Information about the 61st legislative session and this brief organizational session can be found at the North Dakota Legislative Branch web site.

The newspaper published one editorial on November 22 questioning whether or not we will really see change in the next few years or just a change in who holds position and power.  The end of the editorial:

Are we in for more “change,” as in merely different from what we have now but not necessarily new, or are we in store for “change” as in charting a new course for America?

Hmm.

And we wonder why markets teeter.

After linking national politics to money troubles, Minot Daily News followed up with an editorial on November 24 that addressed our national debt.  Apparently our national debt has doubled in the last eight years and now sits at $10.660 trillion.  The newspaper asks what the cost of change as suggested by the president-elect will be.

With these two editorials, Minot Daily News emphasized the fact that national politics is really about money and who spends it.  They brought to mind the difference between the national scene and the relatively healthy economy North Dakotans enjoy right now. 

Although the recent financial trends are making their way to ND in some industries, by and large North Dakota has a healthy economy and seems to trust state legislators to be wise stewards of our surplus money.  State leaders focus on building our economy on all levels, including the energy industry, tourism, manufacturing, and information technology as well as agriculture.  Our exports are increasing, and I believe that trend will continue.

With the two situations in mind, I have wondered why we don’t elect someone from North Dakota to lead the country.  With a few exceptions, we have great people serving in all levels of public office.  They lead with deliberate consideration and common sense–not just charisma, although they seem to have that as well. 

I would love to see that situation in Minot Daily News editorials.

Monson and Hauge maintain that industrial hemp (used in products ranging from lotions to clothing) is not the same plant as marijuana.

Read more about it here.

The program, called “Career Conversations,” was launched on October 31.  From one of the earliest press releases from Gov. Hoeven’s office:

One of the main tools used to reach students will be interactive webcam “career conversations” between students in a classroom and workers in high wage/high demand occupations. Gov. Hoeven helped demonstrate this program today with Mandan High School students who conversed via webcam with service technician Patrick McConnell who is employed with Fargo-based Titan Machinery. The goal of the career promotion program is to provide current information about careers that have a strong future in North Dakota to high school students and adults who are advising them.

Hoeven said in order to meet North Dakota’s workforce needs, the state is working to attract people from out of state and to retain residents who already live here. Career conversations is an effort aimed at retaining young North Dakotans.

Although I enjoy spending time outdoors, I’m not a hunter and not really a fisher; I can’t say firsthand whether the stories are true.

What I do know is that there are several people who agree with this perspective.  During an article I wrote a few years ago, I talked with a few people who came clear from Arizona to hunt.  This past October, we had family visit because they wanted to come hunting here.

I can think of two people who really know what’s going on with outdoor sports in North Dakota:  Doug Leier with North Dakota Outdoors and Redneck Goon.  Check out their sites for more info…although at the moment, the presidential election seems to be a higher priority than hunting and fishing.

The Magic City recently completed consruction on North Broadway, one of the main thoroughfares and, if I remember correctly, a very busy street.  Gov. John Hoeven and Department of Transportation Director Francis Ziegler both attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

This article addresses the possibility of future industrial growth in Minot, and this one announces Sen. Kent Conrad’s hopes that the Minot area could play a critical role in overseeing Air Force weapons storage nationwide. 

Not a bad week for Minot.

From the article:

State aid recently increased to some school districts based on a new state school funding formula. Coupled with local property tax values that showed an increase for the last year, districts are bringing in more revenue compared to previous years to cover increased costs.

It will be interesting to watch what happens for education during the upcoming legislative session. 

For an interesting possibility, read here.

Of course, that wouldn’t fix the economic problems at the national level.  But what North  Dakota community WOULDN’T want $700 billion? 

What community wouldn’t be concerned about so much money being spent?

As the energy industry continues to expand–especially oil production in the Bakken area, the pipeline issues will have to be addressed.  It’s nice to see that a pro-active approach to the approaching bottleneck actually began years ago.

From the press release:

Expansions completed and underway today were initiated in April 2006, when Hoeven hosted a broad-based summit of oil and gas industry principals to help address the challenge of increasing pipeline capacity in western North Dakota. Summit participants included U.S. and Canadian oil industry officials, pipeline companies, petroleum producers, railroad officials and state legislators. Among the options they implemented were the Enbridge Pipeline expansion; transport or crude by rail; expand oil refining capacity; and a Pipeline Transportation Authority, which was established in the last legislative session.

 

UPDATE:  THE BISMARCK TRIBUNE PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT THIS MORNING.  READ IT HERE.