Station:   KHOW, 630 AM

Show:      Michael Brown Show

Guests:    Brophy

Link:        http://www.khow.com/media/podcast-the-michael-brown-show-michaelbrown/

Date:       March 10, 2014

Topics:            Second Amendment, Commons Core Standards, Regulations, Income Taxes, Sales Tax, Property Taxes, Tax Reform, Education Reform, Outside Groups, Political Action Committees (PACs), Republican Primary, Beauprez, Tancredo, Brophy, Steve House, Gessler,, Governor Hickenlooper, Statewide Organization, Name Recognition, Name ID, Right to Work, South Dakot, 82^nd Airborne division, Honduras, Army Ranger, Gulf War, Hot Shot Firefighter, Pastor, Ministry, Fundraising, Ronald Reagan, Governor Bill Owens, Republican Caucus Chair, Minority Leader, Senior Management in Electric Utility, Blueprint for a Leaner Government, Gun Grabs, Judicial Appointments, Constructionist Judges, Tim Foster, Mesa University, Death Penalty, Nathan Dunlap, Article V, Balanced Budget Amendment, Obamacare, Florida, Arizona, Medicaid, 2^nd Amendment

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[the following are notes from an interview.  All portions are paraphrased from the questions and responses between the host and the guest.]

 

HOST MICHAEL BROWN:   We haven’t met b4

FORMER COLORADO STATE SENATOR & REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, MIKE KOPP:

• Across a crowded room once

BROWN:  Getting to know candidate personally, other than well-dressed and nice guy…. Tell me who the hell you are.

KOPP:

• I believe that family is at the center of society
  • Married to Shannon – amazing woman – I mean it sincerely
    • She’s an angel
    • I mean it sincerely
    • I feel like Shannon saved me
      • Gave me and my kids a new outlook for the future
      • I didn’t know that was possible
      • We met at a political breakfast
        • Took me 6 weeks to work up the courage to ask Shannon out
        • Introduction to kids was scary for me
    • 4 kids
    • Reagan:  All great change starts at the dinner table
    • Married before
      • Lost wife to cancer
      • I left the Senate where I was serving
      • Left to take care of kids
• I grew up in South Dakota
  • In a home that valued service
    • Dad was career Forester
    • Mom was a church secretary
    • Grew up riding bulls, hunting deer
• When I graduated HS in ‘87
  • Went to work for Ronald Reagan
  • Joined 82^ndAirborne division
    • Defining moment in my life:  when Reagan sent my unit to parachute into Honduras
    • Operation Golden Pheasant
    • CO said anyone who didn’t want to do this mission, could step out of formation
    • I made the jump—changed me forever
    • Proud of my military service
    • Became an Army Ranger
      • Served in 82^nd airborne division
      • Served in Gulf war
• Got out and became a Hot shot – fighting wildfires
  • Only time I ran for my life was on a fire in Idaho
  • Made a dramatic change
  • Became a pastor
  • For 7 years I was committed to that course
  • Invested myself in trying to help people

BROWN:  That moment to move into ministry – were you on the fire line?

KOPP:

• In a way, Yes
• Two moments I remember
  • Once in army, on parade field, awaiting to load onto planes
    • Sergeant major barking orders about haircuts
      • I saw that as my future and didn’t like it
      • It wasn’t that it was the wrong future – it was honorable
      • But I Couldn’t see myself in that future
      • Wanted something different/ broader
      • Internal gnawing
    • Another time on fire in Idaho
      • I saw a older guy fighting the rife
      • And again, — wonderful career
      • And knew that I didn’t want to be that in 25 years

BROWN:  I’ve been on a couple of fire line… Montana back in the mid 2000s– they amaze me.. you described it perfectly.  The heat, smoke, danger – and I realized I was the old fart.  Lots of young guys.

KOPP:

• Angels work
• For the young

BROWN:  How long in ministry?

KOPP:

• 7 years as a pastor
• Then changed to an outfit that trained pastors and ministry leaders around the country / world
  • Kind of an employee
  • You raised your own funds – your salary
• And then did a lot of work in consulting
  • Helping non-profits do capacity building, fundraising

BROWN:  When was that moment that you decided to run?

KOPP:

• As an 7 or 8 year old
• I used to run home for airing of World News Tonight
  • Don’t know why – didn’t watch local news, I like to watch what was going on in the world
• As I got  a little older, I was immediately drawn to  Ronald Reagan
  • Probably because of my dad –
    • Also a big fan
    • Strong military
    • Patriot
    • Pro-Israel
    • Service backdrop
    • I began to be really interested for the first time in running for political office
    • Resurrected/grew some of those early seeds I had planted at an early age
• In 2000, I was reading a political book
  • Book of political letters from George HW Bush – his memoirs
  • For no particular reason, it struck me that serving in public life is an opportunity to apply leadership to some of society’s most complex problem
  • I believe in the values that I hold
    • They’re not mine – they’re American
    • I believe in my ability to stay true to them
    • I believe in leader’s ability to get things accomplished

BROWN:  [@11:00 after break]  Defining moment when you told yourself that you were going to run for governor?

KOPP:

• In 2006 I was elected to legislator
• I got involved in Senate primary
  • My party was working against me
  • Including the sitting Gov. at the time (now my friend)
  • I was outspent
    • 6 to 1 in primary
    • 10 to 1 in general
    • I won in assembly  by a few votes
    • I won the primary by 80 votes
    • I overcame those odds
• After my first year in State Senate, I became Republican Caucus Chair
  • By end of first term in state senate, I was elected as Minority leader
  • I learned I had some things to offer to conservatives by way of leadership
• Re-elected in 2010
  • Re-elected as Minority Leader
  • I advanced a conservative agenda
    • Issues that every member of our caucus could get behind
    • Critical to have unified front around conservative principles and values
    • I believe in the power of leadership
    • Job of leader = empower people
    • Not to build up anything for  themselves
    • I began to ask the question, “Does it make sense for me to run?” is this something that’s just a flight of fancy?
      • I mulled it over with my wife for months
      • As newlyweds, we went back and forth on it
      • We concluded, there’s no such thing as a pre-game in life
        • You can watch opportunities pass you by
        • And play it safe
• I have been given the ability to lead others
  • Not by my own claim
  • My peers in the senate elected me
  • In ministry I was elevated to a national position and did leadership development
• I’ve learned to lead in various environments and complex ones
  • Political life
  • Ministry
  • I’m currently in senior management in electric utility
    • Our work is complex
    • My span of leadership is smaller than at other times in life
• I think leadership matters
• Most fundamental American value that a leader can latch onto:
  • People are supposed to be free
  • In government, our job is to make people more free
  • Lincoln adage.

BROWN:  In terms of CO state government, what does that mean?  How would you go about making people more free?

KOPP:

• While my opponents continue to morph
• I believe:  “empower individuals, not government”
  • Lower tax and spending policy
    • I went after a tax cut and achieved it as member of minority party
    • $10M tax cut –Blueprint for a leaner government
    • I developed the system and the process for realizing this goal

BROWN:  So you don’t believe that government must continue to grow?  We can cut government?  I mean, everyone says that, but the reason I’m skeptical, after so many years in Washington, I’ve seen people give this idea lip service but not follow through.

KOPP:

• Absolutely
• Ronald Reagan embarked on that crusade – even he didn’t get as far as he wanted
• Our government puts barriers and hindrances in front of people on a daily basis
  • Gun grabs
  • Obamacare
  • When they do that, they’re taking your liberty away
    • Reducing the choices for you and your family
    • You can ignore it ( as many Americans have)
    • Or you can change it with a plan and a system and leadership, drive and determination.

BROWN:  [@ 19:00] liberty and freedom of individual Coloradoan… but what specifically would you do?

KOPP:

• I think we have to cut government
• It’s an obligation of the next governor
  • Not as a conservative talking point
  • I think you can
  • Won’t be an easy road
• You have to have a vision to do that
• Things a governor can do things:
  • Appoint strict constructionist judges
    • To stop attacks on TABOR
    • You can drive a low tax agenda from day one
      • Governor, gets to veto bad bills
      • I’ve never seen our gov. lead from the standpoint of saying that he’d veto bills that increase cost of doing government
      • But I think that’s where we are as a state, and what is needed

BROWN:  Hypothetically, you’re elected with a Republican controlled legislature.  I see that often someone in that situation falls into the same routine… “We need this program.  We need this tax.”  They find that spending money gives them power and influence.  Could you commit that if you’re governor that increases in taxes, increases in spending would be vetoed by you?

KOPP:

• Yes, they would be vetoed
• From day one… the gov. gets to set an agenda /tone.
  • Mine would be specific
  • “If you send me these bills, I’ll veto them.”
• The governor has to put himself out there and be accountable from day one
  • Hold Republicans to account for that
  • I was known as somebody in the senate that  DID do that
  • I was in a Dem controlled Senate, although House was R
  • Minority leader has to keep the House Republicans in check
    • Speaker McNulty and I had lots of shouting matches over our differing roles
    • You have to hold political leaders accountable.
    • Only way you can do that is by stating clearly from the outset
• On the side of regulation
  • Not just a nuisance,
  • They kill jobs
  • They keep people into these entitlement holding tanks
    • So much pressure on job creators
    • They don’t hire people like they otherwise would
• My plan is a two-year strategy
  • Day one:  initiate Blueprint for leaner government
    • Part from executive branch
    • Part from legislative branch
    • But in 2 years, my aim:  bring industry leaders in until we’ve met with all, and have them suggest ways to help them get to 25% savings on the cost of being a regulated biz.
    • I put this out there in every interview I do
    • I’d rather fall short and get 18% than play it safe like Hick and say I want to cut red tape.
      • That could mean anything you want it to mean
      • I want kids to have jobs to look forward to
      • It can be done
• I actually cut regulations from the standpoint of the minority
  • Not as much as I would have liked
  • But this is an idea whose time has come

BROWN:  Education:  Do you think there’s a way to use the money they have in more efficient ways, instead of increasing funding.  Are you one of those typical politician that says education is so important that we need to spend more and more money?  And we never focus on being more efficient with the dollars we DO spend on education.

KOPP:

• I don’t think more spending translates to better results
• An average student gets over $7,000 for the state
  • Over $200,000 per classroom (low estimate)
  • I believe we can drive superior results in that classroom with that amount of money
• We can have efficiency and we have to function within our means
  • Everyone knows this
    • Businesses
    • Family budgets
    • I learned one thing as a Ranger – you have your mission, and there are no excuses
      • That mentality has really imbedded itself in me
      • I think the cream rises to the top
      • You can get through these hard times and be successful in your mission
      • With good leadership – can accomplish great results
        • Tim foster is a great leader
        • Pres. Of Mesa University
        • Took limited resources and creating superior results

BROWN:  [@27:30]  Would you support the repeal of the CO income tax? And just go to sales tax

KOPP:

• I would – I’m generally in support of that
• As long as it’s revenue neutral

BROWN:  You support fracking?

KOPP:

• I love fracking
• It opened a lot of opportunity for people and if we don’t get in the way it will open more

BROWN:  Death penalty?

KOPP:

• I would have signed the execution order on Nathan Dunlap
• MB:  no weaseling?
• No, and I’m sorry Hickenlooper didn’t sign that order

BROWN:  Common Core?

KOPP:

• I’ve taken a pretty strong position against CCSS
• I do believe having a state standard
• I believe in pushing our kids to a rigorous and high state standard
• Now, SAT is aligning with CCSS
  • That really puts all states that aren’t pleased with CCSS in a real bind

BROWN:  10^th Amendment – I assume everyone’s answer would be “yes.”

KOPP:

• I believe in it
• I have fought for it
  • I have promoted an Article V constitution around
  • Asking Congress to open a convention for the purpose of amending the constitution for a Balanced Budget amendment
  • It’s a states’ initiative thing
• I’m the only candidate that has aggressively taken on Obamacare from a state lawmaker standpoint
  • 3 years ago, I was in touch with FL, AZ
  • I had a bill that was ready to go that would opt us out of Obamacare
    • Multi-state compact
    • I was driving that agenda
    • People say it will end up in the courts
      • Great!
      • Who cares?
      • That’s why we have the courts
    • We have got to fight that fight

BROWN:  What happens when all the subsidy goes away and it’s on the state to pay the Medicaid Costs?

KOPP:

• That’s exactly right
• That’s why we need go after it from a state level
• You need to find states of like-mind
• My view:
  • Federal government is winning
  • Freedom is losing
  • They are manipulating to adopt the policies they want  through our own money
    • You get this Medicaid money but with these conditions / strings attached
    •  Your model needs to be this
    • States need to align themselves 15 to 20 states wide
      • In these multi-state compacts
      • And create a countervailing force against Washington DC
      • I don’t see another way around it
      • I want Congress to work but it hasn’t worked for us in ages
      • If we keep doing what we’ve always been doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’ve got

BROWN:  Do you support Right to Work laws?

KOPP:

• Absolutely

BROWN:  2^nd Amendment?

KOPP:

• I think in  a lot of ways I’ve lived the 2^nd Amendment
• My dad taught me to defend my home…
  • At 9 or 10 years old
  • Taught me to load a gun
  • Taught me how to shoot
  • Where to hide
  • What to do
  • A lot of people might find that surprising
  • I think in America you should be able to defend yourself, beyond finding a good place to hide.

BROWN:  Among all candidates. What makes you think you can win the primary:

KOPP:

• I have won a very difficult primary
  • Outspent 6 to 1
• This is state-wide, not county-wide – but it’s the principle is the same
  • I mobilized leadership
  • I focused on leaders who could help me get the job done
  • I mobilized enough leaders from my district to win the general
• When we can get people to focus on the candidates in this race, their qualifications, their background, I stand out
  • Just look at my record
  • The best predictor of someone’s future is what they’ve done in the past
  • I’ve led successfully in this state
  • I’m going to make that case around the state
  • So far, it’s working
  • Running against three guys who have run state-wide
    • Gessler
    • Beauprez
    • Tancredo
    • What I see on a day to day basis is that we’re making advances in the grassroots even though they have better name id

BROWN:  Will you support whoever wins?

KOPP:

• Absolutely

BROWN:  Final words:

KOPP:

• I think leadership matters
• I think a person’s record matters
• Do your shopping, do your homework
• I would love the opportunity to defend freedom as your governor.

BROWN:  Thanks