Laura McNish Strikes Again

Laura McNish strikes again! Or maybe not. According to the Marysville Advocate, she has finally gotten around to filing a petition before Kansas Corperation Commission about a project by Clean Line Energy called the Grain Belt Express. This petition is to express concerns of the landowners in Marshall County, Kansas, who will be affected in many ways by this budding enterprise. Many objections have been voiced, from the possible incompatibility of transport of direct current in places that already transport alternating current, to property owners losing their land to eminent domain.

Eminent domain is a process that is generally used as a means of compensating owners of real estate for property that must be bought and used by the government or the community for the benefit of the public and the community. Clean Line Energy is a private enterprise, and none of the direct current transported by the Grain Belt Express will benefit Kansans, particularly in Marshall County. In fact, it appears that Kansas simply wants to confiscate land from unwilling property owners, giving them nothing more than "conscience money"........not anywhere near market value......to go ahead and make a quick buck by selling it to Clean Line Energy.

The Grain Belt Express has been in the works since July of 2010, which, ironically; is when Laura McNish was appointed to serve as council to Marshall County, Kansas. Why did she wait until now to address the concerns of those whose properties and whose livelihoods will be affected by the Grain Belt Express? August 30 was last day to file a petition: why did she not file before then? Hearings to answer questions about direct current and alternating current, and the requirements involved for both, have been in progress since 2010. While Clean Line Energy is overly optimistic about the engineering aspect, it is downright insensitive to the desires of the farmers and other landowners, all of whom would have appreciated the opportunity to voice their concerns much earlier. During a recent meeting with Clean Line representatives and Marshall County residents, McNish appeared either weak, or resigned to the defeat of her constiuents' goals. Could she have gotten Marshall County's voices heard in a more timely and efficient manner? Was it possible to inform residents of Marshall County before the eleventh hour? Does Laura McNish truly represent Marshall County?