SCHMID: LOOKING BACK FROM THE LEFT COAST - JANUARY 18, 2014
Yes, a model of rational thought. Take a moment to read the letter from ND State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt in the January 16th online GF Herald. The State Historical Board recently voted 6-5 to buy the Lawrence Welk birthplace near Strasburg. Schmidt voted against the acquisition and, while reasonable people may disagree, her letter explaining the decision is a model for public officials. She wrote clearly, “I did not support the purchase,” and thoughtfully noted that she is “often tasked with reconciling the emotional side of our responsibilities with the financial components of a decision.” Schmidt carefully outlined her reasons and concluded, “I never forget, it’s not my money; it’s yours.”
“Heck, maybe we should be buying the dorm room for Phil Jackson.” -- One of the comments attributed to Schmidt. She said anything can have significance to a group or individual.
In the folk tale “Little Red Hen,” a hen finds a grain of wheat and, instead of eating it, plants it. The industrious hen works through stages of harvesting, threshing, milling and, finally, baking. She shares the bread with her chicks, but denies bread to a duck and pig who refused to help at any stage of producing the bread.Heritage Foundation research fellow David Kreutzer says that, if government had been involved, it would have hobbled the Little Red Hen during her work and forced her to share the bread with the duck and pig. This would discourage the hen, cause her to give up and join the duck and pig in poverty.
Kreutzer applies the story to ND where personal income was 38th among states in 2006, but rose to 6th by 2012. Kreutzer says, “Some might argue that the only lesson here is that it’s great to have petroleum resources.” But he thinks there is a bigger and more important point: “Making a bigger pie helps more than keeping a pie small and slicing it into more pieces.” He acknowledges another point, the ND income growth is not evenly spread - “Income growth never is.” But ND’s booming economy makes it much easier to help everyone.
Crude oil has caused spills and fires in ND -- more will come. There are cries of concern and demands that oil development slow down. GF Herald publisher Mike Jacobs says the demands are a little late -- a large part of oil development in ND is already over and the industry is moving to a production phase. He said “oil is a fact of life in North Dakota, with the risks and the benefits it presents” and now is the time to exercise greater care and be prepared for accidents.
Tribune columnist Clay Jenkinson recognizes the benefits presented by ND’s oil boom, but remains uncomfortable with the oil industry. He thinks the industry’s impact is so huge that it is overwhelming the state’s usual good judgment and “eroding things in our heritage and our character of incalculable value.”
I moved to North Dakota after living through the economic downturn in Utah, and I’ll tell you what – a whole lot of traffic beats a whole lot of unemployment. -- A newcomer to ND said, “Don’t let the naysayers ruin what is a good thing. It is more than money and a job. It’s about new opportunity and pride in providing for my family.”
Nigerian Emmanuel Ezeh left Los Angeles to work in the Williston oilfields. “It got too cold for me. I had to look for something indoors,” said Ezeh. He formed the Afro Bakken Community Organization in Dickinson to help African refugees adapt to ND. The Dickinson City Administrator sees Afro Bakken as a way to be proactive to ethnic diversity and ethnic growth.
ND is one of only 10 states with more males than females. The oil boom produces jobs which are male-dominated. Males represent 51 percent of the state population and hold 55 percent of jobs. McKenzie County in the Oil Patch has 77 percent male employees; Cass County (Fargo) has 53 percent male employees.
The state has a shortage of primary care physicians -- a shortage worsened by the expansion of Medicaid and newcomers to the Bakken oil fields. Columnist Lloyd Omdahl sees no solution in sight. To lessen the problem, he suggests ND should have a crash program to train physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
In an editorial, Mike Jacobs said “Run for it, Mr. Chief Justice!” The Herald publisher urged 80-year-old Gerald VandeWalle to run for another one-year term as chief justice of the ND Supreme Court. Jacobs said VandeWalle’s experience and expertise are well-matched to matters coming before the court.
Editors of the Forum woke in a distinctly cranky mood last Tuesday and promptly issued two Leafy Spurges and no Prairie Roses -- a rare occasion. The first spurge went to critics of school closings during recent cold weather. The Forum saved its harshest words for Dennis Rodman, a well-known fool and former Chicago Bulls basketball star. Rodman attracted attention for his recent antics in North Korea, the Forum said, “Rodman is either thick-skulled stupid or incredibly naïve. His behavior suggests big measures of both.”
Perhaps the Forum editors were disturbed by news that Fargo-Moorhead had been selected as the most drunken metropolitan area in the nation. The federal Centers for Disease Control surveyed 200 metropolitan areas for evidence of binge drinking and steady heavy drinking. F-M was #3 in the former and #9 in the latter, making it the sweepstakes winner. College towns were especially noticeable among heavy drinking communities.
Elizabeth Beecroft (22), a senior in anthropology at UND, was arrested for assaulting a Grand Forks police officer. Beecroft said, “I don’t even remember it happening.” She was vehement, “I wasn’t on drugs. It was just alcohol.”
In many cities, some of the most unpleasant appearing properties grow up next to freeways. Grand Forks plans to do the opposite. An arts project dubbed “Destination Corridor” is moving forward. The project would be on 42nd Street which runs north-south next to the Alerus Center. Fifty large, illuminated sculptures would be visible from I-29. The project would also include restaurants and entertainment, possibly including a center with a library, performing arts space and an art museum.
DAKTOIDS: Illegal drugs in ND are moving from west to east -- a reversal of past distribution in the state . . . The USDA has released crop information for 2013 -- in ND, acres and yields were both generally down from 2012 . . . The Casselton oil spill now appears to be the largest U.S. rail oil spill on record -- damages are $6 million and growing . . . Readers of ND property tax rules are baffled by references to “mills,” an anachronistic way of stating tax rates. The Farm Bureau suggests dropping the term.
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