GRAND FORKS -- Newspaper reports of a recent debate between Gov. John Hoeven and his opponent, Tim Mathern, state that both men are opposed to Measures 1 and 2. Measure 1 sets up a permanent trust fund and allows the first $100 million of oil tax revenues collected each biennium to be available for spending. Measure 2 reduces the North Dakota individual income tax rate by 50 percent and the corporate tax rate by 15 percent.
Hoeven and Mathern's opposition is well founded. Measure 1 alone would jeopardize the governor's funding proposal for education and his plans for property tax relief. Both measures together would devastate the state's budget for providing essential services to people, such as education, long-term care, health care and emergency services.
By cutting funds for infrastructure such as highways and power lines, the measures would severely damage the state's ability to grow. In short, enactment of the two measures would be disastrous.
I have written both Mathern and Hoeven urging that they publish a joint statement in opposition to Measures 1 and 2. Mathern has written me back, saying that he has proposed the same thing to the governor but has not been successful. I have not heard from the governor. It appears he is reluctant to take a decisive step to get the word out to voters.
The governor's lack of leadership in this area has been neglectful. His choice to ignore his responsibility may mollify the more extreme members of his party but sacrifice the future of North Dakota's people. I hope that he will do the right thing, act like a governor should and lead on this issue.
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Ron Franz
