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Monday, March 28, 2016

SCHMID: LOOKING BACK FROM THE LEFT COAST - MARCH 28, 2016

ND IS AWASH IN NATURAL GAS, but 80 percent of its communities are without natural gas service. Those communities are at a disadvantage in attracting business. Any state subsidy for extending natural gas is opposed by the state’s propane industry. Cities such as Beulah, Harvey, Lisbon and Mayville are among those without service. A Forum article gave the Bobcat plant in Gwinner as an example -- it uses propane which costs three times natural gas.

“THEN CAME SCHAFER, whose openness and willingness to be seen throughout town — at Rotary and similar forums, for instance — endeared him to the community.” -- From an editorial by GF Herald publisher Cory Wenzel suggesting incoming UND president Mark Kennedy should continue the process of openness started by interim president Ed Schafer. The editorial mentions Robert Kelley’s “tumultuous final year in office.” Wenzel said Kelley “could be truly charming and yet curiously abrasive.” It’s the latter which is most remembered.

“PARKINSON’S LAW deals with the uncontrolled growth of bureaucracies, or ‘Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.’ " -- From a letter to the GF Herald about staff growth at UND.

POOR HEIDI “I can barely talk—first, with fear, and then with rage when the dispatcher reports back that yes, in fact, I've probably just seen ROTC cadets.” -- From a letter to the GF Herald from UND Associate Professor of English Heidi Czerwiec, who grabbed a phone and crawled under her desk when she saw ROTC cadets with guns from her window. She threatens to call 911 every time she sees the cadets. With budget cuts at UND, she felt under financial and emotional attack, and now also feels under physical attack.

ANOTHER HEIDI GOES TO CUBA “The 50-year embargo did little to improve human rights in Cuba. Now it’s time to give diplomatic engagement and trade a chance.” -- U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp who accompanied Pres. Obama to Cuba.

A BAD WEEK for government employees: Kelly Ann Dillon (50) a deputy prosecutor in Minot was arrested for DUI when her SUV rammed a smaller vehicle; Long Man Ram Lau (33) a professor at Valley City State was arrested for an arsenal of credit cards and gift cards used for ID theft.

STATE SEN. JOAN HECKAMAN, a retired math teacher from New Rockford, will run as a Democrat for lieutenant governor. She has an unusual pitch: “Vote for me to preserve the two-party system.”

ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ JR may die of old age. He killed UND student Dru Sjodin in 2003, but reviews of his death sentence drone on. His attorneys have asked to be replaced creating further delay and duplication. Taxpayers pay all legal costs which have soared into the millions. Sjodin’s murder has a death penalty because it was subject to federal law -- ND does not have a death penalty. This is one more case illustrating the futility and wastefulness behind the death penalty.

THE SHOE IS ON THE OTHER FOOT When commodity prices were high and the Canadian dollar was strong, ND cities feasted on Canadian visitors. Now, the U.S. dollar is worth $1.30 Canadian and it’s the other way around -- Winnipeg is beckoning to ND and Minnesota visitors. Arts, culture and pro hockey are the attractions in Winnipeg -- the head of the Chamber in Grand Forks said they must become more competitive by moving forward on public arts and vibrancy.

PIZZA CORNER, a 30-year-old Valley City business with 150 employees, will be acquired by Bernatello’s Food and production will be moved to Minnesota. In most cities, this would be a minor business footnote, but for Valley City it represents the loss of one its largest employers. Pizza Corner makes frozen pizzas distributed to customers around ND.

DAVID BRATON (64) is the new publisher of the Bismarck Tribune. Braton spent his career in newspapers, most recently with the Tribune’s owner, Lee Enterprises.
Braton was with the Fargo Forum for 20 years -- interestingly, the Forum News Service provides most statewide news for the Tribune.

THE FOUR WINDS--MINNEWAUKAN INDIANS basketball team won the state Class B tournament -- a first for the Benson County team. Guard Jason Feather was named Mr. Basketball, a distinction given to the state’s outstanding senior player.

SPEND A census report showed a rise in poverty for black Minnesotans from 2013 to 2014, a trend not seen in other racial groups. Business groups and others are warning that if racial disparities in education aren’t addressed now, they will stymie the state’s ability to grow and thrive. In response, Gov. Mark Dayton is proposing $100 million to ensure “racial equity.” Among the proposals: Assistance to lower-income home buyers, capital for minority businesses and more funding for a state agency that investigates discrimination. The governor is under intense pressure from groups such as the NAACP and Black Lives Matter.

THEY’VE SEEN IT BEFORE There were several hundred online responses to the Star Tribune article about the proposal. The major theme of the responses was that the proposal was largely a replay of previously failed and wasteful programs. One example, prior to 2008, there were numerous programs to encourage low-income home buyers. Where did that go? Respondents to online articles tend to be disproportionately negative, never-the-less, they indicate the program is in for tough sailing.

“PEOPLE VOTE WITH THEIR FEET, and Minnesota is losing families and their income to lower-tax states.” -- Peter J. Nelson, vice president and senior policy fellow at Center of the American Experiment. Minnesota is losing taxpayers earning over $200,000 at an alarming rate and is one of the least-attractive states for top earners in the country. Annual losses are believed to be in the $1 billion range. The state is losing income to lower-tax tax states, such as South Dakota. The losses are believed to be a reaction to Minnesota’s 2013 income tax increase on high earners -- the data comes from an IRS study which tracks income movement between states. One of Gov. Dayton’s commissioners issued a vigorous counterpoint.

DAKTOIDS: UND and two Minnesota teams are going to the NCAA national hockey tournament. St. Cloud is seeded #2 overall and UND is #3. Minnesota Duluth is the other Minnesota team . . . The Bismarck Tribune predicted four small western cities will see sustained growth despite the downturn in the oil industry: Belfield, Lincoln, Stanley and Beulah . . . Fargo was selected as the nation’s top small college town (cities less than 150,000), Aberdeen was #2, Grand Forks #5, and Mankato #6.


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