Dear Friends,

I am so proud of all the landowners standing strong against the Bakken pipeline. (See the article in today’s Cedar Rapids Gazette.) Their position is not an easy one to be in. Yet despite Dakota Access’ aggressive tactics, threats and lies, 37% of the land needed for the pipeline remains in the hands of farmers and landowners who have said “NO” to granting the company an easement.

With that threshold of opposition, there is no way the Iowa Utilities Board, in good conscience, can grant Dakota Access the power of eminent domain. But to make sure they know that, it will require continued citizen pressure and vigilance over the next two months.I’ll add this too: As I discovered time after time on my Pipeline Walk earlier this year, many of the landowners who have said “YES” felt they had no option. (For more on that, read my blog posts from Day 11 and Day 36 of the Walk, as just two examples.) The opposition to the pipeline among residents along its proposed route is even deeper than the IUB probably thinks.

Iowa’s politicians should be listening. In fact, the presidential candidates campaigning in Iowa should be listening, too. Seventy-five percent of all Iowans are against taking private property through eminent domain for a pipeline. So far, I know of only three candidates who have said they oppose the Bakken pipeline. They are Rand Paul, Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders. If you know of others, tell me so we can thank them – and even Paul, O’Mallely and Sanders should be challenged to speak-out more strongly against the Bakken.

Of course, some of Iowa’s political leaders are not only listening to our concerns but are in the fight with us. A special thanks to State Rep. Dan Kelley, State Sen. Rob Hogg, and State Rep. Bobby Kaufman – and Bobby will join me on today’s program at 11:00.

Also on today’s Fallon Forum:

– Congressional candidate Desmund Adams;

– Ted Glick, who was part of a group fasting in front of FERC for 18 days last month in opposition to that agency’s rubber-stamping of permits for fracking;

– Tristan Quinn-Thibodeau, discussing last week’s awarding of the Food Sovereignty Prize; and

– State Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad on the most recent anti-Muslim comments by Congressman Steve King, and how race and religion plays into this year’s presidential campaign.

Join us live every Monday from 11:00-12:00 noon CDT on KDLF 1260 AM (Des Moines) and online. Call (515) 528-8122 to add your voice to the conversation. The program re-broadcasts Wednesday on KHOI 89.1 FM (Ames) at 4:00 p.m. and Wednesday on KPVL 89.1 FM (Postville) at 7:00 p.m.

Thanks! – Ed Fallon