Fargo Forum Covers Up For Soros Anti-Taxpayer Group

• September 20, 2008

You remember Janelle Cole? You know the Fargo Forum quote-reporter-quote who the Forum sent to cover up for Kent Conrad’s mortgage scandal? She was sent by the Forum to cover the hatchet job that the George Soros funded group was doing on the Measure 2 which will reduce the income tax burden by 50% for North Dakota’s taxpayers.
I expected the Fargo Forum was going cover up just who was behind this and I was right.

BISMARCK – An initiated measure that would cut the state income tax is a risky, permanent and radical proposition, a Washington, D.C., policy group said Thursday.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities came to North Dakota to present its analysis at events in Fargo and Bismarck, and warned the measure would harm the state’s economic future.
Nicholas Johnson, state fiscal project director for the center, said no one in North Dakota asked the group to come and speak against Measure 2, but the group took notice because it studies such issues and, “This one really stood out as a very dramatic measure.”

So I guess the Forum doesn’t think we need to know where this group is coming from: I guess they don’t want to know that this is a group funded by some of the biggest left wingers in this country. That this group has met to advance the Democrat agenda.
Now the Associated Press writer at least mentioned that this group was funded by “liberal foundations.” I was disappointed that the Associated Press didn’t go further into details, but at least they gave the readers a chance to find out what was going on.
On the other hand, Forum Editor Jack “The Hack” Zeleski would be all over this group if they had conservative groups. Some out of state groups are more equal than others.
The take-a-way from this is that the Fargo Forum has given up any appearance of non-partisanship.

Tags: North Dakota News

http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

First of all, Whistler’s point is not a good one. When the Forum covers AFP they say “washington-based” AFP. They don’t mention the Kochs at all.

Aside from the attack that I linked too, there are some others:

Meanwhile, North Dakotans should be very cautious about taking seriously anything Sand’s “prosperity” sect preaches.

sect huh?

Given the anti-tax ideology of Sand’s fringe organization,

fringe group.

Duane Sand, the North Dakota mouthpiece for the misnamed out-of-state organization, Americans for Prosperity

These are just some quotes that Rob and I have blogged about.

And AFP has a local office, have hired local people and have got local volunteers and local people to sign their petition. I consider that different from a Soros funded hit squad that comes here and gets their opinion published in the states largest newspaper.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

Corrections are for people that care about their integrity.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

needed services in ND such as education, road infrastructure will suffer as will services to senior citizens.

As if we didn’t get a 23% increase hike in state spending last year. Since 11% of that increase (vs 12%) was for one time spending even holding the budget constant would result in more money for services than inflation would otherwise eat up.

Our children amass huge amounts of debt in school loans.

Only because of irresponsible spending increases. In fact even with a huge increase in state funding UND raised tuition more than twice the rate of inflation over the last two years.

So if I have to choose between the Koch brothers getting richer

What does that have to do with North Dakota’s tax situation? On the other hand we have state employees getting paid $300,000 living in million dollar mansions.

they won’t get much in the way of a tax break and property taxes will continue to go up.

Again even with a massive increase in state funding Grand Fork’s school taxes went up. That’s only because the locals were spending more, not because of needs.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

, Whistler you forgot the part about the corporate income tax reduction.

I’d recommend a reading for comprehension course.

Furthermore the measure only moderates ND’s much much to high corporate income tax: 15% vs 50% for the personal income tax.

I forgot it?

I see Brenarlo that you and your think tank have not disputed a single fact in the CBPP report.

You mean a fact like they said that ND’s income tax was the lowest in the country except for states without an income tax. Since several states have no income tax, particularly our neighbor SD who we’re in competition with that’s an absolutely stupid point.

Another point is where they say that it’s risky to give the money back to the taxpayers as if spending the money creating a bigger government is far riskier than that. I posted on what happened in the 80′s when the legislature blew the money. When the oil ran out, rather than return spending to the levels they would have been the legislature went on a tax hiking spree, only stopped by a referral in 1989.
Puzzlefeet

I love how Rob tries to claim 14000 people as supporters of the AFP in ND. How many members does the AFP have in North Dakota. How much money has the AFP raised in ND? Where does the ND Policy Council get their money? Hm….oh yeah, the Koch oil brothers.

AFP is owned lock stock and barrel by the Koch oil brothers of fortune. So please save me your drivel about the Fargo Forum not doing their job. The group that came to North Dakota didn’t come into the state and put a measure on the ballot sponsored by out of state interests with out of state money.

The Koch brothers go from state to state trying to get people to introduce their measures and laugh all the way to the bank.

The group that came to the state this week blew the cover on the Koch oil boys. Since you have failed utterly to discount their research you have to find another bogeyman.

Nice try, but I doubt your “bamboozle” is going to work on the ND citizenry.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

Interesting that we’re talking about reducing individual income taxes, not the oil severance tax.

If we were after helping oil billionaires we wouldn’t be working on the income tax would we.

Furthermore the measure only moderates ND’s much much to high corporate income tax: 15% vs 50% for the personal income tax.

We should lower that to encourage bringing more business here.

After all South Dakota has no income taxes. No wonder why businesses have been flocking there, leaving North Dakota behind it.

Of course that would actually diversify the state economy rather than making us a boom bust state because of our reliance on agriculture and oil.
http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/ goon

Heck the Forum hasn’t even corrected the last mess I dont’ expect them to do this one either.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

You assume that more money equals a better education.

It seems to me that you need a certain amount of money. In general any more than that is wasted. Right now spending is driven not by concerns for the kids, but concerns for the teachers union and administrative staff.
Jeugenen

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The Economist magazine’s cunning anonymous writers, by their increasingly desperate propaganda to get Insane McCain elected, have revealed themselves as biased and pretentiously objective; and their support for a notorious Neo-Con identifies them as Neo-Marxists, originating in the refugees from Nazi Germany and Marxist Soviet Union.
brenarlo

First of all, Whistler’s point is not a good one. When the Forum covers AFP they say “washington-based” AFP. They don’t mention the Kochs at all.

In this article they mention that the group is from DC and don’t mention Soros. It’s the same.

Secondly, I have to address Puzzle. You and everyone else on the left seems to think that somehow they’re making money over this deal. How? If they’re FUNDING the group how are they turning a profit? If they’re “profiting” from anything it would be lower taxes. In that case, everyone prospers.
brenarlo

They probably should’ve done that, as well.
http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/ goon

BISMARCK — An initiated measure that would cut the state income tax is a risky, permanent and radical proposition, a Washington, D.C., policy group funded by Left fundraiser George Soros/Moveon.org had said on Thursday.

This is what is should say. Maybe we need to start a letter writing campaign.
Puzzlefeet

Bought and paid for by out of state oil barons.

and those state employees you are referring to…..a university president or a medical school dean, not a snow plow operator, or a social worker, or a home health care worker, or a prison guard, or a probation officer.

Nice try, Whistler. If that is going to be your argument, that university president makes $300,000…pretty sad.

You have yet to bring out any factual issues with the report. On the other hand the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities pointed out the errors in the AFP report, which along with the “bamboozling” of the measure itself and the fraud in the signature gathering doesn’t bode well for the AFP. Just a bit of a credibility problem with the AFP. The AFP will stand with oil baron and not the citizens of ND. All you have to do is to look at who benefits under this measure.
brenarlo

Puzzle,

You assume that more money equals a better education.

As far as standing with North Dakotans, this measure will pass fairly easily. Then we’ll talk about who is standing with North Dakotans.
Puzzlefeet

And the rich will get richer while needed services in ND such as education, road infrastructure will suffer as will services to senior citizens. In case you didn’t notice, ND is an aging state. Our children amass huge amounts of debt in school loans. So if I have to choose between the Koch brothers getting richer and having good roads, schools and services for our kids, that’s a pretty easy decision.

I think most North Dakotans will see it that way as well especially when they see they won’t get much in the way of a tax break and property taxes will continue to go up. They can see who will get the best deal out of your error ridden, fraud gathering measure.
http://dougeefargo.blogspot.com/ dougee

15% for an oil baron like the Koch brother pales the 50% a middle income earner would get.

The 15% tax cut would be for all corporations and not just oil companies. And a 50% tax cut would help the people in North Dakota.

I love how Rob tries to claim 14000 people as supporters of the AFP in ND.

Puzzlefeet, when 14,000 people sign the petition it’s pretty easy to claim that 14,000 support the petition measure!
Puzzlefeet

15% for an oil baron like the Koch brother pales the 50% a middle income earner would get.

We’re also in competetion with Montana with no sales tax, why didn’t they reduce the sales tax?
Puzzlefeet

And so far the Koch oil boys haven’t been very successful but I guess it’s their money….I’m just saying…
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

We’re also in competetion with Montana with no sales tax, why didn’t they reduce the sales tax?

I’d rather try to do away with a single tax rather than try to scale back everywhere.

Now if they’d decided to scale back on the sales tax rather than the income tax I’d have been happy as well.

I just think there’s no point in taking money from the people when the state has too much money.
http://magyartruth.blogspot.com/ Chief RZ

In journalism before 2008 this used to be called The Spike.
Puzzlefeet

Obviously, Whistler you forgot the part about the corporate income tax reduction.

I didn’t make the assumption, brenarlo, you did. I simply wrote that students come out of college with large amounts of debt.

I see Brenarlo that you and your think tank have not disputed a single fact in the CBPP report. Let me know when you get around to that.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

The interesting thing is that the group behind the measure, AFP, was roundly criticized for being out of state (despite having a membership roster of North Dakotans and 14,000 North Dakota signatures on their petition), but I won’t hold my breath waiting for them to discount what this group has to say because they’re based out of Washington DC.

SayAnythingBlog.com

Fargo Forum Covers Up For Soros Anti-Taxpayer Group

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