Branstad not friend of farmers

Iowa farmers should not vote for Gov. Terry Branstad. He doesn't deserve our votes. He's not our friend.

Branstad likes to portray himself as a friend of Iowa farmers, but he supports 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.

This Texas company, owned by billionaires, plans to build a transmission line across prime farmland in 16 Iowa counties, thereby reducing the appraised value of that farmland by an estimated 10-30 percent.

The RICL says using existing rights of way for the line would be too expensive. These billionaires should be required to spend their 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.

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

We must help Branstad realize he is the governor of all Iowans, not just Big Business. Big Business may have given him money to run for governor, but the votes of thousands of rural Iowans put him in the governor's chair.

Jim Doorley

Iowa City