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North Dakota is a small state in terms of population, but for the most part its folks are wholesome and wise; indeed, wiser than their legislature. North Dakota has become the 16th state to pass legislative term limits and the 37th state to pass a term limit on the governor .
What amazed me is the extent to which the entire political and business establishment across both parties opposed the term limit initiative, for example the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce . This alone shows the incestuous nature between the business/political groups/lobbyists and the legislature.
Moreover, the data show that the longer the average member of a legislature — state or federal — remains therein, the more likely that member is to agree with the vested business and political forces that ply all capital cities with billions of dollars of "bribes" in the form of direct funds, trips, gifts and more. The incumbent legislators fought tooth-and-nail against having to forego these cozy relationships and loose money.
In short, term limits will reduce this toxic relationship and force new blood into the legislative body, thereby creating a fresher dynamic that will aid the public and help to unlock the chains of convenience shackling the special interests to the legislators. Those interests are usually against the interest of the public.
Further, the ubiquitous talking point from the establishment that the bureaucrats win with this result is condescending but typical. In fact, the bureaucrats have as much of a cliquey and intimate relationship with the legislators as do businesses and other public affairs entities. This ménage à trois dynamic among the bureaucrats, legislators and outside interest groups is known as the “ iron triangle .”
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Consequently, with new blood coming into the legislature due to term limits, all those seeking to hold office will now have to start from scratch. This is a good thing and the only hope that the average citizen has to achieve a level playing field as Joe Six-pack does not have a lobbyist at his disposal or a legislator in his pocket.
Meanwhile, North Dakota also had the wisdom to reject marijuana legalization , as did South Dakota. This nefarious notion has been pushed on the states by George Soros for decades. He, apparently unlike the pro-marijuana crowd, knows what that noxious “weed” does to the brain over time. Soros pushes this diabolical cancer because he wants to destroy America and he knows that an America high on weed is an America that he can more ably control.
Thus far, despite Soros’ tens of millions spent on this initiative, only 21 states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, with Maryland and Missouri having passed it this week. That's 21 too many, but notably 16 of the 21 are blue states, so consider the source. They are wacky, in part, because they are high on weed most of the time. The remainder are red or purple states and include, in addition to Missouri, Nevada, Alaska, Arizona and Montana. Most western states have a libertarian bent, which explains it. Missouri is the outlier and it will soon see the detrimental effects of weed.
Robert Brantley is a resident of West Fargo.
This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
