Sioux City Journal

A corporate takeover of America, the beautiful

Posted: Monday, May 19, 2008

BURBANK, S.D. -- On a recent morning, something brought the song "America the Beautiful" to my mind. They used to teach it to us in music or citizenship or one of those classes in grade school someone used to believe was important. I hear in the news lately it all cost too much, so it is no longer taught in many schools. Is that why so many are seeming to blindly follow the Pied Piper that is Hyperion, or maybe they are more like lemmings?

Don't take this wrong, but many people who support the refinery strike me as either deliberately looking the other way or just not realizing what stands to be lost by paving a place with farmland mingled with habitat, nesting eagles and burial mounds. No less than "America the Beautiful," right here in Union County. This is the literal hostile corporate takeover of America, the beautiful, not like that seems to matter anymore.

Before you vote June 3, especially you supporters, bother to go look at the land southeast of Spink. I would bet Hyperion and Gov. Rounds didn't look before they started the refinery snowball down the hill. If Hyperion is really on the level, I would be all in support of the refinery being located between Jefferson and North Sioux, east of the interstate. Seriously. The interstate, river and railroad couldn't be set up better.

Leave the eagles alone, Hyperion. Or don't you want to talk about it, like all that other "inconvenient" stuff? -- Carolyn Carlson

Story Comments

Douglas wrote on May 25, 2008 8:04 AM:

" VOTE: YES, we need it. Carolyn you are living in a dream world. "

Dave wrote on May 24, 2008 8:36 AM:

" Ted Curry , Al S is correct. 2006 world oil production showed that Russia was the worlds #2 Oil Producer at 9,677,000 barrels a day.

Second, Russia still owes the United States for lend lease War supplies from World War II.

It seems as if you owe Al S and every other rational thinker an apology. "

Al S wrote on May 24, 2008 8:23 AM:

" Ted Curry, Your facts make no point. Yes the Russians were our Allies, and yes they did incur debt on the war supplies we sent to them.
The Lend lease war debt was renegoiated in 1972, but it is still owed.
Ted you really need to think about what you are trying to say before you speak, or in this case type. "

UnCoGal wrote on May 22, 2008 2:00 PM:

" Some comments are confusing Hyperion with progress. Progress stands for improvement, but Hyperions makes our county a disaster! Progress it is NOT!! "

Ted Curry wrote on May 21, 2008 10:50 AM:

" Al S, not to let you take us in a crazy direction here, but weren't we allies with the USSR in WWII? Do they even have a war debt? Here are the facts that you might be missing: the USSR lost 10.7 million military personnel fighting the Nazis on the Eastern Front and 12.4m civilians throughout the war; the US lost 416,000 military on both fronts and 1,700 civilians. Think first, then type. If you are as informed about history as you are about Hyperman, maybe you should stop telling anyone what you think (since it is bound to be pure misinformation). "