Editor’s note: Mary McBee passed away on Saturday, Aug. 30.

Huge corporate-owned farms and corporate animal factories are not “farms.” They are industries created solely to bring in highest profits while avoiding responsibility for all damages caused. For decades these industries have knowingly poisoned the air, water, and land in Iowa, while Republican leaders (many with deep financial ties to the same) have used our tax dollars to bail them out.

It’s unbelievable that a corporate business of any kind should be allowed to repeatedly cause widespread pollution and then see our tax monies used to clean up their devastation. It’s also bizarre that our taxes be used to provide government subsidies to these large corporations, since “subsidies” are simply welfare, again paid for by you and me. And all this while Republican legislators meekly request these industries to cease polluting.

Every sick person in Iowa needs to sue responsible corporations. Every state politician elected to represent and protect Iowans should stop scrambling to protect big corporate donors, but instead, finally enable state agencies to mandate and enforce strict regulations and impose massive fines whenever such destruction occurs in our state.

Agricultural industries have long raked in big profits in Iowa. All life here has paid a horrific price.

Mary McBee

Tama