GOP in the Valley

Work is carrying on as we have moved passed the Super Tuesday Caucus. Republicans in North Dakota seem very charged up and ready to get their hands dirty. I have been traveling to various meetings up and down the Valley the past few weeks. Most recently I was in Grand Forks for the district nominating convention. This convention is for the nomination of delegates to the state convention March 28th-30th in Fargo. There was a great turnout of folks for this event. Governor Hoeven, Insurance Commissioner Hamm, Public Service Commissioner Candidates Risher, Stenehjem, and Kalk, and several legislators from the city were all present. District 42 and Region II chairman, Jerry Youngberg, presided over the event in the absence of the Grand Forks Coordinating Committee Chair, Jim Holdman who was out of town. There is a renewed spirit in Grand Forks and an enthusiasm that will be the tides of victory come November.

I have been speaking to many legislators and legislative candidates for the past month. They are all ready to hit the campaign trail hard to spread the good word of the North Dakota economy and how North Dakotan’s are responsible for it. North Dakota Republicans have a lot to point to for accomplishments over the past few sessions. They have created budget stabilization funds, held the line on taxes and delivered for needed changes in infrastructure in our roads, schools and universities.

Democrats have been trying to politicize the WSI issue for more than a year now. Every time a concern of theirs is addressed they change the issue. The current state of the Democrats mantra of talking points has changed so much from its original point that I wonder if they even know what they are saying anymore. Obviously Merle Boucher, House Minority Leader and Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate, has forgotten what the role of the governor is in Workforce Safety and Insurance. He pressed the Governor to fire the WSI board, even though the Governor has little to no authority over the WSI board. I would think a person that is a Democrat Party Leader would understand how WSI functions, being that is the only issue they talk about, wouldn’t you?

A very recent Democrat attack came lobbed from the Executive Director, Jamie Selzler. He shamefully accused Commissioner Hamm of raising rates on health insurance and of “re-hashing” their candidate’s ideas on how to address WSI. The fact is, just saying things should change is not a plan. Giving lip service to the problem will not make it go away. Republicans are finding real solutions to the problems of our state, they have been for years. Hamm made well defined proposals to give his department some oversight on WSI. The Democrats have offered nothing in terms of real plans.

Here in the Valley, Republicans are on the move, Republicans are ready to work.

Joe Miller, Deputy Director-Valley Region
Reach me at joe.miller@ndgop.org