Letter: Kline, leader who listens

To the Editor:

I encourage you all to re-elect John Kline to Congress. Congressman Kline met with residents of southeastern Minnesota, listened carefully to our experience and concerns and then he took action that is in the best interest of citizens.

I and my neighbors thank Kline for his strong leadership to stop squandering billions of federal tax dollars through the Production Tax Credit for additional industrial wind installations. Kline understands that the PTC and its now-expired cousin, the Section 1603 cash-for-turbines program, means billions in tax and electrical rate money flowing to Wall Street banks and European-owned developers.

The few million dollars that may stay with a few individuals in the local economy does not justify Minnesotans paying above market rates for unreliable electricity produced primarily at times when utilities cannot use or sell the electricity.

Big wind means that consumers pay far-above-market rate for an electrical source that produces environmental devastation, takes prime agricultural land permanently out of production, kills thousands of birds and bats and causes negative health effects for people living near turbines. Promoters of big win have no basis in science and no grounding in reality.

Kline knows the difference between the lobbyists' straw man and the real men and women of his district. I live and work in Minnesota’s 2nd district and I strongly support John Kline.

Kristi Rosenquist

Mazeppa

Tags: opinion, letters