Kevin O'Leary, who for some reason has been hired by North Dakota to manage a $45 million dollar investment fund, shared some questionable numbers on a Fox News report last week. Here is a snapshot of his comments on Fargo and Moorhead.
O'Leary: "Twenty-five years ago, both towns had 50,000 people in them."
Reality: 2000 Census, 90,599 people in Fargo, and 32,177 in Moorhead.
O'Leary: "Twenty-five years later, look at Fargo - a quarter of a million people."
Reality: 2020 Census, 125,990 people in Fargo.
O'Leary: "There's only 30,000 people living in Moorhead now."
Reality: 2020 Census, 44,505 people in Moorhead.
At best, O'Leary was inaccurate with his numbers, which he could have instantly checked on the internet. At worst, he was being dishonest. Either way, if he can't trusted with easily verifiable facts, how can he be trusted with more important information?
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If North Dakota is in search of financial expertise, finding people who exhibit our values of reliability and honesty should be a top priority. And perhaps, say "Thanks, but no thanks" to those who see fit to demean the hard-working, honest people of our pleasant and peaceful neighboring city of Moorhead.
Ted Dettmann lives in Torrance, Calif.
This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
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