Prestage Foods has $24.3 million public dollars
How do we hold them accountable with our money?
We need to send IED Director Debi Durham a message. Sign the petition!
In 2016 the Prestage slaughterhouse received $24.3 million public dollars in subsidies to build in Eagle Grove. That's money that could have been used for public schools, hospitals, and rural infrastructure.
But that's not the first time this slaughterhouse tried to hijack our public coffers. Before building in Eagle Grove, Prestage Foods attempted to build in Mason City. CCI members and clean water fighters successfully organized and pressured the Mason City City Council to deny the use of public money for Prestage shutting the project down.
After its loss in Mason City the Prestage slaughterhouse proposed a site in Eagle Grove. Despite strong local and statewide opposition, the Wright County board of supervisors approved the slaughterhouse proposal 3-0.
That is when Governor Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IED) gave the Prestage slaughterhouse $24.3 million in "incentives". In exchange for our money, Prestage promised to create 332 "high quality" jobs that pay at least $15.54/hour with some benefits.
A review process for Prestage began in August of 2019. We want to know will the IED hold Prestage accountable with our money?
CCI leaders from North Central tried setting up a meeting with Debi Durham (Director of the IED). After two months of "scheduling" the IED agreed to a meeting only to cancel two days before.
Now, they are trying to push our meeting off another two months.
If Prestage hasn't fulfilled their promises, they need to pay that money back!
We know the true impact corporate ag has had on rural economies. Town squares with bordered up shops, fewer and fewer job opportunities, and hospitals that no longer deliver babies.
We can't, and never have been able to afford the cost of propping up the factory farm industry. Join us in demanding that Durham meet with CCI members and hold Prestage accountable for our public dollars.
Sign our petition now - public money should be used for the public good.