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Letters to the Editor

Primary enforcement will save lives

Ron Henke, Director, N.D. Department of Transportation Col. Brandon Solberg, N.D. Highway Patrol, Bismarck Seat belts save lives. That’s the reason North Dakota’s law is changing from secondary enforcement to primary enforcement on Aug. 1. Seat belts are the single most effective safety device to prevent death and injury in a motor vehicle crash. Research shows having a primary law over a secondary law can result in a 10-12% increase in observed seat belt use and reduce passenger vehicle driver deaths by 7%. Those statistics are important because the number one ...

Statistics, polls create liars

Ron Schmidt, Tolna Lies, damn lies and statistics. Mark Twain, HL Mencken and George Orwell, where are you now when we need you. Numbers, numbers, numbers. 7-12-23. More numbers. CNN: according to a poll, 61% of Americans support abortion in most or all instances. Really! The same statistic cited as a fact for two different criteria. My understanding of the term “all” means without exception. “Most” does not mean without exception. With reservations, I’ll grant that 50+ qualifies as most. As a single, old man, I’ve never found babies to be a blessing. They are ...

Congrats to Minot City Council

Bob Sanderson, Minot Recently there has been an issue raised with the Minot City Council regarding an ordinance that would have provided legal protection to the LBGTQ community. Unfortunately, that ordinance created a fair amount of controversy. After a number of meetings and testimony from the community, the council wisely and courageously decided to table the ordinance. They then made the decision to appoint a Human Relations Committee to gather further information and provide that input to the City Council for further consideration. The council deserves to be recognized for ...

Burgum dislikes made-in-America policies

Landis Larson, President, North Dakota AFL-CIO Co-signed by AFL-CIO affiliates: Northern Valley Labor Council, Northern Plains United Labor Council, Missouri Slope Central Labor Council In a recent interview on “Meet the Press,” Governor Doug Burgum showed his cards on working families and the economy. According to Burgum, what is getting in the way of driving the economy forward? “Red Tape Ideology.” What examples of “Red Tape Ideology” did he address in his nearly hour-long interview? Unions and “Made in America” policies. The North Dakota AFL-CIO, the ...

Why vote for a guy like that

James Maxson, Minot Governor Burgum’s interview on Meet the Press was interesting. He seemed calm, not angry. He didn’t insult anyone. He didn’t call anyone names. He didn’t refer to his unmentionables. He has no known record of sexually assaulting unwilling women. He has no pending criminal indictments. He pays his bills. He isn’t known in Fargo or Bismarck to be a bold-faced liar. He hasn’t fathered children with three different women. He seems to be living in the present and the future rather than the past. He doesn’t like associating with crooks. He’s under 70. ...

Support PROVE IT Act in Congress

Maj. Gen. (ret) Mike Haugen, Fargo I fully support Sen. Cramer’s stance on reducing our reliance on China and Russia for energy and critical supply chains. It is time for America to take action on this pressing Issue. The PROVE IT Act, which will study the pollution intensity of our industries compared to our competitors, is crucial. By obtaining concrete evidence of the impact of lack of regulations on manufacturers in countries like China, we can establish fairer trade practices that support United States manufacturers. American businesses adhere to stricter environmental ...