Independent Candidate for Governor Proposes Returning Legacy Fund to People Through Projects, Tax Relief

Michael Coachman (Courtesy of the candidate via the North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) -North Dakota independent gubernatorial candidate Michael Coachman favors a hands-off approach to government and plans to use the state and federal constitutions as guiding principles for policies.

“Our plans are already laid out on what the government shouldn’t do and what they should do,” Coachman said. “If it doesn’t support the people and benefit the people, then those laws should not be passed. But we have a lot of those that are.”

He faces Republican candidate Rep. Kelly Armstrong and Democratic-NPL Party candidate state Sen. Merrill Piepkorn this November to determine who should lead the state after Gov. Doug Burgum declined to run for a third term.

The 66-year-old lives in Larimore, N.D. He was born in Germany due to his father’s military service and raised in Connecticut.

Coachman joined the U.S. Air Force out of high school and served for 20 years as a missileer stationed in Wyoming, California, Germany and ultimately Grand Forks.

Coachman unsuccessfully challenged Burgum for governor in 2020, receiving about 10% of the vote. For eight years, he served on the Larimore City Council.

Property taxes and Measure 4

Coachman said he supports Measure 4 that would prohibit local subdivisions from collecting assessed value property taxes.

He also said he believes Article 10, Section 1 of the state Constitution already prohibits the state from collecting assessed value property taxes.

“Right there, it says the state is not supposed to have property tax, right there,” Coachman said. “What people fail to realize is freedom is always attached to the land, so, if you don’t own your land, are you free?”

He added the concept of property taxes is wrong because it “takes away people’s freedom.”

When asked how he would replace the estimated $3.15 billion per biennium in lost revenue, he said companies would flock to the state because of the tax advantage and state revenues could grow as much as “five times over.”

He added he would encourage companies moving to North Dakota to set up in small towns, away from the state’s bigger cities, to help revitalize rural North Dakota.

Legacy Fund

When asked what changes he would make to the Legacy Fund, Coachman said the entire structure needs a complete overhaul.

“I think whatever profit we have, we fund whatever we need to do for the people,” he said.

He added he considers the Legacy Fund the people’s money and it should be returned to the people through projects and possible tax relief.

Coachman said: “Why do they keep raising taxes? Why do they keep doing it if we’ve got billions of dollars? They are trying to kill the people. I’m going to put it out there. They are. They are trying to kill them one way or another.”

He said one way to add value using Legacy Fund would be for the state to construct a couple of local oil refineries  that could bring down the cost of gasoline. He added an ID verification system could be added so North Dakotans pay less for gasoline than those traveling through.

Veterans programs could be expanded in the state and covered by the Legacy Fund, he said.

“We’re going to keep having money because we have the oil, so just give it back to the people,” Coachman said. “Why are we hoarding it?”

He added, at a minimum, people need transparency with the fund to know where the money is going and how those allocations will, or have, benefit residents in North Dakotans.

Workforce issues

Coachman said he’s in favor of eliminating personal income tax for state law enforcement personnel in an effort to bring more people into the career field and fill open positions.

“I know right now a lot of law enforcement are working long hours,” he said.

Coachman also said he wants to work out a partnership with some of the state’s big box retailers, like Walmart and Target, to incentivize them to buy and sell North Dakota products, in North Dakota.

“We will give you a tax break, or work with you, but you need to buy North Dakota products,” he said.

Coachman said, by alleviating the state’s property tax burden, lowering gas prices and incentivizing North Dakota products, residents will have more money in their pockets to spend on child care, among other workforce barriers, and increase the state’s workforce participation to fill some of the state’s open jobs.

He also expressed bewilderment that some Republican lawmakers are supporting the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline and carbon storage project when previous resolutions passed by the party opposed the issue.

“Why do we keep electing RINOs?” Coachman said, referring to the term for Republicans In Name Only. He added the major political parties have forgotten about the everyday North Dakota voter.

Coachman said he sees voters with metaphorical blue and red chains that represent the political parties’ status-quo attached to their legs. His goal this November is to remove those chains, he said.