SCHMID: LOOKING BACK FROM THE LEFT COAST - FEBRUARY 16, 2015
IS THERE MORE TO THIS STORY? State sales tax exemptions are usually offered to attract new business. The ND Legislature seems to have the concept backwards. They are considering a bill to offer tax incentives for the construction of nitrogen fertilizer plants. The board of Minnesota-based CHS has already approved a $3 billion nitrogen fertilizer plant near Jamestown. Site preparation is underway. A similar plant is planned in Grand Forks.
CONCORDIA COLLEGE in Moorhead is a private school with a reputation for quality liberal arts education. Concordia had around 3,000 students in 1998, by 2014, enrollment had declined to 2,400. A large portion of Concordia students are from Minnesota, a state where the number of high school graduates is decreasing, also those graduates are increasingly from demographics not well represented at Concordia. The school is confronted with a budget deficit of $5.6 million and is asking departments to cut their budgets by 12 percent. There will be a reduction in faculty and staff.
IT’S NOT JUST CONCORDIA -- Minnesota public colleges and universities are in the same boat. The MnSCU system lost $44 million in 2013-14 and enrollment fell nearly four percent. An audit found 23 of 31 institutions lost money. Eleven MnSCU schools will have to submit to financial recovery plans.
HALTING TRANSFERS TO SOMALIA A Somali association estimates that 80 percent of the 30,000 Somali living in the Twin Cities send money abroad. Because of concern about money going to terrorists, the federal government imposes extensive controls on banks facilitating the money transfers. One by one, banks have dropped out of the business -- Bell State Bank in Fargo, the last ND bank to make the transfers, is out. Merchants Bank in California has ceased wiring cash to Somalia eliminating the last significant institution in the business. Minnesota’s U.S. Senators and Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, a Muslim, are making an emergency appeal to Secretary of State John Kerry contending the end of transfers will cause hardship in Somalia and further destabilize an already chaotic country.
REHAB FOR RADICALS U.S. intelligence agencies told Congress this week that as many as 150 Americans have tried to or have succeeded in traveling to Syria and Iraq to fight for terrorists. Minnesota Public Radio reports that last fall the FBI confirmed that about 15 people from the Twin Cities had gone to join ISIS. Somali leaders in the Twin Cities advocate the young men involved should receive help, not just punishment. A federal judge has released one of the men, a college student, to a halfway house where he will be monitored and counseled. The policy is not without risk -- an academic expert says “there’s no concrete evidence that programs meant to de-radicalize people actually work.”
THE OPINION PAGES: Herald columnist Tom Dennis believes bureaucratic delays and overregulation are hurting U.S. drone development and driving it to Canada and overseas. Grand Forks hopes to be a key player in the drone (unmanned aircraft) industry . . . Columnist Lloyd Omdahl notes that of 141 members in the ND Legislature, only 27 seats are held by women. He addresses the question: Is this the result of sexism? He concludes, at best, sexism is a minor factor and there are multiple other reasons more ND women don’t run for office . . . A proposed amendment to ND’s Open Records law would exempt applicants for certain higher education positions from being publicly identified. Columnist Mike Jacobs sees the bill as a solution for a problem for which there is very little evidence, he adds “Openness is good business.”
JUST WHAT DICKINSON NEEDED A new strip shopping center in Dickinson will include the Continental Market which will “have all the latest African clothing and footwear.” Continental is an independent store carrying authentic Ghanaian goods.
TIMES HAVE CHANGED Ten years ago, hardly any large law firm would consider opening an office in ND, then a rural state with a dwindling population. Today, circumstances are changed, ND has an oil boom and one of the most dynamic economies in the nation. Tim Purdon, U.S. Attorney for ND, is stepping down “to establish a new North Dakota office for a national law firm.”
HUH! A national survey ranked Grand Forks County high for “arts vibrancy.” Other ND counties ranking above the 90th percentile were Cass (Fargo), Burleigh (Bismarck) and Eddy (New Rockford). Wait a minute, did they say Eddy? That’s the state’s geographically smallest county. This must be investigated -- I’ll get back to you later, much later.
LOUD AND NUTTY When white supremacist Craig Cobb wanted to take over the ND town of Leith (pop. 19) and rename it Cobbsville, the Leith city fathers reacted in hysterical fashion. The Economist magazine referred to the episode as “A racist mob of two.” The Leith leaders wanted Cobb sent to prison, the more clear-headed Grant County State’s Attorney arranged a plea deal which placed Cobb on probation. Cobb left town.
LEITH MAYOR RYAN SCHOCK and his cronies continued to rant. They were determined to rid Leith of all traces of Cobb. Schock burned Cobb’s old house, but the fire got out of control burning a church and threatening another property. Schock is being prosecuted for failing to report the fire. He calls the prosecution revenge for his criticism of the state’s attorney -- the Bureau of Criminal Investigation doesn’t agree.
BE WARY Winter driving in ND requires constant alertness for changing conditions. In separate incidents, three drivers learned the hard way on I-94 between Valley City and Jamestown. Each driver was pulling a camper trailer with a pickup before slick roads and high winds caused the rigs to jackknife and slide off the freeway.
NO ACCOUNTING FOR TASTE Widman’s Candy Store in Crookston has been named the best candy store in Minnesota. Their premier product -- chocolate-covered potato chips. You can sample this delicacy at Widman stores in Grand Forks and Fargo.
THE NORTHERN PLAINS have a wide range of weather -- on a recent day Rapid City, SD, had a high of 72 while Winnipeg, Manitoba, had a high of 5. The Forum’s weatherman attributed the difference, in part, to an absence of snow in SD.
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