Thumbs down from Pomeroy

[Cratter]

So, how much support will this bill get if North Dakota's only Congressman doesn't support it? My guess is very little.

Touche.

[Sioux-cia]

I have sent emails to Dorgan and Conrad related to other issues and received very timely responses. I have yet to hear from Earl the Hide Behind Closed Doors Pomeroy. Even if he is against the measure, simple courtesy should result in some type of response.

[HockeyMom]

I haven't heard back from him either.

[MafiaMan]

Like their politics or not, they are elected by the people of North Dakota to bring in money from Washington and they do that job well.

Quite frankly, this attitude is exactly what's WRONG with this country today. The "job," as you so well put it, of elected officials is not to bring in money from Washington, it's to do what they feel is in the best interest of the home district, state, and country, and NOT necessarily in that order.

All too often these days, pork-loaded bills get to Congress filled to the brim with pet projects for the home district or state. Too many people in Washington view their elected position as their 'career' and a lifestyle that they are entitled to. And in order to maintain that lifestyle, they will do whatever it takes to get re-elected. It's all about heading back home and saying 'look at the money I brought in for project X and grant Y" and pat themselves on the back. Is that all it's about? Sad indeed. Find some principles, people, and stop looking at the latest trends and polls to decide what's best for this country.

Dru's law? Dorgan's a big sponsor? Nice that a state senator loved by the ACLU finally gets on board with something that should have been a law 100 years ago. Frankly, I'm stunned he is a sponsor given the flak someone supporting a bill like that would get from justice "advocates" like those in the ACLU.

[Sioux-cia]

The "job," as you so well put it, of elected officials is not to bring in money from Washington, it's to do what you feel is in the best interest of your district, state, and country, and not necessarily in that order. All too often these days, pork bills get to Congress loaded with pet projects for the home district or state.

The money/grants/contracts brought into the state usually results in more jobs and economic growth for many communities. Whatever way you want to look at it, it's every state for itself. We can't depend on the largese of other states to share the wealth, if indeed they can spare it. Like it or not, it's senior members that have the clout to help our state the most. I'm here to tell you there are more people out there who give a rat's a$$ about the Fighting Sioux name and logo than those that do. Time after time, bills introduced that will improve education in our state are voted down because the folks in the western part of the state 'don't want to pay' for the more populated eastern part of the state. Those same folk won't want to foot the bill, contribute to or even want our government officials to get involved in the Sioux name and logo issue.

Say what you will, seniority counts big time in government. We may be looked upon as backward and uneducated because we're a considered a rural state but I'm here to tell ya that our voters are very savy when it comes to their state and local government. They're not rubes just voting for a guy who has been in office forever. As long as they provide for the state, Conrad, Dorgan and Pomeroy will continue to be elected.

*Steps off soap box.*

[MafiaMan]

How do you explain a state that is so overwhelmingly pro-Republican in presidential elections continuing to re-elect three members of Congress who are so overwhelmingly opposed to everything the president stands

for?

It's just as ironic as the Catholic Church preaching vote Democrat, support 'immigrants' rights, stand up for the poor, etc., yet you hear the appeals every Sunday ranting against gay marriage and abortion.

Am I the only one who is confused?

[MafiaMan]

Time after time, bills introduced that will improve education in our state are voted down because the folks in the western part of the state 'don't want to pay' for the more populated eastern part of the state.

And time after time in the 1980's, the folks in the eastern half of the state thought it was only fair that oil revenues be taken from lesser-populated counties like Billings, Stark, and McKenzie and funneled out east to improve things like education. I knew people in Fargo who felt it was ridiculous that the western half of the state wouldn't support such revenue "sharing". Never mind that one-room schoolhouses with wood stoves to provide heat during the winter and outhouses out back behind the school were still the norm in the western half of the state well into the late 1980's. No one living east of Bismarck gave a rat's a** about the western part of the state until some oil money started rolling in, then it was, "hmnn...let's get our hands on that!"

Kinda reminds me of Michigan a few years back. I was in the UP at a time when they had a record snowfall. 12-20' (that's feet, not inches) all around. Local officials screamed to Lansing that the Michigan National Guard was needed for assistance. The governor refused, but three weeks later when Detroit had 4" (inches, not feet) of snow, the NG was promptly activated and sent there.

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

How do you explain a state that is so overwhelmingly pro-Republican in presidential elections continuing to re-elect three members of Congress who are so overwhelmingly opposed to everything the president stands

for?

It's just as ironic as the Catholic Church preaching vote Democrat, support 'immigrants' rights, stand up for the poor, etc., yet you hear the appeals every Sunday ranting against gay marriage and abortion.

Am I the only one who is confused?

This state votes Republican for presidential elections because this state is Republican. But like other small states (population) it votes Democrats into the Congress to "Bring Home the Bacon" meaning that they get money for the state.

I don't know where you found out that the Catholic Church is pro-Democrat. Most every true, loyal Catholic (I am also Catholic) I have talked to is not pro-Democrat. I and other Catholics I know were opposed to John Kerry for president even though he is a Catholic.

[Sioux-cia]

Never mind that one-room schoolhouses with wood stoves to provide heat during the winter and outhouses out back behind the school were still the norm in the western half of the state well into the late 1980's.

Where was that?

My son's grandparents live in the western part of the state in a town you could spit across one end to the other. In the eighties, there was a beautiful school in their town, not new, not built in the '80s. Must have been a Democratic community.

[ScottM]

How do you explain a state that is so overwhelmingly pro-Republican in presidential elections continuing to re-elect three members of Congress who are so overwhelmingly opposed to everything the president stands

for?

It's just as ironic as the Catholic Church preaching vote Democrat, support 'immigrants' rights, stand up for the poor, etc., yet you hear the appeals every Sunday ranting against gay marriage and abortion.

Am I the only one who is confused?

Look at the State Bank and the State Mill/Elevator. NoDak has a strong history of grass-roots populism that is tied to early-20th century socialism. Most ag-based states seem to be like that. Strong "conservative" social values, but they'll send Dems and like-minded Republicans to DC to bring home the welfare $$$.

[siouxforeverbaby]

Like their politics or not, they are elected by the people of North Dakota to bring in money from Washington and they do that job well.

Right, and where is that money that they supposedly got for us last summer and last fall from FEMA. Haven't seen any of that yet. I was under the impression that their job in Washington was to do represent us their constituents (sp?) there.

Mafiaman-North Dakota tends to elect democratic representatives to Congress becuase their agricultural stance tends to go along with us more than the republicans, but we agree with the Republicans more, if that makes sense.

[dallassiouxfan]

Where was that?

My son's grandparents live in the western part of the state in a town you could spit across one end to the other. In the eighties, there was a beautiful school in their town, not new, not built in the '80s. Must have been a Democratic community.

I grew up in NW North Dakota and I don't recall one room school houses still being used. Now they still stood on the prairie, but they weren't in use. Perhaps someone was pulling your leg when they told you that school was still in session. Or (hopefully) I missed the sarcasim.

[HockeyMom]

I grew up in NW North Dakota and I don't recall one room school houses still being used. Now they still stood on the prairie, but they weren't in use. Perhaps someone was pulling your leg when they told you that school was still in session. Or (hopefully) I missed the sarcasim.

The last one-room school house in the state just closed a year or so ago, and I believe that it was somewhere in NW ND. And, no I am not kidding.

[dallassiouxfan]

The last one-room school house in the state just closed a year or so ago, and I believe that it was somewhere in NW ND. And, no I am not kidding.

OK maybe one left. Not the "norm" though.

[Sioux-cia]

OK maybe one left. Not the "norm" though.

Google is my friend!

http://www.in-forum.com/specials/savingnd/...id=24816http://

http://www.universityrelations.UND.edu/dis...ll_2005/13.html

There's even a book,

The Legacy of North Dakota's Country Schools (Dakotas) (Library Binding)

by North Dakota Humanities Council (Editor), Warren A. Henke (Editor), Everett C. Albers (Editor)

According to these sites, one room schools in North Dakota are a GOOD thing and something the school districts don't want to give up! Doesn't sound as if our Democratic contingency is the reason they exist. I didn't read any where about outhouses and wood stoves although they do mention internet access!

[HockeyMom]

According to these sites, one room schools in North Dakota are a GOOD thing and something the school districts don't want to give up! Doesn't sound as if our Democratic contingency is the reason they exist. I didn't read any where about outhouses and wood stoves although they do mention internet access!

Holy cow! That's a lot, and I was obviously wrong. So now you have peaked my curiosity.......which school was I thinking closed?

[Sioux-cia]

Another one-room school in Bowman County, Cottage School, closed before she could get there.

This was published in the UND piece but that was published last fall. Only seven 1-2 room schools were left. Sure sounds like a good way to educate a kid,

[MafiaMan]

Where was that?

My son's grandparents live in the western part of the state in a town you could spit across one end to the other. In the eighties, there was a beautiful school in their town, not new, not built in the '80s. Must have been a Democratic community.

My "hometown" was actually a farm in Billings County. Depending on where you lived in the county, you either went to high school in Beach, Killdeer, Belfield, or South Heart. The county was made of of many one-room schools for students in grades 1-8, from Fryburg to the Fairfield area.

[MafiaMan]

I grew up in NW North Dakota and I don't recall one room school houses still being used. Now they still stood on the prairie, but they weren't in use. Perhaps someone was pulling your leg when they told you that school was still in session. Or (hopefully) I missed the sarcasim.

My dad was on the Billings County school board in the 1980's and instrumental in helping build larger schools in Medora, Fryburg, and Fairfield and closing some smaller one-room schools. In one extremely remote area of the county, a teacher lived on one side of the Little Missouri River and a family with two children lived on the other side of the river. Each morning, the father or mother would put the kids in a cart that stretched across the Little Mo and the teach would wheel the kids over for school. At the end of the day, one of the parents would wheel the kids back to the other side. If memory serves me right, the nearest bridge crossing the river was some 10-12 miles away. This wasn't the 1880's, this was the 1980's.

While one-room schools certainly appear to have some advantages, it's practically culture shock for some kids who spent 8 years in a one-room school with 3-4 other kids and then move on to a high school where 100 kids seems like a metro area. How about sports? How can a kid possibly be on a basketball team or in a choir when going to a one-room school with 3 other kids?

[MafiaMan]

OK maybe one left. Not the "norm" though.

I was talking about my particular area of growing up, specifically Billings County.

[Sioux-cia]

While one-room schools certainly appear to have some advantages, it's practically culture shock for some kids who spent 8 years in a one-room school with 3-4 other kids and then move on to a high school where 100 kids seems like a metro area. How about sports? How can a kid possibly be on a basketball team or in a choir when going to a one-room school with 3 other kids?

Gershman, a UND professor of education with an Ed.D. from Harvard, discussed some preliminary findings earlier this year in a lecture to the University community. What she

[gjw007]

This state votes Republican for presidential elections because this state is Republican. But like other small states (population) it votes Democrats into the Congress to "Bring Home the Bacon" meaning that they get money for the state.

I don't know where you found out that the Catholic Church is pro-Democrat. Most every true, loyal Catholic (I am also Catholic) I have talked to is not pro-Democrat. I and other Catholics I know were opposed to John Kerry for president even though he is a Catholic.

Actually, rather than party-specific, ND re-elects politicians to Washington of either party time after time with the thought that the seniority brings home more bacon. If you can remember, republicans like Milton Young and Mark Andrews were re-elected time after time. The same was true for Democrats in the past like Burdick.

[BobIwabuchiFan]

I think the better expression would be is to elect representatives from the party in control of the congress and the whitehouse. Additional yrs of experience pale in comparison to has majority status in the congress where they decide committee chairs and composition. Ultimately, by having Democrats in office for ND during Republican control has limiting value to the Nickname supporters because the Dems lack power and thus have to depend on support from other groups (indian pacs) to fill their coffers instead of the regular washington PACS who try to woo the majority chairs and their committees.

Lastly, regardless of mafiaman's statement on school houses, all we have to do is look at what Earl Pomeroy has done since he was made 'aware' of this legislation and also look at his recent campaign contribution requests that inlcude David Gipp - Kinda hard not to realize he isn't going to help us regarding this issue now is it!

BobIwabuchiFan