Grand Forks Herald Editor Has Trouble Finding A Hotel Room In Western ND, Writes Whiny Column About It

Rob Port • January 14, 2012

Former Grand Forks Herald editor Mike Jacobs, inexplicably named by the paper’s parent company Forum Communications to be in charge of a new news bureau covering the oil patch on the opposite side of the state from where Jacobs lives, had some trouble recently finding a hotel room in Medora.

So of course he took to the pages of his newspaper to complain about it.

You see, western North Dakota isn’t the sleepy wasteland of dying rural communities it was just a few years. It is perhaps the fastest growing piece of geography in the country right now, and anti-oil liberals like Jacobs hate it. As unprecedented levels of investment flow into the state, driving huge leaps in prosperity among most citizens, the slower pace of life citizens of this part of the country have enjoyed is ending.

Because things change. That’s progress. It’s childish to think that any part of our society is going to persist, for eternity, as some sort of Rockwellian time capsule. And shame on people like Jacobs for setting that expectation, because it’s that sort of attitude (almost always expressed by people who live far, far away from the communities in question) which holds this country back.

Jacobs’ attitudes about the development of North Dakota’s resources – oil, gas, coal and even agriculture – are unhealthy for the state, but will no doubt permeate the reporting this “news bureau” he’s heading up will produce.

On a related note, this passage from Jacobs’ column made me laugh out loud:

Oil is the big story, of course, so big that it overshadows other stories in the state. One of these is a boom in farm profits. Another is the expansion of the state’s manufacturing base. Still a third is the success of its higher education system.

Apparently, “success” for Jacbos is a university system that is costing North Dakota taxpayers 76% more over the last decade to educate just a 17% increase in students and is notorious wasting and abusing taxpayer dollars while working hard to avoid any sort of public accountability.

Jacobs doesn’t belong in western North Dakota, covering stories about the state’s oil boom. He belongs in an ivory tower office somewhere where his sanctimonious navel-gazing will be better appreciated.

Tags: bakken, forum communications, Grand Forks Herald, mike jacbos, North Dakota News

Dakotacyr

At least he’s not a paid shill for the oil companies.

http://sayanythingblog.com Rob

I don’t get paid by oil companies.

Dakotacyr

says the guy who just got an all expense paid trip to DC to attend an oil conference.

Cherz1967

Why do you hate so much Dakota cyr? Why is it offensive to you that Rob makes a living? What do you do for a living?

Dakotacyr

I’m actually from North Dakota, specifically western North Dakota.Haven’t lived there for a number of years but get back 3-4 times a year.

Jimmypop

proof of this?

Dakotacyr

Proof of what, that Rob went on an all expense paid trip to DC by oil, he said it himself.
sanity

Yes, it was called full disclosure – something congress and this president has yet to do when they are accepting “gifts” or paid vacations.

His expenses may have been paid, but his opinion was his own, and he made sure EVERYONE knew full disclosure about who paid for the trip.

Only thing is, you can’t seem to get by that and have to repeatedly attack rob instead of either agreeing or disagreeing with what he wrote. Try reading what he wrote and remark based on that.
http://sayanythingblog.com Rob

That’s exactly right. They paid for my flight and my room, and when I wrote about the event I disclosed it.

That’s called transparency.

Jfisher17

As opposed to a “global warming” shill, er, I mean a “climate change shill”- wait! I mean a “severe weather event shill”.
Rich1lyle

Rob: I’m not a Jacobs lover. However, whenever someone is a little critical of you, the venom from you about personal attacks is overwhelming. You just did it to Jacobs. It works both ways. It appears that you can dish it but not take it. I like your writing, but you need to grow some balls. Thanks for listening.

http://sayanythingblog.com Rob

I get personally attacked every single day, most if it in the comments section I maintain openly (unlike the Herald).

sanity

Gawd help you if a comment gets stuck in que, moderation or marked as spam and doesn’t show…..then our accused of silencing free speech (something people seem to be pretty mixed up about what free speech is) or deliberately covering things up so dissent is not seen….

Some people are more excitable than others….and hence baseless accusations fly.

http://nofreelunch.areavoices.com/ Kevin Flanagan

Why doesn’t he use the Marcil luxury motor coach?

Dakotacyr

Good point.

Robertfrost

Next headline: Rob Port has a bad experience with higher ed, devotes a lifetime writing whiny blog to get even.

http://Sayanythingblog.com The Whistler

…That Rob, always going off and exposing the waste and corruption in the University system….

Anonymous

How about you expose those relatives of yours that work for the college system and draw a fat paycheck while doing nothing to earn it?

Remember you bragged about your numerous relatives that “work” the college system?

Be a man and expose them. SAB is a good place to start. Then you can call the University and complain about these freeloaders that are your relatives.

http://Sayanythingblog.com The Whistler

I didn’t say they did anything. They were fully compliant with the higher education policies.

On the other hand what was expected out of them was nothing like what they’d have to produce in the private sector. You should have to work as hard in the public sector to earn your living as you do in the private sector.

Of course a person like you that’s been a freeloader their entire life would probably disagree.

Anonymous

Whistler says: “I didn’t say they did anything.”

Slip of the tongue.

Ndconservative2011

Shameful and downright disgraceful for Rob to expose the waste, corruption and arrogance of the University System and the Board of Higher Education. We taxpayers just need to suck it up and go with the flow. So what if the system has had an increase in spending of over 76% in recent years and tuition has skyrocketed? So what if the system is giving away millions of dollars in tuition waivers – it’s only taxpayers dollars. The taxpayers in North Dakota are getting a double wammy with the outrageous increases in funding as well as the skyrocketing tuition increases.
If it were not for blogs such as SAB, the mainstream media would just sweep the problems of a runaway corrupt system under the rug.
It is always interesting that liberals most always fail to defend their opinions with fact, but choose to attack those that they disagree with on a personal basis.

http://sayanythingblog.com Rob

Next RobertFrost comment: Don’t address any of the very real issues in higher education in North Dakota and, instead, attack Rob personally for bringing those issues up.

http://Sayanythingblog.com The Whistler

I believe Jacobs is originally from Stanley, dead center in the oil patch. He’s probably bitter that he didn’t cash in on the oil.
ec99

Higher ed in genneral, and UND in particular, have always been Herald sacred cows. You’ll never see a negative story about them.

http://sayanythingblog.com Rob

Well not only will you not see a negative story about them, you’ll see Jacobs bizarrely insert them into completely unrelated writings.

Cherz1967

There have been few positive stories come out of the Bakken, but they are there. Most of the people in the Bakken, while it’s a different life now, feel they can handle it without the help of outsiders.
Jimmypop

“Oil is the big story, of course, so big that it overshadows other stories in the state. One of these is a boom in farm profits. Another is the expansion of the state’s manufacturing base. Still a third is the success of its higher education system.no kidding.it should read, the first is oil, second is oil and third is oil. trailed by higher commod prices. one of which, includes oil. this all should be followed by a year or two long boom in natty gas. also a commod.
skinner 1157

maybe mr. jacobs could find a room at a man camp, go to work as a rough neck and get some sweat, oil and dirt on his hands and face. but then he would have something else to complain about. “some folks just gotta be unhappy ’bout lots of things”, SW ND rancher at a coffee shop..

Beach

Love it!
Ndconservative2011

I don’t think Mr. Jacobs has it in him to “man up”.

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Grand Forks Herald Editor Has Trouble Finding A Hotel Room In Western ND, Writes Whiny Column About It

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