Bismarck, North Dakota News

" kk - are you rs or kk? Looks like both to me. "

" You need to reread the website. He has general oversight to the end that all assessments of property be made relatively just and equal in compliance with the laws of the state. So basically the only power he has is to verify that their tax structure is compliant with state law. He has no power to set or deny property tax rates or increases in assessments. Therefore if you read the words and put no thought into it, you may be in the gray area of being somewhat correct. But in the real world you ain't even close.
Cory Fong isn't even running for reelection, he won with 53% of the vote, and is doing a great job. Unless this is a purely political rant, like most of the stuff posted here. "

" wrong to whoever~ the State Tax Commissioner of North Dakota oversees ALL taxes~ go to the description on the state website~ the auditor is beneath him but glad the capitals scared you~ "

" Again, you are mistaken. The tax commissioner in the state of North Dakota does not oversee all taxes. You pay your property taxes to the county auditor in which your property is located, and he or she oversees and assesses the taxes for your city, county, school board and park board. But nice scare tactic with the all caps. "

" to FRONT ROW~ got it~ and I think you and I are on the same page~ I think they create these programs to make it look like we are really benefiting but in actuality, we are not and frankly, a politican is just that~ whether they are red or blue~ all the same and in an election year there will be lots of promises from both sides~none that they will keep "

" I know what I am saying and do not need to be corrected~ if you read what I said you would know that~ this is not a blog to be corrected~ we all have our opinions~ and one politican is the same as any and trust me if HOEVEN wanted to change the county rules he could

And just so you know TAX COMMISSIONER oversees ALL TAXES~ you do your homework first too "

" I can remember when Dorgan, Conrad and Pomeroy, all used to run their "public service" ads on TV too; when they held thier various state elective offices. "

" This is all political!! Hamm knew what is was doing - he used a senior program and taxpayers money to campaign. This ad was run too close to elections and the start of the commercial looks too political. It is sad that the good of the program got lost in Hamm's campaign message. I am glad the Dems are calling him out on it. The commercial should have been more informational and helpful for seniors - I did not need to see him or his name flashed across the screen. "

" Know what your talking about before you talk. The state of North Dakota does not tax property, that is your local governement (city, county, school district, and parks) who all have their own elected officials. As well Fong has nothing to do with any of this as he is the Tax Commisioner not Insurance Commissioner. "

" Bobby ~ your statement might hold water if Hamm was only using a "nickel" of your tax money, but what you don't seem to understand is that it's more than a "nickel" a lot more. I don't see how anyone can stand behind an incumbent who can't raise enough money even for a short campaign commercial. He has to use the money we give the government for better roads and schools to get elected, pathetic. "

" TO RS: Of course I believe what I am saying. I have a Front Row Seat to it all and I know how it works (and doesn't). I don't have tears and sympathy for anyone - it is what it is and the property tax rebate initiative was a joke. It cost way more to make happen than was worth to the recipients - you can thank a legislator (especially a Republican legislator) for that. I completely agree with you about overcharging and then refunding property tax. The difference is Commissioner Fong did not create the program - he had to implement it which is the hard part when what was created made no sense to start with.

The real issue at hand is whether or not Commissioner Hamm or others like him have crossed an ethical line - I don't believe Hamm or Fong have crossed that line any more than Johnson, Pomeroy, Dorgan or Conrad (and at this point, maybe even less). The crux is if Mr. Bolinske is going to point fingers, he had better point them in all directions - not just at one party. "

" Actually, I don't think we have seen anything worse than this blatant use of tax payer dollars. Do the others use ads to gain themselves attention - probably. But, I don't remember a time when it has been this close to November and ads like these have gone up. Further, it looks like these ads are for a program where enrollment actually begins after the elections. Interesting timing isn't it?

There is no use arguing whether it is campaigning or not. Hamm outright admitted he was campaigning when he put this in an add to his supporters. "

" This is ridiculous. The benefits of this program arent even an issue until November. Hamm is standing in front of a camera, talking to it with his name running on the bottom for the length of the ad. Who doesnt smell something rotten here?

Hamm should start concentrating on something not illegal and helpful to a state that has had many insurance woes in the past years such as a tornado in Northwood, people with out insurance, etc. Some people already feel like this Commissioner has taken a lot from us it shouldnt be dollars to help elderly citizens get prescription drugs. "

" spare me FRONT SEAT~ you really believe what you are saying???? What was so difficult that Fong had to do~ give me a break~ he gets paid and trust me anything over and above he was compensated for so do not waste your "tears and sympathy" on these guys

and by the way if they did not charge us so much on property taxes, maybe they would not have had to give back "

" Amen to you! I totally agree~ we as the voters need to pay close attention and ask the right questions and not get "warm and fuzzy" because these politicans shake our hand or tell us "their intentions" I am so sick of hearing Hoeven and Matthern tell the media how they are going to lower taxes give back to the people etc~this is all garbage~this is simply a political platform~

Watch the Channel that shows the commissioners meetings~ last night they spent the evening passing raises for themselves and their cronies~ who else is getting raises? Shouldn't the voters have a say in this~after all~ "dont they work for us
yea right!

It is time to get rid of the "good old boys" club and start working for the people~

and I totally agree~ read between the lines~ ask the right questions and vote smart~ make these politicans live up to their promises~ they have to be held accountable "

" Before you become the savior of the public trust you may want to get your facts straight. Cory Fong has never been the Insurance Commissioner, he is the Tax Commissioner. And to answer your question, if the nickel of tax dollars that I contributed to this campaign helped one elderly person in this state get assistance, then I am all for it, no matter whose face is on the screen. "

" Funny how you fail to have a problem with Ag Commissioner Roger Johnson, who does this sort of thing all of the time and is far worse than either of the 2 the writer mentions above. Robert Bolinske tries to paint himself as someone who is tired of all politicians, but in fact is just taking the opportunity to attack republicans and turn a blind eye to the same activity in the democratic party. More childish antics. "

" Go ahead Mr. Bolinske and send BCBS an unwarranted 15-20% increase. I for one don't think they need an increase when they showed an 18 million dollar profit in their last fiscal year. If Hamm's office had approved the increase you would be writing letters to the editor complaining about him not supporting the people, only big business. "

" Not that I like the way the system works but the reality is that if I didn't vote for any incumbent candidate that was using public funds in some way to seek reelection, I'd never be able to vote to reelect someone.

Now, that might not be such a bad idea in many instances ...... "

" Mr. Bolinske - are you kidding me? You think Commissioners Fong and Hamm have done anything out of the ordinary? Both Commissioners have a responsibility to the the people they serve - the public - to publicize information about the good work their offices do; so the public knows about the services available to them. Commissioner Fong was tasked with orchestrating one of the most expensive and onerous (and ill-planned by the Legislature) projects in recent history - property tax rebates. For all those people, like me, who do their own tax returns, getting the message out about the "refund" opportunity was critical information. As for Commissioner Hamm, the elderly medication services are critical to those who need that service. Certainly both Commissioners could have used stand-in narration and kept their names off it, but it is also important that the public knows who the public official is so they know who to contact with issues. Having a nameless, faceless public official is pointless. And, if you are going to call out these Commissioners, you better call out the Ag Commissioner and our Congressional Delegation, too. All four of these gentlemen are guilty of exactly the same thing - putting their name and face on every TV and radio ad about anything their office is a part of. Pride of Dakota and Marketplace for Entrepreneurs are two prime examples of their ads - will you be requesting their expenses and disseminating that information to the public as well? Share and share alike. "