Letter to the editor: Best way to handle day care shortage is private industry

Sen. Ryan Taylor’s, D-Towner, proposal of $45.6 million in grants to help with the shortage of day care in the oil country of Western North Dakota sets a wrong direction for the future. While there is a severe shortage of day cares, it is related to the general temporary shortage of workers and facilities in general because of the rapid growth and sudden influx of population. There will always be a lag time in providing any needed service whenever there is rapid population growth, but the best way to handle it is for private industry to fund it largely as the need shows. If there is too much government money involved in any industry, there is too much tendency for that industry to depend on government funding long term. Private industry is much more flexible in providing needs.

Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s proposed $125,000 each to five communities in grant money from the land board for community-owned facilities is much more in line with reality, in providing help with the shortage, but allowing private business to largely meet the funding needs. The reason for the shortage, beyond the temporary overpopulation, is the infrastructure such as roads and municipal water and sewer. Dalrymple and the Legislature have been working on this for several years and have provided a lot of money to meet infrastructure needs, and much has already been accomplished.

Paul Owens

Fargo

Tags: opinion, letters, politics