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Legislature slowly killing local home rule

As the principal author of home rule used by cities and counties, I have taken a proprietary interest in the development of home rule. North Dakota now has over 100 cities and around 15 counties with home rule charters. In 1969, my graduate assistant, Dave Gipp, and I collected the charters used in other states. None of them were feasible so we designed a system that is unique to North Dakota. It has worked well. Except the legislature has methodically stifled its use by rendering a second judgment and prohibiting any creative action that some city or county may choose. ...

Hate beyond all reason brings consequences

I can’t help myself here, but I’m about to bring up lore for “Warhammer 40,000,” which is itself is nothing more than the backdrop for grown men to roll dice and play with action figures. In this fiction, humanity is a faction called the Imperium of Man, a galaxy spanning empire founded by an immortal demi-god, whose goes by moniker The Emperor of Mankind. Without getting lost in the weeds, what’s important is the fate that befalls this character. When his finest generals and administrators are corrupted by eldritch entities, the emperor is mortally wounded in the final ...

Gap exists between citizens, Legislature

A couple weeks ago, we discussed the different styles of legislators – “delegates” that try to represent constituents and “trustees” that use their own judgment. Because the short 80-day session moves faster than communications, legislators end up voting without knowing or consulting their constituents. This enables legislators to vote their own opinions regardless of what their constituents may think. The gap between legislators and constituents becomes apparent when we look at the use of the initiative and referendum. While this provides only a few examples, it does ...

Science’s high priest has no robes

The faithful public servants of the fourth estate working at PBS have accidentally gone and done a work of revealing and genuine journalism. I know, I’m shocked as well. While typically committed to their stated ideological mission of giving the Biden Administration it’s daily tongue bath, PBS took a break to release what surely was supposed to be the puffiest of puff pieces about one of the most divisive and venerated public servants in the country, the thankfully retired Anthony Fauci. Produced for their ominously titled “American Masters” series, the clips released to ...

Fargo plans food packing extravaganza

On January 5, 2024, compassionate people in the Fargo Metropolitan area will pack 10,000,000 meals for hungry children through the ‘Feed My Starving Children’ program. The logistics are incredible. In a 10-day run in the FargoDome, organizers expect that 50,000 volunteers will be needed. Each shift will require 4,600 volunteers. One 2-hour shift will pack enough meals daily to fill two semis. Organizers are hoping that schools, churches and businesses will respond generously for this huge undertaking. They are looking for schools to become a core of support. Nutritious ...

It’s time for education to finally sober up

After the Revolution, the 13 independent colonies realized that nationalization was the only solution to their problems and wrote a constitution within which important powers were delegated to a central government. We have been going through more nationalization of American life through the last 250 years. Interstate railroads and canals were built; the telegraph and telephone became a necessity; interstate retail developed along with manufacturing; the labor market became national; movies and television gave citizens a common entertainment, public education was launched, and a common ...