North Dakota in the New York Times

I grew up in Fargo, North Dakota and still consider myself a displaced resident of the state [due to college and law school].  So, when North Dakota makes the news, I tend to pay attention:

North Dakota’s cheery circumstance — which economic analysts are quick to warn is showing clear signs that it, too, may be in jeopardy — can be explained by an odd collection of factors: a recent surge in oil production that catapulted the state to fifth-largest producer in the nation; a mostly strong year for farmers (agriculture is the state’s biggest business); and a conservative, steady, never-fancy culture that has nurtured fewer sudden booms of wealth like those seen elsewhere (“Our banks don’t do those goofy loans,” Mr. Theel said) and also fewer tumultuous slumps.

As it happens, one of the state’s biggest worries right now is precisely the reverse of most other states: North Dakota has about 13,000 unfilled jobs and is struggling to find people to take them.

See A Placid North Dakota Asks, What Recession? from NYTimes.com.  Trust me; I love any positive press that my home state can get.  Right now North Dakota is in a relatively prosperous condition when compared with her sister states, or with just about any state for that matter.  I also appreciate when a worldwide publication such as the New York Times prints a story about our little corner of the planet.  Really, I do.

But I have to laugh at these stories as well.  Conservative, steady, never-fancy culture that has nurtured fewer sudden booms of wealth like those seen elsewhere?  Come on, haven’t you even been to Hotel Donaldson or Monte’s? They count as fancy . . . right?  Our banks don’t do those goofy loans?  Gag me; I’d like to see that little factoid proven.  Apparently the “legendary” state doesn’t have national banks.  Fewer tumultuous slumps.  Small sample size?  This quote form Bob Stenehjem about sums up the piece’s opinion:

“Prudence is important at this point,” Mr. Stenehjem, a lifelong North Dakotan, went on. “North Dakota never gets as good as the rest of the country or as bad as the rest of the country, and that’s fine with us.”

Id.  I need a break for this story that is always told about people from ND.  Prudence, conservative, and never fancy are not words that describe any state generally.  But I guess that is the story that everyone tell about the Flickertail State, and I guess it isn’t really a bad story per se, so maybe I can live with it. [Although, whenever this story pops up in a large city my impression is that it is demeaning even though it probably isn't intended as such.]

Anyway, if you need work North Dakota is looking.  Note: Individuals who aren’t conservative, prudent, steady; or those who are fancy, need not apply.  We wouldn’t want to upset North Dakota’s homogeneous nature.

[Warning: Some sarcasm exists in this post]