Blog on vacation

Starting Wednesday, Dec. 20, there will be a temporary hiatus in the production of this blog. The moratorium will last until just after the first of the year. Sorry about the inconvenience, and we’ll see you in 2007 (or maybe a little before).

Dorgan Says Energy Department’s New Outlook Shows North Dakota Will Lead Way to Energy Independence

Press release via Sen. Dorgan's office...

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) --- U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) said Tuesday a new Energy Outlook report from the Department of Energy shows that North Dakota’s Bakken Shale formation will play an increasingly large role in the effort to eliminate our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.

Dorgan, incoming Chairman of both the Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, said the agency has substantially increased its estimate of how much domestic oil the United States will produce between 2017 and 2030. The Department of Energy says revelations that the Bakken Shale may hold a significant amount of oil played a significant role in the more optimistic outlook.

“This new Annual Energy Outlook from the Department of Energy amounts to a statement of confidence in the potential of the Bakken Shale,” Dorgan said. “North Dakota has the potential to lead our nation to energy independence, and I’m going to keep pushing to encourage development that helps boost our domestic oil and gas production as well as developing renewable energy to bring good-paying jobs to our state.”

Dorgan has pushed to increase development of the Bakken Shale, pressing the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to release a study of the formation’s oil reserves. Last month, he brought USGS officials to Bismarck, North Dakota, for a meeting with key officials from the state’s oil industry to discuss ways to boost development of the formation.

Scott Hennen and Karl Rove

WDAY radio's right wing, Republican talk show host Scott Hennen recently visited the White House. From what we hear, he's been there the past few years around the Holidays.

Here's a picture of Hennen and Karl Rove from Hennen's blog.

Rove was suspected of leaking classified information to the media, he strongly advocated for President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security and he strongly supported CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement). Let's just say Rove does not jive with the views of many North Dakotans.

Would you want your picture taken with a guy like this?

WSI woes...

Via The Forum...

Turmoil at WSI is serious
Lloyd Omdahl, The Forum

Problems in the state Workforce Safety & Insurance have boiled over again, with the state auditor’s office reeling off a series of indictments and scores of legislators calling for the agency director’s head in a basket. If the auditor’s report is to be believed, this time the issue is the morale of the agency employees.

Sandy Blunt is the fourth director of this troubled agency since it was removed from the jurisdiction of the governor and placed under the 11-member Workforce Safety & Insurance Board in 1997. The bipartisan legislation providing for the change was vetoed by Gov. Ed Schafer but both houses of the Legislature overrode his veto with huge margins.

Read on...

Breaking news...

Via the AP wire..

Highway Patrol Investigating WSI

(Paul Jurgens, KFGO, Fargo)

UNDATED (AP) _ The state Highway Patrol is investigating the state workers compensation agency.

Colonel Bryan Klipfel, who heads the patrol, says troopers in the Bismarck district are looking into whether the Workforce Safety and Insurance Agency improperly used driver's license photographs as part of an internal investigation into who released payroll information.

An state audit of the agency earlier found it had called in fraud investigators to try to discover whether a current or former employee was circulating salary information.

Quick link...

News from headquarters

More WSI developments

An advocate for injured workers has asked the North Dakota attorney general and Burleigh County state’s attorney to further investigate the melee over at Worker’s Safety and Insurance. Ed Christensen of Bismarck sent letters to both offices on Dec. 6 requesting a probe into possible criminal activity stemming from findings in a state auditor’s report. After receiving the letters, the two agencies basically passed the buck on to each other like the issue is a hot potato saying they won’t take action. Well, now it’s even hotter!

Blog vacation

Starting Wednesday, there will be a temporary hiatus in the production of this blog. The moratorium will last until just after the first of the year. Sorry about the inconvenience, and we’ll see you in 2007.

Chancellor candidates

If you haven’t already heard, Gov. John Hoeven’s chief of staff has applied to be the next chancellor of the North Dakota Board of Higher Education. Bill Goetz is one of two people from North Dakota who have applied for the position. There were thirteen in total as of Friday according to the Associated Press.

Jack Zaleski, Forum editorial page editor, said in his Sunday column we should choose someone from North Dakota for the post. I tend to agree with him, but is Goetz the right guy for the job?

Excerpt from the same Associated Press article:

Goetz's current boss, Gov. John Hoeven, played a behind-the-scenes role in the decision of former Chancellor Robert Potts to resign last summer. However, Goetz said the events were not designed to clear the way for him to apply for the job of the state university system's top administrator.

More from the dynamic duo

Former Republican U.S. House candidate Duane Sand had a letter to the editor which appeared in The Forum on Sunday. The letter describes suggestions accrued from his state tour with former Republican Gov. Ed Schafer. The tour was comprised of a series of public meetings seeking input about our state budget surplus. It was sponsored by the extreme right wing group, Americans for Prosperity.

Schafer said on a radio talk show last week that he disagrees with Hoeven’s budget proposal. It was Sand’s turn on Sunday.

Here’s an excerpt:

On this standard Gov. John Hoeven’s budget can and should be improved. His plan does include tax relief, albeit through the unwieldy mechanism of the state rebating a local tax. This was the consensus of hundreds of taxpayers we talked to. Rebates put money in people’s pockets, but they don’t change economic behavior. The recent federal experience is instructive – the 2001 Bush tax cut sent us rebate checks, and the national economy remained in recession. It was the 2003 Bush tax cut that actually lowered tax rates; stimulated more work, savings and investment; and restored national prosperity.

That’s right Duane - tax cuts for the rich would solve everything.

More WSI in the news

Via The Forum...

Bismarck worker wants WSI officials prosecuted
Janell Cole, The Forum

BISMARCK – A Bismarck man has asked the Burleigh County state’s attorney and Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem to consider prosecuting state Workforce Safety and Insurance officials for wrongdoing revealed by a recent audit.

Both declined.

Ed Christensen, who regularly attends WSI board meetings and WSI legislative hearings on behalf of injured workers, wrote to Stenehjem and Burleigh County State’s Attorney Richard Riha on Dec. 6. Christensen, too, has a pending workers compensation case with WSI.

Liz Brocker, Stenehjem’s administrative assistant and spokeswoman, told Christensen the attorney general can’t legally start a criminal investigation at the request of a citizen. She told him to contact Riha or the WSI board, though the board is faulted in the same audit.

Riha rejected the case as well, passing it back to Stenehjem and saying he was “forwarding (the issues) for your review and consideration.” Brocker said Friday that the office has not received Riha’s letter.

Read on...

Edwards to step in?

Via the AP wire...

Democrat John Edwards planning for '08 presidential run

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards intends to seek his party's nomination for the 2008 presidential race, two Democratic officials said Saturday.

Edwards, who represented North Carolina in the U.S. Senate for six years, plans to make the campaign announcement late this month from the New Orleans neighborhood hit hardest by last year's Hurricane Katrina.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to pre-empt Edwards' announcement.

Read on...

Breaking news...

Via The Forum...

Goetz applies for chancellor position
By Amy Dalrymple, The Forum

Gov. John Hoeven’s chief of staff has applied to be the next chancellor of the North Dakota University System.

Bill Goetz is one of 13 people who had applied by noon today for the position. Screening of applicants was set to begin today, but has been extended to Dec. 31 to recruit more candidates.

Read on...

N.D. delegation hopes for the best

Via the AP wire...

Pomeroy, Conrad, Dorgan hope for Johnson's recovery

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., says he is hoping and praying for the recovery of Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., someone he has known for about 15 years and considers a close friend.

Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., say they also consider Johnson a friend and are thinking about him.

Johnson, 59, had surgery for bleeding in the brain caused by a congenital malformation, said the U.S. Capitol physician, who described the surgery as successful.

"I'm not at all prepared to think about the political dimensions and various scenarios here," Pomeroy said, referring to speculation over whether Johnson's illness could cost Democrats newly won control of the Senate in Washington.

Read on...

Sen. Conrad says enough is enough

Via the NY Times...

Democrats Plan to Take Control of Iraq Spending
By CARL HULSE
NY Times

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 — Frustrated by the Bush administration’s piecemeal financing of the Iraq war, Democrats are planning to assert more control over the billions of dollars a month being spent on the conflict when they take charge of Congress in January.

In interviews, the incoming Democratic chairmen of the House and Senate Budget Committees said they would demand a better accounting of the war’s cost and move toward integrating the spending into the regular federal budget, a signal of their intention to use the Congressional power of the purse more assertively to influence the White House’s management of the war.

The lawmakers, Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Representative John M. Spratt Jr. of South Carolina, said the administration’s approach of paying for extended military operations and related activities through a series of emergency requests had inhibited Congressional scrutiny of the spending and obscured the true price of the war.

“They have been playing hide-the-ball,” Mr. Conrad said, “and that does not serve the Congress well nor the country well, and we are not going to continue that practice.”

Read on...

Breaking news...

South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson (D) is undergoing an evaluation for stroke-like symptoms at George Washington University hospital in Washington, D.C., right now.

His condition hasn’t been released.

The Democratic-NPL Party sends its thoughts and prayers to the Johnson family.

Editorial by Dem-NPL floor leaders

Via The Forum...

N.D. Democrats pledge to invest in our families and communities
By Sen. David O’Connell and Rep. Merle Boucher,
The Forum

As North Dakota’s Democratic-NPL leadership, we feel the need to respond to the governor’s executive budget proposal which was unveiled Wednesday (Dec. 6).

First, it is a step in the right direction. Many of the issues we have been fighting for were addressed, but there are some big differences between the Republican plan proposed by the governor and our “Investing in North Dakota” plan.

It’s curious that the dollar amounts between the Republican plan for K-12 funding/property tax relief and our plan are very similar. The governor has proposed $200 million, and we have proposed $190 million.

The big difference is he is proposing only 40 percent of the $200 million for K-12 education. We don’t see that as much of an investment to ensure long-term adequacy and equity for K-12 education funding. The Republican plan amounts to only $80 million over two years. Our plan calls for a 100 percent investment – all $190 million dollars over two years.

On top of that, his property tax plan is a one-time rebate back to the districts. It’s not a long-term solution. We feel by investing 100 percent in K-12 education, we will be truly relieving the pressure on local school districts. After all, it has been the lack of state funding that has driven local districts to raise your property taxes.

As we move forward with this facet of our “Investing in North Dakota” plan, we will look to set guidelines and certain conditions to ensure there is adequacy and equity with K-12 funding and property tax relief. We understand these guidelines and conditions are necessary to guarantee that property owners and renters get a break.

Read on...

The report from the dynamic duo

The results are in from former Gov. Ed Schafer's (R) latest venture. Schafer and former U.S. House candidate Duane Sand (R) held news conferences yesterday unveiling the outcome of their tour of public forums to discuss the state's budget surplus.

The dynamic duo teamed up with Americans for Prosperity to put on events around the state.

The record of this organization is heavily out of touch with North Dakotans. AFP, for short, supported President Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security. They also supported CAFTA (the Central American Free Trade Agreement), which could have disastrous effects on the sugarbeet industry in the Red River Valley.

Schafer appeared on "News and Views" with Joel Heitkamp today to discuss the tour. Later in the program, he talked about Gov. John Hoeven's plan for the huge surplus, which he said he disagreed with.

On another note, Schafer also said during the show he would support the reinstatement of Worker's Safety and Insurance being under the oversight of the governor. There are many Republicans in the Legislature who don't agree with that at all. In fact, Rep. Frank Wald (R-Dickinson) and Sen. Judy Lee (R-West Fargo) said publicly at a Nov. 29 hearing that they are happy with the way things are over at WSI.

Boy, it's going to be an interesting Legislative Session.

Right wing blogger doesn't get it

The extreme right wing blog, www.sayanythingblog.com, took a shot at this blog today pertaining to a post about rising property taxes.

I don’t know if Rob Port, the blog’s author, has actually read the reasons why property taxes have gone up, or if he’s just stuck in a Republican world where they don’t exist.

What about this?

“The state’s share of public school funding has been getting smaller for years. The result has been a shift in the tax burden to local property taxes. Indeed, it’s taken the threat of a lawsuit to compel the state to get serious about addressing school funding inequities. The problem was recognized a dozen years ago, but the Legislature did not act” (The Forum, 8/17/06).

And.

“About half of the nonfederal money that pays for public K-12 education in North Dakota comes from local property taxes” (The Forum, 11/16/05).

Today, former Republican Gov. Ed Schafer was on “News and Views” with Joel Heitkamp saying the same thing. He also said that Gov. John Hoeven's property tax rebates aren't the role of state government.

Oh yeah, here’s an interesting piece from Port’s post.

In short, local government isn’t raising property taxes to get more revenue for schools. Revenue from property taxes is increasing because property values are going up. If tax revenues are going to increase, that’s the way we want the to increase.

Huh? He says we don’t know how to read in his post; I’d say he doesn’t know how to read or spell. His post isn't very credible.

Merry Christmas...

This is why we need to better fund K-12 education. Republican leadership in the Legislature has refused to properly fund schools. To make up for the lack of state funding, local districts have had to raise property taxes. It's simply not fair to property owners and renters. We need to properly fund K-12 education in order to give long-term property tax relief, and North Dakota Democrats will put forth guidelines to make sure the relief will happen.

Via the Bismarck Tribune...

Most property taxes are up
By GORDON WEIXEL
Bismarck Tribune

It's that time of year again, when the holiday high is tempered by the realization that property taxes are due as signaled by the letters sent out by county treasurers.

Last week, Morton County's statements were sent out, and this week, Burleigh County property owners will be receiving the sobering news on what they owe for the local government services they receive.

While the mills levied were reduced by most governmental jurisdictions with taxing authority, strong increases in property values will likely mean the bottom line on the tax statement will be higher than last year. How much more a taxpayer owes is dependent on property values, which can vary sharply because of a wide variety of factors, including location and improvements.

Read on...

We’re proud of you Ashley

Here’s a picture of U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan congratulating Miss Rodeo America Ashley Andrews at a news conference today on her recent crowning in Las Vegas. The event was held at the Bismarck Airport. She is sitting just to the left of Sen. Dorgan in the picture.

Andrews worked at the Kennedy Center as the financial manager for the last few years.

She also just won a battle with cancer, and now she’s won the Miss Rodeo America pageant.

Way to go Ashley!

News from headquarters

Celebration for Miss Rodeo America

If you’re in Bismarck today, stop by the airport around 12:30 p.m. for a special homecoming honoring Miss Rodeo America Ashley Andrews.

A group will be gathering on the lower level to greet her.

Senators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan and Rep. Earl Pomeroy will be speaking at the event.

Andrews was just crowned with the national title in Las Vegas on Dec. 2. She was previously the reigning Miss Rodeo North Dakota.

She was also the financial manager here at the Kennedy Center for about the last two years.

Re-organizational meetings

All districts need to send headquarters information regarding their re-organizational meetings. The information most helpful is the time, date, place and contact information.

We are placing this information on our Web site as well as keeping a master list. Please email it to kathi@demnpl.com.

Good stocking stuffer

We have plenty of copies of the Governor’s Video which was shown at the 2006 Democratic-NPL Convention.

It features Democratic-NPL Governors George Sinner, Bill Guy and Art Link.

The price is only $10, plus $2.50 shipping.

Give a piece of North Dakota history for Christmas by purchasing a copy of this great video. To order your copy, call us at (701) 255-0460.

Zogby zing

Via Zogby International...

Released: December 08, 2006

Bush Job Approval: 30%

President slips to all-time low in the Zogby Poll as key demographic groups jump ship

The national job approval rating of President Bush has plummeted to 30%, an all–time low in the latest Zogby International telephone poll, sinking below the 31% approval rating he dropped to in early June.

The President’s positive job rating is down from 36% in late October, in the weeks heading into the congressional midterm elections. Since then, the Democrats swept to control of both houses of Congress, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld resigned and was replaced by Robert Gates, who said the U.S. is not winning the war in Iraq. Release of the Iraq Study Group’s report calling for significant change in the way the U.S. is conducting the Iraq war came as this latest Zogby poll was in the field.

Sixty–eight percent said they believe Bush is doing only a fair or poor job leading the nation.

Read on...

Foley folly

Via the NY Times...

Report Finds Negligence in Foley Case
By JEFF ZELENY
Published: December 9, 2006

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 — The House ethics committee said Friday that a nine-week investigation into former Representative Mark Foley’s conduct had found that Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and other Republican leaders were negligent in not shielding teenagers from inappropriate advances by Mr. Foley.

Read on...

Rep. Jasper Schneider (D-Fargo) editorial

From today's Jamestown Sun...

WSI must be held accountable for actions as good policy
Rep. Jasper Schneider; Fargo, The Jamestown Sun

In my practice as an attorney, my firm has represented hundreds of hard-working men and women who – through no fault of their own — have had the unfortunate experience of being injured on the job. While our workers’ compensation system is supposed to be a two-way street that benefits both employers and employees, many of the injured workers I represent have been unfairly denied compensation which would allow them to support their families while they were unable to work. This literally adds insult to injury.

In North Dakota, injured workers have given up the right to sue their employers for injuries suffered while on the job. In exchange, the exclusive remedy for injured workers is an appeal to Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI), which is required by law to provide “sure and certain relief” to injured workers.

Read on...

Rep. Bill Amerman (D-Forman) editorial

From The Forum today...

Bill Amerman letter: WSI legislation already in the works
The Forum

As a member of the Workers’ Compensation Review Interim Committee and a member of United Steel Workers 560, I feel the need to weigh in on the recent happenings with Workforce Safety and Insurance.

It’s really becoming apparent after years of being on a rollercoaster that WSI’s current mechanism is not working. We must look at other options. That may mean some oversight from the governor, Industrial Commission or a group of legislators. One way or the other, the current system needs some fixing, and there needs to be true accountability for shortfalls.

I’ve already begun drafting legislation to introduce in the upcoming legislative session that addresses some of these issues.

At the recent Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee meeting at the state Capitol, Sen. Judy Lee, R-West Fargo, and Rep. Frank Wald, R-Dickinson, pretty much blew off the report from Octagon Services Inc. and from the state auditor’s office about WSI. Wald even said there was a mountain being made out of a molehill. This matter should be taken very seriously. Misspending taxpayers’ money (more than $18,000) and misusing employees for internal investigations is a pretty big deal. I’d say Wald needs to take off his blinders and thoroughly read the report from the state auditor’s office.

Read on...

N.D. Senate Assistant Minority Leader has Special Meaning this Session

BISMARCK – Sen. Carolyn Nelson (D-Fargo) was recently elected by the Democratic-NPL Senate caucus as the first woman to hold the position of either Senate majority/minority leader or assistant majority/minority leader since statehood in 1889. It has been verified by the North Dakota Legislative Council.

“It is an honor to be the first woman to ever hold one of these leadership positions,” Nelson said. “More and more women have been voted into the North Dakota Legislature over the years, and this sets precedence for leadership for future generations.”

On Sunday, Dec. 3, the Democratic-NPL Senate caucus met to elect leadership at the Comfort Inn in Bismarck. Nelson was elected unchallenged at the event as the Senate’s assistant minority leader. Sitting in the second chair, Nelson said at the event she is prepared to deal with the duties of the minority leader.

Nelson has been appointed to the Government and Veterans Affairs and Judiciary Committees for the 2007 Legislative Session and will also serve on the Budget and Inaugural Committees.

Nelson held the position of Democratic-NPL caucus chair in the 2001-2005 Legislative Sessions.

Nelson was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1986 and 1992. She was elected to the Senate in 1994.

She is a Senior Lecturer Emeritus of mathematics at North Dakota State University. She holds a BS and MS in math education from NDSU. She is a past president of the Fargo Board of Education and the North Dakota PTA. She is currently chair of The Consensus Council and North Central Region vice president of the National Federation of Music Clubs.

Women have in the past and are now holding positions of Senate caucus chair or president pro-tem.

There are 25 women serving in the Legislature in the 2007 session - six in the Senate and 19 in the House.

Still hope for drought aid

Via The Forum's Web site...

Forum editorial: Drought aid legislation is still alive
The Forum

The Bush administration and its allies in the U.S. Senate blocked a drought disaster measure this week, but the legislation is not dead. Tuesday’s procedural vote was a setback for farm state senators and their constituents, but the bipartisan aid package will be back on the agenda when the new Congress convenes in January. North Dakota Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad, who will be leaders in the new Democratic majority, are confident the $4.8 billion package will advance quickly in the new Congress.

That’s good news. The drought that has afflicted the Great Plains from Texas to the western Dakotas has not gone away with the coming of winter. The latest assessments from agencies that monitor drought conditions show severe to moderate drought or abnormally dry conditions in nearly every Great Plains state. Because of the scope and severity of the lingering drought, the aid package has bipartisan support in the Senate and U.S. House.

Read on...

Statement from Democratic-NPL Floor Leaders Regarding the Governor’s Executive Budget

BISMARCK - Democratic-NPL legislative leadership released the following statement today regarding Gov. John Hoeven’s executive budget proposal.

Text of statement from House Minority leader Merle Boucher:

“It’s curious that the dollar amounts between the Republican plan for K-12 funding/property tax relief and our plan are very similar. The governor has proposed $200 million, and we have proposed $190 million. The big difference is theirs is only a 40 percent investment into K-12 education. Ours is a 100 percent investment. On top of that, their property tax plan is a one-time rebate. We feel by investing 100 percent in K-12 education, we will be truly relieving the pressure on local districts.

“We also need to be looking at an across the board tuition freeze. We need to stop putting the burden of rising Higher Education costs on the backs of students. We need to be investing in our students, because they are the future of this state.

“Leaders in Minnesota and Montana have proposals for tuition relief. We need to also take this into account, because if enacted, these proposals would possibly affect the attendance of out-of-state students to North Dakota universities.

“I agree with the governor that more can be done with renewable energy. However, I feel his plan does not do enough. We need to invest more.”

Text of statement from Senate Minority leader David O’Connell:

“What the governor is proposing are one-time rebates for property taxes back to the districts. It isn’t a long-term solution. We need to be looking at investing more money directly into K-12 education. This will give true, sustainable property tax relief. Our plan gives 100 percent of our proposed $190 million into K-12 education.

“Tuition for Higher Education is something we must seriously consider freezing. Tuition has gone up nearly 50 percent at many universities across the state in the last 5 years. In order to keep our young people from leaving our state to attend other universities, we must invest in their future here.

“Also, we need to do a lot more to increase renewable energy production in North Dakota. Under the governor, we have been moving at a snails pace compared to other states. Democrats will push for more investments in this area.”

News from headquarters

Fellow Democrats,

Workforce Safety and Insurance is holding a news conference and public meeting between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7. They will be held on the second floor of the Century Center, 1600 E. Century Ave in Bismarck.

The point is to discuss the recent audits. Anyone interested in reading the report from the state auditor’s office can click here.

N.D. Dems set legislative agenda

Democratic-NPL legislative leadership held a news conference yesterday outlining their agenda for the legislative session. The theme is “Investing in North Dakota.”

“Our plan calls for investing in four areas: Families, communities, education and energy independence,” said Democratic-NPL House leader Merle Boucher in a news release from yesterday.

The plan will also bolster integrity in government which will ensure openness and accountability.

“Our legislative package will help build strong families and strong communities,” said Democratic-NPL Senate leader David O’Connell in the same news release.

Congratulations Miss Rodeo America

This is a special congratulation to Dem-NPL Financial Manager, Ashley Andrews. She was just crowned Miss Rodeo America on Saturday in Las Vegas. She was previously Miss Rodeo North Dakota.

This was the second of two big goals she achieved this year. The first was a recent victory over a battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a rare form of cancer.

Way to go Ashley!

Governor's turn

To watch the governor's 2006 budget address live over the Internet, click here.

It will start at 10 a.m. CST today.

News from headquarters

Yesterday, state Sen. Joel Heitkamp headed up an effort calling for the resignation of WSI chief Sandy Blunt. A letter will be sent to WSI Board Chairman Robert Indvik calling for Blunt to step down with close to 40 legislators’ signatures in support.

The letter says:

I am writing to urge you to call for the immediate resignation of Mr. Sandy Blunt as CEO of Workforce Safety & Insurance. As you should be well aware and as the recent independent audits of the agency have well documented, the agency has been in a state of turmoil for some time. Mr. Blunt has further exacerbated the problems at the agency by refusing to accept responsibility for his inadequacies as a manager and his poor judgment.

The State Auditor's report indicated that the turnover rate at the agency has increased from 5.4% in 2003 to an estimated 15% for fiscal year 2007, which is unacceptable and inexcusable. A review of the audit reports reveals numerous explanations for the growth in the turnover rate, not the least of which is the poor morale at the agency. The State Auditor noted that a cultural survey indicated that the statement "The leaders and managers 'practice what they preach'." received low ratings. In addition, a majority of the employees responding to the survey indicated that they feared retaliation for not agreeing with management.

Dorgan gains another chairmanship

Our own Sen. Byron Dorgan was just appointed as the new chairman of the Energy and Water Subcommittee in the U.S. Senate. He holds this position in the Indian Affairs Committee and the Science and Transportation Subcommittee. He also remains chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, which is a leadership position.

Here’s a quote from the press release announcing the new post:

“Some of the most important issues that North Dakota faces involved energy and water, so I see this chairmanship as an opportunity to help move our state forward in a significant way in those areas,” Dorgan said. “I’m eager to take over this new post and help chart a course that will improve our nation’s energy security and our water and science programs, as well as to help address our state’s water issues and grow the energy industry that has the potential to bring significant new jobs to North Dakota.”

Dem-NPL Party re-organizational meeting

The party will be having its re-organizational meeting on Saturday, Feb. 24. There will be more details coming soon. Mark your calendars.

Two is company; three's a crowd - not anymore

No more phone booth meetings for Democratic-NPL lawmakers in the state Legislature.

Check out this picture of the swearing in today in the Senate chambers of the state Capitol. Nice group of Democrats, eh?

Twenty-one state senators. That’s pretty darn good. Three more and we’ll have a majority. We’ll make it in 2008!

Blunt should go...

Via The Forum...

Dems to demand Blunt’s resignation
By Janell Cole, Forum Communications Co.

Sen. Joel Heitkamp, D-Hankinson, said Sunday night he and other Democrats will demand that the board of Workforce Safety and Insurance seek the resignation of Sandy Blunt, the agency’s executive director.

WSI is the state’s workers compensation agency. Its leadership was sharply criticized in two independent reports released in November. They cited employee morale problems caused by favoritism, failure to follow state procurement laws and other irregularities.

Read on...

Dem-NPL legislative leadership

Via the Associated Press...

Dems keeping leaders
By DALE WETZEL, AP

Fresh from picking up 13 seats in the North Dakota Legislature, Democratic lawmakers endorsed the floor leaders who helped contribute to their election success.

Sen. David O'Connell, D-Lansford, defeated Fargo Sen. Tim Mathern Sunday night to win his third term as the Senate Democratic leader.

Separately, Rep. Merle Boucher, D-Rolette, was re-elected as the House's Democratic leader without opposition. Boucher has held the minority leader's job for a decade.

Read on...

Dem-NPL employee wins national title

Via the AP wire...

Miss Rodeo North Dakota wins national crown
By JAMES MacPHERSON
Associated Press Writer

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- Miss Rodeo North Dakota Ashley Andrews had goals of beating cancer and winning the Miss Rodeo America crown.

The 21-year-old Bowman native has accomplished both.

Andrews was crowned on Saturday at the 52nd annual Miss Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas, beating out competitors from 28 states in categories such as horsemanship, personality and appearance.

She said her cancer has been in remission since Aug. 9, following months of chemotherapy treatment. She said the experience made her stronger, mentally and physically.

Read on...

Forum says Legislature needs to better fund higher ed

Via The Forum's Web site...

Forum editorial: Higher ed in N.D. at crossroads
The Forum

The Forum’s six-part report on higher education in North Dakota should be required reading at the Legislature. Reporter Amy Dalrymple’s examination of the problems, challenges and opportunities facing the state’s University System puts into perspective the importance of the schools to the future of North Dakota.

The series concludes today with a look at the system’s probable funding requests from the 2007 legislative session, which opens in January.

Several themes run through the stories, but one dominates: funding. The priorities on the 11 campuses vary, but a long-term funding shortfall – compared to similar schools in other states – is a constant for all of them. It’s not that the Legislature has been stingy; rather it’s that lawmakers have not been generous enough.

The evidence is clear. For example, the backlog of deferred maintenance on college buildings is more than $117 million. If the system is granted its $10 million request to speed building repairs, it still will take years to catch up. In other words, lawmakers have – for all sorts of legitimate reasons – allowed valuable property that belongs to the taxpayers of the state to deteriorate.

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