Letters to the Editor August 26

Democracy?
County residents were denied their right to speak at the Chippewa County Commis­sioners meeting on Aug. 17.

The citizens came prepared to present new information regarding the controversial asphalt storage facility proposed by Duininck Bros. Inc. at Asbury in Granite Falls Township. Asbury residents had proof that, yes indeed, their property values will be greatly harmed by the huge, hot asphalt tanks and the accompanying truck traffic.

But after refusing to take public comment and refusing to hear the new evidence, one commissioner softly spoke of a need to be on the same page, and the commissioners quickly approved the project.

Incidentally, this approval came via a “Conditional Use Permit” under existing agricultural zoning, rather than the more appropriate but time-consuming re-zoning as heavy industry.

When we objected, we were told that we already had our opportunity to speak on Aug. 4, at the planning commission public hearing. Indeed, residents had testified against the project at that meeting. But there was never any indication that that would be our only opportunity to present our concerns and findings of fact, or to be heard at all.

The commissioners not only ignored the property values and quality of life issues of these Asbury residents, they also defied the lawful democratic process, in which a large industrial project must submit to a proper re-zoning process before approval, and in which a public meeting allows for public input.

Would they have approved this if it were being built 1,200 feet from their homes?
—Virginia Homme
Granite Falls Township

Don’t be cruel
My mom’s nieghbor in town has a cat that drug himself home with an arrow through him Friday night. This cat is suffering terribly and could very well die from this.

I don’t understand what kind of person could possibly do this. What makes them think that they can play God and decide who lives or dies. I see people lock up dogs, cats, rabbits, etc. and leave them without food and water in extreme heat and cold. This is animal abuse. I’ve heard of people in our town poisoning cats because they’re in their yard. That is a horrid death!

What is wrong with people? We now have a great animal rescue place for animals that does good things with very little volunteer help and smaller yet donations.

Please catch these animals and have the police bring them to the rescue, or is it just easier to poison or shoot them?

Some of these people are your adult neighbors. What example are they setting for their kids and ours.

And while I’m on the subject, where are the volunteers and cash donations for this rescue site we need so badly?

Quit killing these animals and go volunteer to give these animals a chance to find good homes.
—Brenda Stone
Montevideo

GIPSA rules
I farm near Marietta in Western Minnesota, where I raise beef cattle and hogs. For several decades we have seen giant meatpackers take control of our industry, buying up packers and feedlots for their own production. They have left farmers with little choice over where we market our animals.

As a result of this corporate concentration, meatpackers are making record profits and consumers are paying higher retail, while farmers are losing money. In turn, we are losing farmers.

In 1980 we had 1.3 million cattle operations in our country. In 2009 that number dropped 41 percent, to 750,000. On the hog side, there were 670,000 operations in 1980 and by 2009 there were only 63,000, a 91 percent decrease! Rural America cannot survive this way.

Minnesota’s 81,000 farmers are the backbone of our rural communities. We support our main street business such as equipment dealers, hardware stores, lockers and banks. When we lose farmers, we lose rural economic prosperity.

Livestock farmers need open and transparent markets and price discovery so we will know what a fair price is. We need multiple places to sell with multiple buyers in order to get the fair price.

It is long past time to fix this broken system. The proposed Grain Inspectors, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rule is a step in the right direction to ensure more competitive markets and fix these problems. Corporate interest groups such as AMI, NCBA, NPPC and other lobbyist groups are opposing the rule, but they don’t represent me.

Livestock producers need to speak up and demand that this rule move forward. Take the time to comment on the GIPSA rule at www.regulationsgov. Also contact your U.S. senators and representatives at (202) 224-3121. Tell them to support these GIPSA rules.
—G. John Schmidt
Lac qui Parle County Farmers Union President