Patricia Ann Marquard

Minot

The quality of life we have had in North Dakota is what makes it great to live here. We honor working hard and making a living, family, and religion. With the possible creation of a corn mill in Grand Forks we will lose the spirit of what North Dakota means.

First the citizens of Grand Forks have lost their ability to petition the city government which is protected in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. A petition with 5,000 signatures addressing the location of the corn mill was rejected. The city council and mayor are not representing the people and should be recalled. When citizens organized a recall of the city council, exercising their rights, two Grand Forks policemen showed up at one of the organizer’s doorstep. It was later determined that one was an FBI agent.

North Dakota is a friendly state and neighbors cooperate with each other. China’s ruthlessness in persecuting its citizens over religious and human rights does not need to be documented. It has been common knowledge for several generations. The Chinese Communist party, indirectly owning the plant will ignore western customs and not be the neighbor that will make other communities in our state comfortable. It can serve as a cover for the CCP to steal secrets and technologies from our military base in Grand Forks, sacrificing national security. Besides the base at Grand Forks, we have another military base in the state, Minot Air Force Base that could be compromised.

Economically, it will be too expensive for agricultural centers of corn growers to market the corn to a mill in North Dakota. The price of diesel fuel, and the shortage of truck drivers, along with extensive regulations in interstate transportation will make the mill unprofitable.

We have a great life in North Dakota now, I urge everyone to contact their state legislators, and governor to stop the proposed Chinese corn mill. Let’s promote “Made in North Dakota,” not let’s infiltrate our enemies into North Dakota.”