Andrew Smith Comments on Iowa Beef Closing
I am
saddened and troubled by the estimated 540 jobs that will be lost when
Iowa Quality Beef in Tama shuts down operations Friday. This will cause
yet more heartache and trouble for the people of Tama County, who have
already had to deal with so much heartache and economic turmoil these
past five years. Unfortunately, Iowa's small town economies are no
longer diversified, and when a big plant closes in any of Iowa's small
towns today, the entire community in which that company resides suffers
tremendously. Because of a lack of economic diversity, and the slow
decay of our main streets, it will be difficult for Tama County to
absorb a job loss of this magnitude. What is currently being done to
help diversify our small town economies in Iowa is not good enough. The
Republican-controlled legislature needs to stop the corporate welfare
to the places that need economic development the least, and start
helping entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and develop in Iowa’s
rural communities, the places that need economic development the most.
We must do everything in our power to diversify our small town
economies, or we are doomed to see this pattern of heartache, sorrow,
and economic despair repeat itself in many Iowa small towns.
Andrew Smith, Democratic Candidate for Iowa House District 40, in Tama and Grundy counties
Blog For Iowa 
and now that the Republicans have totally screwed Iowa by shutting down the Iowa Values Fund…what is rural community to do to recruit new industry.
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When Iowa Turkey burned down in Postville, it was the school that really pulled the community together. There was a loss of about 250 jobs affecting about 150 families. The staff at the school got together and came up with a list of all of the businesses within a 25 mile radius. Then they got on the telephone and called all of those businesses asking them to hire one additional person. Almost all did and within a couple of weeks every family had at least one family member working somewhere. It was truly amazing to see how such a diverse community pulled together and helped these families out.
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