Say Anything Blog

Tonight I listened to an interview on AM1100 WZFG between Former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer and former Grand Forks Mayor Pat Owens.  During the 1997 Red River Valley flooding, which devastated Grand Forks (though Fargo mostly managed to dodge), both Schafer and Owens were in office.  It was interesting to hear the two leaders talk about how the handled the disaster back then.

What’s interesting, though, is how Grand Forks largely prepared itself for future floods after the 1997 flooding but Fargo…really didn’t.  Now Fargo is facing an ugly flooding situation (the fight isn’t over just yet), and you have to wonder…where is North Dakota’s federal delegation on this?

I’ve seen Conrad, Pomeroy and Dorgan giving some speeches and interviews about the flooding, but where’s the action?  Every election cycle we’re told how much clout these three have in Washington DC, and certainly when it comes to rewarding their political supporters back here in North Dakota with federal pork they’re very successful, but what about for legitimate government spending?  Such as making sure cities like Fargo aren’t devastated every decade or so by flooding?

When Katrina hit New Orleans the politicians fell all over themselves to promise the most relief to that area.  But where is the rush to help out Fargo?  The citizens of the Fargo area aren’t victims. They don’t need handouts.  They’ll dig themselves out of this mess.  But what about Conrad and Dorgan getting some federal money in to prepare Fargo for future floods like Grand Forks has been prepared?  What about Obama doing something with regard to the flooding aside from trying to blame it on global warming?

Again, I don’t there are many here interested in being housed in FEMA trailers, or put up in hotel rooms at the taxpayers expense for years on end, or even getting debit cards charged with taxpayer money for their shopping convenience.  But we’d sure like to see some infrastructure built to make sure our cities don’t wash away again.

So how about Dorgan, Conrad and Pomeroy use this clout they allegedly wield in Washington to get something done?  Or do North Dakotans not matter because they refuse to be victims like the folks down in Louisiana?