Neil Jenson, Minot
Let me start out by saying I love this country very much and am proud to say I am an American citizen. But, on the flip side, I am so ashamed of our politicians and the corporate greed. It used to be we the people, but these days it is more about me the people.
I'm not against people making money, but they should also pay their fair share to help keep this country on firm financial ground. But the middle class has to take it in the shorts to insure that corporate profits stay extraordinarily high. To be politically correct there is no-class warfare going on in this country, but don't tell that to the working person who is paying his fair share (25 percent) and watching his house being foreclosed on because $50,000 just can't cut it anymore. Don't let the working class complain when these big corporations and the wealthy shelter their money and pay only 15 percent or less. God bless America. God is looking down at you people and saying "Shame on you."
What really got me going to he point where I had no recourse but to write this letter was when I read in Saturday's paper that the people who lost everything had to pay for the demolition of their own home. Again I say to the politicians on the city council, SHAME ON YOU. When the voters in Minot had passed the use of NAWS money MSU was the first in line to ask for $6 million to build a dome which the voters overwhelmingly rejected. Sounded like an end-around to me and our city councilmen were tripping over themselves to accommodate. Yet a person who lost everything cannot count on you guys to help demo; again, SHAME ON YOU. You could take a million of those $6 million and help these people out. But I guess I'm forgetting myself, that money was not earmarked to help the needy people of our community, but to make sure we had a green spot of grass to play on. Yet there will be money to buy out other homeowners. Do the right thing and reimburse these folks.
I have lived here 55 years and I have always loved to say that I was from Minot, the Magic City. I'm sad to say that myself and a lot of other lifelong residents are seeing the magic fade. For those of you who are just coming to Minot, I want to say welcome. I wish you could understand what I am talking about, but I will ask you one thing and that is to look out for one another and to keep the government accountable. You know what happens when you let the fox guard the henhouse. Not that anyone will pay attention to this but I sure feel better.
Just for your information, I had a beautiful house in Eastwood Park. I got 5 feet of water on my main floor.