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Sunday, January 13, 2008


There’s Nothing Like A Little Image Problem To Bring Out The Fighting Spirit In North Dakotans

By Ryan Cunningham on January 13, 2008 at 06:22 pm
4 Comments
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Absolutely nothing like it, and it’s a shame, because when you’re going to battle the truth, you need more than fighting spirit on your side.
The truth I’m referring to is the National Geographic article entitled, “The Emptied Prairie”, the subject of the Fargo Forum’s cover story in Sunday’s edition.
After reading theSunday edition, I accessed the article on the National Geographic website to have a read for myself.  While the article contained a lot of fluff over towns that may have had a poor chance of surviving, the point of the article was remarkably accurate.
That point is that North Dakota’s wealth is statistical at best, our growth is limited to a scant few places, and there is no end in sight.
The only part the article missed on was the why.  Traditionally, the weather could have been accused of being the main culprit of our state’s rural decline.  But now, our own state’s ineptitude is driving our population away from our heritage.
Years and years of denying the value of our rural population and over-valuing an urban lifestyle in a rural state have finally been made an example of in a national publication.
As long as our lawmakers continue to balk at shifting growth into rural communities, as long as our state government refuses to support local schools and a terrific university system, and as long as growth in Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks and Minot are good enough, more and more articles like “The Emptied Prairie” will continue to surface.
And the ire the Forum spoke of from residents is actually just as much fluff as the article was.  Did you notice where the letters The Forum published on page A10 came from?  Minot, Grand Forks, Seattle, and Vancouver, Washington.  If the Forum really wants to find out whether there is truth in “The Emptied Prairie”, it will have to leave the mecca of the urbanized Dakota and go investigate a prairie that is very easily, very correctly described as emptying.
And, you may want to hurry.  The emptying is rapid and accelerating.

Does this tick you off? Click here to email your elected representatives right here on Say Anything, or comment below.

Comments

Gene

You said it best.  As a former Nodaker I don’t seem to qualify to have an opinion any more.  My take on this fell on deaf ears.

ND politicians will regret the idea of urbanizing a rural state and ending up with neither.

Old Tigers are more dangerous when they believe this is their last hunt.

From , “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”
Old tigers, sensing the end,
they’re at their most fierce.       
And they go down fighting.

Gene on January 13, 2008 at 07:31 pm
The Whistler

as long as our state government refuses to support local schools and a terrific university system

What are you talking about?  We’ve increased spending right along even though enrollments have been declining.  Since the last legislature increased spending in the 20-25%.

You statement is 100% wrong.

As a former Nodaker I don’t seem to qualify to have an opinion any more.  My take on this fell on deaf ears.

I don’t think you shouldn’t have an opinion.  The problem is we’ve had numerous government programs, federal, state, county and city that have wasted a lot of money to no effect.

Well it has an effect, it makes politicians think they’re doing something.  And they are, wasting money.

Gene I agree with you about the problem, just not the solution.

1% of Americans pay 40% of the income tax.
5% of Americans pay 60% of the income tax.
10% of Americans pay 70% of the income tax.

The Whistler's signature
The Whistler on January 13, 2008 at 08:51 pm
Gene

Ryan, I didn’t know you were running.  I made a comment on Rob’s front page where he referenced this post.  Please look at it.

By the way, I wrote an article starting with a metaphor for what is happening in ND.  It’s already several years old and what I predicted is happening faster and faster.  As a candidate you might find it interesting. 

Rural ND is in trouble but it can be fixed.  But not by making Fargo larger.

If you want to contact me privately you can on this blog.

Old Tigers are more dangerous when they believe this is their last hunt.

From , “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”
Old tigers, sensing the end,
they’re at their most fierce.       
And they go down fighting.

Gene on January 13, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Avatar for Julie

If the emptying out of the state is rapid and accelerating, I have a short list of people I hope hurry up and leave.

That way, the rest of us Head-In-The-Sanders can blissfully slide into the vacuum writing with nothing more than fighting spirit with nary a wise word from the already-gone.

Sounds good to me.

/subtlety

Julie on January 14, 2008 at 12:00 pm
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