To the editor,

Responding to Gregg Wolf’s of Ridge Breeze recent column, I like to know how much those jobs you claim will be created from your expansion will pay? How many jobs will be destroyed? What other benefits are going to come from this expansion when other things can or will be damaged or destroyed? This data driven farmer wants to know.

We need to continue questioning everything. Our economy used to benefit a great deal of people. The past 40 years it's only benefiting those who are in the top 10% with the majority of the economy benefiting the top 2% of income earners. This is not sustainable economically and by other measurements as well.

We need to protect and manage our resources better. Unfortunately, we are still electing people into public office who are promoting policies people are against. The rise of these CAFOs started before I was elected to the Pierce County Board 26 years ago when I was in my early 20s. We didn't address the issues with consolidation in agribusiness and resource management back then and created bigger problems we have now.  With nitrates and PFAs becoming a bigger issue, mandatory monitoring wells are needed, not optional. We can't continue to ignore these issues, lack of research and development or a poorly staffed DNR.  

We need more dialogue and to figure out something reasonable. Research and development of technology that is size neutral would benefit farmers and rural America. Only focusing on the bigger players fails everyone. Multiple times we've continued to ignore the potential problems people deal with every day and then continue to ask why the problems are not being solved, but becoming bigger and worse. I went to an event involving an agriculture speaker Michelle Payn.  All she did was gaslight the entire crowd who didn't toe the line with bigger is better and agribusinesses can do no wrong. She couldn't even understand basic math involving how much a pound of candy costs $14-$21 per pound while ground beef is $7 per pound. But she gaslighted people to believe giving a box of candy that weighs 0.35lbs was cheaper than a pound of hamburger. Maybe she can convince people that a ton of bricks is heavier than a ton of feathers.  Both still weigh a ton.

I'm open to hearing different opinions and options for agriculture and other issues. We do need to remember that we need to hear everyone out and protect their rights to speak their opinions including opinions we may not agree with.

In conclusion, we need to work for the common good and that's been ignored for too long.

John Shafer 

Former Pierce County board supervisor

Town of Gilman