Let’s cut right to the chase. I think the petition to reduce the number of alderman on the Minot City Council is a great idea. Over the course of my adult lifetime, I have lived in Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks and Bismarck, in addition to being a long-time resident of Minot. Fargo, Grand Forks and Bismarck
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The oldest play in the political handbook is stoke fear and create doubt. To that end, Aldermen Seymour’s recent letter in The Minot Daily was masterful. Unfortunately for Minot and the democratic process, most of it simply wasn’t true. As a member of #MakeMinot, the group behind this initiative, I’d like to set the record
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In my investigation into how Minot does municipal government, I uncovered an interesting and possibly even disturbing fact. Nowhere in Minot’s easily accessible governing documents, i.e., our home rule charter, and our published code of ordinances, is there any written, legal foundation for our present Ward-based system or the establishment of 14 Alderman. It’s not
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If you’ve been with The Minot Voice since the beginning, you know one of the issues I’m passionate about and believe in is City Council reform. When you look back over the last few years and discover that only 6 of the last 25 ‘elections’ for City Council seats have been contested, you’d be crazy
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Commentary: hard choices are being made by the Bismarck City Commission. Minot’s budget process is upcoming.
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Everyone who has lived on the prairie longer than a season understands how volatile the weather is — we are a place of extremes. Sioux Falls recently got a reminder that should also serve to spur the urgency behind Minot’s flood protection plan. We’ve dodged bullets like this a few times since the flood of
Read & Share sourced from: InForum
In today’s frenzied news and media culture, we each bear the responsibility of being conscientious news consumers. Until we are, we’ll continue to feed whatever disease is responsible for yesterday’s tragic events and the sensationalism that followed. Read the full commentary provided by Mr. Lichfield on Quartz.
Read & Share sourced from: Quartz
An ardent supporter of open records and meeting reform, Mr. Port has been asked to serve on a task force that will address the issue. In this commentary, he outlines four critical steps necessary to making our governments more open, transparent, and accessible.
Read & Share sourced from: Say Anything Blog.com
It’s a hard question to answer, but we won’t know unless we ask. This article wasn’t written specifically for Minot, but it does point out how successful the Dutch have been at holding back the North Sea. And in that, perhaps there are lessons we can use. This article was originally published on The Environmental
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In today’s commentary on the University System, Mr. Port takes exception to NDSU President Brescani’s intimation that incoming students will graduate in four years — a statement that is not backed by recent statistics.
Read & Share sourced from: Say Anything Blog.com
Leaders in Fargo have decided on their own accord to tackle the City’s convoluted liquor laws. Here’s the quote from the article that matters, “I just think it’s a great opportunity. We want to ensure that we’re encouraging new businesses.” — Dave Piepkorn, City Commissioner. Read the full story on The Fargo Forum here. When
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At a recent meeting sponsored by the Corps of Engineers regarding flood control, the attendees were advised it would probably be over 20 years before the Souris River flood control project is completed. Several credible local persons involved with the project conceded to me off the record, that it could be longer and possibly never.
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Want a picture of what it took for New Orleans to get from flood-ravaged city to largely rebuilt with significant flood protection in 10 years? It took a citizen initiative on a scale rarely seen in modern post-apathetic America. Read this commentary.
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Journalist Kevin Killough takes a closer look at North Dakota’s regulatory environment regarding pipelines, especially those that are serving the Bakken region. His conclusion — taking a partnership approach rather than an adversarial one has served the state well.
Read & Share sourced from: Say Anything Blog.com
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the ADA and the 20th anniversary of Independence, Inc., will offer a collection of essays and stories posted here over the next few weeks.
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With the approval earlier this month of another $2.5 million in MAGIC Fund dollars for Minot’s downtown parking garages, I can’t help asking the questions — are we spending those dollars in the right way, and should we be spending them at all? The need to complete the structures notwithstanding — because we do need
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