Balance Needed in Reporting From the Oil Patch -- Bismarck Tribune

Link to Bismarck Tribune here.

Gene Veeder from Watford City:

I’m grateful to the media for increasing awareness of the conditions that need improving out here, but I think it’s time we bring balance to the story.

The negative publicity has created a general anxiety throughout our communities because people think that every oil worker is a criminal and man camps are just places for them to plan their next crime.

You don’t hear about the people who are just here earning a living to support their families who have had to stay behind because of the housing shortage.

You don’t hear about the young families returning to our communities to solid jobs with a good future; something that hasn’t been possible for decades.

Just recently, the Bridger pipeline was completed. That pipeline runs 77 miles north to south through McKenzie County and  eliminates 50,000 truck miles from our roads every day.

That’s about 25 million truck miles taken off our highways every year.

Power Fuels and Meridian Construction of Fargo, MBI Trucking and Cascade Homes are building over of 1,000 housing units in our little community alone.

Well said.