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May 2008 |
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Letters To The Editor
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Ousted WSI exec was innocent man |
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Thursday, 07 February 2008 |
Letter from Sophia Preszler
Bismarck, N.D.
Why was Sandy Blunt, the top WSI executive, hired by the WSI board, ousted from his job without a valid charge against him, an innocent man? Could it be because he is an honest man and our government is dishonest?
What makes the national and North Dakota governments tick? Is the North Dakota government ticking away to the sound of Uncle Sam, which should protect and safeguard citizens like Sandy Blunt, and see that wrong and evildoers are brought to justice, or is it ticking away to the sound of Uncle Fed, the imposter and counterfeit, who criminalizes the innocent and sets the wrongdoer free?
How did Uncle Fed, the fox, get into North Dakota government? No doubt he did it through the Legislative Council (1989), which sets up boards and programs rather than working through the law. This privatizes government which is public. That is something that government may not do. When you do that you reverse the government. That makes people like Sandy Blunt, you and me the criminals and excuses the government.
It’s high time we overthrow Uncle Fed and allow Uncle Sam to reign. |
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Renovations deserves a little more respect |
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Wednesday, 06 February 2008 |
Letter from Donna M. Nelson
Valley City, N.D.
According to a recent article in the Times-Record, Dave Johnson, former city administrator, is quoted as saying, “If you renovate junk, it’s still junk.”
That’s quite a statement. Accordingly then, older buildings in Valley City that have been renovated, such as the Elks building, Rudolf Square, Landmark I (former Valley City Grocery), KOVC (former Norwest Bank), Dutton’s and the Eagles Nest Book Store (stores now occupying the former Pillar Theatre), the Barnes County Museum (former Fair Store), Central Avenue Pharmacy (original Montgomery Wards), library, and many, many others too numerous to list, are all “JUNK”!
Now that Mr. Johnson has departed, I hope that the city and county commissioners will realize that renovation in this city is a positive step, and perhaps the jail renovation should be looked at more closely. Also, those of us that have renovated and remodeled older homes should not have the same assessment as new homes and, thus, our property tax should be lowered. |
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Tuesday, 05 February 2008 |
Letter from Paul Stenshoel
Valley City, N.D.
The abuse of steroids has been here a long time.
I remember in the early 70s, when I grew up in West Coast suburbia, I knew a neighborhood boy a few years younger than I that used to hang out at our house. Our parents were good friends, since our folks were from the Midwest. Well, the best way I could describe this kid is that he was a skinny little smart-mouthed (labeled A.D.D.) boy, maybe a lot like myself. The kid's mouth used to go off on me so, being older, I would take it on myself to smack him around a bit to shut him up.
One summer this kid was away for a while, and when he came back, he was about twice the size as he was when he left! The first thing that came out of his mouth was ‘You won’t be smacking me around no more.’ It was then a physical struggle ensued, which proved he was right!
Now, this boy went on to be the big football star--the one his father never was--and his father was one proud puppy. This kid’s mother was a nurse, and she and her husband knew what steroids could do for you even back in those days.
Now Jose Conseco was the most recent to state publicly that steroids turned his life around- and he’s proud of it. What this in-your-face admission has done is put the subject right out there: that we are in a drug society. Conseco's books and comments, along with the Mitchell report, has given us a clear picture of the level of abuse in this country. Either this country is going to “stay on path” -- one of the new pathetic trend phrases used these days, or we are going to have to realize the value of individuality and the ability to love who we are and where we came from.
It’s pretty difficult to believe that George W Bush didn’t know this stuff was going on. He was an owner of the Texas Rangers, a team that included Conseco, a team that was riddled with steroids use. What this says to me is that our county and nation blindly approve the use of drugs. And what is
really odd about this is that the Bushes are said to have admired the Reagan era: The War on Drugs, jelly beans, neo-conservatism.
The point of this editorial is that some big testimony is coming up in a court in the very near future. And the government is going to be hearing some testimony from one Roger Clemens. If Roger’s going to be the real hero that he wants everybody to believe he is, he needs to come clean and start the beginning of the end of drug abuse in profession sport and everyday life. We don’t need another performance like Mark McGuire gave us; we need to get past this, and in more ways then one. I am praying Roger does the right thing!
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Arguments for canned hunts are fallacious |
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Tuesday, 05 February 2008 |
Letter from Roger Kaseman
Linton, N.D.
I am the Chairman of the North Dakota Hunters for Fair Chase Committee. I write in response to the Jan. 30 letter to the editor from Tom and Connie Kleven in which they opposed the N.D. Fair Chase initiated measure.
Those opposing the initiated measure to ban killing animals penned in an escape proof enclosure call us liars, not because we lie, but because we don’t present their side of the argument. They have no argument except for money, so they distort like Tom and Connie Kleven did in their letter.
There were 2,185 Game and Fish citations statewide. I won’t argue that point, but to compare those violations to an absence of game violations at the high fence operations is a gross distortion.
Consider this: The people that pay the high fence operator to kill a penned animal can’t violate any game laws, because game laws don’t apply behind the fence.
Therefore, the high fence shooter: n May hunt without a license, depriving Game and Fish of revenue;
n Need not pay any attention to the hunting season. They can take an animal any time of the year as long as the client coughs up the fee;
n Need not pay any attention to shooting hours. They can shoot at night using spotlights, if they choose. They are killing private livestock on private property and, according the administrative interpretation, livestock is what deer and elk behind the fence are. No foul killing them at night if the shooter wants to pay for the experience.
n Need not follow bag limits. They can shoot as many animals as they can afford.
The distortion in the Kleven letter is obvious. When the law doesn’t apply, it’s impossible to violate the law.
Don’t be fooled by the list of those particular violations. Violations at the high fence facilities are legion; the violations just aren’t game violations and don’t make the tally cited by the Klevens. I offer as proof the Cheyenne Valley Lodge, a criminal conspiracy involving a cast of hundreds. The owners of Cheyenne Valley ran a high fence operation. The violations they racked up are a direct reflection of the ethics of individuals who would engage in this sort of activity as an owner, or as a client.
The Public Trust Doctrine is a principle of common law that directs who owns and manages game animals. More than 400 years of law and court cases, going back to Colonial Ordinance of 1647, establish the legal principle that the state owns game and has no power to abrogate its trust over wildlife by transferring ownership or management of wildlife to private concerns or individuals. The state failed the people of North Dakota by closing its eyes to the law and making that transfer. We, with the help of the voting public, intend to rectify that in November.
Theodore Roosevelt wrote that, “The rich who are content to buy what they have not the skill to get by their own exertions, these are the real enemies of game.”
The high fence operators created a smart, elaborate, appealing story around their dirty business, a story that is ethically and intellectually false. Money and the pursuit of money has blinded them to certain realities, among them the eventual destruction of public hunting as we know it.
If you aren’t convinced that we need to stop this activity by initiative, consider this: The State of North Dakota and the federal government pays grants and subsidies to high fence operators to help them get started in the business. To be clear, that’s tax dollars spent to set up these operations. The high fence operators pick our collective pockets for ready cash, and when we object, they order us to butt out of their business. They want us to pay for their business and after they’ve picked our pockets, they want us to be happy about the whole mess and just shut the heck up and go away.
Won’t do it. You can take that into the voting booth in November. |
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Friday, 01 February 2008 |
Letter from Tony Clark
Bismarck, N.D.
Like many Americans, I have waited quite awhile to commit to one presidential candidate. I wanted to see how each performed in the crucible of a tough race. In my mind, Sen. John McCain has more than passed the test, and I will be proud to support him in the Feb. 5 North Dakota Republican caucus.
Some people who seek elected office seem to have an inborn need to tell each audience what they think they want to hear. Not John McCain. He is his own man. He has the courage of his convictions.
When so many on the left had all but given up on Iraq, McCain never did. He was the first to recognize a flawed Iraq strategy and said so at great risk to his own political career. He was also the first and most vocal to say that there was a better way, and it didn't involve retreat based on a congressional timetable.
More than any single national figure, he put himself on the line, promoting a Middle East strategy that has worked. Because of the surge in Iraq, the decrease in violence has been nothing short of astounding. John McCain clearly understands that you sometimes need to expend political capital at great personal political risk to accomplish what is in the nation's best interest.
McCain has never lost sight of the fact that the biggest issue of our day is the struggle against the tyranny of Islamic terrorism. No other issue matters as much as protecting our nation's future in a very dangerous world. This enemy has not just brought unprovoked murder to our own shores, it has shown every intent of doing it again. In times like these, there is no doubt that McCain has the experience, courage and judgment to be commander-in-chief on day one, no training period required.
This is not to say there aren't other important issues. There certainly are. Here too, I hope Republicans and Americans will find that he is a candidate we can rally around.
On fiscal matters, he is a budget hawk who has consistently taken on the D.C. establishment. He has steadfastly refused to mortgage our children's future to placate those who gleefully hand out goodies from Washington. His outing of pork barrel spenders may not make him "Ms. Congeniality" with the inside-the-beltway crowd, but it makes him a friend of taxpayers.
And with national economic news taking center stage, it is worth noting that his economic policies have earned him the endorsements of both Phil Gramm and Jack Kemp, two of the nation's most respected proponents of sound, pro-growth economic policies.
There is one final matter that every Republican should care deeply about. John McCain is our most electable candidate. Poll after poll establishes him as most able to win, and to win in places where Republicans need to do well. Simply put, he offers Republicans our best chance to carry the swing states we need to win the White House. With the prospect of a liberal Democrat appointing Supreme Court justices, setting spending priorities, and conducting the war on terror, McCain's electability should give every Republican good reason to look favorably on his candidacy.
On Feb. 5, North Dakota will become part of one of the most exciting presidential races in modern history. I hope my fellow citizens will join me in taking part in it. And for those who will vote in the Republican caucus, I hope you will join me in helping elect John McCain our party's candidate, and our nation's next President.
Editor’s note: Clark is one of North Dakota’s three public service commissioners.
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Friday, 01 February 2008 |
Letter from Judy Vendsel
Minot, N.D.
It seems negative stories about Workforce Safety and Insurance never cease.
The most recent news story has some very disturbing twists.
What I find curious about this latest matter is that the North Dakota Republican Party is up to its eyeballs in this mess. It was reported that the NDGOP's former executive director was a player in closed door meetings between agency leaders and other high profile Republican legislators. This has got to be the most corrupt situation I have ever seen in North Dakota.
Here are some ideas for our Republican leadership in this state: fire whoever works at WSI that was involved in the recently disclosed conspiracy and ask for any severance packages to be returned. Somehow, I doubt that will happen.
Maybe Gov. John Hoeven and Atty. Gen. Wayne Stenehjem aren't as sick over this as the rest of us. After all, the executive director of their party was involved in this mess. But isn't it the job of Hoeven and Stenehjem to ensure our government is run smoothly? It seems Hoeven and Stenehjem are protecting their Republican friends.
In recent weeks, I've seen some letters to the editor defending WSI. Haven't these folks read all the news stories dating back to late 2006? Haven't these folks talked to injured workers about how poorly they've been treated by WSI?
This issue needs to be dealt with. North Dakotans aren't accustomed to corrupt government. It's too bad the Republican-run government here can't figure that out.
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Initiated measure process good for N.D. |
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Thursday, 31 January 2008 |
Letter from Peder Rice
Minot, N.D.
While the legislative power of this state shall be vested in a legislative assembly consisting of a senate and a house of representatives, the people reserve the power to propose and enact laws by the initiative.
This is how Article III of the North Dakota State Constitution begins. Many high-ranking elected officials and commentators have questioned the appropriateness of utilizing the initiated measure process to reduce our tax rates.
To answer this question, one must first look at the history of the initiated measure in North Dakota.
The initiated measure process as it is today began in 1914. The success of reforming the process from its previous marked the beginning of the Non-Partisan Era. Since that time, the process has
been strengthened and made easier to succeed.
According to the Initiative and Referendum Institute at the University of Southern California (I&R Institute), North Dakota has the most open and
accessible process in the nation.
According to the I&R Institute, since 1914, there have been 458 measures placed on the ballot, 54 percent of which have passed. Twenty-seven of these dealt primarily with taxation issues. Of the 20 measures to increase taxes, only four have passed over the years. Of the 11 measures to reduce taxes, six have passed. History has shown that the ballot is an acceptable method of making and changing tax policy. History has also shown that the people of North Dakota have shown good judgment in voting to increase or reduce their taxes.
The initiated measure is all about letting the people voice their opinion at the ballot box instead of having to testify in front of legislative committees. Americans for Prosperity believes the voters should be able to regulate the amount of taxes they are willing to pay for good government; the legislature can then figure out how to spend what they are given wisely. |
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