There’s a big push to reduce North Dakota flaring, but it needs some help from Congress. Yesterday the North Dakota Petroleum Council, which represents most of the oil industry in North Dakota, announced a goal set by the industry to collect 85 percent of the gas produced in North Dakota within two years, and 90…
Would Pre-K Education Programs Like Headstart Help North Dakota's Reading Problem?
According to a new report, roughly 66% of North Dakota’s elementary students aren’t proficient readers by the time they reach the fourth grade. That sounds abysmal, but it’s also the national average. Which doesn’t mean that North Dakota’s number is good, but rather that we have a lot of work to do as a nation.…
Maybe This Is Why North Dakota Democrats Can't Get A Challenger For Kevin Cramer
In the 2012 cycle North Dakota Democrats lost ground. They broke even in the state legislature, but lost the only state-level executive branch office they held (Superintendent of Schools), and while Heidi Heitkamp made headlines by upsetting Republican Rick Berg in the Senate race, she still barely won. The last time Senator Kent Conrad, the…
Berg Column: A Simple Solution To End Poverty In America
Valley News Live – KVLY/KXJB – Fargo/Grand Forks TRANSCRIPT: Good evening, I’m Chris Berg, thanks for joining us. I want to start tonight with BREAKING NEWS. Roughly 90 minutes ago, the House and Senate Conference Committee announced a bipartisan agreement on a final Farm Bill. That is obvioulsy GREAT news for the Red River Valley…
Leier Column: Now Is A Good Time To Pursue North Dakota's State Fish
I’ve always enjoyed my own little internal debates, like would I rather have a 12-ounce hamburger steak for a little less price than an 8-ounce ribeye? And the same concept applies to the outdoors. Would you rather catch 15 decent perch, or three big pike during a few hours of ice fishing? The beauty of…
Propane Shortage Is A Side Effect Of Obstructing Energy Infrastructure Like Keystone Pipeline
Last night during his State of the Union address, President Obama made no mention of the Keystone pipeline project which his administration continues to obstruct. That’s creating serious problems across the upper midwest as oil production creates a crunch on existing infrastructure. Consider these recent news articles: Propane crisis becomes hot topic State Rep. Pat…
Gehrig Column: A Candidate's View On The Role Of Local Government
Fargo, we are long overdue for a discussion regarding the role of local government. As a candidate for Fargo City Commission, I would like to initiate that conversation. Starting by looking at Fargo’s budget and in many cases ask, “Is that the job of local government?” Those of us who enjoy downtown have, at one…
Kingsbury Column: There Are Many Paths To Success
I am not sure if writing this column is a mistake or not. This is about higher education in North Dakota and of all the subjects written about in this blog higher education is, well let’s just call it the most controversial element of public spending. Higher education governance is just the type of government…
North Dakota's Top Oil Regulator: “I just don’t see much value in public comment.”
North Dakota Democrats have chosen North Dakota’s top oil regulator, Lynn Helms, as their whipping boy this election season, and Helms seems to be giving them plenty of fodder. In an email obtained by Forum Communications, Helms tells a lawyer in Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem’s office that he doesn’t “see much value in public comment”…
President Obama's State Of The Union Speech Was Most Interesting For What It Didn't Contain
After watching President Obama’s State of the Union address tonight, I was more interested in what he didn’t say that what he did say. What the President did say was a rehash of pretty much everything he’s been saying for five years now, with one exception in the form of an executive order mandating a…