RIGHT ON THE EDGE…

By: Soo Asheim

IS IT ANY WONDER?

The recent news events reported about how North Dakota’s legislature and state agencies conduct themselves and the work they supposedly do on “behalf of the citizens of North Dakota” leaves little wonder why, until the wild west oil boom, the population of North Dakota never climbed much beyond six hundred thousand people. Or, why the rest of the world has turned up its collective nose or admitted to actually ever having considered moving to North Dakota.

North Dakota’s Work Force Safety agency, run by a self-imposed authority which has already been brought into the light once as an agency that, although it was created to protect every worker in the state, is, in fact, anything but in “favor” of helping disabled and hurt workers when someone is hurt or incapacitated in some manner due to their work or at least while on the job. Apparently, being subjected to months of investigations that led to the head of WSI being fired, WSI under its newest leadership is still playing games with the focus of keeping its budget down by keeping everything under “wraps” as much as possible. One can only wonder how such an aberration of justice can run amuck for such a long, long time – especially after firing its last CEO for allowing and condoning a quick “see-ya” to workers who had not been adequately compensated and in many cases were flat-out denied benefits by WSI.

Thanks to The Forum for allowing Patrick Springer, one of their best journalists, to fact-find and report a new story on recent shady events ongoing within the same agency headed up by a newer name few will remember five years from now after he, too, is possibly found to be fudging the rules.

My question is: what is the real reason for the North Dakota Work Force Safety agency to be so determined to have a lower than average number of benefits paid out to eligible injured workers? It isn’t as though it’s necessarily for the average taxpaying public. They don’t fill the coffers of this state agency. Businesses that have employees do. Ah-ha! Is that it? Is it that by keeping their numbers and payouts low, the competition on all the states bordering North Dakota appears less appealing to new companies and start-up companies –even when the company may employ only one or two people? If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard at least a hundred different times (from many who know because they own their own businesses), one of the key reasons they do not move their businesses or even branch into Moorhead from Fargo or West Fargo is due to the cost of Minnesota’s WSI. Particularly in areas of manufacturing and construction where the rate of injured workers is among the highest due to the nature of the business – it’s a lot more dangerous to build a house than it is to work in an office, or to work in a restaurant or even a medical facility.

Are the green-eyed demons of greed keeping North Dakota’s Work Safety Insurance program to pay out low or no compensation benefits to its own citizens in need more important than undercutting the WSI programs in Minnesota, where it is well known to both businesses and the public to be much higher? If that’s the case, it’s the people who are being hurt by this Nazi organization; the average worker in North Dakota who gets injured and needs help to get back to the job is either not being helped enough to do so or may not be getting any help at all. How’s that benefitting the North Dakota worker?

WE KNOW HIS TITLE…BUT WHAT DOES HE ACTUALLY DO?

Relative to this nonsense regarding WSI, Wayne Stenehjem, ATTORNEY GENERAL for the State of North Dakota’s British Office Assistant, declines comment on behalf of the Attorney General because according to his highness Stenehjem, he has no jurisdiction or authority over the agency of WSI. No authority? Really?

This is the second time I am aware of that the AG has declined to help someone because of the lack of “authority” within his own office.

Yes, I understand his official powers may not have any “power” over the independent board or office of WSI or its agency. But couldn’t he at least start the proceedings for an investigation, for pity’s sake?

I know of another North Dakota State agency the A.G.’s office claims to not have any “authority” over also. It’s the BCI where permanent court records are vaulted.

According to Wayne Stenehjem’s British Assistant and mouth piece, the A.G. office has no ability to look into, investigate or find out if the BCI simply makes up its own rules or defies COURT ORDERS regarding expungement or correction of information even when a lower court ORDERS it. Figure out that one!

So my question is this: exactly what does A.G. Stenehjem actually DO ALL DAY, week after week, within the cozy setting of his office, if his office – the highest law enforcement office in the state of North Dakota – has “no authority” over anyone in any other agency? Better yet, why is he being paid? Granted, I don’t live in North Dakota, so it isn’t my tax dollar paying him. But my curiosity can’t keep me from asking.

All questions and comments or letters for print can be sent to: sooasheim@aol.com

Remember, letter for print must have your name and a phone number and city attached for verification.