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Topic Summary

Posted by: pmp6nl
« on: March 07, 2011, 10:50:40 PM »

Sorry I cant debate you on this one, we are too like-minded.  Your post is exactly what I am thinking.  Why do you suppose the legislature is taking up these seemingly unimportant topics?  Do they really think they are important?  Is there a very vocal group lobbying them about things like the divorce thing?  I realize there is a very vocal group about the nickname thing, but how do they think they have a right to trample on everything?

I guess I am missing out on why its important for them to concentrate on what I think are non big issues and why they are not focusing on the big issues?  I just cant fathom it, does anyone know their line of thinking?  :mystery: :bulb:
Posted by: Sal Atticum
« on: March 04, 2011, 11:18:28 AM »

I'm disappointed in the tone of the article being a bunch of party-line rhetoric, but I agree with the sentiment. 

It seems like the legislature just woke up one day and decided to ignore the distinction between important and unimportant legislation.

It's this goofball stuff like "one year waiting periods before divorce" and "UND's team names must be known as The Fighting Sioux" and "let's get rid of the state board of higher education and replace it with a board dictated by the current governor" that just blow my mind...aren't there more important things to worry about? 
Couldn't we be dealing with the flooding Fargo is going to experience again this year? 
Can't we deal with the EPA regulations being ignored in the case of Devil's Lake (and the problem that people are being flooded out there as well)? 
Can't we have a solid discussion about higher education funding?  (To be fair, wasn't it the governor's budget that was eviscerated by the legislature?  Now we have a few percent increase in tuition (instead of a freeze) and lack of money for building projects deemed important by the SBHE (and after all, it's sort of their job to know what's important when it comes to that).)
Can't we deal with the rampant drunk driving in the state, and the multiple auto accident deaths every. single. week. during the summer?
Can't we deal with the population explosion in the western part of the state and how we're letting drilling companies do pretty much what they want because we're getting taxes out of it?
Posted by: pmp6nl
« on: March 04, 2011, 12:19:20 AM »

Quote
North Dakota common sense in short supply at Legislature
By: Mark Schneider, Fargo

The only good thing you can say about the legislative session being half over is that the Republican supermajority only has 40 more days to display their stunning arrogance and utter disregard for the people of North Dakota. But you don’t have to take my word for it. The actions of Republican legislators this session speak for themselves.

Republican unaccountability started nearly immediately with Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem, R-Bismarck, abandoning the start of the session for a junket to India. I don’t know what is worse about Stenehjem’s 10-day absence: His failure to inform the people of his whereabouts or the fact that he collected his legislative salary during this trip.

Astonishingly, Stenehjem and his caucus later voted down a bill that would have required public disclosure of these types of trips, which are often funded by lobbyists and interest groups.

Just a few legislative days later, House Republicans voted down legislation introduced by Rep. Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, which would have established an ethics panel in North Dakota. Despite the fact that our state is only one of a handful that has no such panel to look into alleged wrongdoing of elected officials, this bill was defeated sharply along party lines.

In addition to these self-serving actions against open government and transparency, Republican legislators have demonstrated extreme views that are entirely outside of the mainstream here in North Dakota. Take the comments of Sen. Oley Larsen, R-Minot, who in a meandering soliloquy against anti-bullying legislation, declared that “children who never experience abuse or neglect ... grow up to be emotional marshmallows.” Sadly, this unthinking extremism is not an isolated case.

Consider the following:

    * Republican legislators advanced a bill to prohibit the release of 911 tapes like those involving the arrest of Rep. Dave Weiler, R-Bismarck, on domestic violence charges.

    * Republicans in the Senate introduced legislation mandating a one-year waiting period and counseling sessions before couples could obtain a divorce, placing North Dakota law squarely in the lives of families and creating a whole new meaning for the term “big government.”

    * A bicameral group of Republicans favored a bill that would have removed veterans from a committee overseeing veterans programs and replaced them with politicians.

These actions are but a few examples of the profoundly misplaced priorities of the Republican supermajority in the Legislature.

At a time when our state is enjoying the bounty of our one-time energy harvest, our priorities should be strengthening education, lowering taxes on working families, investing in infrastructure improvements and keeping our most valuable natural resource – our educated youth – right here in North Dakota. Instead, this bunch is inventing new ways to show disdain for the people who elected them.

The Legislature is in need of a strong dose of North Dakota common sense and humility. That dose is best delivered by electing sensible, responsive public servants and restoring political balance in Bismarck.

Schneider is North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party chairman.


This is an opinion article from http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/310731/group/Opinion/

I agree with many of his points.  We really need to look at the priorities in the state.  Does anyone disagree there are problems such as those listed?
realistic