This pre-Thanksgiving edition of What's on Your Mind with Scott Hennen features an annual listener survey on turkey preference, a historical segment on Thanksgiving, an update on North Dakota's higher education and farm economy, and a discussion on solving homelessness.
Standout Moments
- Annual Turkey Survey: White Meat vs. Dark Meat
(0:01:42) The hosts kick off their annual survey asking listeners for their preference: white meat or dark meat for Thanksgiving. [cite_start]They also added a second question this year: turkey, ham, or both.
- Rush Limbaugh on the True Story of Thanksgiving
(0:03:55) [cite_start]The show plays a segment from Rush Limbaugh arguing that the Pilgrims' initial "common store" system (a "commune" and "forerunner to the communes we saw in the 60s and 70s") failed due to a lack of incentive, leading to discontent and near starvation. [cite_start]Prosperity arrived only after they scrapped this "socialism" experiment and implemented private property and free enterprise.
- University of Minnesota's "Whiteness Pandemic" Curriculum
(0:06:17) [cite_start]The hosts discuss a reported University of Minnesota curriculum teaching that America suffers from a "whiteness pandemic" and that white parents must "re-educate" their children because "family life are a source of the systemic racism".
- North Dakota's $400 Million Farm Relief Program
(0:22:21) [cite_start]Governor Kelly Armstrong announces a new $400 million farm relief program from the Industrial Commission and the Bank of North Dakota. The program includes:
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$300 Million for a traditional Farm Loan Disaster Program to refinance and restructure debt at an interest rate of $3.75\%$, utilizing high land values.
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$100 Million for a grain storage loan program to allow producers to hold their crop until prices improve.
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- Critique of "Housing First" and "Harm Reduction" Policies
(0:29:29) [cite_start]Author Mary Thoreau critiques the federal "Housing First" policy, noting that after 12 years, homelessness has only gone up. [cite_start]She argues the policy is based on the false premise that homelessness is only a housing issue, ignores root causes (like mental illness and addiction), and makes people wait a year to prove their homelessness, worsening their condition.
- Transformative Solution: Haven for Hope
(0:31:05) [cite_start]As a model for a "transformative solution," Thoreau highlights Haven for Hope in San Antonio, Texas: a 22-acre campus where 100 service providers are coordinated to address every need, including mental health and recovery. [cite_start]She estimates roughly 80% of the homeless population has some sort of addiction and/or mental health issue.
- Financial Planning for Farmers: Tax-Advantaged Legacy
(0:33:14) [cite_start]Financial expert John Haug discusses using IRS codes (like 412E3 and 401A) to help farm and ranch families pass their business onto the next generation in a tax-advantaged way, offering an alternative to purchasing equipment for tax deductions.