Meeting Denise O'Brien

Yesterday, I attended a campaign event with Denise O'Brien. Of all the candidates I have met this campaign season, Denise has to be the nicest. I first met her back in June and she remembered me and asked how my 2nd graders were doing. So she not only remembered that I was a teacher, but she remembered the grade. I attended the first of 2 events she did in town and in between events she met with some local residents to discuss a planned hog confinement. I think it was great that took an hour away from campaigning out local residents and provide them with her expertise in the area. These are just 2 examples that show the type of person Denise O'Brien is.

At the event, O'Brien talked about 3 main things. First, she wants to get new people on the land and said that 10 years ago there were 60,000 hog farmers in Iowa and now their are just 11,000. That is not getting more farmers on the land. She said that trend can't continue for Iowa's rural communities to prosper. Second, she discussed local ownership and mentioned biodiesel and ethanol. She said that if we build this biodiesel and ethanol plants and they are owened by outside interests Iowans will still be paying high prices. We must make investments in Iowa by Iowans. Finally, she believes in local control, saying that Iowa's laws aren't strong enough. She said that a bill has been stuck in committee in the legislator for a few years now and that if Democrats gain control there might actually be a vote on it and it could pass. Denise closed saying that she brings leadership that can bring peole together to make the right decisions for Iowa.

The race for Sec. of Agriculture comes down to one simple thing. Do you want to live in an Iowa where Iowans farm the land, make the decisions, and reap the benefits or do you want to live in an Iowa where out of state corporate interests make the decisions for your communties? If you want to live in an Iowa where the land provides an opportunity for Iowans, then vote for Denise O'Brien.