Back during the 2012 election cycle North Dakota had a bit of a political brawl over the issue of property taxes. On one side were activists – like Charlene Nelson, my guest today on the radio – who argued that the property tax is inefficient and fundamentally unfair and ought to be abolished. On the…
Charlene Nelson: Pass HB1461 To Withdraw From Common Core
Common Core has been front and center and, as Rob has often noted, the arena has gotten a little crazy a few times. Both sides have lined up their arguments in well-ordered regiments but for the casual reader, the facts can still seem pretty hard to nail down. We hear Common Core was written and…
Nelson Column: Enjoy Your Property Tax Relief North Dakota, It Won't Last
Like a good magician, Cass County Auditor Mike Monplaisir’s recent editorial on North Dakota property tax is nothing but slight of hand. He hopes to distract readers from the real issue–that property taxes have been out of control for the last ten years and people are losing their homes because of it–by pointing out that…
Cass County Auditor Misleads On Property Taxes
To hear Cass County Auditor Michael Montplaisir tell it in a letter to the Fargo Forum today, citizens of his county have nothing to complain about when it comes to property taxes. To make his case, he cites his own property tax record as well as that of outspoken property tax opponent Charlene Nelson. “Nelson’s…
Dorso Column: Eliminate The Income Tax, Not The Property Tax
I have to admit I am totally perplexed by the logic of some of the SAB readers. On the one hand you are so conservative that you feel most of the Republicans legislators are RINOs. On the other hand you think that a measure eliminating the property tax is a good solution. Some of you…
Let's Face It, Measure 2 Is Coming Back
Last year North Dakota debated Measure 2, which would have abolished property taxes in the state if passed. It was defeated after a coalition of special interest groups (lead by the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce) launched a group called “Keep It Local ND” to oppose it. Their primary argument, obviously, was that by eliminating…