Letter to the Editor

Lang misses mark with recent editorial

Letter to the Editor:

     Recently, Craig Lang (former Iowa Farm Bureau Federation president and Iowa Board of Regents) wrote an editorial in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier and the Des Moines Register in support of the Rock Island Clean Line.

     Mr. Lang “thinks it reasonable to ask a small group of individuals (landowners) to ‘give back’ in order to benefit our state and the nation.” First of all, over 2,000 landowners is not a small group of individuals. Secondly, would Mr. Lang be willing to give up his land or his children’s/grandchildren’s inheritance for the benefit of our state or nation?

     In many cases, landowners have worked their entire lives to buy their farm, use it for retirement income and pass down to the next generation. It is insulting for Mr. Lang to suggest landowners should be willing to give up their land, retirement and children’s inheritance so that a few wealthy investors can reap huge profits. Perhaps the billionaire investors of Rock Island Clean Line should “give back” all the profits from this transmission line to help out Iowa and the nation.

     Mike and Kent Keninger

     2148 40th St.

     Ackley