Letter: Where’s the budget that grows the state?

For years, agency budgets were gutted because times were lean in North Dakota. Now in a time of state prosperity, Governor Doug Burgum proposes a 3% across the board budget cut.

Nothing could be more discouraging to our public employees, to prospective workers, and to communities that need help with schools and roads.

Doug Burgum’s budget announcement sounds like a campaign speech. Budget cuts and phrases like “we’re holding the line” are popular this time of the year. Sure, there are always some efficiencies that can be made, but Burgum would rather start a new Office of Outdoor Recreation than address what’s important.

There’s plenty of work to be done by the Department of Transportation, and the North Dakota Legislature has an obligation to make the Highway Patrol retirement fund whole with a one-time $46.3 million injection.

We need to support public education infrastructure and teacher pay. What about our universities, which have chopped departments and faculty? And please, let’s be on guard and not let the Legislature pass a bill that eliminates income tax for the mega-wealthy.

We want young people to stay here. We want to attract more workers. Don’t discourage the people who live here and those we want to move here. We need a positive plan that looks to grow our state, not to shrink it. Let’s work on this together.

Merrill Piepkorn, Democratic-NPL Candidate for Governor
Fargo, N.D.