Dem’s vote counter: Not enough votes for health care

The House’s chief Democratic headcounter said Sunday he hadn’t rounded up enough votes to pass President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul heading into a make-or-break week, even as the White House’s top political adviser said he was “absolutely confident” in its prospects. The administration gave signs of retreating on demands that senators jettison special home-state deals sought by individual lawmakers that have angered the public.

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Council reducing taxes by using sales tax funds

What started out as a campaign to use a portion of the 1 percent sales tax to fund repairs to the sanitary and storm sewer systems bordering the river has turned into a decision to use the funds for reducing city-wide special assessments.

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Other views: Disclose all travel and who pays for it

It’s mind-boggling how our state leaders can sometimes miss the boat so completely when it comes to government transparency. What’s an essential trait of good government too often is characterized as inconvenient — or, worse, unnecessary. As a result, what seems so obvious to most of us apparently never occurs to those in leadership roles.

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JSDC Board opposes tax changes, extension

The Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. Board Monday was unanimous in its objection to the City Council’s decision to take half of the 1 percent sales tax previously dedicated to economic development.

Group says ND ranks second in earmarks per capita

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota ranks second among states in federal earmark dollars per capita, behind only Hawaii, a government watchdog group says.

Term limit idea riding wave of anger

The wave of anti-government anger sweeping the nation has spawned a petition in North Dakota to amend the state constitution to limit the terms of legislators and elected state officials to two 4-year terms. Petitioners are now at work getting the 26,000 signatures by August to get their measure on the fall ballot.

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N.D. GOP House campaign enters home stretch

Kevin Cramer has run against Rep. Earl Pomeroy when few Republicans wanted to challenge the Democratic incumbent and when GOP prospects looked bleaker than they do this fall. Cramer is hoping that experience will count for something among Republican state convention delegates who will choose this month from among four candidates — Cramer, Fargo state Rep. Rick Berg, J.D. Donaghe of Kenmare and DuWayne Hendrickson of Minot — to oppose Pomeroy’s bid for his 10th term.

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Losing our independence

As more Americans, especially the unemployed, come to rely on government to take care of them, we risk losing our independence. The Washington Times reports American reliance on government is at an all-time high. This is not our Founders’ America. We seem to have declined from a “can-do” spirit, to “can’t do” — at least without government — and soon, unless we change our ways, “won’t do.”

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Stutsman County Park Board, commission meeting Friday morning

The Stutsman County Park Board will meet at 7 a.m. Friday in the Commission Room, Stutsman County Courthouse, 511 Second Ave. S.E. The meeting will be followed at 7:10 a.m. with a meeting of the Stutsman County Commission in the same room.

White House: Simple vote on health care

The White House called for a “simple up-or-down” vote on health care legislation Sunday as Speaker Nancy Pelosi appealed to House Democrats to get behind President Barack Obama’s chief domestic priority even it if threatens their political careers. In voicing support for a simple majority vote, White House health reform director Nancy-Ann DeParle signaled Obama’s intention to push the Democratic-crafted bill under Senate rules that would overcome GOP stalling tactics.

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The Republican second coming

When Republicans regain a majority in the House and Senate — either this fall, as seems increasingly likely, or in the election following — they must learn from their previous mistakes when they last held power. In addition to focusing on overturning whatever health insurance “reform” proposal this Congress eventually passes (by a veto override, or a lawsuit challenging the measure’s constitutionality), a Republican congressional majority must help large numbers of the public unlearn the factual errors they have been taught to accept.

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No accord at health care debate; Democrats expected to try final push ahead for congressional vote

Giving no ground, President Barack Obama and Republican leaders fought forcefully for their competing visions of historic health care reform Thursday in an exhausting, often-testy live-on-TV debate. Far from any accord, Obama signaled the Democrats were prepared to push ahead for an all-or-nothing congressional vote.

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Forecast dim for Obama’s bill

Starting over on health care, President Barack Obama knows his chances aren’t looking much more promising. A year after he called for a far-reaching overhaul, Obama unveiled his most detailed plan yet on Monday. Realistically, he’s just hoping to win a big enough slice to silence the talk of a failing presidency. The 10-year, $1 trillion plan, like the current Democratic version in the Senate, would bring health insurance to more than 31 million Americans who now lack it. Government insurance wouldn’t be included, a problem for Democratic progressives. Republicans are skeptical about where the money would come from — and about Obama’s claim that the plan wouldn’t raise the federal deficit.

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N.D. has too many state officials

Now that the public is riled up about big government, the climate is right for the Tea Partiers to start a crusade to abolish half of the elected state officials. North Dakota leads the nation in elected officials, with South Carolina the only state coming close. Minnesota, South Dakota and Montana elect only half as many officials and democracy still prospers.

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State lawmakers bash Congress for voter favor

With tax collections tanking and jobless rates at record highs, state legislators hundreds of miles from Washington have found an easy way to appeal to conservative voters: Bash the federal government. Lawmakers in 44 states have introduced measures warning Congress not to trample states’ rights and dozens of other resolutions opposing the government on issues including gun control and health care.