Why does the North Dakota Education Association (i.e. Teacher union) have a say in who becomes members of the Board of Higher Education?  The last paragraph of a Fargo Forum article revealed something shocking.

Can North Dakota compete with this?

Evan Barrett, the chief of Gov. Schweitzer's Office of Economic Development, came to give a presentation and answer questions on the state's favorable tax and regulation economy as well as the possibilities of an oil refinery.

"The presentation was stimulated by concerns that oil production and refining was heavily tilted to Williston more than here," Barrett said.

Despite having a much smaller population, the Bismarck School District has more enrolled students than Fargo.  However, the Fargo School District spent over $16 million more in 2006-07. 

Expenditure reports show that the top 9 school districts spend more than the rest of the state combined.

View Article HERE.

Developers of a downtown Grand Forks condo project are asking the City Council’s finance committee for free land and $200,000 in grants today.

Director of urban development Greg Hoover said the sticking point thus far has been the city’s reticence over financial assistance beyond just free land.

According to the Wall Street Journal, United Van Lines conducted a study concerning migration patterns.  The study concluded that North Dakota has the second highest out-migration rate in the country, slightly behind Michigan.

SRF, the private consulting firm hired to update the Burleigh County comprehensive land-use plan, says its goal is to “reduce sprawl.” But why, in a state that is 99 percent rural, has sprawl become such an overriding problem?

The planners say it costs more to provide infrastructure and services to far-flung developments. Yet they admit they have no evidence this is true in Burleigh County. UPS, FedEx, electricity, and telephone companies manage to cover their costs serving low-density developments. Burleigh County should also be able to do so.

The planning profession uses a “rational planning model” to address issues like this one. Rational planners identify goals, develop alternative ways of achieving those goals, and estimate the benefits and costs of each alternative. Only then do they put together a plan that attempts to achieve the greatest benefits at the least cost.

Contrary to what the Green Grand Forks committee would have citizens believe, it is working hard to ensure that land use restrictions become tighter and tighter in Grand Forks and the surrounding area.  The committee and planners are trained in "sustainable development" and "smart growth."

On Thursday, November 8, the Green Grand Forks committee met for the first time.  According to the Grand Forks Herald, the committee met with Mayor Mike Brown's approval.  The committee task is to "chart the way" towards a "greener" Grand Forks.