Audio: Dem Gov Candidate Marvin Nelson Calls Burgum’s Main Street Initiative a “Self Serving Initiative”
North Dakota gubernatorial candidate Marvin Nelson talks about his campaign in his home August 19 in Rolla N.D. (Jesse Trelstad/Grand Forks Herald)
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Marvin Nelson was on my radio show today and we talked about the #NoDAPL riot yesterday and some of his Republican opponent Doug Burgum’s recent proposals.
Nelson said Burgum doesn’t get it on budgeting.
“He came out and said we should do zero sum budgeting,” Nelson told me. “I don’t know why he thinks this is such a great revelation. We’ve had a stream of businessmen who come into office and think we should do zero sum budgeting.”
“The problem is it doesn’t work. It’s been tried hundred of times,” he added. “If he spent a little time on the internet with his smart phone like he says he does he would know that. It’s just a mistake.”
[mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]”I’ve never seen such a self serving initiative put out by a candidate in my life,” he said. “It doesn’t seem like he has a clue for what he’s going to do for the Harveys or the Ellendales or even the Jamestown.”[/mks_pullquote]
Nelson said starting from zero every budget cycle would either require that the governor do the budgeting, or that North Dakota convene a full-time Legislature. Currently lawmakers meet just 80 days every two-year biennium, a limit imposed by the state constitution.
The Democratic candidate also had some choice words for Burgum’s “Main Street Initiative” which he’s been touting in ads and on his website.
Burgum is well known for his work in real estate development, particularly in downtown Fargo. Nelson suggested that the Main Street Initiative might be about helping Burgum’s own bottom line.
“I’ve never seen such a self serving initiative put out by a candidate in my life,” he said. “It doesn’t seem like he has a clue for what he’s going to do for the Harveys or the Ellendales or even the Jamestown.”
“He’s written everything out and basically the savior of North Dakota is we’re going to pour a bunch of money into Broadway in Fargo and that’s gonna be what we do,” Nelson continued. “I’m just shocked that a candidate would even dare come out with that during a campaign.”
On the #NoDAPL riot from yesterday, Nelson said he felt Governor Jack Dalrymple handled the situation appropriately. “The governor has no choice,” he said, pointing out that protesters were on private land and blocking a public highway.
I asked Nelson to respond to Standing Rock Chairman David Archambault’s comment yesterday that law enforcement had committed “acts of violence against innocent, prayerful people.”
“I would have to come down on the side that I believe it was an appropriate response. They had to do what it took to get the people off the highway and off the private land,” he said. “Second guessing exactly what they did, I’m not going to get into that game. They were there they were reacting to the situation. They’re trained personnel. I’m going to trust that they didn’t use any more force than was necessary.”
“But the people cannot go out there on that private land or on that North Dakota highway and set up camp and blockade the highway. That’s just unacceptable,” he added.
Here’s the full audio of today’s show. If you want to subscribe to the podcast of the show, here’s the feed. We’re working on getting it submitted to all the various podcast services, but for now that URL should get you going.
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