Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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Dear Editor, As religious leaders in the New Rockford and Sheyenne communities, we recognize and appreciate what a great place this is to raise children. Our small-town culture helps our kids succeed and grow into engaged, resilient, well-rounded adults. A key element of this culture is our shared value of, and commitment to, family, faith and community. A large indication of that commitment is guarding Wednesdays after school and Sundays as “church time.” Research shows that young people who are engaged in youth programs and faith com...
According to CNN, pandemic fears and enhanced unemployment benefits have left the nation facing a serious shortage of qualified school bus drivers. The problem is acute, despite districts implementing recruitment campaigns, offering sign-up bonuses, and even fudging on the standards. ("Question one. Fill in the blank: The wheels on the bus go round and..." "Wait, wait. Don't tell me. I got this. Round and ... covered with sprinkles!") I hope the shortage will make society stop taking bus...
How many more Americans would have to die before the United States made the inevitable decision to withdraw from war in Afghanistan, after 20 years of war, at the cost of more than $2 trillion, and the loss of 2,500 lives? That was the illuminating question that guided President Joe Biden’s decision to pull U.S. troops out of “the graveyard of empires.” Indeed, how many more? The decision to withdraw was inevitable, as every president ensnared by the war — Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden — knew painfully well. The putative Afghan governmen...
To the Editor: The 2021 legislative districting process is in motion, and North Dakota Voters First is urging fellow North Dakotans to get involved. Together, we can help prevent gerrymandering in our state. As a matter of fact, the first meeting of the 2021 North Dakota Redistricting Committee is coming up soon, on Thursday, Aug. 26, at the state capitol in Bismarck. Please consider attending this and following meetings in-person or virtually. Testimony will be accepted at all the committee meetings. Go to legis.nd.gov to find committee dates...
With blistering summer weather in full force and shiny new COVID-19 variants emerging like another season of "The Bachelor," many Americans have taken to the great outdoors–despite recently reported attacks by grizzly bears, alligators, and President Joe Biden's surviving German shepherd, Major (R.I.P. Champ). And speaking of cantankerous canines, I normally limit my own experiences with nature to mowing my yard and taking evening walks with my wife around our subdivision–where we sometimes enc...
The founders believed, as James Madison wrote, that Americans possessed sufficient virtue to summon the courage and conviction to do the right thing in the face of the most trying circumstances. This might mean that citizens would find it necessary to set aside their personal interests and ambitions in pursuit of the common good. At this critical juncture in American history, when COVID-19, especially the virulent Delta variant, is menacing our nation’s public health and threatening our economic recovery, the return of children to school, a...
Seven years ago, Lucy Flowers died. It's taken a while for me to write those words in exactly that way – "Lucy Flowers died." I've written about it on frequent occasion, but usually turn to euphemisms: "Left us." I also employed "passed away," "rejoined my father," "passed on," "shed this mortal coil," "went to a better place," "found peace," "greeted the angels" and other Hallmark card turns of language. The clinical finality of "Lucy Flowers died" was something I avoided because it sounded har...
The U.S. Senate’s constitutional role in the appointment process for federal judges empowers it to thwart presidential nominations to the bench, including those nominated to the Supreme Court. More than one president in our history has felt the stinging rejection of a prospective member of the High Court. Article II, section of the Constitution provides that the president “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of Senate,” shall appoint “Judges of the supreme court.” The “appointment power” is a shared power, jointly exerc...
It was 73 years ago this month that my dad, Allen Funt, brought “Candid Camera” to television. Remarkably, between his career and mine, we hold a record as the only entertainment show to have produced new episodes in eight different decades. I still don’t have all the answers, but I’ve heard most of the questions. Are people harder to fool these days? No! Folks are easier to fool. That may seem counterintuitive, but I’m certain it’s true. Much of it has to do with multitasking. When my father d...
The other day, someone reminded me that I had a public Facebook page entitled "Christine Flowers, Columnist and Radio Host." I rarely post there, which is why I'd almost forgotten about it. My old editor had suggested I create a public page, after stalkers and people who didn't like what I wrote (almost exclusively readers and agitators from the left), had done some very unsavory things. She thought that setting up a "public" space would protect me and my loved ones from the usual abuses of...
The framers of the Constitution inserted the Advice and Consent Clause to insure joint decision making between the president and the Senate in the exercise of the treaty making and appointment powers. What happens when the aims, purposes and spirit of that clause are abused or circumvented by either one of the joint decision makers? We focus this week on the ability of presidents to thwart the constitutional blueprint for advice and consent of the Senate. Presidents possess considerable means to abuse and circumvent the Advice and Consent...
Dear Editor: With the acceleration of online shopping, and widespread use of contactless cards and mobile payments in stores during the coronavirus pandemic, almost every retail purchase made today is paid for with a credit card or debit card. That’s a change that may be here to stay, but it’s bad news for merchants and consumers alike, especially those still struggling to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. The reason is that credit card networks and the big banks charge merchants a “swipe” fee, averaging about two percent of the...
Maybe croquet could improve the ratings for the 2021 Summer Olympics? Please allow me to explain. The COVID-delayed 2020 Olympics are on track to be the lowest watched games of the 21st century, according to marketing research firm Zeta Global. The company has found that "More than 60 percent of Americans were unable to express excitement or interest in the summer games, and at least 45 percent of Americans confirmed they are NOT looking forward to the Games in any capacity." That's a shame, to...
A committee of petitioners is proposing a constitutional amendment that would limit future North Dakota legislators to eight years of service. The proposal would “grandfather” in all legislators now serving, meaning that all of the alleged evils of the present body could be preserved over the next 30 years. Because the Republicans have overwhelming majorities in both houses, they would eventually suffer the greatest impact of term limits. Since one-party states are always on the verge of fra...
Some readers may remember that their introduction to this ancient phrase came when they picked up a copy of Allen Drury’s 1959 Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, “Advise and Consent,” which described a passionate and energetic U.S. Senate engulfed in a controversial confirmation hearing for a nominee to be Secretary of State. Others will recall its invocation in the setting of a government class, newspaper article or the nightly news broadcast. Familiarity aside, “advice and consent” was drawn by the framers of the Constitution from the deep well...
Transcript publisher Amy Wobbema has been following a recent proposal in Congress that would expand the Durbin Amendment, which set a cap on the "swipe fees" retailers pay when a debit card is used in their stores. The Durbin Amendment was a last minute addition to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, passed by Congress in 2010. Now, Senator Dick Durbin and other lawmakers are pushing for an expansion of the amendment, which would apply the same pricing caps to credit...
Ask any grocer, and you will learn competition is at the heart of our business. Consumers cross the street every day to find a lower price, wider selection, or better customer service. Americans will drive an extra mile to save on a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread. Competition is what pushes our industry to keep food prices as low as possible. Grocers who do not compete, do not last. Behind the scenes, our manufacturers, wholesalers, and vendors compete fiercely to get grocers’ business whether it is to supply product, maintain r...
The same politicians who mostly killed free checking and debit card rewards programs through government price controls are setting their sights on credit cards – and that means miles, cash back, and other rewards are now in jeopardy. That’s a potential political earthquake, because a recent study found that 84 percent of all credit cards are rewards cards, and 70 percent of cardholders who make less than $20,000 a year have rewards cards. Many small businesses also rely on rewards cards – especially cash-back cards. Those individuals and small...
On Friday, June 16, I had the pleasure of attending DPRCA’s production of “Life Could Be a Dream” with my mom. This is the third time DPRCA has put on this hilarious, light-hearted play, but it was my first time in the audience. The actors they cast this summer are suited perfectly for their roles, and they put on quite the performance that night. With everything from the music and choreography, to the sound and lights, DPRCA gave the community a terrific show, yet again! Danny Hollander was q... Full story
I’m writing to urge the 2021 North Dakota legislative districting committee to study the possibility of splitting each Senate district into two parts for seats to the state House of Representatives. This is important, because rural areas will probably be losing representation in the North Dakota Legislature due to population shifts to urban areas reflected in the 2020 census. As an example, let’s take a look at District 39. It takes up much of western North Dakota, covering the communities of Bowman and Watford City. It is a distance of 124...
"If [Donald] Trump and [Bernie] Sanders take the same position on Big Tech censorship," David Catron writes at The American Spectator, "the issue deserves serious attention." He's right, but in pretty much the opposite of the way he intends. When the mainstream "right" and "left" agree on anything, that's almost always a blazing neon sign warning us that our freedoms are under threat. Catron (and Trump and Sanders) want the U.S. government to seize control of social media platforms, and dictate...
It’s an old dream of mine and I just may do it: Buy a travel trailer and live on the American road for weeks at a time. Recreational vehicle living is a growing trend, particularly for younger people, who, post-Covid, prefer to work at home instead of commuting to their company’s office building. Thanks to technology, your “home office” can now be in an RV parked next to a rushing creek in the middle of nowhere. I’ve been critical of the downsides of digital innovation, which has given us...
The debate surrounding proposals for term limits on members of Congress would benefit from a reminder of the reasoning behind the 22nd Amendment, which imposed a two-term limit on the presidency. That amendment, ratified in 1951, is now 70 years old. Although small pockets of voices advocating its repeal can be heard from time to time, polls show that Americans, with good reason, believe strongly in the merits of that fundamental change in the Constitution. Constitutional history can be a useful guide in a nation’s decision-making process. T...
Every night, just before bed, he’d thank his bride of 70 years for giving him another wonderful day on earth. That was the sweet-hearted nature of Jack Krieger, my family’s next-door neighbor for more than 30 years. I first met him as a very young boy, shortly after my growing family moved to our brand new suburban house in 1964. As I grew up, I knew him as the dad of five children, a good neighbor and an usher at our church. Jack and his wife, Mary, would become lifelong friends with my parents...
Most of the state legislatures have terminated their business for the year, leaving the abortion issue unsolved, most likely because it is an unsolvable issue that straddles the secular and spiritual worlds, making it a political, as well as a theological enigma. Since the protection of life has been a responsibility of society through government action, politicians are bound to get involved. Unfortunately, no issue can be considered objectively these days because perspectives are jaundiced by...
