The Fargo Diversion Authority nearly tripled the amount of money spent on the proposed Fargo Dam and Diversion project from November 2013 to 2014 adding another $17,623,733.09 to their cumulative expenditures.
Falling just $4,336,658.66 shy, at a staggering $116,050,606.96, the Fargo Diversion Authority has yet to turn a shovel of dirt for the actual project. Whether it be the dam (primary feature) or diversion channel (secondary feature), the Fargo Diversion Authority has found a way to enrich project proponent vendors by funneling taxpayer dollars into the pockets of entities profiting off the multi-billion dollar boondoggle.
Curiously, the Fargo Diversion Authority has almost spent more on the proposed dam and diversion project than the all of the flood fights and flood control projects from 1994-2014…, combined!
| 1993-2013 Flood Fight and Flood Control Expenditures |
Cumulative Vendor Payments Since Inception As of November 30th, 2014 |
|
| $117,415,460.00 | $116,050,606.96 |
2nd Street next to city hall in Fargo, ND still sits completely exposed without permanent flood protection and Oxbow, ND (15 mile south) is getting a new golf course, clubhouse and swimming pool as a mitigation for a project effect that has not yet occurred?
So what flood protection benefit does the OHB (Oxbow, Hickson, Bakke) ring dike-levee project provide the residents of Fargo?
Diversion Authority chairman Darrell Vanyo often uses various talking points ranging from addressing the Kindred School District loss of property valuation to the OHB ring dike-levee being a mitigation project as a feigned justification for diverting those funds away from permanent internal flood protection in Fargo.
The Fargo Diversion Authority has committed $65-$90 million dollars to mitigate a project (not yet built) for the negligent actions of moving project impacts upstream, without so much as ever asking the impacted property owners if they would grant the Fargo Diversion Authority permission to do so.
Taxpayers were told repeatedly that the sales tax would fund the dam and diversion and there were no plans of using property assessments. Kind of ironic that those who have routinely claimed that opponents deal in misinformation have been caught red handed.
November 2011 Prediction of Tax Assessments (read more…)
So how is it possible for the opposition to CLEARLY see in advance what the those at the helm of the dam and diversion project have been apparently too ignorant to realize?
Did Fargo, Cass, Diversion Authority leaders know the day of tax assessments would inevitably come? Did they intentionally suppress it long enough…, so that fear of flooding and flood insurance premiums would take over and compel residents to abandon rational thought?
With today’s roll out of tax assessments to taxpayers and an open admission that the vote will be gerrymandered, how can taxpayers trust Diversion Authority members who have a propensity to spend at will…, where is the fiscal accountability for Cass and Fargo Diversion Authority members or their governmental leaders?
Keep in mind…, the Fargo Dam and Diversion is not a project to protect the city that currently exists. It is designed to protect future growth into the last natural flood plain south of Fargo. This is nothing more than a development scheme, subsidized by taxpayers, funding the activities of the elite by putting the squeeze on the non-elite, under the guise of flood control for contrived flood levels that statistically may never occur and that lack any factual scientific support.
The Fargo Dam and FM Diversion is truly a gift that makes you keep on giving…
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The star chamber spending the money bought a field 15 miles south of Fargo for many millions ($25,000.00 per acre). They then built a 17 foot dike around the vacant field – spending 20 to 30 million of tax dollars – of an estimated total cost of 70 to 90 million. They then started construction of the privately owned golf course that will be protected by the multimillion dollar dike. This is how Fargo’s Diversion Authority spends ND state tax dollars appropriated for Fargo’s internal protection.