BISMARCK TRIBUNE EDITORIAL
Thursday, February 23, 2012 ■ Page 11 Speak out on oil tax revenues Revenue from oil and gas production fl ows into
North Dakota state coffers like there’s an oversized money pipeline from the oil patch to the Capitol. Crude oil production and price are performing well above fi g- ures used for shaping the state’s budget. Record pro- duction and nearly $100 a barrel for crude mean the state is fl ush. It may sound greedy on North Dakota’s part, but those tax revenues are justifi ed and important to the state. They represent the extraction of fi nite resources. Those revenues become investments in the future. That money, unspent, also draws people with ideas, good and bad, for spending it. Lots of people. Lots of ideas. The people of North Dakota need to get a handle on
how they want that money used. If not, the state may not get full value in return, and that would shortchange the state’s future. Most recently, Rep. Shirley Meyer, D-Dickinson, pro- posed setting aside a larger share of the oil and gas rev- enues for the oil-producing counties. Those local units of government are being forced to meet huge challenges as a result of the state’s oil boom, and they need more cash and fl exibility to do so, Meyer said. Certainly, the need will be there. But it’s not like the 2011 Legislature didn’t do right by the oil patch. The Legislature pumped as much capital into western
State’s surplus draws attention from variety of interest groups
North Dakota infrastructure as it could. Lawmakers were generous within reason. And, too, the Legislature acted in a necessary oversight capacity when it came to implementing transportation improvements. Also, a group of conservationists, wildlife enthusiasts
and outdoors people proposed guaranteeing a share of the oil and gas revenue for conservation, recreation and wildlife projects in the state. Given the impact of oil and gas on the land, the need to protect the state’s outdoor resources is very real — there’s little dispute in that. The question becomes how. Others with designs on state money coming from
the oil patch will come forward. They, too, will have re- quests for important endeavors and worthy projects. North Dakotans need to get a better handle on the
state’s oil and gas money. The coming campaign season provides citizens with the opportunity to discuss this
with legislative and statewide candidates. It also should be a part of the state’s visioning project, 2020 and Be- yond. Many of the decisions about the state oil and gas revenues will be made by the Legislature, but the Legis- lature should do that based on frank public discussions with voters, if not a general statewide consensus. Do the people want more funds and fl exibility to go
to the oil-producing counties? Do the people want con- servation, recreation and wildlife management to get more oil and gas money? Do we want to plug all of the money into education? Centers for excellence? The people need to speak up, and candidates and
elected offi cials need to listen. The people spoke in the last election and with their votes established a Legacy Fund that sets aside a share of the state’s new wealth for the future. They will speak again.
Fri., Feb. 24 • 3 pm - 9 pm
Bismarck Civic Center
www.bismarcksportshow.com
Sun., Feb. 26 • Noon - 5 pm
Sat., Feb. 25 • 10 am - 7 pm
3840 E Rosser Ave.
700 20th Ave. SE
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