Part Two: Your Grandchildren's Grandchildren Will Be Subsidizing Billionaire Harold Hamm

By law, North Dakota's Top Oil and Gas Regulator is also the state's Oil and Gas Public Relations Director.

Clarification Reminder of Issue or Topic: The project in discussion involves carbon waste being pipelined to North Dakota from 31 ethanol plants, 30 will be from outside North Dakota. There are six ethanol plants in North Dakota, however, only one will use the pipeline and financial benefit - Tharaldson Ethanol out of Casselton, ND.

Continued from Part One… North Dakota Director of Mineral Resources, Lynn Helms, Ph.D. lobbying reaches far beyond Swenson and the other land owners protesting this project in many counties across the state.

In 2006, former US Senator, ND Attorney General and Tax Commissioner Heidi Heitkamp (D) joined forces with Republican heavyweight Curly Haugen to sponsor an initiated measure to protect the citizens against public-private eminent domain projects, specifically for economic development.

This was a reaction to the Kelo v. New London landmark court case.

According to Ballotpedia:

The North Dakota Taking of Private Property for Public Use Initiative, also known as Initiated Constitutional Measure 2, was on the November 7, 2006, ballot in North Dakota as an initiated constitutional amendment, where it was approved.

This measure provided that the taking of private property for public use or purpose, also known as eminent domain, does not include public economic development benefits and that private property could not be taken for private benefit unless necessary for conducting a common carrier or utility business.

Kelo v. New London was a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving Susette Kelo and her unsuccessful fight against the city of New London, Connecticut.

In the case, the city used eminent domain to take private homes and businesses to make way for a redevelopment project. The decision had a profound effect on communities across the country, as it allowed the government to seize private property for economic development projects.

Helm’s testimony lobbies against everyone in ND who voted for Measure 2, which passed with a whopping 67.5% of the vote.

The conflicts of interest and ethical questions are a plenty. Or are there?

In what many consider a state-sponsored-slight-of-hand or shrewd legal technicality, Helms is actually North Dakota’s oil and gas regulator and public relations director.

Many cried foul for years when the supposed-voice-of-trust Helms would make exaggerated claims like “your grandchildren’s grandchildren will be working in the Bakken”, so the state responded. Only in a way very few understood.

In 2013 the state changed or created legislation to allow the Homonym Helms to exist.

Helms became the state’s regulator and promoter. He’s the Clarence Thomas and PT Barnum of Oil and Gas for the state of North Dakota.

In the above clip of the 30Rock spoof game show Homonym!, the host chooses whichever definition the contestant doesn’t. This is the type of power Helms has to get out of trouble if ever questioned about his motives, ethics or testimonies that create questions of conflicts of interest.