To the editor:

I came across a quote “Money often costs too much,” by Ralph Waldo Emerson. A pretty smart guy. Hard to find an intelligent quote now-a-days. The quote means what are we sacrificing for money? I say we are sacrificing the future for profits. Money’s just a vehicle but when we choose greed over empathy and the greater good, it’s evil.

In 2007, North Carolina passed a permanent moratorium on new CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) and new lagoons and mandated new technologies to reduce pollution. Hurricanes kept flooding lagoons and hog feces were everywhere. They didn’t want to clean up their act and guess where they went, to gullible and greedy Iowa. And guess who has hurricanes (derechos) now?

In Iowa, your only protection for CAFOs is a test they can’t fail called the Master Matrix that even one of the original authors says needs fixed. State Rep. Art Staed introduced an Iowa moratorium bill for 2022. A poll shows 63 percent of Iowans support stopping new CAFOs. I called my District 9 Representative Ann Meyer to ask if she would support the bill. She said the bill didn’t pass funnel so it was done. I asked if she cared about clean water and air for Iowa and she said “I like pork.” Yes, “I like pork,” was her answer about the environment. I said “Of course you do so you can get campaign donations from pork producers.” She proceeded to hand up on me. Family farmers, the Republican led legislature doesn’t care if your well is poisoned with cancer causing nitrates from all the hog manure they spread on all the Iowa fields.

That 63 percent need to vote anyone out that doesn’t want the moratorium. North Carolina laid down the law and we need to also. It’s all about the P’s. China gets the pigs. Pork producers get the profits and we get the pollution. If you care about your kids’ future, don’t send money or vote for a political party that won’t pass any laws to protect our environment. Voting Republican doesn’t make you rich, it makes one percenters rich.

Dave Haynes

Duncombe