Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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Two previous columns on the origins of the Electoral College have sparked questions from discerning readers across the state who wonder why the United States continues to utilize this peculiar method of electing the president when the rationales and justifications for its creation have long since vanished. The Framers’ reasons for rejecting direct election of the president – lack of communication, transportation and adequate knowledge of the qualifications and credentials of candidates – are no longer relevant. As many have observed, we somet...
Yes: Since alcohol and tobacco are legal, so should marijuana by Nathan Price At the age of 26, I can probably count the number of alcoholic beverages I’ve ever had on one hand, and not once have I smoked a cigarette since turning 18. Because of this, some have called me a “goody two-shoes,” or a “party pooper,” but since both tobacco and alcohol are more poisonous to the human body than marijuana, I simply see it as common sense. That being said, I’ve never smoked marijuana either. It smells awful, I don’t particularly want to feel high, an...
Opportunity in education. Effective education options for every child. Stimulating educational environments. This is what we want for every North Dakota student. And that’s what our elected leaders want, too. But restructuring North Dakota’s K-12 public education system to a “school choice” model, as the Legislature’s interim Education Committee and a separate school choice task force have been discussing, is a bad idea. In communities across the country, private school advocates have been push... Full story
Cinnamon is in season. We're making apple pies with apples harvested from our backyard trees and pumpkin spice lattes are the flavor of the month on the menu at the local coffee shop. October 2023 marked the start of a nearly year-long process to remove cinnamon that was found to contain lead from store shelves at hundreds of supermarkets and dollar stores. According to Consumer Reports, "the FDA began testing cinnamon sold at various stores after fruit purée apple pouches by Schnucks, WanaBana,...
The Framers of the Constitution seriously considered adoption of a direct popular vote for the election of the president until objections exposed the likelihood that lack of communication, transportation and adequate knowledge of candidates would hobble the ability of Americans to make a reasoned and informed choice. Some feared that voters would not be familiar with national leaders and would reflexively support candidates from their own states. Voter parochialism would undermine the prospects for national union. Although James Madison was an...
I rode on the back of a steam engine this past weekend. I've lived in New Rockford for 20 years and have made the short trip to the Central North Dakota Steam Threshers Reunion for nearly every one. I've also covered the local steam show for the Transcript 10 straight years now. Each time I aim to capture something and someone new and different, as there are so many things to see and do on the grounds. They've recently added events as well, including tractor driving for the kids and a Friday dan...
In the current economy, when a visit to the grocery store requires a long-term financing plan, it has become clear that our family must find ways to spend less. This is especially challenging for us considering that we have two daughters in college, one daughter in private school and three pets, all of whom seem determined to ensure that we won't be able to purchase hamburger meat without selling our plasma. Our first step toward financial freedom, or at least parole, involved canceling our...
With less than 50 days remaining in the 2024 presidential election, citizens are turning their attention to the “Electoral College Map,” fully aware that the next president will be the candidate who captures 270 electoral votes, rather than the winner of the popular vote, although most Americans continue to prefer a direct, nationwide election, one they view as more consistent with democratic principles, and wonder why the Framers of the Constitution chose such a peculiar method for electing the nation’s highest official. What concerns and c...
Measure 4 provides huge property tax relief to everyone, completely reforms how cities and counties will tax in the future, and is a tremendous opportunity for all North Dakotans. It does this while ensuring full local control, and not a single dollar of funding is lost. Dr. Arthur Laffer is a world-renowned economist who advised both President Ronald Reagan and President Trump on their famous tax cut programs. He has reviewed Measure 4, and believes it is a great opportunity for the people of North Dakota. In a letter to the committee dated...
I am personally opposed to Measure 4. I don't think that it is a good solution for our residents. First of all, it is an incomplete package. Widespread concern about real estate taxes is real, but this measure does not specify how this revenue would be replaced. I don't think our residents want to see drastic cuts to services, so another method would be needed to replace the lost revenue. This would still have to come from North Dakota residents, directly or indirectly. $1.575 billion would be needed annually for our state, counties, cities,...
We hear it every two years – "This is the most important election of our lifetime!" In a sense, it is true. Not because of who the candidates may be or the issues facing voters, but because the most important election of our lifetime is always the "next election." Voting is a privilege that every United States citizen has and a responsibility every eligible voter should take seriously. You are responsible for choosing your leaders, your policies, and your future, no matter if it is a P...
Advocates of term limits for Supreme Court justices, mindful of the overgrown, transformative power of the Court and the ethical lapses of some of its members, have recommended staggered, 18-year terms and regularized presidential appointments for justices as a means of reducing the heated and divisive partisanship that has raised the confirmation process to a fever pitch and undercut public confidence in the judiciary, what Alexander Hamilton called, “the least dangerous branch.” Integral to these proposals is the guarantee that each pre...
During the month of September, approximately 1.3 million people in the U.S. will have suicidal thoughts, 142,000 will attempt suicide, and 4,000 will die by suicide, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. In 2023, 142 North Dakota residents died by suicide, according to N.D. Vital Records. "Compassion and human connection are powerful tools in suicide prevention. Reaching out, listening without judgment, and showing genuine care can provide the hope and support that someone in...
“He was on our radar.” How many times have we heard that after a mass shooting at a high school or a shopping mall? We heard it for the umpteenth time again this week after a disturbed 14-year-old kid in Georgia took a rifle to school and killed two students, two teachers, and injured nine others. “He was on our watch list,” the local police said to no one’s surprise. A year ago, after the FBI’s radar picked up Colt Gray reportedly making threats online that he was going to “shoot up a middle sc...
Plummeting public approval of the U.S. Supreme Court, now at record lows, reflects in part deep-seated concerns about recent rulings that have overturned precedents that protected fundamental rights, as well as an unprecedented ruling – the creation of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution – without foundation in our constitutional architecture. It is also true that the diminished confidence of the citizenry in the nation’s highest bench is a function of the ethical lapses of some current justices. These factors, among others, have ac...
As I watched the Kennedy siblings close ranks against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. because of his support for Donald Trump, it reminded me of the fragility of human bonds. Over the past eight years, since Trump burst onto the political scene, I've witnessed the crumbling of so many relationships, including marriages and childhood friendships, based upon an absolute inability to deal with difference and dissent. I know very few conservatives who have disowned liberal friends. The opposite is far more c...
In the world of public notices, this summer has been a doozy. Recent events, some involving celebrities, have shed light on just how well read public notices are. Public notices are reports of upcoming meetings held by government entities, notices to creditors when a person passes away, foreclosure notices issued by banks, and financial reports of the cities and school districts, to name a few. Each state has laws that govern what is considered a public notice and how often each needs to be...
The doctrine of checks and balances, central to the success of American Constitutionalism, is designed to curb abuse of power and promote governmental accountability. But the Constitution is not a machine that will run without good men and women at the helm. When those in positions of authority and responsibility are reluctant to turn the wheels of checks and balances to constrain the judiciary, for example, there is little to deter misbehavior. Justice James Iredell, a member of the first Supreme Court and one of the most penetrating thinkers...
The United States Postal Service is a vital partner to newspapers. We pay them to provide a service, that is to deliver our print editions to every address in America. That partnership, however, is facing new challenges. I was among a select few representing North Dakota newspapers at a roundtable discussion hosted by U.S. Sen. John Hoeven on Monday. An article about that meeting first appeared in the Grand Forks Herald on Tuesday, and is republished in this edition of both the Transcript and th...
All anybody needs to know about a free economy is alive and well thanks to social media flea markets, such as Facebook Marketplace. While procrastinating every morning, I review this site looking at cars, lakefront homes and a wide variety of highly entertaining items people are trying to hock. Facebook Marketplace offers a hands-on lesson in how free-market economics really works. You see, commerce and trading are what humans do. They are the basis of wealth creation and a thriving...
Is the threat of impeachment sufficient to deter Supreme Court justices from abusing power or engaging in other acts of misbehavior that would warrant their removal from the nation’s High Bench? The Framers of the Constitution thought so, as Alexander Hamilton explained, but many Americans across our nation doubt the premise. Consequently, they have become advocates for Supreme Court reform. Some lobby for an enforceable ethics code, some seek term limits for the justices, and some argue for an expansion of the size of the Court, primarily t...
In the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates debated the merits and virtues of vesting in federal courts the awesome power of judicial review – the authority to strike down laws of Congress that they find to be unconstitutional. In the end, the Framers agreed to grant the reviewing power to the courts, but not without some careful soul-searching, for it was at that juncture in world history unique in the realms of law and political science. Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist No. 78 that the courts were designed to keep the legislatur...
Since the article, "East Central hands NR-S $70K budget buster," was printed it has been shared amongst NR-S community and NR-S board members stating that the ‘business relationship is broken,’ so I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the article in hopes that it creates a discussion to clarify the concerns raised in the original article. NR-S is required to provide special education services by law. The increase in cost was due to legally required speech services which were assessed to NR-S as a bill from services from the 2023-24 sch...
Dear citizens of the New Rockford-Sheyenne School District, As many of you may know, I have recently resigned from my position on the New Rockford-Sheyenne School Board. With this change, I feel it is important to address a significant concern regarding the district's relationship with East Central (EC). My intention is to clarify the situation for our community. The core issue with East Central is not related to the quality or dedication of its staff, past or present. On the contrary, I believe that East Central has consistently provided our d...
We constantly hear that we will no longer need print. However, we believe print's value is increasing in a world of digital distraction, shallow learning and increasing polarization as people shift from focusing on local news to national television outlets and the internet. "As a professor of linguistics, I have been studying how electronic communication compares to traditional print when it comes to learning," Naomi S. Baron, a professor of Linguistics at American University, writes. "Is...
