we have traffic jams 354 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: like you'd have going around three ninety five in Washington, 355 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:53,239 Speaker 1: d C. We now have that in Denver. Maybe not 356 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: quite as bad, but eighty ninety percent as bad as 357 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:59,120 Speaker 1: what they are in those areas. And so they want 358 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: to get us out of our car cars, and they 359 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 1: want to reduce emissions. They are still hell bent on 360 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:11,119 Speaker 1: climate change. Now the rest of the state, the rural 361 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: areas need cars to get from point A to point B. 362 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: But here they'll take a four lane broadway a four 363 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: lane parkway, and they'll reduce it down to two lanes, 364 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 1: jamming up traffic. And they'll create bike lanes where there 365 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 1: are no bikers. Well, they'll create pedestrian walkways where there 366 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: are no pads, all in an attempt to try to 367 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,679 Speaker 1: get you out of your cars. They won't approve development 368 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: unless there happens to be a light rail station nearby, 369 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: because they're trying to get you on light rail, because 370 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 1: nobody will ride the light rail system or use public transportation, 371 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: which doesn't make any sense to me. It's impractical for 372 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: me to use. I wouldn't use it anyway. I like 373 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: the freedom and independence of my own vehicle and coming 374 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 1: and going when I damn well please. That's the American way. 375 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: But that's not the communist way. The communist way is 376 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: to jam you into a train, jam you into a bus, 377 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: jam you where it's difficult to drive because we got 378 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:14,880 Speaker 1: too many bike bike lanes but no bikers. That's why 379 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 1: we have lousy roads. The money doesn't go into maintaining 380 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 1: and rebuilding or expanding the roadways. It goes into all 381 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 1: that other bull crap, and the consequence of that is 382 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 1: you reduce the standard of living, you increase the cost 383 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:39,679 Speaker 1: of transportation. It costs you more in time, energy, and 384 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:42,879 Speaker 1: resources to go from home to work than it would 385 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,919 Speaker 1: if you actually spend the money, the tax dollars that 386 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:51,879 Speaker 1: we pay for roadbuilding on road building. That's what's wrong 387 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:56,040 Speaker 1: with the country is these left blue states like Colorado 388 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: and whatever's blue state you may live in, spends money 389 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:03,200 Speaker 1: on all all the wrong things. Now, let's swerve from 390 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: that to electricity. Because last winter, and I'm sure we're 391 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:11,679 Speaker 1: to hear it again this winter, that complain about surging 392 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 1: electric bills that people were having difficulty keeping up with 393 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: was prevalent up in the Northeast, including in Delaware and 394 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,440 Speaker 1: other states, leading to demands that state and local governments 395 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,200 Speaker 1: do something about the problem. But what they do. They 396 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 1: just shrugged their shoulders and blamed the cold weather. But 397 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: with a chilly start to winter already on taps for 398 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: different parts of the country, including a significant winter storm 399 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: that occurred over the Thanksgiving weekend the Midwest, I think 400 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,119 Speaker 1: that concern about electricity is real, and now it is back. 401 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 1: So what do they do? In a state like Colorado 402 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: where we already have exorbitant electric rates. Stay tuned, I'll 403 00:26:54,560 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: be right back. Thanks for listening to the Weekend with 404 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 1: Michael Brown. I know you have other things you could 405 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:09,120 Speaker 1: be doing on the weekend, but you decide to either 406 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: tune in and listen to it live or on a 407 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:15,119 Speaker 1: delayed broadcast, or on a podcast, and I appreciate you 408 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: doing that. So I hope you'll tell your friends and 409 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:20,960 Speaker 1: family and your people you're pissed off at and it'll 410 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 1: piss them off even more. But I do want to 411 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: always take an opportunity to tell you how much I 412 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: appreciate you listening. So we've been talking about this phenomenon, 413 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: which I think is just greater than it has been 414 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 1: in the past because we've always been in mobile society 415 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 1: and we've always moved from place to place. I know 416 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 1: a lot of people never leave their home state, but 417 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 1: other people tend to move, you know, halfway around the country, 418 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: halfway around the world. But in Colorado, the insanity of 419 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: why things are more expensive here is because of the 420 00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:02,400 Speaker 1: absolute ignorance and I think blind eye that our political 421 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:08,440 Speaker 1: leaders turned when it comes to basic economies. On December two, 422 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: just four days ago, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission finalized 423 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: a regulatory framework that I think exemplifies a fundamental logical 424 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:23,679 Speaker 1: contradiction in energy policy. They went to simultaneously force utilities 425 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: to dramatically reduce natural gas consumption because of those evil 426 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 1: emissions its fossil fuels, while mandating total electrification of residential 427 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: and commercial buildings and homes. Now, if you understand anything 428 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: at all, that approach ignores basic economics. It ignores technological 429 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 1: realities and the actual preferences and the financial circumstances of 430 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: consumers in Colorado. Their whole purpose is to reduce greenhouse 431 00:28:55,120 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: gas emissions from their systems, the utility systems by forty 432 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: one percent compared to a baseline established in twenty fifteen 433 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:09,480 Speaker 1: and an implicit target of complete elimination of natural gas 434 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: emissions by twenty fifty. So to do that, there's only 435 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 1: two ways easier. Either reduce methane leaks in existing pipelines, 436 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 1: or you've got to remove customers from the gas system entirely. 437 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 1: And since methane recovery and pipeline repairs alone would never 438 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 1: achieve a forty one percent reduction, let alone one hundred percent, 439 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:34,200 Speaker 1: the mandate is truly just trying to require forced electrification 440 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 1: of most residential and commercial buildings. And the logical problem 441 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: is start because our grid relies significantly on natural gas 442 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: generation to balance intermittent renewable sources are you know, because 443 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 1: the wind and solar is not permanent. It's intermittent and 444 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:55,520 Speaker 1: it can't meet the peak demand. The state maintains that 445 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: the Comanche coal facility we have down in southern Colorado 446 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 1: and Pueblo typically because the Public Utilities Commission recognize that 447 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 1: eliminating natural gas consumption while simultaneously electrifying buildings would create 448 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 1: dangerous supply gaps. Yet they are simultaneously pushing utilities and 449 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: rate payers to abandon natural gas while it demands for 450 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: electricity continues to surge. It's insane. The financial impact, and 451 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 1: this gets to the whole idea about why people move. 452 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 1: The financial impact on people living in Colorado will be staggering. 453 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: Let me emphasize that staggering because Colorado residential electric rates 454 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 1: currently average about fourteen zero point ninety two cents per 455 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: kilabate hour. Natural gas costs about ten dollars per thousand 456 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,479 Speaker 1: cubic feet. Now, when you convert those numbers to a 457 00:30:54,560 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 1: common energy unit, you'll find a brutal math electricity is 458 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: more than four times more expensive than natural gas on 459 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: a per unit of energy basis. Consider some specific costs 460 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 1: that families will face. Oh, they keep telling us, install 461 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 1: a heat pump, a cold climate heat pump like you 462 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,680 Speaker 1: need in suitable for Colorado costs between twelve and fifteen 463 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 1: thousand dollars out of pocket. That's just for an average 464 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:32,240 Speaker 1: twoth or three thousand square foot home. For many Colorado 465 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: families they're struggling with just housing affordability. Or if you're 466 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: a builder and you're going to put that into a 467 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: new home, you've just added at least fifteen thousand dollars 468 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 1: to the cost of a new home, all because of 469 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 1: a stupid regulation. And then politicians wonder why people leave 470 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 1: the state or leave your state, because I know this 471 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:57,360 Speaker 1: is the kind of dumb assy that goes on in 472 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 1: blue states all over the country. Two, there's a twenty 473 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 1: twenty three cost comparison analysis that compares efficient gas to 474 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: all electric homes, and that study found the switching from 475 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 1: natural gas to electric heat pumps would increase annual energy 476 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:20,120 Speaker 1: costs by one hundred and twelve percent that accounts or 477 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: converts to an additional one thousand, seven hundred dollars per 478 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 1: year just to maintain your home. There's another study that 479 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 1: found that high efficiency gas heating costs eight hundred and 480 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: fifteen dollars on an annual basis compared to more than 481 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 1: thirteen hundred dollars for electrified homes, a seventy percent increase. Now, 482 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 1: if you're living on the margins or you're living paycheck 483 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 1: to paycheck, that may not seem like, oh, Michael, eight 484 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 1: hundred dollars annually to thirteen hundred dollars, that's five hundred bucks. 485 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 1: It's still a seventy percent increase. And you're telling me that, oh, 486 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 1: people can just absorb that. No, and think about this, 487 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 1: the older the house that you live in, the worst 488 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,520 Speaker 1: of the economics, because older homes electrified would cost at 489 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: least fifteen hundred dollars a month, and that's a ninety 490 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:19,960 Speaker 1: two percent increase. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission has also 491 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 1: approved extending the operation of the Commanche cold plant, the 492 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: one down in southern Colorado I just mentioned, but at 493 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: the same time requiring utilities to invest in completely overhauling 494 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: the transmission lines to harden against wildfires, and so they 495 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:38,200 Speaker 1: can connect the new transmission lines to new solar and 496 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:42,040 Speaker 1: wind farms. Now, those are unavoidable fixed costs that amount 497 00:33:42,080 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: to hundreds of millions of dollars. They're going to be 498 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: passed on to consumers whether the demand grows or doesn't grow. 499 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: So the policy in Colorado creates a destructive spiral for 500 00:33:56,360 --> 00:34:00,200 Speaker 1: those least able to afford it. Now, if you're at 501 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:04,360 Speaker 1: least able to afford it, you either end up homeless 502 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,080 Speaker 1: or you pack up and go somewhere else. Now what 503 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 1: does that do to the average cost of a home? 504 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 1: You pack up and leave, so somebody you know runs in, 505 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: picks up that house, turns it into a rent property 506 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:24,400 Speaker 1: or an airbnb. So affluent Coloradins well, they can afford that. 507 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 1: So that's going to drive up housing costs, and you'll 508 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:33,400 Speaker 1: have fewer tax people to spread the tax burden around 509 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:36,880 Speaker 1: because those people went to a state that doesn't do 510 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:39,760 Speaker 1: this kind of insanity. And I know I'm picking on Colorado, 511 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 1: and I know it applies to your state too. It's 512 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,080 Speaker 1: just that you know, I can't do all fifty seven states. 513 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:46,880 Speaker 1: By the way, somebody said, you keep mentioning fifty seven states. 514 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:50,920 Speaker 1: We only have fifty? Is that right? Because Barack Obama 515 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:53,640 Speaker 1: told us back in twenty thirteen that he had visited 516 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:57,600 Speaker 1: all fifty seven states. I've got seven more to go. 517 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:03,400 Speaker 1: I've just got to find them. Lower income families in 518 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 1: Colorado that can't afford to install a heat pump. They'll 519 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 1: remain on the gas system, and they'll end up paying 520 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,239 Speaker 1: increasingly higher bills to cover both the stranded costs of 521 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:17,960 Speaker 1: maintaining the pipelines that are now serving fewer customers and 522 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 1: the utility subsidies for their wealthier neighbors getting electrified. So 523 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:27,200 Speaker 1: that will start a cycle, and as that cycle continues, 524 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:30,920 Speaker 1: the gas rates will continue to increase for the remaining customers, 525 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:35,160 Speaker 1: accelerating the exit of the next tier of affordability. So 526 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:38,480 Speaker 1: the ultimate outcome, do I have to spell it out? 527 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:45,000 Speaker 1: A regressive transfer of wealth from poor to affluent households, 528 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:51,480 Speaker 1: all justified in the name of climate policy. There's one 529 00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 1: Colorado community that illustrates this clearly. Atmost Energy projected that 530 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 1: a town called Gunnison. It's a beautiful city in the 531 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:03,920 Speaker 1: southwestern all around beautiful town. The residents would face more 532 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 1: than twelve hundred dollars annual increases from forced electrification, and 533 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:13,280 Speaker 1: then in smaller communities with limited scale, the per household 534 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:19,480 Speaker 1: cost burden becomes even more severe. It becomes even worse. 535 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 1: So when we look at people moving from state to state. Yes, 536 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: it's economics. But why don't the politicians recognize that. Oh, 537 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,439 Speaker 1: because they still want to impose their socialist utopia. That's 538 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:38,000 Speaker 1: why stop and thinking about that for a while. See 539 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:40,280 Speaker 1: what's going on in your state. Hey, thanks for tuning 540 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:43,279 Speaker 1: into the weekend. Everybody, have a great weekend. I'll see 541 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,799 Speaker 1: you next weekend.