SCHMID: LOOKING BACK FROM THE LEFT COAST - NOVEMBER 15, 2016
BLOODBATH “It was hard to imagine the North Dakota Democratic Party becoming less relevant to the governance of North Dakota, but under the leadership (of) Oversen they managed it.” -- Forum columnist Rob Port. If there was any surprise in the ND elections, it was the extent of the Republican win. Gubernatorial candidate Doug Burgum and senatorial candidate John Hoeven won by percentages in the high 70’s. The state had a record voter turnout in which Democratic senate minority leader Mac Schneider and state representative Kylie Oversen (ND Democratic party chairwoman) lost their respective races.
HOW DID ND VOTE FOR PRESIDENT? Predictably. Clinton carried only two counties: Sioux (Standing Rock Reservation) and Rolette (Turtle Mt. Reservation). Benson and Mountrail, both counties with significant Indian populations, leaned toward Clinton. There was also support for Clinton in certain Red River Valley cities, offset by Trump support from rural residents in the same counties.
“THE GAME is what Gophers and North Dakota college hockey fans have been waiting three years to see.” -- Star Tribune description of Friday night game in Minneapolis resulting in 5-5 tie. The Tribune continued enthusiastically, “The game between the former WCHA rivals combined everything the series is known for: pugilism, drama, elite playmaking and a crowd announced at 9,939 hurling insults at one another. Even a tie couldn’t spoil the fun for players who had never experienced a regular-season game in a rivalry now 86 years old.” The Gophers won the Saturday game 2-0.
FIGHTING SIOUX The Tribune also noted, “The fans, like the players, fell right back into old habits. Though North Dakota changed its nickname to the Fighting Hawks last year, nearly everyone in its sizable fan contingent wore the school’s former logo — and bellowed its old nickname, shouting ‘Sioux!’ when their team was introduced.”
THREE CHEERS FOR HARRY MCGOVERN The 1966 NDSU civil engineering graduate gave the school a record $13.5 million to endow STEM scholarships. Where did Harry get that kind of money? The Erie, ND, native is co-owner of MCM Construction -- one of California’s leading bridge builders.
CARSON WENTZ Back in September, I asked if “Wentzmania” could last? It certainly slowed down. The Wall Street Journal said, “The Eagles have crashed to earth due mostly to the rapid decline of rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.” Another national article was a little more sneering -- it said, in the first half, he looked like a rookie quarterback from an FCS school.
MERCER COUNTY stands out among western ND counties most of which are experiencing a pullback in economic activity and tax revenues as a result of low oil prices. Mercer County is an exception -- its stable Coal Country economy is boosted by construction of a $500 million urea fertilizer plant. The new plant will receive CO2 and ammonia from the Dakota Gasification plant near Beulah and convert those inputs into high-nitrogen fertilizer pellets. Bismarck Tribune reporter Lauren Donovan wrote about the project.
SPLIT OPINION There is a noticeable divide in reporting about the DAPL protests. ND media remains largely supportive of the pipeline and the actions of law enforcement and public officials. The further you get from ND, the more editorial opinion is sympathetic to pipeline protesters. Reporting on both coasts is almost the flip side of that in ND.
THE MINOT DAILY NEWS reflects a conservative ND view of the protests. The MDN had no hesitation condemning the protestors: “Yet, it’s us, North Dakota residents who are footing the bill for the whole scenario. Minot residents are among those who are having to pay for anti-fossil fuel, anti-business, anti-capitalist protesters from out of state to make a mockery of legal processes and revel in their self-righteousness.”
THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE straddled two views. A Tribune editorial acknowledged that “protestors purposefully escalated tensions . . . and, in doing so, dug a deep hole in the moral high ground they’ve occupied.” But the Tribune felt ND authorities had not been sufficiently “calm and deliberate” with the protesters and it should be up to Gov. Dalrymple to defuse the situation.
COLUMNIST LLOYD OMDAHL believes the protests may become dangerous. The ND columnist also put the burden on Gov. Dalrymple, saying the federal government can’t be relied upon to intervene and the governor “must assert the state's authority and his leadership in the crisis.” Omdahl suggested that Dalrymple meet privately with the Standing Rock Council and exclude “all of the out-of-reservation demonstrators.”
CASS COUNTY Administrator Keith Berndt had a string of problems including arrests for domestic violence and two DUIs. But that wasn’t enough, he continued on the job. It wasn’t until he became intoxicated, threatened a flight attendant and was asked to leave a UAL flight in Chicago that Cass County Commissioners decided to fire him.
SMALL TOWN SQUEEZE The Star Tribune reports, that after several years of lackluster prices for farm commodities, rural main streets are feeling the pressure. This time it’s worse than earlier farm recessions because farmers are buying their parts and supplies directly online from manufacturers and skipping small town merchants. Farm families are also shifting shopping to larger stores in regional centers. Jamestown is an example of a city benefiting from these trends. A new home improvement center there is taking sales from smaller towns in the region.
REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT in ND is handled by Lutheran Social Services. A federal law gives states the option of controlling resettlement or leaving it to the federal government. ND gave up control in 2010 and LSS has taken over since as a State Department contractor. In 2015, LSS received $4 million from the federal government for resettling refugees in ND, which receives the most refugees per capita of any state. Most of the refugees are resettled in Fargo and Grand Forks. A Fargo City Commissioner asked state lawmakers reconsider the control issue.
HOW DID ND VOTE FOR PRESIDENT? Predictably. Clinton carried only two counties: Sioux (Standing Rock Reservation) and Rolette (Turtle Mt. Reservation). Benson and Mountrail, both counties with significant Indian populations, leaned toward Clinton. There was also support for Clinton in certain Red River Valley cities, offset by Trump support from rural residents in the same counties.
“THE GAME is what Gophers and North Dakota college hockey fans have been waiting three years to see.” -- Star Tribune description of Friday night game in Minneapolis resulting in 5-5 tie. The Tribune continued enthusiastically, “The game between the former WCHA rivals combined everything the series is known for: pugilism, drama, elite playmaking and a crowd announced at 9,939 hurling insults at one another. Even a tie couldn’t spoil the fun for players who had never experienced a regular-season game in a rivalry now 86 years old.” The Gophers won the Saturday game 2-0.
FIGHTING SIOUX The Tribune also noted, “The fans, like the players, fell right back into old habits. Though North Dakota changed its nickname to the Fighting Hawks last year, nearly everyone in its sizable fan contingent wore the school’s former logo — and bellowed its old nickname, shouting ‘Sioux!’ when their team was introduced.”
THREE CHEERS FOR HARRY MCGOVERN The 1966 NDSU civil engineering graduate gave the school a record $13.5 million to endow STEM scholarships. Where did Harry get that kind of money? The Erie, ND, native is co-owner of MCM Construction -- one of California’s leading bridge builders.
CARSON WENTZ Back in September, I asked if “Wentzmania” could last? It certainly slowed down. The Wall Street Journal said, “The Eagles have crashed to earth due mostly to the rapid decline of rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.” Another national article was a little more sneering -- it said, in the first half, he looked like a rookie quarterback from an FCS school.
MERCER COUNTY stands out among western ND counties most of which are experiencing a pullback in economic activity and tax revenues as a result of low oil prices. Mercer County is an exception -- its stable Coal Country economy is boosted by construction of a $500 million urea fertilizer plant. The new plant will receive CO2 and ammonia from the Dakota Gasification plant near Beulah and convert those inputs into high-nitrogen fertilizer pellets. Bismarck Tribune reporter Lauren Donovan wrote about the project.
SPLIT OPINION There is a noticeable divide in reporting about the DAPL protests. ND media remains largely supportive of the pipeline and the actions of law enforcement and public officials. The further you get from ND, the more editorial opinion is sympathetic to pipeline protesters. Reporting on both coasts is almost the flip side of that in ND.
THE MINOT DAILY NEWS reflects a conservative ND view of the protests. The MDN had no hesitation condemning the protestors: “Yet, it’s us, North Dakota residents who are footing the bill for the whole scenario. Minot residents are among those who are having to pay for anti-fossil fuel, anti-business, anti-capitalist protesters from out of state to make a mockery of legal processes and revel in their self-righteousness.”
THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE straddled two views. A Tribune editorial acknowledged that “protestors purposefully escalated tensions . . . and, in doing so, dug a deep hole in the moral high ground they’ve occupied.” But the Tribune felt ND authorities had not been sufficiently “calm and deliberate” with the protesters and it should be up to Gov. Dalrymple to defuse the situation.
COLUMNIST LLOYD OMDAHL believes the protests may become dangerous. The ND columnist also put the burden on Gov. Dalrymple, saying the federal government can’t be relied upon to intervene and the governor “must assert the state's authority and his leadership in the crisis.” Omdahl suggested that Dalrymple meet privately with the Standing Rock Council and exclude “all of the out-of-reservation demonstrators.”
CASS COUNTY Administrator Keith Berndt had a string of problems including arrests for domestic violence and two DUIs. But that wasn’t enough, he continued on the job. It wasn’t until he became intoxicated, threatened a flight attendant and was asked to leave a UAL flight in Chicago that Cass County Commissioners decided to fire him.
SMALL TOWN SQUEEZE The Star Tribune reports, that after several years of lackluster prices for farm commodities, rural main streets are feeling the pressure. This time it’s worse than earlier farm recessions because farmers are buying their parts and supplies directly online from manufacturers and skipping small town merchants. Farm families are also shifting shopping to larger stores in regional centers. Jamestown is an example of a city benefiting from these trends. A new home improvement center there is taking sales from smaller towns in the region.
REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT in ND is handled by Lutheran Social Services. A federal law gives states the option of controlling resettlement or leaving it to the federal government. ND gave up control in 2010 and LSS has taken over since as a State Department contractor. In 2015, LSS received $4 million from the federal government for resettling refugees in ND, which receives the most refugees per capita of any state. Most of the refugees are resettled in Fargo and Grand Forks. A Fargo City Commissioner asked state lawmakers reconsider the control issue.
DakotaBeacon