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Jim's avatar

Great take on some of the goings-on in Iowa. Now let's add row crop farmers to the list of those who are not paying the _true_ costs of production and letting them pile up for future generations of (probably) taxpayers to deal with. Loss of soil, damage to soil by use of ag chemicals, runoff into streams and rivers that have created a huge Deadzone in the Gulf of Mexico - these are all products of unsustainable farming practices that are so widely used in Iowa today. Public policy that makes landowners subject to environmental standards (not voluntary programs, which clearly haven't worked), including conservation of riparian, wetland, woodland, flood plain and prairie areas would be a place to start, along with making land that should not be farmed ineligible for government programs like crop insurance. And as long as I'm at it: ethanol, the manufacture of which consumes over half of Iowa's corn production, is only useful when mixed with fossil fuels, which are a major contributor to climate change. Just because ethanol comes from corn doesn't make it green. Iowa's amazing soils and timely rains should be used for feeding people, not putting more gas into vehicles.

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Denise OBrien's avatar

Once again you are so right! We need to get back to people over politics! I was at the We Won’t Be Silent rally today. How wonderful to be with a thousand people speaking out for human rights. Thank you Cheryl.

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