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Representatives discuss an ethics bill that is struggling to gain support during the 63rd North
Dakota legislature•
Ethics bill on life support
By John lrby
Vatican officials believe they are
"holders of divine truth, unaccount-
able to worldly laws." Those words
were part of a quote in a recent As-
sociated Press article about the
Pope's resignation. The story also
suggested the Vatican is "overly se-
cretive." Many would acknowledge
there is historical evidence of the
church's policy of "hushing lips" in
times of trouble, even if they don't
believe Catholicism owns the market
on divine truth with leaders not ac-
countable to the laws of the lands.
The article, however, provoked a
thought of a similarity in some ses-
sions of the 63rd North Dakota leg-
islature. Imagine someone saying
something like this: "Legislators are
obsessed with secrecy because offi-
cials are holders of divine truth, un-
accountable toworldly laws."
Some legislators are secretive.
And some seem to believe they are
above the law - usually the few who
have forgotten or never understood
the word "humility" and/or the con-
cept of "servant leadership."
Still, everyone knows ,there are
good, hard-working legislators (it
might even be a majority) who listen
to constituents, put aside overly zeal-
ous partisanships and act with the
best of intentions. They do not pro-
fess to always know what is best for
all North Dakotans, and they wel-
come and listen to opposing views.
But consider the hearing for HB
1442 in the Government and Veter-
ans Affairs Committee. The bill
would establish a state ethics com-
mission, but the suggestion of such
was highly objectionable to a few
outspoken members of the commit-
tee. The bill showed up not quite
dead upon arrival, but it certainly
was - and is -- on life support. The
plug will likely be pulled and the
"Wise Guys" are betting heavily it
will soon.
Cory Mock. D-42, Grand Forks;
was targeted in his second attempt ia
calling for the commission; a similar
bill was r0dely dismissed in the last
session. In Mock's introduction, he
tried to convince legislators the bill
was not a "witch hunt." He said
North Dakota was only one of three
states that didn't have an ethics com-
mission and the establishment of one
would go a long way toward build-
ing trust between citizens and state
officials. He said he believes "the
people" want an ethics commission.
It all sounded good.
But Mock and some other young
Democrats have been pegged by
some GOP critics as blatant partisans
The bill showed up not quite dead upon ar-
rival, but it certainly was - and is -- on life
support. The plug will likely be pulled and
the "Wise Guys" are betting heavily it will
soon.
more interested in advancing their
own careers and' reputations than
serving the people.
It's more likely the small group is
a little too aggressive and forthright
for the establishment old guard.
Whatever; that's another column and
discussion for another day.
What was missed, ignored or pur-
posely discounted in the HB 1442
hearing was a loud and clarion call
by some for legislative self-policing.
It's honestly hard to understand
why ethical officials would be (or
are) afraid of, and not in favor of,
such scrutiny. A battle cry of "we
don't need it ... we are already ethi-
cal" suggests an invitation to argue
Since anyone who has studied ethics
knows there are at least 50 shades of
grey - or interpretations of what is or
is not ethical.
North Dakota could be one of the
most ethical states, but how do we
know or make such an assessment?
Just saying it doesn't make it true.
Most government officials here prob-
ably act in an ethical manner most of
the time, at least according to their
own s{andards. But the recent past
has proven some legislators have
been susceptible to charges of ethi-
cal breeches. Somewhat reluctantly,
bill supporters pointed out situations
where legislators faced issues of do-
mestic abuse and unpaid taxes. Im-
proper legislative travel, "cover ups"
and other financial matters weren't
mentioned at the hearing, but con-
cerns have previously been raised.
An ethics commission would be a
positive step for the state -- but HB
1442 is flawed. There are many ques-
tions, including selection of mem-
bers, reporting processes, penalties
and the secretive nature of investig a -
tions. A justification for the bill was
poorly formed as an avenue of seek-
ing to silence the messenger - the
media - even if temporarily, so the
innocent could remain untarnished
until proven otherwise by the com-
mission.
In the next go-round, a sub group
of bi-partisan and diverse officials
should unite to write a bill with a
learer code of conduct, processes
and transparency. Seeking a more di-
verse commission - including one or
more representatives from outside of
government - would be advised. A
reasonable and acceptable compro-
mise and consensus could be ham-
mered out. Unfortunately it might
never happen as there seems to be
too much animosity, pointing of fin-
gers and possibly even paranoia,
What transpired in the HB 1442
hearing was a brief witch hunt as a
small angry group treating Mock as
"The Witch." Leading questions in-
dicating bias were routinely and
repetitively asked in challenging
tones. Personal feelings and person-
alities echoed loudly. Tough q&'
tions were asked, as they should be,
but with very little respect.
ClichEs and sound bites oversfiad-
owed the topic: "Electors are an
ethics commission" ... "we have
ethics already by the way we behave
and conduct ourselves" ... "this is a
solution'in search of a problem."
Survey findings in support of a
commission were demonized by op-
ponents - as well as methodology
and the organization responsible for
the research (The Center for Public
Integrity).
Mock was grilled and the bill was
mocked by opposition legislators. It
was suggested Mock had even acted
unethically, possibly demonizing all
Republicans, in an uncomplimentary
e-mail not related to the bill.
Mock brought some of the verbal
abuse upon himself with the earlier
e-mail and the fact that of the eight
names at the top of the bill only one
was a Republican; and with due re-
spect, it was not a "big name" in the
GOP pecking order.
HB 1422 should not move for
ward. But some committee members
on attack should have considered an
oft-included ethical component or
objective - "do no harm." The most
harm came in the successful attempt
to sidetrack the watchdog movement
toward enhanced ethics.
Finally, some members of the
legislature would be well served if
they worked on improving their bed-
side manners.
(John lrby retired as editor of the
Bismarck Tribune. He is now a free- "
lance writer, private investigator and
management consultant. He can be
reached at johnrobertirby@hot-
mail.corn).
Presentation to focus on sustainable agriculture
MEDORA - Roger Ashley, area extension specialist
with the Dickinson Research Extension Center of North
Dakota State University, will lead a presentation at the
Chateau de Mores Interpretive Center in Medora titled,
"Conservation Agriculture: Sustainability into the Fu-
ture Conservation Agriculture" on March 9, at 2 p'.m.
Conservation agriculture is a way of improving soil
productivity, nutrient efficiency, and crop production'
while protecting the environment. This system integrates
practices closely mimicking natural processes and cy-
cles by working with Mother Nature. This system, first
hinted at in southwest North Dakota in 1910, has
• evolved into a dynamic, site-specific practice reflective
of resources available and the producer's personal deci-
sions.
Ashley's presentation will cover current research at
the NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center as well
as other locations to illustrate how early progressive
adopters are changing the face of agriculture in North
Dakota.
This Red Roof Presentations program is free and
open to the public.
Rural Leadership North Dakota participants pose for a photo at the Born Futuro soybean farm.
(Courtesy Photo)
Local residents visit Brazil
Over the last several years the
country of Brazil has become a topic
of discussion in the world, especially
with agricultural products and
tourism. This past January Cory Mc-
Caskey, Jolene Obrigewitch, resi-
dents of Beach, North Dakota and 26
other people from the state of North
Dakota had an opportunity to visit
Brazil as part of the Rural Leader-
ship of North Dakota class.
The ten-day seminar objectives
were to learn about Brazilian culture
and customs, their agriculture prac-
tices aad policies, domestic and for-
eign policies, and the trade
relationships between the United
States and Brazil.
The itinerary was full of tours,
presentations and speakers. The
tours included Emprapa Cerrado (ag.
research center), Domingo Hata
Ranch in the Pantanal (a Nellore cat-
tle ranch), The Rote of Waters in No-
bres (privately owned snorkeling
agri-business and tourist destina-
tion), Bom Futuro Farm (largest cor-
porate soy bean farm in the world),
and .Port Market Cui'aba' (farmers
market). Throughout the tours, the
owners and guides talked about their
business, practices and challenges.
The class had the honor of listen-
ing to many different presenters such
as representatives from the U.S. Em-
bassy, USDA office in Brasilia,
Famato (similar to American farm
bureau) and Acrimat (Cattlemen's
Association). The class learned
about the country's economy, socio-
economics, education, infrastruc-
ture, government, environmental
issues, land ownership and the grow-
ing world-wide impact from Brazil-
ian agriculture imports and exports.
One of the objectives was to learn
about Brazilian culture, e.g. commu-
nication, language and use of Real
(pronounced 'hay-AHL'), the Brazil-
ian currency. Although the class had
two guides who did most of the inter-
preting, there were many instances
wheh the North Dakotan students had
to learn basic communication skills
and the exchange of money paid for
goods. For example, at the Port Mar-
ket, class members could buy fresh
fruits, grains, meat, coffee beans,
candy and other items. The class vis-
ited a food court in a mall .and had to
order their meals and pay for them.
Another example was at the open
market at Rio de Janeiro where many
locals sold souvenirs, clothes, jew-
elry, purses and other items.
Another educational objective
was trying the different Brazilian
foods and drinks. Most of the restau-
ranfs offered buffets. This was their
Jolene Obrigewitch and Cory McCaskey at Corcovada. (Cour-
tesy Photo)
way to feed many people quickly.
The buffets included a large variety
of fresh fruits, rice dishes, breads,
and beef, chicken and fish meats.
Brazil's national dish is called fei-
joada -- a hearty stew made of black
beans, pork and dried bee£. Students
tried many different native drinks in-
cluding hgua (bottled water - gas oi"
flat); guaran (carbonated soft
drink), hgua de cEco (coconut
water), Coke or Coke Zero, or
freshly squeezed juices such as pa-
paya or passion fruit. The coffee
drinkers had cafE, which is a kind of
cane sugar-sweetened espresso
served in a small cup.
Many guides talked about the in-
creasing tourism opportunities com-
ing to Brazil. Brasilia will be hosting
the Soccer World Cup in 2014 and
the 2016Ssummer Olympics will be
in Rio de Janeiro. RLND class mem-
bers enjoyed some of the country's
tourism sites during, their visit. They
saw several churches in Brasilia, had
a bus tour of the cities of Brasilia
and Rio de Janeiro, and visited Cor-
covada (Brazilian statue of. Christ)
and Sugar Loaf Mountain. Some
people got up at 6:00 a.m. to watch
the sunrise on the beach or walk in
the ocean. The group also took a.
Smaba dancing class.
The class spent ten days together,
flew on nine different planes, and
spent 75-100 hours together on
buses. Atthe end of the journey, the
consensus opinion of the class was
the Brazil Study Tour was an amaz-
ing experience and e,erything they
learned can't be put into a few words.
Rural Leadership North Dakota
(RLND) is a statewide leadership
development program that includes
seminars with experts; on-site
tours/presentations; meetings with
agriculture, business and govern-
ment leaders; international experi-
ences and personal skills
development. The RLND Program is
designed for men and women who
are dedicated to strengthening the
agriculture community, their com-
munity and the state of North
Dakota for the future. For more in-
formation, visit its website at
www.ag.ndsu.edu/rlnd.
What's Happening?
Listings for high school sporting events, plus public events that are free to anyone and aren't fund-
raisers or aren't family or business invitations, can be published free of charge in this column.
• Varsity boys basketball, Feb. 25-28, Regional Tournament, Trinity, TBA
• Southwest Water Authority board meeting,Tuesday, March 5, beginning at 9 a.m., Elks Lodge,
Dickinson
We
Speclahze" " " Ag L "
We're a strong, healthy bank that's committed to the future ,. . ,LA- :''
of agriculture. Our loan officers are experienced and our loan f'r-i-tlt" -'
rates are competitive. If you're looking for a good ag bank to :: ) :' ": '
work with, we invite you to talk with us.
• First State Bank"
Beach 872-4444 • Golva 872-3656
Medora 623-5000
24 hr. ATM in Beach & Medora lobby
Medora Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m
We now offer Internet banking!