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February 12, 2009
Page 3
OPINION
,ommittee clears
several tax relief
proposals ,_, _ !t was
A 5-7 "N" "
Finance and Tax pt
Commi.ee passed 2 scrl
several tax relief
Capitol Notebook
By Dave Drovdal
Legislature as we march down
the calendar to the halfway point
in this the 61 st session.
completed their hearings on all
bills that have money appropriat-
ed and have acted upon them.
The bills that were accepted have
been sent to the appropriation
committee for them to start bal-
ancing the budget. All the bills
Cook's
Corner
By Jane Cook
that were introduced into the
House will be voted upon in the
next two weeks and then we start
all over with the Senate bills that
weren't defeated.
From experience, one knows
the important thing now is to
have a bill survive to surface on
the other side of the isle. As
long as the concept is alive it can
be amended to accomplish what
a person intended when the bill
gets into a conference commit-
tee.
The House Finance and Tax
Committee passed several tax
relief bills that included $60 mil-
lion in personal income tax
reduction. $20 million in corpo-
ration tax reduction and a tax
exemption for clothing worth
$34 million. The biggest sur-
prise was the clothing exemption
and the idea was that it would
provide a level playing field for
stores along the border compet-
ing with Montana and Minnesota
as well as give tax relief to North
Dakotans. The relief package is
larger than the $100 million the
governor asked for, but testimo-
ny indicated the clothing exemp-
2tion would increase sales in
bther taxable areas, thus reduc-
ing the' fiscal effect of the bill.
The committee also learned there
is an attempt in Minnesota to
start charging tax on clothing.
If that happens and the
Legislature does pass this tax
package it would be quite a
coup after all the problems
Minnesota causes on our energy
industry.
The House debated a bill that
would have given property tax
relief to any group that would
build" a refinery in North
bills that included
$60 million in per-
sonal income tax
reduction, $20 mil-
lion in corporation
tax reduction and a
tax exemption for
clothing worth $34
million.
Dakota. In committee testimony
we were told that counties and
cities can and are doing this so
the bill came out with a "do not"
pass. TV cameras filmed the
debate and it was stated that the
only thing the bill did was to
give the exemption and that it
was already available and being
used. I got home and viewed the
news later, which reported the
vote was all political and was
against building a refinery. The
story reported the bill came from
a two-year study by a state ener-
gy committee when in fact the
bill came from a subcommittee
of one political party and no
member of the majority party
was invited to be involved. It
doesn't serve the people of North
Dakota when instead of report-
ing the news it creates the
news. So much for fair and bal-
anced reporting by some of the
media.
I appreciated hearing from
many of you this week on your
concerns. Remember the num-
ber to leave messages is 1-888-
635-3447. My e-mail address is
ddrovdal@nd.gov and I would
like to hear from you on issues
that you have a concern about.
Other Views
By Lloyd Omdahl
\\;
Beef producers should plan early
By Kris Ringwall, Beef tral Montana vividly makes that point, er average temperature than Bismarck
Specialist
NDSU Extension Service
While morning coffee discussions
are starting to focus on spring plant-
ing, the strain of the cold and snow
remains.
The challenges this winter have
been many. Cows have had to be
moved, the feeding season is-long and
the cost of feed is high.
This past year's experiences tend
to drive producers out of the business.
At the Dickinson Research Extension
Center. cull cows. excess bulls and
calves were sold early.
We started feeding hay to cows,
bulls and heife in October. The feed
inventory is adequate, but also created
a $100.000-plus invoice, which was
paid.
Developing cropping and live-
stock systems and then integrating the
two systems is not easy. This is espe-
cially more difficult when moisture is
limited.
From east to west across the north-
ern Plains, not all locations are treated
equally. A drive along Interstate 94
from eastern North Dakota into cen-
Even taking two sites near each
other, such as Bismarck as the east
and Dickinson as the west (approxi-
mately 100 miles apart), there is a
noticeable difference. Lee Manske,
DREC range scientist, reviewed the
average weather data for the two sites
during a 30-year period ( 1971-2000).
The two sites appear very similar
in precipitation. For Bismarck, the 30-
year average was 13.89 inches for the
growing season and 16.84 inches
annually. For Dickinson, the 30-year
average was 14.22 inches for the
growing season and 16.61 inches
annually. However. upon closer eval-
uation, there is a difference.
The early growing season (April.
May and June) precipitation was 6.27
inches for Bismarck and 7.44 inches
for Dickinson. The midseason (July
and August) precipitation was 4.73
inches for Bismarck and 3.85 inches
for Dickinson. The late-season
(September and October) precipita-
tion numbers were very similar for
both sites, 2.89 inches in Bismarck
and 2.93 inches in Dickinson.
In summary, Dickinson has a cool-
and receives almost 19 percent more
rain during the early growing season.
but receives almost 19 percent less
rain during the middle of the growing
season.
Does such difference in long-term
weather change an environment?
Well. look out your window. What
does that mean in dry years?
There is something about going
west. The west is slightly cooler and
has good spring rains, but there is a
good chance that moisture will be
lacking by midseason. A midseason
with a shortage of moisture is a tough
time to plant alternative forage, but it
is even worse in dr 3 , years.
As beef producers, plan early. Like
most years, if those early season rahs
don't add up, especially two years in a
row. late-season alternatives are
scarce, at least in southwestern North
Dakota.
Know your environment and then
plan and plant accordingly. Your cows
depend on it.
May you find all your ear tags.
(RingwaH is a bee]" specialist with
the NDSU Ertension Service.)
Madison knew about state legislatures
"The legislative department is
everywhere extending the sphere of
its activity and drawing all power
into its impetuous vortex."
This was the observation of
James Madison, the most articulate
of the Founding Fathers, when he
was explaining in Federalist Paper
No. 38 that the branches of govern-
ment needed protection "against the
invasion of the others." As in other
states, the North Dakota Legislature
manifests this inclination for "draw-
ing all power" in a number of ways,
most prominently in higher educa-
tion.
The Board of Higher Education
was created as a fourth branch of
government when the reckless poli-
tics of Governor William Langer in
the 1930s threatened the integrity of
the institutions. In reaction, North
Dakotans adopted a constitutional
amendment to protect the colleges
from encroachment by creating this
independent board and vesting it
with programmatic autonomy.
Even though the Legislature's
authority is now limited to funding,
bills wandering into the Board's
administrative turf continue to
appear in every legislative session.
As for the current session, we have
bills to authorize concealed
weapons on campuses and to pre-
scribe NDSU-UND football games,
neither of which is within the scope
of legislative authority.
In 1996, the Legislature pro-
posed a constitutional amendment
to put the speaker of the House and
the president pro tem of the Senate
on the committee charged with
nominating members for gubernato-
rial appointment to the Board. A low
profile issue, the amendment
slipped past the voters and the
Legislature now has its nose firmly
in the tent.
Then in the 1999 session, the
Legislature launched inquiries into
the strategy and goals of colleges, a
legitimate inquiry for appropriations
committees. However, over the past
eight years this undertaking has
mushroomed into a full-blown forum
that engages in a wide variety of sub-
jects that invade Board territory.
If this movement goes unchal-
lenged, the Legislature will contin-
ue to expand these activities far
beyond its constitutional authority.
Their attitude reflects what former
House Majority Leader Earl
Strinden once said - in jest - that
the Legislature considered the state
constitution advisory. Maybe it was-
n't so much a joke as a wish.
Every session seems to prove
that constitutional protection is still
necessary because the Legislature
continues to be a political institution
with political objectives that are
sometimes adversarial to the true
mission of higher education.
Academic freedom, primary
research and intellectual integrity
could all be subverted for short-term
goals and knee-ierk impulses.
Higher education is not a political
venture.
The Legislature also demon-
strates its affinity for "drawing
power into its impetuous vortex" in
other areas. As an obvious example,
cities and counties with home rule
charters are never sure from one
session to the next which of their
powers will be curtailed or abol-
ished. Occasionally, legislators
meddle in the executive branch by
putting themselves on state boards
and committees.
Madison's advice may be 220
years old but it still rings true at
every gathering of the "legislative
department."
Remembering warmer weather on a trip to Hawaii
Hello,
I suppose you've noticed, but we
keep getting these stormy week-
ends. Kind of nice in the middle of
the week, then about Wednesday,
they start predicting high winds,
rain, snow, and ice for the weekend.
Since I'm not much of a fisherman,
I find it kind of funny that ice fish-
erman can't get out on the ice
because of too much snow! Then
yesterday, watching the Pro Bowl, it
was cruel. I mean, they kept show-
ing those people on the beach,
swimming and surfing, and sunning
themselves, while winter storm
warnings kept rolling across the top
of:the screen.
But it did remind me of a trip we
took (my banker is going to hate
this) to Hawaii. It was back during
the oil boom in the early eighties.
We didn't have any oil. We didn't
have any oil field jobs. But what the
heck, everyone else was doing
good, so I used some of my operat-
ing (feed, seed, family living .... that
kind of nonsense) money for a trip
to the Islands.
I can still recall the conversation
with the loan officer.
"This is Dean Meyer. I need
$4000 put in 123456."
"Yes, and what will 'it be used
for?"
"I bought a bull."
"A bull."
"Yes."
"Wonderful! We'll take care of
it. Thank you!"
Man, life was simple then.
Then came spring and my banker
came for a visit. He's a cattleman
you know. So he was pretty inter-
ested in seeing this high priced
bull I had purchased a couple
months earlier. He knew I never
paid over forty-two cents for a
bull in my life.
So, I did what no one has proba-
bly ever done to his or her banker. I
lied.
"The bull died."
"The bull died?"
"Yep, the bull died", I said, while
concentrating on kicking a cat that
was walking by. Wasn't a very good
cat. But quick. I missed.
Hat Tips
By Dean Meyer
I think Ihad him, I was thinking I wasso
cool. And then Shirley ruined it, When we
went in for coffee, she was wearing a grass
skirt!
This banker was quite astute.
"Nice tan", he says to me.
"Why thank you," I replied.
"Wind burn".
"Nice sunglasses too," the very
observant banker mentions.
"Snow blind," I replied. "Burns
just like welding. Best if I keep the
glasses on."
I think ! had him. I was thinking
I was so cool. And then Shirley
ruined it. When we went in for cof-
fee, she was wearing a grass skirt!
Did I mention the loo-ow, or
however they say it'? You know,
where they cook a pig. And they
drink these mat-tats or something
like that. Anyway, I was enjoying
eating this roasted hog. It was good,
but not like the guys at Killdeer can
cook. But that's another story. I was
eating this pig meat, and sipping on
these rum drinks with an umbrella
in them and watching the hula
dancers and stuff and I guess I got
carried away.
Everyone loaded the bus. And
there were a lot of buses. The driv-
ers were all standing in the parking
lot, having their last smoke before
departing. Our bus was full, so I
stepped on, greeted everyone with a
big "Aloha", and slipped into the
driver's seat of that idling bus.
Everyone hollered back, "Aloha".
Which I figured was Hawaiian for
"get the show on the road". I was
easily recognized. The big guy with
the shorts, white legg, and cowboy
hat.
Off we went. Down a winding,
mountain road. Our bus driver
screamed and ran after us for a
while, but he was slower than that
cat. He jumped on the next bus and
we led a caravan of buses down off
this mountain.
He didn't need to be nervous. I
grew up driving in the breaks of the
Little Missouri on snow and ice and
slippery gumbo. My passengers
started a sing along, and really, I
think I could have hired on as a tour
guide.
Did I mention how nice those
Hawaiian jails are?
Aloha, Dean
Have you ever wondered why it
is that some people insist on talk-
ing (well, maybe yelling is more
correct) at people or characters on
TV?
I ' v e
noticed this
before, but
m o r e
recently
with the
Super Bowl
game. My
brother-in-
law was the
best for
telling the
players how
good or bad
they were
doing ,
although
there were a
couple of us
that helped
I
guess
it just
goes to
show how
the realis-
tic the
program
is if we
react to an
episode in
that way.
him out once in awhile. (My sister
and I were more into checking out
the commercials and rating them.)
But it's not just ball games. I've
a dear friend who used to yell at
the characters on a TV show, and
try to warn the "good guys" about
the crook hiding behind the door
ready to clobber them. Such as,
"Don't go in there, he's going to
clobber you. No, wait, stop!" -
Good guy gets clobbered - "I
TOLD you not to go in there!"
Actually I had more fun watching
her than the program itself.
But I know quite a few who
have done that, and I always won-
dered why we get to talking to our
TV, or movie hroes as though they
can hear us. I guess it just goes to
show how the realistic the program
is if we react to an episode in that
way.
Lately, when watching a partic-
ular show with my friends of fami-
ly, and they comment on what a
stupid move one of the characters
made, I have to grin and say, "Well,
I know why they did that." Then
that particular person will look at
me, and I'll say, "Because it was
written in the script."
As to why some ball players
make stupid moves, that's anyone's
guess.
Golden Valley News
P.O. Box 156, Beach, ND 58621
(U.S.P.S. Pub.
No. 221-280)
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