SCHMID: LOOKING BACK FROM THE LEFT COAST - APRIL 18, 2014
Fargo had record low temperatures on April 15th, but it didn’t seem to bother anyone, in fact, it seemed to inspire the hundreds packing the Fargo Theatre to see the premiere of FX network’s 10-part series “Fargo.” Their bomber hats, faux furs and flannel shirts matched the weather and the show. The crowd seemed delighted as Billy Bob Thornton’s character inflicted random violence on hapless Minnesotans. The show had over four million viewers.
“People refer to it as Hotel Minnesota. You can come any time you like, but you can never leave.” -- A Minnesota tax attorney described how the state traps high income taxpayers trying to establish residency in another state. The state uses two dozen criteria to determine who is a Minnesota resident. Accountants and lawyers are advising clients who want to avoid Minnesota tax to sell local property and businesses. Because of progressive taxes, the top 10 percent of Minnesota households pay 55 percent of all state individual income taxes. Minnesotans may look to the Dakotas, South Dakota is an adjoining state without an individual state income tax.
“We asked God and we discerned that it was indeed his will, we felt a strong yes. We are happy to be here.” -- Four Catholic nuns traveled 8,500 miles to establish a teaching order for the Teresian Carmelites. Does it sound familiar, nuns traveling from a Western nation to establish a mission in an underdeveloped country? In this case, it’s the other way around -- the nuns came from India to serve at the Standing Rock Indian reservation in ND at the request of the Bismarck Catholic Diocese. The nuns were surprised that American Indian children received so many benefits: “The children are privileged by the American government.” American Indian children receive benefits for education, health and nutrition which are unavailable to an average child in India.
A Forum article calls Williston “the fastest-growing small city in America.” The city’s mayor of 20 years is retiring and Williston residents have a surprising range of choice for a replacement. Candidate Jim Purkey came to Williston a little over a year ago when he was laid off from a job in Kansas -- he is an archaeologist who wants to represent people who are struggling and alienated. Marcus Jundt is also a newcomer, but one with an entirely different attitude. He’s an entrepreneur who wants to light a fire under the city. Finally, there is Howard Klug, a lifelong resident of Williston and political insider -- make him the status quo candidate.
Williston had 12,000 people in 2005, has about 30,000 now, and 50,000 does not seem out of question. The Bismarck Tribune cites these population numbers in an editorial applauding Williston’s new $76 million, 236,000 square foot (over 5 acres) recreation center. The Tribune said Williston residents “have been squeezed from every side.” The Trib sees the center as a much needed alternative to Williston’s bars and strip clubs. The center already has 3,000 members, nearly half its goal of 7,000.
Grand Forks has a puzzle. Incomes are growing and unemployment is low -- the four-county area of GF, Pembina, Walsh and Nelson counties has 2,000 job openings. Yet, poverty and the need for social services is increasing. The skill level of people looking for better jobs does not seem to match job openings. A GF committee with a long-winded name, The Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Social Infrastructure, hopes to address the contradictions. Lutheran Social Services, which resettles refugees to the area, is an interested party.
Thief River Falls, Minnesota -- what does it bring to mind? If anything, that it’s a center of snowmobile manufacturing. But it’s developing another distinction, Northland Technical College has an aerospace facility specializing in maintenance for UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems). Northland complements evolving UAS capabilities in the Grand Forks area. The school has an accredited UAS maintenance training program and is certified to fly unmanned aircraft.
A Jamestown Sun editorial conveyed a somber mood. A CHS nitrogen fertilizer plant proposed near Jamestown is on hold. The plant would have a $23 billion (yes, billion) economic impact over a 20-year period and would provide 150 permanent jobs averaging $85,000 a year. The editorial hoped the project ultimately moves ahead.
In September, this newsletter included a warning about decreasing earnings and increasing borrowings at Titan Machinery, a $2 billion ag and construction equipment company headquartered in West Fargo. My warning concluded: “The company is very sensitive to commodities and agriculture. Unless the company trims its sails, there may be trouble.” This week, the Forum described downsizing at Titan: “CEO David Meyer said in a news release that the realignment was necessary to ensure the future of the company.”
Saw off the southwestern U.S. That in a nutshell is columnist Lloyd Omdahl’s dramatic solution to illegal immigration. Since half of illegals are in California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Nevada, Omdahl proposes returning those states to Mexico. Omdahl says his proposal is not polished, but is better than any other, since neither political party has an immigration policy. This is Omdahl’s way of highlighting the immigration reform impasse.
I’ve often spoken of the ND way of death: a drunken driver not wearing a seat belt rolls a vehicle in the middle of the night. A Dickinson man gave it a new twist -- he rolled a big Challenger farm tractor from a roadway at 1:40 a.m. in the morning killing a cousin who was a rider. The tractor operator faces criminal charges.
A Minto woman was equally stupid. She ignored barricades and detour signs and attempted to cross a flooded section of U.S. Hwy 81. She finally stopped when water covered the car’s hood. Volunteers freed her.
DAKTOIDS: ND is sixth in the country for the percentage of electricity generated by wind. Nearby states SD, Minnesota and Iowa are in the top five . . . Montana, SD and Minnesota have state cigarette taxes ranging from $1.50 to $1.70 a pack; ND’s tax is 44 cents a pack. Guess what happens? A study shows cigarettes are smuggled into the other three states and smuggled out of ND.
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