Bakken Oilfield poll

[Davy Crockett]

Looking back on the Bakken boom in the last 10 years and considering everything what has taken place in our state and the economy, infrastructure and general appearance and wildlife habitat of the western half of our state , was the Bakken oil boom good or bad ? I think it would it be better if there were 40-50 rigs running year around ?

 

[AR-15]

I'll go for the 40 to 50 rigs, way less bullcrap

 

[Reprobait]

We had the big boom with money flying into the Gov't coffers and I still wonder what benefit the average citizen got from it? We know Gov't grew. Can't say my taxes went down significantly.

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It looks to me like we might have the biggest state Gov't per capita in the country.

North Dakota ranks first with $7,438 per capita, and Alaska is second-highest with per capita collections of $7,005. North Dakotans and Alaskans, however, are only paying a small share of that burden. Since so much of these states’ tax revenue comes from severance taxes, the economic incidence of North Dakota and Alaska taxes is borne, in significant part, by consumers of petroleum and natural gas products across the country. What we can see, however, is that these states raise an anomalously large amount of tax revenue per person. At the other extreme, New Hampshire only raises $1,777 per capita

http://taxfoundation.org/blog/how-much-does-your-state-collect-taxes-capita

 

[PrairieGhost]

I would think many square miles and low population influences the per capita your speaking of. Still with all the oil money coming in where did it go? We were doing OK before we had it. What did the governor and legislature blow it on?

 

[Fritz the Cat]

PG, I'll give you an example. The proponents of Measure 5, (the oil revenue rip off) petitioned for 5% of the oil revenues to be diverted away from the General Treasury into their coffers. The Gov's office panicked that the proponents may get $100 million so the Gov's office compromised by creating the Outdoor Heritage Fund at $10 million per year. After everyone had agreed to support the Gov's office it was stampeded up to $15 million per year right before the Bill was introduced.

There is an old saying, "when you compromise you lose."

Every subdivision, industry or agency knows this. If you want a million, ask for ten. Want ten million ask for 100.

So now you ask, "what did the Governor and legislature blow it on?" They spent it on what the people demanded.

Much of it was spent on infrastructure that we were behind on. Last night I was at a legislative social visiting with a gentleman on Appropriations. He has to make cuts and it's going to be hard. Cut someone else's program.......just not mine.

 

[PrairieGhost]

I agree, it would have been much smarter to go with a percentage as I advocated. 5% of nothing is nothing. They never would have come close to the 100 million that the crazies feared. That was just chicken little the sky is falling hatred of conservation. Still the question remains what did they blow it on?

 

[deleted_account]

I agree, it would have been much smarter to go with a percentage as I advocated. 5% of nothing is nothing. They never would have come close to the 100 million that the crazies feared. That was just chicken little the sky is falling hatred of conservation. Still the question remains what did they blow it on?

i voted against it, does that make me one of the "crazies"?

 

[Bfishn]

It did and still does allow a lot of younger people to stay in North Dakota and earn a decent salary in blue and white collar jobs. Sure there are trade offs and it kind of depends where you live. I think Bismarck was kind of in the sweet spot and benefited economically but we didn't have to put up with as much of the BS.

 

[gst]

I agree, it would have been much smarter to go with a percentage as I advocated. 5% of nothing is nothing. They never would have come close to the 100 million that the crazies feared. That was just chicken little the sky is falling hatred of conservation. Still the question remains what did they blow it on?

And yet people wanted to make multi year commitments to fund projects such as a State CRP program out of it trying to sell it to the voters.

Kinda hard to fund the last 12 years of a CRP program commitment with "nothing".

Had the boom not busted 100 million was easily achieved under that flawed idea. But then I am sure people like you predicted this bust and positioned yourself in the market to make millions..............

"hatred of conservation"

tiresome foolishness no one is buying (especially the nearly 80% of the people of our state that voted against that measure)

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i voted against it, does that make me one of the "crazies"?

along with being either a "pervert" or a "money worshiper"......possibly even a "dimwit".....

 

[Fritz the Cat]

I misspoke. It was a formula or percentage that would have equaled $15 million because of high oil prices at the time or inception of the Bill. Lower oil prices cut that $15 million figure to what I don't know.

Still the question remains what did they blow it on?

People like their services. Don't believe me, try to cut some.

 

[PrairieGhost]

i voted against it, does that make me one of the "crazies"?

I don't think so. Some just exaggerated to throw a wrench in the works. My comments were not about how anyone voted, it was more about the hysteria that was falsely created. Two percent would have been much more fiscally responsible than 15 million.

 

[Brian Renville]

With all those people cheering on the government to spread the wealth it's obvious why a deficit was inevitable. The boom should have been good for many more reasons than it was yet all that happened was a giant governing monster grew up.

 

[PrairieGhost]

i voted against it, does that make me one of the "crazies"?

Not at all. I would have been ok with a smaller percentage too. Now we're tied to a fixed number when we need to reduce spending. Instead of 15 million we would perhaps be spending less than one million. This is a service that will not hurt anyone if it fluctuates. A percentage is automatic control.

Fritz yes people like their services. They want everyone cut but themselves. I am simply asking where did all this money go?

Crazy phone is messing me up. That and the router in the hospital will not let me go to a site with the word gun. POS social editing.

 

[Marbleyes]

It just amazes me how short of memories people have. I guess some of you would have rather been going through what most of the rest of the country went through with foreclosed homes and no jobs. We were one of the very few lucky states that didn't get hit hard by the recession. A huge reason for that was the boom. Maybe some of you were so sheltered here that you couldn't comprehend what was going on but when I talked to people that moved here to try and save their homes and families I got a little different perspective. Sure there is a lot of bad that comes with oil but there is a lot worse that comes from losing your home and your job and wondering when the economy would turn around so you can pick up the pieces and start over.

 

[fnznfwl]

And yet people wanted to make multi year commitments to fund projects such as a State CRP program out of it trying to sell it to the voters.

Kinda hard to fund the last 12 years of a CRP program commitment with "nothing".

Kinda like thinking the states can afford to maintain all the federal land transferred to them??

 

[eyexer]

long term it will certainly be beneficial. how it was managed was very suspect. one thing people forget is how much money that has been hoarded away in numerous funds that can't be touched or aren't being touched. To a degree that's great but they are far over funded. We are being raped on property taxes yet the state still has billions in surplus dollars hoarded away in special funds. The main boom may be over but oil exploration is going to take off again now but not near the same level. We have leveled out and will start to climb in numbers of bbls of production. Things will begin to look much better state wide financially again.

 

[Kurtr]

Kinda like thinking the states could afford to maintain all the federal land transferred to them??

oil field caused federal land to be transferred?

 

[fnznfwl]

oil field caused federal land to be transferred?

Did I say that?

 

[Brian Renville]

long term it will certainly be beneficial. how it was managed was very suspect. one thing people forget is how much money that has been hoarded away in numerous funds that can't be touched or aren't being touched. To a degree that's great but they are far over funded. We are being raped on property taxes yet the state still has billions in surplus dollars hoarded away in special funds. The main boom may be over but oil exploration is going to take off again now but not near the same level. We have leveled out and will start to climb in numbers of bbls of production. Things will begin to look much better state wide financially again.

Yep the problem with the hoarding of money, while good on the surface will never come back to benefit those that produced it. Should the state share state funds? Of course, but when when infrastructure was beyond it's breaking point the state wouldn't release anything until the non-producing areas got paid as well even though they weren't in need at all. It's important to support the producers, in any aspect and the state held that support for ransom, now is having a hell of a time funding all the unnecessary earmarks. Kicking the hell out of the producers to make the rest happy. Sort of a microcosm of the direction our republic has headed.

 

[Kurtr]

Did I say that?

I must have miss read the title of this thread. It is bakken oil field poll right?