Legislator engages in radical partisanship

Kyle Handegard Fargo Commentary - 09/23/2007
It’s unfortunate that Rep. Kari Conrad, D-Minot, N.D., (letter of Sept. 11) has chosen to echo the same radical partisanship to North Dakotans that has paralyzed Washington, D.C., in recent years.
Gov. John Hoeven is doing things right, starting with jobs and the economy. Under his leadership, North Dakota has entirely changed its approach to economic development. Our state has created 25,000 new jobs and seen economic growth across the board, including in manufacturing, energy, valueadded agriculture and technology-based businesses. These jobs are raising wages and income, while creating a climate of opportunity in North Dakota not seen in decades.
And it doesn’t stop there. In the last legislative session alone, the governor’s policies made possible more than $100 million in property tax relief, $100 million in K-12 education funding and $90 million in support for higher education, scholarships and other programs to help hold the line on tuition for our younger people.
In the field of renewable energy, ethanol production will soon increase more than tenfold, to about a half-billion gallons, with more on the way. Wind energy production will go from near zero to more than 600 megawatts. At the same time -- and without a tax increase -- North Dakota has been able to devote an unprecedented $100 million more in the current budget to help seniors, children and people with disabilities.
Rep. Conrad needs to look around our state and cut the political sniping.