Dorgan’s recent comment about how ND citizen are during town hall meeting went up in smoke recently in Casselton. His recent comments:

1. “That’s just not the way North Dakotans are”
2. “And so I’ve always welcomed a diversity of thought. I think it’s healthy. And North Dakotans always do that very respectfully.”

Wake up politicians – The American people are sick and tired of your waste and doing business as usual where we get screwed in the end in DC. This is why there are so many more outburst when it comes to core issues. Instead of redoing health care why don’t you find ways to cut the expense of what is already being spent.

Example Of Cost Cutting:

Do you know that those x-ray machines that are used every time for someone there is a percentage that goes tot he company that sold the machine to the clinic. This fee is not a maintenance fee because if it was the clinic would not have to pay for repairs. So every x-ray that is done these companies have a reoccuring revenue of 10, 20, 50 dollars per x-ray. While this does not seem like a lot keep in mind that most people get a minimum of 2 – 3 x-rays. This is a total of 30 – 150 dollars that could be saved off a patient’s bill and from the insurance company dropping the cost for premiums. The clinic could buy the machine out right and then not have this reoccuring bill. That is just one cut to be made among many others.

Well it was only a matter of time before Moorhead would have utility companies coming in and putting in more “services”. It is sad that the city of Moorhead along with other cities can not block this type of service because it is govern by the FCC. On top of that the city does not put their foot down to ensure that these contractors do the job right. Within 2 weeks they have hit 2 gas lines.

In my opinion that is 2 too many given the nature of gas lines and how volatile they are. I have contacted council members and also the city engineers and it is appears that the contractor Mid Continental is trying to up the time line for it to be finished this year instead of next year.  So with complete disregard for the citizen with Moorhead we will just rush everything and hope we don’t blow anyone up. Heaven forbid if an accident happens where a house gets blown to smithereens with people inside it because a project is on a time schedule and being rushed to beat it.  From my questioning I ascertained that this project was slated to be completed by the winter in 2010 but the company is trying to push it to be completed in 2009. The city’s own engineer told me that this project is being rushed and the reasoning is because they want it done before winter. Having only 4 inspectors for the 25 teams I believe is pushing the limit and it shows with the amount of accidents that have happened. I am all for productivity and getting projects done on time within the appropriate safety guidelines, which I do not think are being demonstrated currently by this contractor. The city is the resident’s advocate in these matters and it is up to the city to address this with the utility and other contractors that are doing work within the city. In addition to all this who pays for all the emergency crews that are being called because of these accidents? – The tax payers!!

In addition it is sad that they care for nothing when it comes to aesthetics when putting these utility boxes in. Instead of putting them int he back yards they are putting them in the fron of the lots so the curb appeal is gone. I am so glad I paid almost 200K for a house that has 3 utility boxes in the front yard. In summary of the aesthetics issue I think within my development that this project was poorly planned and executed. One of my questions is what happens when the next company comes in and does work which the city cannot stop because of federal FCC and they decide to put even more boxes in the front. While I understand easements are there for a reason but as a city it will start looking like a slum if care is not taken into how the placement of utilities and other things are done for homeowners.

With all the planning issues that I have personally seen and also address with the city personally I am very saddened that I live in this city. I have brought up many issues to the city and only one has been resolved.

Can some please tell me why when the barrel cost increases by 10 dollars the next day you see that increase at the pump immediately? Then when the price of the barrel drops by the same amount it takes the market and gas stations 2 weeks or more to drop it at the pump. I think the reason is because the gas companies and investors are riding this market out for everything they can get out of it. I am hoping that the government steps in and just crushes these people with congressional hearing and pushes for regulations.  There is definite gouging going on and the customers are paying the price. Here are some links for this type of discussion as well. Please feel free to share any other information that you want to for other online resources.
FaceBook about Gas prices

Sign the Petition!!

Tonight I was took part in a performance by the Trollwood Performing Art School. I went to only one other performance from Trollwood which was Beauty and the Beast and I have to say both were very good. Don’t get me wrong I am no art critic and don’t know a lick of music or even how to read music.

I just go by if I enjoy the entertainment and was it worth the money to go. So many times people pay money to see a movie and it sucks. Not so here and I would recommend that if you get a chance to go that you take the opportunity. I believe it normally starts at 8PM and goes to about 10:15PM or so. You are allowed to bring your own refreshments which I recommend. I even saw someone have a veggie platter which was cool. You can either pay to sit in reserved seating or sit on the ground on blankets ( you have to provide the blankets). This performance is very fast pace and is enjoyed by all ages. Thanks for listening. You can check out their web site at:http://www.trollwood.org

So what does every one think about the smoking ban loop hole? I think it is hilarious. Leave it up to all these politicians, smoking ban advocates, etc to come up with a law with a loop hole. First I have to voice what most logical people would think.

It is not the government responsibility to police what a business does within it’s four walls. If people don’t want to breathe smoke then don’t go to that establishment. If enough people don’t go there then the business will suffer. It is up to the business to make the viable change if that is no smoking or other things. The government should only be allowed to govern taxes and social programs. Any more than that the government gets corrupted. I believe all the resources that was spent on this is outrageous as well. The man hours and cost to the citizens of all the surrounding cities that make the law the same in each city so there is no unfair advantages across the river. When will these politicians and such concentrate on something worth wild. To any government official reading this. Stay out of the way of making laws for businesses. Businesses don’t come in to your office and tell you that you have to have your desk a certain way that was paid by with our tax dollars. We have more of a right to do just that than you do for banning smoking. Oh by the way this is from a non-smoker. Never smoked a day in my life but I speak out because I think the city and government should stay out of business affairs.

In reviewing the paper about a person that took the city of Fargo to court about traffic fines that are significantly larger then the ND state law allows was hilarious.

Stephanie Sauby has enlisted lawyers to fight 5 tickets. I think it was about time these Fargo police and the city laws get in sync with the state law and stop trying to claim home charter rules. Home charter laws should be out lawed when it comes to fines, criminal,or civil lawsuits. I hope that she is successful in her attempt to open up the class action suit. She has already made it through the district court three times successfully. The city of Fargo has disregarded the judge’s decision every time so far. They are willfully doing this which I hope turns into a huge class action suit. Not only does Fargo lose money from the future of the fines but also from the past if the class action suit is brought fourth and won. Instead of agreeing with the law and let it go they are going to fight it all the way. I hope they lose everything and everyone gets their money back. It just goes to show you yet another government suppressing the citizens by hitting them in the purse. This case went all the way to ND Supreme court and the arguments that the city brought fourth was struck down. You would think the city would stop trying to convince the courts after that but they stand to loose a lot more then the 900K in future fines. They may end up paying back a lot more. I will sit and laugh when this happens.

Okay well this has nothing to do with the Fargo Moorhead area but it is within the state of North Dakota and is very outrageous that it was allowed. In reading the story about the aeronautics director Gary Ness and Gary Ness was caught by video stealing about 1700

dollars that was laid down on the counter from some women. This is consider a felony in ND where you can not be bailed out of jail unless you see a judge. Gary calls in a favor probably using his attorney to have a friend of his which is a judge to come and preside over the bail hearing. Mind you Gary was not even charged yet by the prosecution. How can a person be bailed out without even knowing the charges? This was a huge step over bounds by the judge and he should excuse himself from the case and being a judge. If this were to happen with anyone else they would not get this type of treatment. They would have stayed in jail the entire time until processing was done. Is this what this country is coming too. Unfair politics and now judges (ones that are suppose to uphold the law to the furtherest extent of the law) are holding special meetings for friends. Now on top of all this the bail bond hearing was not even on the record. So what really happened in that meeting now that there is no record of it. This should be of public interest. The judge was South Central District Judge Robert Wefald and DA is Richard Riha. According to a statement by the judge in the In-Forum it was stated “Wefald said he knows Ness personally, and the two men work out at the same Bismarck health club. No recording was made of what was said at the Friday hearing, which Wefald said was an oversight. “It wasn’t my plan not to make a record” of the hearing, he said.” This is unbelievable that the law can be bent when favors are called in from good friends. Then people wonder why the government is so corrupt and no one trust them.

Updated July 20th – I sent an email to the governor’s office which is found below in quotes. Now this is the office that appoints the judges in the state of ND.

“I want to express my dishearten feelings about Judge Robert Wefald from the Bismarck, ND area. He recently held a special bond hearing for the director of Aeronautic Gary Ness. This special favor was called in on behalf of Ness’s lawyer and because the judge and Ness are work out buddies he held a special meeting off the record saying it was an over sight. There is some extreme issues represented in these facts. One is there is no record of who is responsible for what. He could have simply just fled and there was nothing the state could do about it. Second no charges were even filed yet so how can the judge make a logical decision on what if any bond should be made? There is a process here that must be followed and this did not happen. Third, where does the corruption stop when people can call in special favors when they are connected to government officials and use that connection to abuse the laws that are suppose to govern everyone? This is just one more corruptible act after another. I am asking you to investigate this matter with the Attorney General and remove the people necessary to restore the fair and right justice system that the USA and ND was built on and US citizens can be proud of.”

I get a response from Monty Ann Rauser which stated the following: “Thank you for your email to Governor Hoevens office regarding a recent District Court decision by Judge Wefald. I am sorry but this is not an issue that we can assist you with. The Governor does not have jurisdiction in court matters.”

This response is dishearten as well. First they deny that they have any power over the court system. Then they provide no input of who is over the court system. They have no power but are the ones that appoint these people? Complete denial by the governor’s office is unacceptable to the constituents of ND. This is why more people need to question their government and get answers from them which most of the time they don’t want to do. That is their job is to give answers and not create a rouse to get people to look the other way. I will update this when I get a response from the below email.

My email back to Monty: “If I am understanding your response he has no jurisdiction over someone that he appoints to the court? The governor is the one that appoints these judges. If he does not have any jurisdiction as you have stated then who does? I am certain that the governor’s office can provide this information. Please provide contact information that should have been provided in the first email instead of putting up a road block and just dismissing that he has no jurisdiction. The fact that I know he appoints them is found at the links below which one is right from the governor’s own website.”

http://www.ndhrc.org/Goals/TransformPL/Developments/LetterMay162003.htm
http://governor.state.nd.us/media/news-releases/2006/02/060209.html

I also believe that he does have jurisdictions over the board of the aeronautics which he also appoints but my questions are still not answered from my initial email. I appreciate those to be answered as well. I await your response.”

Another update: Again leave it up to ND aeronautics board to suspend the director with pay. So who is paying this guy’s salary? – The tax payers. Where does the insanity stop. If any other person got charged with a crime they would be lucky to keep their job let alone be paid for being on administrator leave and not working for the money. I never understand that with the government that they allow administrator leave with pay. I have no issue with putting them on leave but they either cash in their vacation time or take it without pay. And then the government ask why they have budget issues.

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