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Friday, January 27, 2012

Food Shortage in Williston - County Commissioner -- The Heart of the Bakken

Update

January 29, 2012: the mayor sees things quite a bit differently -- "a growing Williston will be a better Williston."Great op-ed article. Good for him. And the editor of the Williston Herald supports him. Good for both of them.

Same day, later: I've seen this story before; it appears it is a "cut and paste" job from the Dickinson Press and picked up by Bloomberg. Back in 2008/2009 I received a comment from "anonymous" that predicted all of this. I did not post that comment, not wanting to be inflammatory, and wanting to give the state leaders and county commissioners the benefit of the doubt. If armchair amateurs could see it coming why couldn't others closer to the action see it coming? There was no strategic vision, no planning, and this is where it has gotten us. As noted below, for every story of whining I see, I would like to see five stories in which there is some strategic planning going on.

Same day, later: I'm sure if there was a food shortage in Williston, the Dickinson Press would have reported it. 

Same day, later: this is a current ad from Economart; prices are better than what I am paying here in Boston. I see there is plenty of fruit and vegetables: avocados, grapes, apples. Thank you to a reader for sending me the link (and, no, it was not from an employee of Economart, although  that would have been refreshing).

Original Post

I was in the Bakken most of August, all of September, October, and November, departing on December 1, 2011, so I don't know how things have changed between then and now, in less than two months.

I do not recall any problem with a grocery shortage in Williston. The Economart was well stocked; Wal-Mart was well stocked. I did not visit the huge Albertson's store. But I don't know. Maybe Williston is short of groceries now as the county commissioners say:
Williams County Commissioner Dan Kalil received applause from the audience after his testimony about the toll the boom has taken on Williston. The area is short on patience, jail space, groceries and fuel; and long on sewage, garbage, anger and frustration, he said. 
I do know that there is a problem with diesel fuel on a daily basis, but there should be a diesel refinery up and running in the heart of the Bakken in a short time if folks work together to expedite the process. The diesel refinery would have been up and running by now had there not been the usual bureaucratic delays. Thank goodness, we don't have the Minnesota bureaucracy where it takes five years for a permit vs one year here in North Dakota.

But as far as gasoline for automobiles, again, I did not see any shortage back in September, October, and November. In WWII, "they" laid a fuel pipeline from England to Germany as the war effort moved east; that was across a channel during the biggest war in recorded history. The late Virgil Syverson, a tank driver for General Patton and long-term Williston resident, could have probably told us about that.

[The pipeline: PLUTO -- pipeline under the ocean -- from England to France to Germany.]

There's a refinery in Bismarck; if folks were serious about solutions, they should be able to find them.  We can't put in a diesel pipeline from that refinery to the Bakken? Greed? Lack of strategic vision? Faux-environmentalists? The boom started back in 2007; this is 2012. The impact was being talked about back in 2008. They can't lay a diesel pipeline from Bismark to Williston in five years?

From what I see, it's two things: a) bureaucratic delays; b) lack of strategic vision; and, c) greed. Okay, three things.

The greed prevents a lot from getting done.

I do agree with this:
“This level of activity has only led to unwarranted greed and unbelievable pressure on everyone,” he said.
The oil companies tried to get the lowest lease rates possible, but local folks held for as much as they could get [and it's getting worse]. Well, duh. I suppose some would call that greed.

My first question: do the county commissioners  have any oil income? My hunch is that the folks who have their wells, say "slow down." The folks who don't have their oil wells yet, say "hurry up." (By the way, wells that used to be named with names of folks and families we used to know -- not happening so much any more. Folks are asking their family names not be tied to the wells. No comment.)

It was not the outsiders that raised the rates on rooms at motels and hotels. Local folks did that. It was not the outsiders that raised the rent; that was the local folks. It was not outsiders that (in)famously evicted seniors from their long-term residences to increase the rent in Williston; that was the local owner. It was not outsiders that evicted a dance studio operator; that was the daughter/son of a long-term Williston resident, if I remember correctly. It is not the outsiders that have raised prices; outsiders are doing what they can to keep prices down. It's the local folks that have raised prices.

Not enough money coming back to the community to deal with roads, buildings, etc? That's a local problem, as in "local" at the state level, Bismarck. The outsiders don't vote; they don't control where the tax dollars go.

Lack of affordable housing? It was not the outsiders that banned man-camps.

But as I've always said, now we know how the native Americans felt when the white man invaded, bringing with them unwarranted greed and unbelievable pressure on everyone -- forcing the native Americans to reservations on some of the worse land in the state.

I'm not saying there aren't problems, huge problems. But I have great faith in what men and women can do. Certainly our grandparents, and now, in some cases, our great-grandparents suffered much greater challenges -- Giants of the Earth comes to mind.

For every Dickinson Press story I see about how tough things are, I would like to see five stories of state and federal government "fast-tracking" applications for infrastructure projects. Is WAWS on track, or is it mired in court? Why is there such a problem with getting new roads in; maintaining current roads? "They" fast-tracked the highway widening project between Williston and Watford City; I think that was done in six months, from announcement to completion. Construction crews from outside the area came in and did a bang-up job.

The Keystone XL project was killed, by faux-environmentalists; that pipeline would have taken thousands of trucks off the road on a daily basis, and maybe even less railroad terminals needed.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I know for some the Bakken boom is not fun; it is highly challenging for all. But maybe I'm seeing it from the eyes of the soldiers who took on a mission in Iraq and got it done. By the way, the Williston Herald reported fewer traffic accidents in December, 2011. Things can't be all bad.

And by the way, if groceries are in short supply in Williston, we need to ask the new Bakken millionaires to start ordering their steak, potatoes, desserts, and side dishes from Omaha Steak, to take the pressure off the local grocery stores, for the rest of the poor folks. My daughter sends me a gift pack every Christmas; it lasts for weeks. Those, whose wells have not yet come in, can order their groceries from Amazon.com. The post office, as we all know, desperately needs the business. [Although the Williston post office does not.]

It appears the one thing the Bakken is not short on is alcohol. At least that wasn't mentioned in the article above. It's funny how some things always seem to get "there." Years ago, I was deployed to a Muslim country; we were told we could not bring alcohol into the country, and that it was against the law to sell or buy alcohol there. I was naive; I believed the senior leaders. I was one of the later ones to arrive. When I arrived, I learned that the NCOs had found the discotheques and bars in the nearby city within 24 hours of their earlier arrival. I, too, enjoyed the night life.

Oh, one last story. We were in that foreign Muslim country for a full month. We were operating out of a bare-base operation, training their fighter pilots. We had an outstanding mess facility -- I do believe it was an Air Force operation, but it was so good, it makes me think it was Army-run, but I could be wrong. Be that as it may. We had great meals throughout the mission. But just standard meat and potato fare.

In these bare-base missions, it takes several days to fly every one out when being re-deployed. The fighters go first;  and then there is a hierarchy of who goes next. The security forces (to protect assets) go last, and the medics, of which I was one, go second to last (to be there to aid the security forces to the end). The mess hall folks go near the end, also, until there are so few, that the last can do with meals-ready-to-eat (MRE's), the modern answer to C-rations.

The commander and the pilots were the first to leave. As soon as the fighter jets were past the halfway point between the bare base where we were and the home base to which they were returning, the dining hall chef announced over the PA system that dinner that night would be steak and lobster. I kid you not. We were in Africa. There is no lobster in Africa. But as soon as the commander and his pilots were too far to turn back, the chief cook cracked open the really good stuff.

Well, this turned into a rambling note that went nowhere.

Good luck to all.

And again, please, will all you Bakken millionaires start ordering your groceries on-line so that the food shortage in Williston can be ameliorated.

20 comments:

  1. Government at all levels in ND is in dire need of an overhaul.
    Out of control development was allowed and even (ndic) encouraged.
    And, for no good reason. Now the commissioners and the bloggers are reduced to listing a list of horror stories. The sad part is that the miionaires will all be gone (those that havent already left) and western ND will look alot like Iraq with no more oil. The sad part is this: the die is cast. 30 more years of all out drilling and then??? Leadership in ND has taken a powder. I suspect the remodeled rooms at the elks will be a homeless shelter or demoed. Take away the segment of the local pop that is profiting and what is left is a very sad picture. I have a feeling that the situation is about to get ugly.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Really, a homeless shelter?

      I have so much more faith in American capitalism, ingenuity, and energy.

      When I get discouraged I read: Giants of the Earth; the National Geographic; the biographies of Ernest Hemingway; the Diary of Anne Frank; and, then I travel.

      Life is too short to dwell on the negatives.

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    2. That's a good one. I'll pass it on to newt and mittens. They can find some point in the next debate to use it as a zinger to the moderator or each other. It is a slight variation of what Marie antoinnette is said to have told her subjects just before she lost her head. (marie was reading and traveling too much)

      Bruce these are serious problems that government needs to "dwell" on. Faith in capitalism, infinity and energy is a cliche. The only difference between this boom/bust and prior is that this one is bigger. There is no reason to think the bust when it comes will not be bigger than previous busts. And like prior cycles, there is nothing on the horizon to follow.

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    3. Thirty (30) years? Really? The "Basic Analysis of the Bakken" by UND says this will last through 2100. The oil industry in North Dakota, before the Bakken boom, began in 1951, and continued to flourish, cyclically, for 50 years, prior to the beginning of the current boom.

      And Tuesday night, earlier this week, President Obama said the natural gas in this country will last 100 years. That was President Obama. 100 years. The coal in North Dakota will last longer.

      President Obama is now supporting the natural gas and oil industry, per his most recent state of the union speech. Drill, drill, drill.

      With regard to Marie Antoinette, she was talking to the minions if it is accurate that she even told them to eat cake (bread) -- which I believe is apocryphal. Regardless, I am talking to the millionaires, asking them to go on-line and order groceries so that the grocery shortage can be ameliorated. I am greatly concerned if there is a grocery shortage in Williston; the millionaires can help.

      They can continue to move to Phoenix which will also help the grocery shortage in Williston.

      Too much reading? Really? I don't think one can read or travel too much. [Actually, that's part of the problem: not enough of either leads to lack of strategic vision.]

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  2. Maybe there's an abnormal percent of Willistonians that listen to Glenn Beck. He has reiterated his food storage plea, of late ;)

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    1. If there's a shortage of food in Williston, I'm sure that the Dickinson Press would have reported it.

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  3. Why would willistonites need to listen to the radio to learn of their living conditions?
    Let's face facts. Quality of life is going to suck for everyone until infrastructure catches up with growth rate. Pretty simple. Qol will especially suck forever for those not directly or indirectly in the "new" revenue stream. Then, in 30 years (less if an oil price drop happens as they have before even tho we import) there will be a whole bunch of vacant man camps, spy's, condos houses coml blends etc etc.

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  4. First off, most historians find it highly unlikely that Marie Antoinette ever said "Let them eat cake". If a court attendant wanted to their job (and feedom of life) they would never "politic" the queen.

    In term of a "grocery shortage" you might recall the very large snowstorms this winter in Iowa and points south down to Texas. We had spot shortages of perishables in the Twin Cities after that storm. Here in Minneapolis, MN has been so mild that no plowing has been needed in my ally. Most perishables move by truck from south to north during the winter.

    The "boom town" side effects are as old as boom towns themselves. Turner Classic Movies showed the movie 1940 "Boom Town" with high prices for everything after an oil strike. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032273/

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    1. Thank you for taking time to comment.

      In fact, I am impressed that Albertson's, Home of Economy, Wal-Mart, Economart, and so many others have been able to keep up with demand. It is very, very impressive.

      One point I'm trying to make is that city and county leaders should be going to the state with specific requests that are connected to a strategic vision/plan and are actionable. The requests to the state are for those things that the city/county cannot do on its own for any number of reasons.

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  5. The last thing western ND needs is a swarm of disconnected, uncoordinated plans driving projects that are then reviewed and approved at the state level. Unfortunately this is what exists now and what you seem to be advocating more of.
    The planning needs to be REGIONAL and it needs to be coordinated with input from all stakeholders. There are two basic questions here. One relates to the question of whether or not oil revenue is sufficient to fund impact projects. I don't know but it probably is. The second question is this. Should the ndic continue to approve development (drilling and oil transport permits etc) at a pace that far exceeds the ability of the govt entities and their contractors and private interests to complete projects that mitigate or keep up with the impact? The governor, attorney general and ag commissioner (these folks are the ndic) lack of action, leadership and anything resembling creative solutions should be embarrassing to ND citizens. They are demonstrating incompetence at best and complete and utter disregard for the citizens that they represent at worst.

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  6. Two years ago I got a note almost identical to this (above). I did not publish it. My policy was not to publish inflammatory comments. In addition, I gave the benefit of the doubt to our elected leaders, seeing that this was going to be very, very difficult.

    Internally I became so frustrated that I quit taking comments for awhile, and considered ending my blogging. But then I reconsidered.

    To preserve my sanity, I decided to publish some comments of the type I had not published in the past, and am willing now to voice my irritation with such issues you have raised.

    You are absolutely correct. I hinted at this some time ago. The state would have done well to commission (and pay them well) a regional planning planning group to include a top name consulting firm, perhaps something like McKinsey with no conflicts of interest to address infrastructure issues; royalties; environment; etc.

    Once I learned that the industry is pouring $1.5 billion/month into the region, it dawned on me that our leaders are "winging it."

    The county doesn't need commissioners in front of the legislature wringing their hands about all the challenges. The commissioners, or whom they appoint as their representatives, need to be part of a regional planning group as you suggest to put forth regional plans.

    It "came to a head" (as in a pustular blister) when I read there was a shortage of groceries in Williston. Either that's hyperbole (which I think it is) and not necessary or it's accurate. If it's accurate, what in the world is going on? That was the first time I had heard that. It was not reported in an of the newspapers, etc.

    Lack of diesel: incredible. A third-world country would have put in a pipeline by now. As noted, the allies did it in WWII under duress. The diesel refinery should have been up and running months ago.

    Enough of this. You are absolutely correct.

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  7. The anti-growth crowd is working overtime. Whatever their reason it can be best summed up as jealousy and envy. Sad to see a county commissioner playing a lead roll. Just like Nebraska beware of outside sources that fan the flames of negativity.

    Like you say Bruce identify a problem or circumstance then leadership is responsible for coming up with positive solutions with public input. Whining doesn't solve problems, positive action does. If local leaders are unwilling to do that then they should step aside and let someone else in that will.

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  8. Well, the "local leaders" that created the problem of too much development too fast are sitting on their as.es uh excuse me - chairs in bismark. This is the group that needs to solve the problem. This has nothing to do with jealousy or envy. It has everything to do with public safety and the reasonable expectation that change (growth) will be managed in a rational and sane manner by those in govt who make policy and approve individual projects. The build out of the oil fields has been 100 % mismanaged to this point and continues to be mismanaged. The evidence of this is in plain sight. The situation is getting worse, not better. There is no regional plan so the cities and counties are frequently operating at cross purposes in what they percieve to be their best interests instead of a cooperative manner. There is no synergy. Each entity is left to fend for itself.

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    1. I disagree with "too much development too fast."

      The lack of strategic vision was the problem.

      North Dakota was given four years to start working the issues. The boom began in Elm Creek, Montana, in 2000. I saw the development begin. The boom on the ND side of the state line began to sputter, as in starting, in 2007 (I am not fact checking right now, so the dates may be off, but they are pretty close.

      Back in 2008 or 2009 I blogged that North Dakota needs to outsource the infrastructure maintenance to a Fortune 500 company that could handle it. McKinsey Consulting would have been perfect as a consulting firm with no conflict of interest, and Halliburton would have been perfect to manage the highways and county roads. Contracts paid for with oil dollars. But "greed" prevented the legislators from doing this. The legislators wanted control. But in their defense, the local folks would not have gone along. Halliburton! Hell-i-burton. Hell, no. That would have been the Dickinson Press headline. McKinsey Consulting. McKin-sey-who?

      No, it was not too much development too fast; it was failure to see it coming and failure to be proactive.

      Remember, I knew nothing about the Bakken, nothing, but I started blogging about it in 2008, maybe earlier. But I deleted that blog; too eclectic.

      This blog, I believes go back to 2009. So, three years in which leaders have been "winging it," banning man-camps; putting water-depots on main thoroughfares; etc.

      "Each entity is left to fend for itself." That is accurate. Dickinson bans man-camps so the camps are built 12 miles north in Dunn County. Well, duh. Don't complain to me about heavy traffic. Some of it is our own doing.

      Oh, that traffic? Keystone XL is killed and I see minimal outrage / concern in North Dakota. I see no multi-state summit (ND, SD, NE, KS, OK) to get the US side of the pipeline built. Each entity is left to fend for itself.

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  9. The Ecomart sale ad I seems on par with the Rainbow and Cub ad prices in the Twin Cities, MN.

    For the last couple of decades businesses have been using "just in time delivery". Generally, it worked but a big snowstorm on route can throw things
    for a loop. For the last few years we have had large snowstorms south of the Twin Cities that have resulted in short-term produce shortages.

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    1. I agree.

      Two comments:

      1. This has been a mild winter; I doubt JIT has been an issue.

      2. I don't know about you, but every pantry I've seen in North Dakota is stocked for two weeks. If not, the residents must be newcomers. In fact, my hunch is the average pantry could last a month if necessary.

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  10. Bob Bergeron roberg@nccray.comJanuary 31, 2012 at 2:27 PM

    I work in the Meat department at Economart in Williston and our store is stocked well and we have no shortages of food items that I am aware of. Yup, I will admit that we are extememly busy with all the new faces in town, but we are dealing with it with positive attitudes.

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    1. Bob: thank you for taking time to comment.

      As you know, the Economart is my favorite grocery store in Williston, as well as where I had lunch almost every day with my dad when I was in Williston for four months this past summer/autumn.

      I was always impressed with the wide selection of groceries and found it hard to believe that in less than 1.5 months after I left the Williston area that there would have been that big a change.

      I can only imagine how busy you are. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. I hope to be back in the area soon.

      By the way, the cafeteria always treated my dad very, very nicely. Please extend thanks to them.

      Bruce

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    2. From: © 2/4/2012 9:05:44 AM
      of 693 Posted this message about you today.

      This is a great bit of writing about the effects cast by variables, again, from Bruce.

      The great thing about Bruce's writing is that the man has superior observation skills, the most mundane things are recognized routinely for the role or consequences.....they play/cast, as active parts of holistic sum valued information.

      http://milliondollarway.blogspot.com/2012/01/short-on-groceries-heart-of-bakken.html

      Thanks Bruce....your a master chef.

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    3. Thank you for your kind words -- unless I'm "misreading" your note.

      Yes, I did have fun with this commentary. I must have been in a slightly sour mood when I wrote it. Of all the problems in the oil patch, "a food shortage" seems a bit over the top.

      Delete

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