When Rep. Jim Kasper, R-Fargo, proposed the state fund and build a new North Dakota governor's residence, he surely had to know he was putting himself in the bull's-eye for short-sighted shooters. Kasper, a conservative Republican, surely is no spendthrift. But his proposal indicates his vision is longer than the next biennium.
Fact is the state could use a new governor's house. The old one was built nearly 50 years ago in a style that might have been fashionable at the time, but today is just a cut above tacky. The ranch-style structure clashes with the other buildings on the sprawling Capitol grounds. The best thing about it is it's somewhat hidden, thus not a highly visible insult to the overall architecture of the generally attractive government complex.
No less than Gov. John Hoeven himself came out against Kasper's proposal. Not needed, the governor said. A showy residence would be uncharacteristic of North Dakota, Hoeven said.
Uncharacteristic? That's a strange assessment from a governor who has been in the lead of North Dakota's march into uncharacteristic territory. His blueprint for the economy, education, research and energy development is about as uncharacteristic as a North Dakota governor gets. His initiatives - some risky and visionary - have laid the foundation for a bright future. His "uncharacteristic" calls for investments in that future often have run up against nervous mossbacks, who wouldn't spend a dime if they had a grain bin brimming with silver dollars.
A great state's governor's house should be impressive, not necessarily showy. Not only should it be an adequate residence for the first family, it also should be a welcoming, dignified front door for visitors and public functions. The current house doesn't measure up, even after nicely done renovations in the 1990s. The design and feel of the building are such that no amount of fixing up can lift it to the status it should have as North Dakota's first house.
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Furthermore, Kasper's call for a
$3 million budget for a new house is eminently appropriate. That the governor's residence should be funded by private donations - as the last renovations were - is nothing more than the Legislature ducking its responsibility. It's a state building. It's managed by a state agency. The responsibility for the house - old or new - belongs to the state, and therefore appropriated dollars should fund the work. If a private benefactor wants to donate, fine. But primary funding should be public.
Kasper is right: There is no "wow" in the 1960s house. He reminds North Dakotans that the state is competing all over the globe and that visitors to a state often get a first impression from a governor's residence. He believes the governor's house should not be a run-of-the-mill structure that looks like the groundskeeper's home.
Hoeven thinks the house is "fine," but it's not, especially in the context of the governor's own forward-looking agenda. The residence should reflect North Dakota's commitment to a new era of growth and prosperity. It should impress, not embarrass.
Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum management and the newspaper's Editorial Board.
