Government. Just the word in itself can drive the most laid-back, non-partisan citizen into a frenzied argument. It makes not one whit of difference whether one is debating hometown disputes or national issues. Whenever the authoritative bodies determine to install one more restriction on a business or resident, there will always be at least one voice raised objecting to the new rule or law, based on the infringement of losing one more freedom.

And that is exactly how it should be in a fair and righteous world of democracy.

Unfortunately, that is not how it works in Moorhead. If you plan on locating your business in Moorhead, Minnesota, you better a) check with the police chief b) check with the district state representative and c) check the temperature of the sitting city council representatives in making certain your business is non- political, or any topic connected to what you may be selling can be construed as illicit or pandering to the degradation of the local youth. No, it does not matter if the local youth cannot enter the business unless they are 18 years of age. The mere fact that you own a store that handles and sells anything that is not lily-mother-of-pearl white may make you and your business a target.

The eight ward representatives of Moorheads City Council have already had a first reading on passing a city ordinance disallowing any store selling pipes, or any type of so- called drug paraphernalia used by marijuana smokers, to sell the so-called paraphernalia or pipes or be fined for doing so. And any person nabbed buying or possessing any so-called paraphernalia will also be subject to a petty misdemeanor which would be a payable fine, much like a ticket costing under $100 per incident. (The maximum fine might be $300and thats iffy at best. Minnesota state statutes do not outlaw pipes particularly if there is not residue or proof that the pipe in question has contained anything other than tobacco.) At best, the majority of the head shops in Moorhead would need to relinquish most of their marijuana pipes that are not used in other cultures for smoking tobacco. There are only a couple of shops in Moorhead where the majority of their merchandise are pipes. The others have T-shirts, records, CDs, posters and other types of memorabilia and gift items to sell.

But is that really the main issue here? That only one or maybe two shops will need to close up because they are no longer legal within the city or county? Really. Is it?

What happened to believing that market demand drives or kills a business? If there are in fact no or unsatisfactory sales to keep a store alive and viable, shouldnt that determine whether a business of any kind makes it or not? Versus our chief of police saying hes getting pressure from law enforcement agencies in a competing state and they want him to DO SOMETHING about businesses coming into Moorhead that are not allowed in the competing city in a different state? Is that how we determine what business should be allowed to do business in Moorhead? Time will tell. The second reading of this particular ordinance is in two weeks, on August 8. Considering that the city council of Moorhead, Mayor Mark Voxland and Scott Hutchins are always soliciting prospective businesses and promoting Moorhead as a city willing to work with any business (and in fact in this very last meeting discussed the new TIF districts enabling new development), perhaps hearing from the citizens of Moorhead about how YOU, the tax payers and residents of Moorhead, feel regarding ordinances that ban certain businesses or the merchandise sold in businesses could make a difference today as well as for the future. Whatever you feel, let your representatives know. Do you agree with creating laws that essentially and effectively do nothing to stop illicit behaviors, such as smoking marijuana, yet allow Moorheads city government to pick and choose who they want helping to defer your property taxes, or do you feel such actions by local entities borders on being well, un-American?

The irony of all this is that just a couple of weeks ago the very same city council passed a measure giving an out-of-state bar and burger business now locating in Moorhead a five year tax deferment.

Go figure.

* For UPDATED NEWS ON
POSSIBLE AMERICAN CRYSTAL LOCK-OUT
go to the following website sent to me on 7/26/11 from Jessica Hayssen, MN AFL-CIO

http://act.aflcio.org/c/174/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2567

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