Dear Editor,

Iowa farmers should reconsider voting for Governor Branstad again.

Governor Branstad portrays himself as a friend of Iowa Farmers. If he is a friend, why does he support the Rock Island Clean Line and its plan to pick the pockets of Iowa farmers for millions of dollars? Iowa farmers support wind energy, but not at their expense.

If this Texas Company, owned by billionaires, obtains approval to build a transmission line across prime farmland in 16 Iowa counties it will be a financial disaster for Iowa Farmers. Having the RICL transmission line on your farmland will reduce the appraised value of that farmland by an estimated 10-30%. Think of all the 80, 160 and 320 acre parcels it would cross on its 375 mile route across Iowa. Lower the value on all that farmland by a medium average of 20% and we are looking at millions of dollars!

The RICL says using existing rights of way for the line would be too expensive. These billionaires should be required to spend their own money, and not be allowed to steal millions from Iowa Farmers. At 17 informational meetings the RICL assured farmers their line is perfectly safe, so there is absolutely no reason why the line couldn’t be built beside existing highways and transmission lines, as are many local Iowa transmission lines.

The Governor should support legislation forcing Merchant Lines like the RICL to use existing rights of way and forbid them from using eminent domain.

Would Governor Branstad allow the billionaires to reduce the value of his family farm by 10-30%?

We must remind Governor Branstad he is the Governor of all Iowans, not just Big Business. The votes of thousands of rural Iowans put him in the Governor’s Chair!

Sincerely,

Jim Doorley

Hudson, Iowa