The Wizard of Oz shares a few similarities with Lahn | Letters
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy speaks lovingly of Kansas, saying “There’s no place like home.” Because Zach Lahn appears to spend more time in Kansas than in Iowa, people are questioning where his home really is.
My concern is with Lahn’s connection and loyalty to Kansas-based Koch Industries, the second-largest privately-held US company. In 2005, Koch Industries created and funded a libertarian political arm called Americans for Prosperity, which opposes environmental regulations, Obamacare, raising the minimum wage, Medicaid expansion, and government intervention generally. Lahn has worked for AFP in several positions and now runs a Koch-funded private school in Wichita.
In 2024, Koch Ag bought the Wever, IA fertilizer company built in 2017 with massive tax breaks and development incentives on the premise that new suppliers would increase competition and lower prices. Because Koch Ag already owned one Iowa fertilizer plant, their $3.6 billion purchase was opposed vigorously. The National Farmers’ Union argued the purchase increased Koch’s market power and ability to raise prices. I could see no record that Zach Lahn raised any objections. You might ask why would he?
The purchase was recent and now Candidate Lahn argues vigorously against Big Ag. His website says he’s for “out-of-state ownership restrictions” and for directing tax credits to “Iowa-based companies with deep community roots.”
So I wonder about Lahn’s heart. Is he an Iowan opposed to Big Ag dominated by out-of-state corporations or is he still loyal to the Kansas Koch conglomerate that keeps accruing power and opposes regulation of its growth?
Sue Ravenscroft
Ames
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: The Wizard of Oz shares a few similarities with Lahn | Letters
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