Last week Fargo Dam and FM Diversion (FMDA) proponents struggled to regroup and attempt recovery from setbacks involving Fargo’s development plans disguised as flood control.
In the “meetings” outside of meetings and related email chains, proponents have been busy lining up endorsements to a project mired in legal issues and funding problems.
Project proponents are obsessed with beating the manure out of a dead horse with the fairy tale: “the F-M diversion is the only solution.”
In a recent letter to the editor, former Fargo Mayor Bruce Furness made an impassioned plea to question commissioners that are raising valid concerns about the mission creep surrounding the Fargo Dam and FM Diversion project.
It appears that Furness and other project proponents got the following philosophy wrong.
“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” ― Voltaire
This isn’t about condemning those who ask questions, but that they had the courage to ask the questions in the face of adversity.
Furness went on to say:
| “…the study and design of the proposed diversion is not merely the best of several alternatives, it is the only solution. Commissioners have heard it repeatedly from their own trusted city engineers.” |
Relying on bare assertions of trust is rather misleading from the FMDA cult.
Are these the same “trusted” engineers that failed to warn against the danger of flood plain development?
Are these the same “trusted” engineers that said “whoops”, we need another $180 million for retention ponds south of 52nd ave?
Are these the same “trusted” engineers that got behind plopping Davies High School into the very flood plain that proponents are arguing will be at risk of flood insurance if the dam and diversion is not built?
Of course, it comes as no surprise that former Fargo Mayor Bruce Furness was one of eight charter members of the “Flood Protection Coalition for the F-M Community” who disseminated a form letter in May-June 2009 stating:
“The $909 million for the diversion would seem to have much greater benefits than the levees. We need to find a way to get a favorable cost benefit ratio or find another way to fund the diversion. It should be selected immediately as the preferred.” |
Interesting that in 2009 the message was about getting a favorable cost benefit ratio to justify a $909 million project and now the story is to justify a $2.126+ billion project with an alleged 20,000 structures needing mandatory flood insurance, with no guarantee that certification can be achieved for development encroachment into the last natural flood plain south of Fargo, ND – downstream of a Class 1 High Hazard dam.
(rolling eyes and shaking head)
Former Fargo, ND mayor Furness is apparently from the very same “ilk” that gives Imperial Fargo-Cass its bad reputation. He certainly has the whisp of Fargo-Cass Kool-aid on his breath.
Last week, both the FM Home Builders Association and FM Realtors launched a contrived propaganda agenda to specifically target peer pressure towards Fargo Commissioners Tony Gehrig and Dave Piepkorn into allegiance with the Fargo Dam and FM Diversion Authority development agenda.
The very same FM Home Builders Association and FM Realtors that made substantial political investment contributions in 2012 to those commissioner candidates who are stalwart proponents of the Fargo Dam and FM Diversion project.
| Campaign Contributions | ||
| $ 6,500 | 100 % of $6,500 Mary Scherling (view report…) | |
| $ 9,000 | 49.3 % of $18,250 Rocky Schneider (view report…) | |
| $ 15,500 | Did contributions influence actions or buy allegiance? | |
Even more curious is the alleged AE2S involvement in drafting the Diversion Misinformation documents being used to pressure commissioners Gehrig and Piepkorn. Why is compensation for AE2S’s involvement in most aspects of the Fargo Dam and FM Diversion matters shrouded in a cloak of mystery?
Think about it! Developers with ties to the Fargo Dam and FM Diversion project run deep. Members of the FM Home Builders and FM Realtors associations stand to make untold millions in residuals as a result of the project.
The FM Home Builders Association was behind the Coalition for Cass County Flood Protection measure in 2010, which had/has the identical 1802 32nd Ave S, Fargo, ND office address [read more…].
Compare Addresses:
| Coalition for Cass County Flood Protection | Homebuilders Association of Fargo Moorhead | |
| 1802 32nd Ave S | ←→ | 1802 32nd Ave S |
| Fargo, ND 58103 | Fargo, ND 58103 |
IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE UGLY TRUTH…, STOP READING NOW!
Here is an excerpt from an FM Association of Area Realtors email to members:
Because of recent negative publicity regarding the FM Area Diversion, the Board of Directors voted to issue an FMAAR Call for Action urging members to contact Commissioners. FMAAR believes that without the FM Diversion, a housing crisis will be created in Fargo-Moorhead. Due to recent negative publicity regarding the FM Diversion, FMAAR has issued a CALL TO ACTION. Contact Fargo City Commissioners today! Let them know your support for the FM Diversion as the only solution that can protect Fargo-Moorhead from increasing flood insurance premiums and requirements. • Mayor Tim Mahoney, tmahoney@cityoffargo.com, 701-241-1310 • Tony Gehrig, tgehrig@cityoffargo.com, 701-241-1310 • Dave Piepkorn, dpiepkorn@cityoffargo.com, 701-241-1310 • Melissa Sobolik, msobolik@cityoffargo.com, 701-241-1310 • Mike Williams, mjwilliams@cityoffargo.com, 701-241-1310 Recently, Fargo Commissioners Tony Gehrig and Dave Piepkorn have been quoted in the media reacting to the higher estimated cost to build the FM Diversion and lower federal funding. They feel the FM Diversion is not needed due to in-town flood protection being built. |
Here is an excerpt from an FM Homebuilders Association website:
| Recently, Fargo Commissioners Tony Gehrig and Dave Piepkorn have been quoted in the media reacting to the higher estimated cost to build the F-M Area Diversion, and lower federal funding. They feel that the F-M Area Diversion is not needed due to in-town flood protection being built. The above points illustrate that in-town flood protection will not suffice.
Further, Gehrig and Piepkorn along with local radio talk show hosts have continued to banter about actions of Diversion Authority representatives, leading to misinformation. HBA leaders urge the general public to speak up and express support for the F-M Area Diversion. HBA of F-M also asks residents and business people to engage and talk to their elected leaders about the importance of supporting this project and share messages on social media. |
The talking heads of the FMDA cult seem fixated on getting people to ask the wrong questions, so they don’t have to worry about providing genuine answers -or- at the very least, have their propaganda questioned.
( Physicist ) Richard Feynman got it right: “I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.”
So here’s a question: Is the F-M dam and diversion the “only solution” for the city that exists -or- the city borders “development interests” are trying to expand?
Read more on Fargo Dam and FM Diversion Authority “Mis-Information”…>
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