Bismarck, North Dakota News

" TO GET REAL: Now feedlot supporters don't 'have any intelligence' and are 'extremely selfish'? What is with the personal insults and offensive comments I am now reading on here? Have you run out of any valid points and are now resorting to put-downs? I don't think having this feedlot in the agriculturally zoned area that is surrounded by these farms would destroy anyone's 'way of life' - quite the opposite, actually - I've heard from many other farmers in the area who welcome the feedlot and don't quite understand what the problem is... "

" TO NOT EXASPERATED: WHAT??? What are you even talking about? I am completely lost as to your comments about my children, their weight, and a pot load of cattle... Do you comprehend what you read? I would have to say no considering your comments... Please, you cannot begin to know what (if any) 'free time' I have... Why so offensive and insulting?? At least you should make some sense if you need to insult me... ONCE AGAIN, the road issue - I am glad that those opposed to the feedlot are perfectly happy with their current road, however, it was brought to light that the current road is not currently 'up to par' for the current traffic, so, I would guess that eventually the road will need to brought up to standards... Again, the cattle trucks will be coming in from the other direction, which Berger signed a legal agreement to build-up, maintain, etc... AND I have actually heard from several people in the area that having this current roadway (which many deem a fantastic 'shortcut') brought up to 'par' would be great... Not a trade-off, just a bonus! "

" i am not from mandan i live in the northwest part of ND i have been following the feedlot issues off and on since it started, and i have come to the conclusion that most of the nay sayers dont seem to think of anybody but themselves, how many of them smoke, let their cars run in the winter time, have barbeques, use chemicals to kill weeds and insects, to which all emits oders that may offend someone. i have been around feedlots, and have one myself, and my house sits about 150 feet from the barnyard, and i have never heard anyone who has ever been on my ranch say anything about the smell, you all are worried about something that wont be near as much of a problem as you think, our local town here has a sewage lagoon right on the south edge of it and believe me the smell from that is far worse than a cattle feedlot, i reccomend that the people there just start minding their own business before someone starts complaining about their odors, as you know turn about is fair play
best of luck fred, and maybe you will buy my calves again this fall
wayne "

" It is farmers and ranchers that are opposing this feedlot, bloggers need to quit acting like these people are against agriculture, this is simple not true. Anyone who has any intelligence would not say a rancher is against raising cattle. These opposers simply do not want a feedlot of this magnitude destroying their way of life, only a extremely selfish person would not be able to understand this, and its sad to see how many are out there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "

" If you are so exasperated why don't you stay out of the issue, and find something else to spend all your free time doing, which you seem to have a lot of. First of all, if your children weigh as much as a truck load full of cattle, they have had way to much "beef it is whats for dinner" If the county states that something is not priority that does not mean "it will never happen" otherwise they would have said simply "it will never happen" Do you really think the folks that so desperately do not want this feedlot would change their mind if they got a new road to drive on, get real, last I checked they are perfectly happy with the road they have!!! "

" How many of you CB people smoke? Everyone keeps talking about clean air, "the right to breath clean air" Toxic fumes from the feedlot. Come on you people get over it. The feed lot will bring in income to the area. Mandan needs this. It is 2008 almost 2009, get with the times. The roads and bridges need to be fixed anyways, now it will be sooner than later. Good luck Fred Berger. "

" To Unbelievable, the day the feedlot is built I will buy your house for 60 % of its value. Then you won't have to worry about it anymore. Then I will sell it for its real value and make good money. Deal? "

" I hope people keep writing editorials it gets the word out, and you can express your concerns since the commissioners sure don't care about any concerns from Mandan residents! "

" Sounds like you are trying to get people all riled up with the smell issue again,.. which was discussed at the last meeting as being almost non-existant by the experts. Just drop it already.

So, who's turn to write the editorial tomorrow?? "

" To UNBELIEVABLE: What?? Health issues? Higher insurance? Higher taxes? Depreciation of your homes? I believe these issues have been addressed repeatedly...and they are 'bunk'. Residents of Crown Butte are NOT the only constituents that the County Commissioners were elected to represent - many, many, people who live both in the CB area, the surrounding areas, and in Morton/Mandan are supportive of the feedlot, they UNDERSTAND how a feedlot works, and they also vote. Many people that I have spoken to who support the opposition have been mislead and 'fed' erroneous information - speculation, unsubstantiated accusations - these are not FACTS - Keep in mind that the State Health Dept. works to keep ALL people safe! If this were to pass, they will do their jobs to keep people safe and healthy - they are educated and trained to do so. "

" GEE If you think that outdated bridges, too narrow of roads, and plugged culverts aren't going to need fixing you are simply fooling yourself. And yes it will cost alot of money, but sooner or later it will have to be done. "

" Actually, I believe it has 'come to light' that the road (35th street) is, in fact, not up to '21st Century standards' now as the local traffic (hay and grain trucks as well as the school bus) is already overweight for the current bridges - so yes, I would suppose taxpayer money will have to remedy this situation... It was made perfectly clear at the last commission meeting that there are zero dollars to build up the two-mile stretch (by the county), it will NOT be made a priority (meaning taxpayers will not be funding it), and Berger completely understands that he would be responsible for this section...Why should he (Berger) have good roads and not the rest of you? Actually, I would think the 'rest of you' would enjoy traveling on the road that he has to pay for...Once again, I believe the $800,000 per mile was a quote on a black-topped road (specifically County Road 140)...So when GEE stated "and yet they will find enough money to do the roads for him" this is, in fact, NOT THE FACTS. "

" One of the main thing you can tell by these people that say the people living in the area are in the wrong, are people that don't live close to it. But if it was in there backyard they would have a different tone.
The County Commissioner's should cast a vote of NO CONFIDENCE in the Zoning and PLanning Commission. This should never have gotten this far. Go to the Morton County website (http://www.co.morton.nd.us). At this site go to the Morton County Planning and Zoning Comprehensive Plan and click on it.
Under the Chapter I Intoduction it says: Realizing that these trends will continue for some time to come, the Morton County Planning Commission has taken upon itself the task of preparing for this grosth, in order to insure that it occurs in a harmonious 3ith the environment as well as the existing lifestyles of the residents with in the county.
You will find out many things including a statment that the County supports rural residential growth. Also that thunderstorms can dump up to 6 inches of precipitation in a short time and is not unusual. It also tells them that the should listen to their constituents and support their wishes.
The people of this area have shown overwhelmingly that they do not feel this is the right spot for this feedlot.
under the Commercial Land Use section: Discretion must be used in approving further commercial areas.
As to the people that say we do not like the smell of money have not been listening to the fact that all of our property values will drop up to at least 40%. Now would you like to lose 40% of the money you have put into your home, not to mention the illnesses that will be caused. That means not only higher taxes but also higher health costs both in the cost to the people that live there and to insurance cost increases. "

" It is so obvious that the residents in Morton County who live within 10 miles of the new cattle feedlot do not like the "smell of money." "

" mh: You want facts? Who says the roads will have to be fixed up for 21st century standards? Who is going to pay for the thousands of miles of country roads that are equal to these roads? Does Berger had a right to have his way over others that have lived on these country roads all their lives? Why is it more important for him to have good roads and not the rest of us. You don't seem to know any of the facts of county roads! The facts are it is going to cost a lot of money to fix the 2 miles to the East because it will be like basically building new roads, that is how bad that road is! $800,000 per mile! Those are the facts! How about the other road to the interstate? How long before that one needs to be redone? These are not scare tactics it is basic 'need to know before you jump' things! The citizens of Morton Co will be paying for those roads, that means Mandan city folks too! Berger will only be paying argriculture tax on his operatioin! Those are the facts, mh! I understand that the county comm. has been complaining that the housing developments are needing their roads redone and they cannot afford to do it and they pay a lot of taxes compared to what Berger will pay on his AG tax base! And yet they will find enough money to do the roads for him? THOSE ARE THE FACTS! "

" The observation: too close to populated areas. I've lived in Cal, NY, Minn, Iowa, Texas and ND. Out of that group I would say that ND is the least populated---and it has the fewest feed lots of any, and it produces less meat animals and products. The whole flap about this proposed operation is NIMBY. Not In My Back Yard. While that is your/our right--it is also within the right of a land owner to use his property in a conforming and legal manner. "

" Other important 'thoughts': the roads to and from the feedlot site are not designed for the current traffic (local grain and hay trucks as well as the school bus are overweight), Fred must use his own money to build up and maintain the alternate route deemed most acceptable (not the bus route), millions of dollars have fueled the local economies of areas where similar feedlots operate, 'quality of life' issues include beef on our tables and grills at our summer picnics and the ability for 'Mandanites and Bismarckers' to enjoy their clean air attested to by the fact that residents surrounding the Price feedlot (a comparable operation to the one proposed) do not seem to smell the fetid excrement of the cattle as many weren't aware of its existence... These people are as close as a mile as opposed to 9 miles out of city limits...'Kudos' to the State Health Dept. and EPA that regulate these operations to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents and non-residents alike. "

" Wow, I haven't seen a letter like this one before. "

" The website: savecrownbutte.com,
was made up by the residents that live in the crown butte area, we are working together as a community!!!!!! " "

" " GOOD EDITORIAL!!! EVERYONE, DON'T FORGET THE MEETING ON THURSDAY JULY 17, AT 5:30 IN THE BASEMENT OF THE MANDAN COURTHOUSE TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED 10,000 HEAD OF CATTLE FEEDLOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
COME AND VOICE YOUR CONCERNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! " "

" I am glad to see that most of the articles printed on the feed lot are against it going in. I just dont think the board nore berger get it... we are not against ag but it is to close to populated areas' no feed lot should be that close with 8-10 thousand head of cattle go to richardton that guy from richardton said they wanted it at the meeting let them have it "

" maybe you and your cronies should come up with some facts not simple fear monger tactics. As for the roads they will need to be fixed one way or the other to meet 21st century standards. "

" 'an enormous amount of smelly, foul, unclean, fetid excrement from 8,000-plus cows' alimentary canals.' Hey, its ok, its like train horns... you get used to it "