Part 5 of 7 addressing Ken Pawluk’s letter to the Fargo Forum.
In the say anything, do anything, end justifies the means agenda that is commonplace with the Fargo Diversion Authority, Ken Pawluk’s July 26, 2015 attempt to besmirch Wilkin County commissioner Lyle Hovland, Mr. Pawluk fell way short of the truth.
In fact, Mr. Pawluk and his ilk want Fargo to flood to generate anxiety and fear to control public perception and distract people with propaganda and hype rather than taking responsibility for irresponsible encroachment into the last natural flood plain.
Don’t take my word for it…, take Ken Pawluk’s:
WOW…! The “greatest detriment”…, Mr. Pawluk, “is no flood…?”
Here is an excerpt from Ken Pawluk’s letter to the Fargo Forum:
| Ken Pawluk July 26, 2015 letter to Fargo Forum This is why we have continued to make great progress on the F-M diversion, which numerous studies have confirmed is the only project that can sufficiently protect the region from potential flooding. |
Mr. Pawluk, you have made a false and misleading statement.
Despite the Fargo Diversion Authority etal; having spent over $198 million dollars, not one shovel of dirt has been turned for the actual dam or diversion channel…, and this counterfeit swank your selling is supposed to impress?
The only genuine “progress” that can be factually claimed is the corrupt manipulation of the DPAC (Diversion Project Assessment Committee) sham tax ballot that was crammed down property owners throats, which deceitfully usurped two-thirds of the property owners vote without their consent.
These studies that you impart DO NOT confirm protection for the region. On the contrary, the studies are designed to support Fargo and its south-side development encroachment, which receives the greatest benefit, making your statement disingenuous on its very merits.
The “goal oriented” studies, that you wantonly refer to, are nothing more than a crafted “back-story” intended to “justify” and “protect” Fargo’s development interest into the last natural floodplain (which attenuates flooding) directly upstream of Fargo, ND at the expense taxpayers with new impacts placed onto property owners outside Fargo’s jurisdictional boundaries. Which in the simplest explanation is a taxpayer subsidized land grab to shift the $35,000 to $70,000 per acre burden of flood proofing costs from those that don’t want to pay it to those that shouldn’t be paying it.
Ironically, the USACE Appendix C Economics “study” indicates around 42 percent of the land use in the natural flood plain would be for “commercial, industrial, and public/institutional land uses”.
Why should taxpayers indirectly shoulder costs for flood proofing commercial and industrial development?
The lack of genuine county representation in tension with Fargo’s flood plain encroachment plan was evident in Cass county passing the FM Flood Risk Management District No. 1 measure before the majority of mailed ballots reached property owners.
Perhaps that is the most contemptible action of all. Rather than representing the ballot wishes of the constituents withing the assessment area, you and your ilk voted your will and your agenda.
Mr. Pawluks’s closing statement in his letter is becoming even more clear…: “…I do not welcome is short-sighted commentary or those looking to blame my constituents for the flooding they face…”.
Well Mr. Pawluk, would you consider your following words “short-sighted commentary?”
Rather ignominious to bellyache that people need a flood so that Pawluk and his ilk can pompously deliver a “WE TOLD YOU SO”, when they’ve had SIX LONG YEARS to complete internal flood protection and help those 20,000 property owners avoid FEMA flood insurance, YET, Pawluk and his ilk needlessly squandered efforts on the dam and diversion that has ZERO chance of protecting Fargo by the next spring melt.
Talk about messed up priorities…!
Well Mr. Pawluk, people are educated enough to see “what” this really is, “who” stands to benefit and “how” you and your ilk intend to use a crisis to polarize fears.
Which makes these follow facts…, even more unseemly…
• There are 706.922 acres of property listed under the last name Pawluk west of the Sheyenne River and north of 32nd ave NW that are registered to the same Fargo, ND mailing address.
• The taxable valuation as of 2014 was $747,000
• This is an area prone to flooding.
• Pawluk land will benefit from project decisions made by Cass county and the Fargo Diversion Authority
• Ken Pawluk is a Cass County commissioner, and has been so since the inception of the diversion project.
• Ken Pawluk is a voting member of the Fargo Diversion Authority and Public Outreach Committee.
• Ken Pawluk had the “opportunity” to exercise his will with greater representation in the DPAC assessment vote, both as a property owner and as a Cass county commissioner on the 706.922 acres registered to his Fargo, ND address.
Here are links to all three letters relating to this matter for your consideration:
2015-06-25 Clay Dietrich Letter
For more on the Home Builders Associations role: (Read this Article)
Coming soon: Pawluk’s Pen Perils (part 6)
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This mess is a direct result of improper strategic planning that has gone
on for years with the rubber stamp approval…Everyone becomes a hero with fantastic growth…WONDERFUL! Forgot about common sense and stamp the agendas of many…And it’s showing up in NEON lights…..
It’s like, ” Fargo gone Wild”…I guess money trumps common sense and logical long term planning…..I am tired of hearing this is complex, you don’t know everything thats involved and we know what we are doing….Really! Why the mess…..????? This diplay of over reach is an insult to this growing community….