Red County, Blue State

This week we are talking about a possible statewide ballot initiative that is about TAXES [insert scary music]. But don’t worry! Chris deGruy Kennedy, president of the Bell Policy Center joins me today to talk to us about Initiative 195: Graduated Income Tax . Tax policy is complicated and confusing but Chris is going to break it down for us because Initiative 195 can bring much needed revenue to...

If you’re in Douglas County, you may have heard of Convict Coffee in Parker. People love it. Like, LOVE IT. Everyone wants to meet there despite it being tucked away out of sight in a strip mall off of Parker Road by Natural Grocers (Vitamin Cottage for the old timers). As a customer, I have been curious about this business for a long time and decided to do something about it. This interview is fu...

Howdy, partners! Today we’re talking about the Rocky Mountain Voice Freedom Festival , which is being held on June 26-27 on the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock. The commissioner claim that it is a nonpartisan event but to anyone with a brain cell, it’s a big MAGA love fest. Also, what is the Rocky Mountain Voice ? Let’s dive in. Contact me anytime, I’d love to hear from you. email: emily...

You all asked the best questions! That lead to even more questions! And commissioner hypocrisy! Buckle up. Then vote. If you have a moment, rate and review Red County Blue State on Apple Podcasts . Click on the link and scroll to the bottom to rate and review. Don’t miss the one star review by a guy who wants me to move to “Boulder, Denver”. No thank you :) Contact me anytime— email: emilysuyat@gm...

Oh boy there are a lot of dates in here so HANG WITH ME because it comes together in the end. This is Part 3 of 3, where we discuss the county approaching an outside organization to pay for George’s luxury travel. This org, which is a nonprofit, says “great!” without asking any questions. So many ethical problems, not to mention the potential fraud when a county official buys a refundable ticket....

As we learned in Part 1 of this series, Douglas County Commissioner George Teal doubled his VIP ticket to Dubai by making it refundable just days before his trip. This is a problem. Did George actually fly the tickets that he booked, or did her get a refund? It’s should be an easy question to answer, but George won’t reply. Things just aren’t adding up. Listen to find out why. Contact me anytime:...

What we suspected has been confirmed, and the price of George Teal’s plane ticket to Dubai is so inflated that feels like a middle finger to taxpayers. In this episode, we’re getting very detailed: we’re talking about the extravagant flight that no normal business would allow, let alone a county government; the rules/policies Commissioner Teal broke, and the twist that I didn’t see coming (but sho...

The petitions to expand the county commission are out and about! Community organizer Angela Thomas is back to talk about what it means, why it matters, where to find a petition, and how to volunteer. I also tie this to a topic that’s been on everyone’s minds—data centers and their voracious water and energy needs. Last, a local podcast you’ll want to hear if you have a kid who’s struggling in scho...

Brooke Bernstein, president of Douglas County Pride , joins me today to talk about Pridefest on May 17 in Parker’s Salisbury Park. We talk about what Pridefest looks like in Douglas County, why there was no Pridefest in 2025, and how allies can support Douglas County Pride (hint: show up to Pridefest!). I take a short trip to bummer town to talk about how anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is still alive here....

CORA class is in session! The Colorado Open Records Act is a critical law when it comes to ensuring transparent government, and it’s accessible to all of us. In this episode, my guest Jeff Roberts from the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition (CFOIC) explains the basics of CORA to us. What’s a public record? When can a government withhold a public record from us? Are government officials allo...

Ever received a local ballot and wondered what it meant and if it mattered? Tara Meekma, candidate for Lone Tree city council, joins me to talk about the election on May 5. We talk about what city councils do and why voting in these races have an outsized impact on daily life, particularly in regard to development and growth. We also hear about the status and concerns around Hillcamp, the proposed...

Douglas County Commissioner George Teal’s luxury trip to Dubai isn’t the whole story, it’s the starting point. The fact that I can’t get a straight answer on something so specific and standard is a part of a bigger story of the commissioners’ disregard for rules and for the public it serves. It’s not abstract harm; it has a real cost. A pattern is there and in this episode, we connect the dots. Sh...

Here’s Part 2 of my conversation with Kim Turnage and Barrett Rothe of the Douglas County Lantern. In this episode, we talk about Abe Laydon’s claim that “every city and town has unanimously supported Zebulon by resolution ”, environmental concerns, wildfire evacuation plans during road construction, and wait, after hearing no swimming pool, definitely no swimming pool, there’s a pool! Thank you t...

Plans for the controversial Zebulon Regional Sports Complex move on after the Douglas County Commissioners tell us that they will take on a $100 million debt by using Certificates of Participation, a financing method that does not require voter approval. Why are they doing this? What is the risk? Why are they limiting public comment on all of this? A complete lack of trust and transparency are onc...

Hi! Good to see your face! Let’s get ready for No Kings on Saturday, March 28, 2026 and make it the biggest one ever! Go to NoKings.org to find all of the info. I’ll be at the one in Highlands Ranch at St Andrew 10:30am-12:30pm. Don’t forget to reward yourself after. Connect with me, I’d love to hear from you: emilysuyat@gmail.com or on signal: emilysuyat.87 Get full access to Red County, Blue Sta...

The City of Castle Pines is considering the annexation of Crowsnest, an parcel of land that doesn’t border Castle Pines. Yeah, you heard me. How is this possible and what does it mean for Castle Pines, Parker, Castle Rock, and the rest of Douglas County? It’s a rushed process that needs more transparency—and a clear plan for water and schools. It’s deja vu all over again in Douglas County. Donna C...

**IMPORTANT CORRECTION** I said in the podcast that Trisha Calvarese sued Eileen Laubacher and the Colorado Democratic Party. The correct info is that Trisha sued only the Colorado Democratic Party, and the requested relief (if granted) would bar Eileen from participating in caucus and assembly. Apologies for the error and thank you to the person who emailed me. I'll correct it in the next ep too....

It don’t add up, partner. George Teal may dress like a cowboy but he flies pretty fancy. In this episode, we walk through the updates regarding the results of a recent CORA request and question why the county reimbursed Teal for $17,091 when he submitted a partial receipt that failed to include required information, such as what class he flew. (Thanks to the super sleuth team who helped explain al...

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On November 20, 2025 9News reported that Douglas County’s George Teal took a last-minute, pricey trip to the Dubai Air Show (in Dubai!), paid for with taxpayer dollars . In this episode, I talk about Douglas County’s government’s travel policy —what it allows and most importantly, what it prohibits. I walk through the numbers, the open records request to find Teal’s missing airfare receipts, and t...

The county’s website says “citizen engagement is the heartbeat of effective local government.” Why, then, have the county commissioners eliminated general public comment at their business meetings? Their excuses are many—and wholly unpersuasive. Listen to find out how this happened and what you can do about it. Email me any time, I’d love to hear from you: emilysuyat@gmail.com * Attend the commiss...

Last week Shrek the Musical , the show currently running at the PACE Center, had Douglas County facebook pages all stirred up. Cast members flew rainbow flags during the musical number Freak Flag and some ticket holders not happy, including one of the major sponsors of Parker Arts. August Stoten of Sasquatch Productions joins me today to talk about the producer’s side: the request to remove the fl...

Hi! Angela Thomas returns to answer common questions around the effort to expand the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners from three members to five. While counties like Adams, Arapahoe, and El Paso have five commissioners, none achieved it through a citizen-led petition. That means Douglas County could become the first. Tune in to hear the very real ways residents can shape the future of...

On this Martin Luther King Day, the Minneapolis communities who are showing up for their neighbors peacefully and firmly are inspiring me. If you want to join local resistance movements and find your people, connect with groups such as Democracy Now DougCo (you can also go to Indivisible.org to find more events, protests, and groups) and Douglas County Activism Task Force . If meeting in-person do...

We can’t not talk about Renee Nicole Good. So we will. If you want to skip it, fast forward about 2 minutes. Peaceful protest and participation are how we fight for accountability. Learn about caucus and assembly, the statutorily mandated process by which the two major political parties organize and select candidates for the primaries. Meg Furlow, the chair of the Douglas County Democrats, is here...