Why is Iowa struggling?
To the editor;
Watching the state legislature and the governor grapple with Iowa’s budget woes, they remind me of a flock of chickens scratching in the dirt looking for morsels, while right beside them is a trough filled with feed waiting to be consumed.
Iowa farmers just got through producing 2.4 billion bushels of corn and almost 500 bushels of soybeans. Iowa is No. 1 in pork and egg production. We produce millions of pounds of milk, and millions of pounds of beef and lamb and a variety of vegetables and fruit.
We are a small state of 3 million humans and yet there are small nations with larger populations that cannot match our food production capability – and yet Iowa is facing a billion-dollar deficit. Why?
I would argue that Iowa should be rolling in the dough. We have:
- One of the strongest work ethics in the nation.
- An excellent climate for ag production.
- A decent manufacturing base.
- A fairly decent transportation system.
- Lots of recreational opportunities.
- A good retail base.
Yet, Iowa continues to struggle economically. Why?
Family farmers did their part. They took the risks, and the job got done.
The biggest stumbling block to Iowa’s future is its pride. The Bible says that “Pride goes before the fall.”
You see, we have people in high places that have been taught certain economic principals, such as the myth of the free market, and hell will freeze over before they admit that free marketeering has led this nation’s economy to the edge of the cliff.
There are many reasons why Iowa is suffering.
And now, Iowa’s family farms are gradually being taken over by agribusiness conglomerates. Read history and understand how England colonized India ad you will see the similarities.