Bismarck, North Dakota News

" I can tell you as an injured worker I have asked and asked for changes, and have been pushed around until my last few months of that dumb two year limit in which WSI can remove those of us who are wanting to try to better ourselves. The State constantly refuses to allow an injured worker to do something they have planned to improve their life, without putting some stipulation on it that is almost impossible to follow, thus they stamp the injured workers file as "non-compliant" and deny their benefits. I will tell you fanatically I am not on this stupid system because I went out one day to work and said hey I want to have a spinal injury, I am on this because accidents happen. I sure in the hell do NOT want to be on this system any longer then I have to be, as I have offered a way out for WSI but they refuse because they like to control an injured workers whole life. Even controlling his or hers families lives too.

I say get off your high horses stop claiming back and forth that you do not want WSI to be a political tug of war, and get your acts together. WSI is already politically influenced in the fact of premium refunds, and Safety Grants being handed back to many lawmakers who own businesses. To anyone not catching this Here is your sign, they are influenced by the cash they get handed back by WSI to vote in WSIs favor on laws. A.K.A. Michael Holmes "

" Nepotism Reigns Supreme. "

" I have to agree with the one who writes (AND ANOTHER THING) all board members need to go -all upper management needs to go-start asking the acting ceo just what is he going to do about wsi's Dr.P see just what he says about all the paid whores that do wsi's IME's that send injured workers straight to their death-ask the board and the ceo about wsi's great rehabilitation plan that make all injured workers be telemarketers-have them come clean on these subjects because these are of the boards and ceo's own makings-oh and lets not forget about wsi's own ALJ judges-these things that i just mentioned put the injured workers on welfare but look at the bright side they are all no longer being cared for by wsi!!! "

" Ok, now we are supposed to just "trust" that WSI and its rubber stamp board and the acting CEO will take care of all of the problems if everyone leaves them alone. Last time I checked those two had done nothing to address the real problems at WSI which start with THOSE TWO. The culture that was established to deny and delay claims for injured workers still hangs in the air. The practice of retaliating against employees who don't tow the company line is still around and employees are still afraid. If you want to geniunely start fixing things here are a few steps to follow: ask all board members to resign; fire the acting CEO and any leftover Blunt manaegement people; fire the 3 legal people who have caused problems (Forward, Wahlein and Bjornson), hire a ND person to run the place and put a new, qualified board into place and finally treat injured workers and WSI staff with respect and help them.





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" ho hum......zzzzzzz...is anyone as TIRED of this same old crap as I am? Same arguments day after day. Same political slams.

ho hum. "

" I really love the pro WSI posters. With the ineptitude and corruption that has been revealed over the last several months and now they want the public, you know, the people you are serving to leave WSI alone to secretely "correct" the problems that the Board has allowed to go for a long time. I have just one question for you WSI Supporters: why should we leave you alone and get out of WSI business? I mean after all, the WSI Board as a whole has shown it isn't capable of running WSI like an insurance business. No, it has been run like a good ole boys toy and you want us to sit back and let you return it to the same state it was under the current Board members with Halverson at the helm? get real people, the citizens of North Dakota are are getting tired of the corruption of the good old boys political system. "

" The Tribune is right on. The whole WSI Board should resign. They have clearly failed to provide the oversight needed to clean up the mess and the result is more of the same. Now it is up to Gov. Hoeven whether he wants the responsibility or not. Call for the resignations and appoint, good non=partisan people who will act in a transparent manner to rebuild public trust. "

" Thank you GNDA for this editorial "

" To Enough, you have got to be Blunt still hanging around to see if he'll face charges. Those who try to lead change are fired? No, Blunt was fired because he thought he couldn't be touched with Indvik doing his bidding on the board and Keiser and Wald doing it in the legislature. This pompous narcisist operated without a conscience and very few in the organization trusted him. Nice leader when employees fear you, but don't trust or respect you. That's why he was fired, because he wasn't a leader. But the limp wristed board and the equally arrogant Keiser and Wald spent all of their credibility and are similiarly disgraced. You accuse the Tribune of beign pious while all along you presume to know all the truth. Don't put all the blame on WS? Whotripled turnover, who ignored the laws and rules? Who ran a ton of good employees out the door? Who made employees and insured workers lives hell? Who faught the audits, who lost trust with the employees and the public? It was WSI and you know it. The only outside forces who have hurt this situation are teh Cahmber, Keiser, Wald and those impotent legisaltors who followed them. "

" To Enough and Why Now, look who is acting pious and arrogant, it's you two. Oh please share with us poor outsiders the facts on WSI. I'm sure none of us are smart enough to understand this situation but let me try. FACT 1-Blunt was (and is) and arrogant, self important vindictive failure as a manager. His way or the highway led only to horrible morale, triple the turnover and a cruel exit for many good employees. FACT 2-the audit report showed Blunt knowingly broke the law (DOT photos) broke procurement laws and ignored his own policies. FACT 3-WSI management has perpetrasted a scheme to deny injured workers claims hoping the injured workers gives up, is not aware of the rules and can't afford an attorney. Their own internal auditors said this along with others in the claims area. FACT 4 Morale is in the tank and has continued to get worse under Blunt and his followers. FACT 5the legal team is a freaking joke, they have been proven wrong by auditors, by the AGA'S OFFICE and even the media. The 3 stooges. Now what other facts do you guys have? WSI is doing what the Tribune called for? Hardly you call spending mnths trying to come up with bogus reasons to fire the whistleblowers as transparent aattempts to fix the situation? The Board is leading with calm? I think the board led with nothhing but poor decisions, setting poor examples (isn't Indvik being investigated) and were nothing short of impotent. The tail was wagging the dog. Get a grip0 on reality and since you sound like a Blunt follower, get your resume ready. "

" The problems started long before Blunt. "

" I ageee, tell us the "facts", not the facts as Pro-WSI has spun them, the facts. Fact - Blunt is not management material. Fact - Blunt ran the agency in a corrupt manner. Fact - Blunt's regime is what brought WSI into the abyss its in now. Fact - the board members are/were inept (Indvik, Mandigo, Rippliger, Gjovig) in letting Blunt ruin the reputation of the agency. Fact - Halvorson is a Blunt wanna be, nothing has changed with him in charge. Fact - WSI attorneys appear to be incompetent. Fact - Armstrong has provided others (i.e SCates) with info, while denying the same or similar to other. Fact - Long was complicit in the corruption at WSI and deserves to be fired like the others, however he should not be fired if the agency does not get rid of Halvorson, Armstrong, Peltz, Hutchings, Marthaller, etc. (whom I deem to be the real problems at WSI) Fact - the public in ND has seen the true colors of WSI and their inability to provide sure and certain relief to injured workers. Fact - Republicans are mostly to blame for the problems at WSI because they fail to address them and continue to stonewall and cover up for WSI (I predict a Democratic takeover of the ND Senate and a dwindling of the numbers between Republicans and Democrats in the House).

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" Enough. . .really? The board is leading with calm? This board couldn't lead its way out of a paper bag. If it led with any more "calm," the members would be in a coma. I'm all for someone like Heidi Heitkamp going in and shaking things up. There needs to be a true leader - one who can really lead with calm, but who also makes sure something is getting done about the real problems with WSI, not spend time making up "performance issue" claims, wringing his/her hands (like the governor), or simply turning the other way, like the AG. Why don't you and the others give us the "FACTS?" We've certainly been hearing enough hints about them, but no one seems to be providing anything substantial. "

" I am glad someone from WSI got someone to work on a Sunday, and defend their issues, that I am sure no one standing on the “outside of WSI” sees going on with that agency. I am sure we are all incorrect in our issues with WSI, and seeing what they are doing, to the public, a government agency, injured workers, and the workers that WSI has not dealt with as of yet. I ask this question, why should everyone get out of WSI’s business? Is it that maybe the public is getting to close to the truth? Or is it the public is uncovering corruption? I sit and read your response, and you say “If everyone stopped trying to play armchair quarterback!” and yet I read down more and here you say, “Now that said, Long should be fired tomorrow.” am I missing the 4th quarter of your game? Are you not making a armchair call yourself? Or maybe you should clear up who you are, since this is a football call here maybe you’re the quarterback at WSI?

As for lies, and truths, would it not be fair to let everything come out even if they are lies, or truths, and let a real independent agency hash out the truth to it all? Maybe you could share your “REAL FACTS of WSI” since we as the public obviously are missing it, enlighten us on your “FACTS” if you have them to prove the issues being brought up by so many are not true. Maybe, just maybe you should get on a TV news channel and clear up all these issues, and discredit all these numerous claims everyone makes against WSI. I am sure you could do this, and then all this would go away….RIGHT? I just have one question did you apply for grant money, and receive it to post a defense for WSI?
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" What about us the injured workers? WSI sent me to college and I couldn't maintain a "C" average. I tried the best of my ablities to pass, but failed. I have been out of school 20 years, and I have 2 children. WSI has now cut my benefits because I failed college. Now Iam to the end. WSI does not help the injured workers, and when they do it is short lived. We need someone to take care of us, and they are not doing their job. "

" Maybe, just maybe if everyone would get out of WSI's business they could address the issues. When they do address issues, you say FIRE those who lead to clean it up. When they do not address issues you say FIRE those who do not do this. The Governor and the Attorney General (along with the Trib Board) arrogantly think they know better and say fire no one and do not act until we tell you it is OK after out studies. If everyone stopped trying to play armchair quarterback it would get better. The absolute piousness of this paper and the politicians is overwhelming. If you only let the prior leaders do what was necessary (what you now publicly back is your new suggestions) without the outrage, the issue would be fixed. You are truly placing the blame all on WSI and not any of the outside forces who lie about the agency and it situation without any compunction. Great idea to put Heidi in a place where her brother has delusional fantasies about reality. Yeah, good call.

Maybe if everyone just stopped acting like they knew what they were talking about and actually looked at the REAL FACTS of WSI they could see the real picture. In spite of all the public pronouncements, the workforce there (including its management) is getting the job done. Leave them along, get out of their faces, get out of their way and let them do their jobs. Thankfully the Board is the only group taking a deep breath and leading with calm. Now that said, Long should be fired tomorrow. He knows not of what he speaks and is a drama queen who can not tell the truth and frankily is so now twisted that I am not sure he really knows what the truth is anymore.
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" "Ad hominem?" There has certainly been much of that in this controversy. But I think you meant, "Ad infinitum." "Ad nauseum," was, however, quite appropriate. It is time to end this mess. "

" December the Tribune Editorial Board wrote these words..."In the meantime, there is an opportunity for legislation to be prepared to remedy any and all of the ills of the agency, proposed laws to be perfected during the interim or, in the event the consultant's report shows serious deficiencies that must be addressed sooner than later, presented to a special session of the Legislature.

The whole process absolutely must be intentionally transparent to all stakeholders, the general public and the groups with special interest in seeing a healthy WSI.

The transparency is crucial in what happens to those WSI people who've sought whistleblower protection. One is on paid leave, the other has been terminated - that is, as it stands now. WSI management and the board must be prepared to reveal as much as actually pertains to job performance about the status of their employment, and if someone is fired, justify why that person should not be working for the agency. If they can't justify a termination, then the whistleblowers must be put to work."

I believe this is what WSI is doing...so why has the Editorial Board written these words today? And demanded this approach? Please explain.

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" Good ideas ... but you need a better short list. "High profile" is not needed here. Go outside of the professional government employees and bring in someone with proven results and earned respect running a real business. That will change things. "

" Right on. Bring Heidi Heitkamp in to clean up the mess. She's a former Attorney General who knows the law. What a coup for Hoeven as well. Bring a former adversary who is no nonsense. If he wants to clean up the WSI mess before the election and assure his success he'd be smart to bring her in.

But he won't...way too political for him and too risky and we all know Hoeven won't take any risks. Too bad. A Winning combination for the state. "