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The Biden referendum

Two years ago, I found myself like most Americans furloughed from one job, and working diminished hours at another as a night auditor at a hotel in Bismarck. Those were strange uncertain times, and more often than not my nights were spent interacting with a variety of individuals from all over the country as they sought any kind respite they could from lockdowns, riots, and the general unease that afflicted our nation and the world. The morning after the 2020 election that November, a woman from Baker, California, stopped by the front desk multiple times to break the monotony of her ...

Should the CCC be revived?

Walsh County Record (Grafton) Editor W. Todd Morgan reminded us last week that June observed the 80th anniversary of the closing of the Civilian Conservation Corps, an organization of young men 18-26 that did scores of public projects in North Dakota. And what the CCC didn’t do, the Works Progress Administration did. While the CCC consisted of young men in a semi-military setting, commanded in barracks by regular military officers, the Works Progress Administration used older men that worked out of their homes on local projects. The CCC boys were paid $30 a month of which $25 was ...

Where can consumers turn in times of financial distress?

Tthe latest economic news has Americans getting poorer. In fact, recent reports are indicating that two-thirds of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. Further, it’s not just those living near the poverty level who are struggling. Fortune.com referenced a new report issued by LendingClub that revealed more than one-third of paycheck-to-paycheck consumers in the U.S. earn at least $250,000. Certainly, inflation is affecting how Americans of all income levels handle their budgets. The reality is many North Dakota and South Dakota consumers, including credit union members, are ...

Breaking the chains to access capital, achieve real freedom

Being black and walking away from a person who legally owned you became reality on June 19, 1865, when Texas became the last state to implement the Emancipation Proclamation. The day, now known as Juneteenth, has become one of celebration for black Americans. It was a start. As black Americans, however, we continually must ask the question: “Are we truly emancipated?” While important to celebrate a day that freed our ancestors from the physical bondages and the inhumane capacity of slave owners to treat them as less than human beings, we must also look to the day as a ...

A community growing forward

As a community, we have seen a tremendous amount of success over the past four years and I believe we are on the path of growing forward. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Minot’s mayor during that time. We, as a community, have seen significant gains and investment in the quality of life with projects such as the Magic City Discovery Center, a new public high school, a Career & Technical Education Center, recreational businesses opening their doors, and pathways taking shape within our flood control system. The number of new businesses opening their doors is a ...

‘Clean Crypto,’ ‘clean energy’ and ‘greater fools’

With the downturn facing the state’s oil and gas industry, North Dakota leaders have elected to court the volatile and burgeoning world of crypto mining and blockchain services. With the recent announcements that separate multimillion dollar projects are in the works from two companies called Bitzero and FX Solutions to build massive mining and server farms in North Dakota, it would seem no one involved has been paying attention to current events. While the money pumped into the crypto realm over the last two years has captured the attention of the world, recent instability and the ...