Jim Shaw

Fargo

Columnist at The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead

Head MBB Coach at Fort Hays Tech Northwest 🐅

Articles

Shaw: Want to get rid of FEMA? Remember the 1997 flood

1 week ago | inforum.com | Jim Shaw

If you lived in the Red River Valley in 1997, you will never forget the massive flood that year. Grand Forks and East Grand Forks were walloped. The damages to those two cities amounted to more than $3 billion. Tens of thousands of people were affected. The Grand Forks area has since had a tremendous recovery, in large part because of FEMA. So, it's alarming to hear President Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem say they're looking to get rid of the agency.
Shaw: The unfair 60% rule, cowardly politicians and other thoughts

2 weeks ago | inforum.com | Jim Shaw

Once again, I strongly object to the North Dakota law that requires a 60% vote to pass school bond referendums. I bring this up because of the recent West Fargo election, in which building a new elementary school was defeated, even though 59% of the voters voted yes. How is it fair that 41% of the vote defeats 59%? By any other standard, an 18% margin is considered a landslide.
Shaw: More Reader Feedback

3 weeks ago | inforum.com | Jim Shaw

Just in time for National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day (really), here’s the latest edition of “Reader Feedback.” Often imitated, never duplicated, it’s a column about you, the readers. It tells you what readers are saying to me or about me in emails, on Facebook and in published comments. About 80% of the comments are wonderful. Here are some of them: From Jessie: “There are few voices that will stand the test of time. Yours is one of them.
Shaw: Hate in Bismarck

1 month ago | inforum.com | Jim Shaw

Bigotry, discrimination and hatred are alive and well in Bismarck. That’s clear after the North Dakota House passed a repulsive resolution calling on the Supreme Court to outlaw same-sex marriage. Fortunately, the Senate, bowing to pressure, rejected the resolution. The resolution would not have directly led to Supreme Court action, but the House made a frightening statement. Namely, that people who are gay are not welcome in North Dakota. Resolution sponsor Rep.
Shaw: One of many unjust firings in North Dakota

1 month ago | inforum.com | Jim Shaw

Donald Trump’s unnecessary mass firings are not only harming government services. They are causing severe pain to good people for no good reason. People like 32-year-old Graham Goodwin. Graham is bright and a hard worker. He received his doctorate in archaeology last summer and was hired by the USDA in Devils Lake shortly after that. “The job sounded stable and safe,” he told me. “It had long-term career potential.
Shaw: Leave approval voting alone

1 month ago | inforum.com | Jim Shaw

The North Dakota Legislature just can’t leave well enough alone. There’s yet another unnecessary bill introduced by Rep. Ben Koppelman of West Fargo. It would ban approval and ranked choice voting in the state. Currently, North Dakota cities and towns have that option for local elections. If the cities like it, the state should stay out of it. It’s none of the state’s business. Only one city in North Dakota has such a system. It’s Fargo, which uses approval voting.
Shaw: Cellphone bill has no teeth

1 month ago | inforum.com | Jim Shaw

Don’t be fooled by the North Dakota House passing a bill that requires the state’s school districts to adopt policies for cellphone use. That bill is more watered down than a Red River Valley flood. The bill that West Fargo Rep. Jim Jonas introduced was excellent. It banned cellphones from classrooms. Now, the bill is meaningless. There are no specifics as to what policies the school districts should adopt. So, under this bill, nothing will change in many schools.
Shaw: Cramer and Hoeven’s dangerous votes

2 months ago | inforum.com | Jim Shaw

Congratulations to North Dakota Sens. Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven for scoring a hat trick by voting to confirm three of the most unfit cabinet nominees in American history. Namely, Pete Hegseth for Defense secretary, Tulsi Gabbard for director of National Intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services. As of my deadline, they had not voted on the equally frightening Kash Patel to be FBI director, but Patel can count on their votes.
Shaw: No to additional guns in church, and don’t raise the speed limit

2 months ago | inforum.com | Jim Shaw

The early leader for the North Dakota legislator introducing the most frightening bills is Rep. Ben Koppelman of West Fargo. Koppelman, who is fixated on guns, wants people to be able to bring concealed guns into houses of worship without permission. The only requirement is that those people are authorized to carry concealed weapons. What could go wrong? Perhaps Koppelman is unaware of the mass shooting massacres at the First Baptist Church, Tree of Life Synagogue and Mother Emanuel Church.
Shaw: No displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools and no taxpayer dollars to private schools

2 months ago | inforum.com | Jim Shaw

I believe in the Ten Commandments. However, there’s a time and a place for everything. North Dakota public schools are not that place. The bill in the state Legislature mandating the display of the Commandments in every public classroom should be defeated. The idea is unfair, unconstitutional and un-American. This is definitely not what the Founding Fathers wanted. The Founding Fathers made it clear that the government should not be in the religion business. That’s why they wrote the First Amendment.