| We have relatively few regulations on ag land usage so farmers saturate their fields with nitrates which inevitably run off into our water system to the point where there isn't a river in Iowa which isn't unsafe for swimming and drinking water becomes polluted. https://apnews.com/article/politics-environment-iowa-des-moi... Farmers don't care. They care about profits, not sustainability which is why they are fine letting the top soil just erode away. They know at some point they will be bailed out despite their complete irresponsibility in managing their resources. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/scientists-say... Finally, there is some talk about gravel roads being the right choice for rural areas but that's not so clear cut. The cost for maintaining gravel roads is significantly higher than indicated and you often need more than just a grader and dump truck because these roads are prone to washing out which requires major repair. The initial cost of paved roads is higher up front, but the maintenance costs are lower over time. Gravel needs to be maintained yearly. https://blog.midwestind.com/road-maintenance-costs-unpaved-v... Rural residents rarely feel the actual cost of maintaining their lifestyle. Miles and miles of county roads servicing a handful of people a day. In Iowa roughly 40% of the population lives in rural areas and there are 98,000 miles of road to support them. While the other 60% of the population needs 17,000 miles of road to support their daily activities and that's putting all highways on the city side of the budget. Rural residents love to talk about how much cheaper their lifestyle is, but they are being heavily subsidized by people who live in the suburbs and urban areas while pretending to be "fiercely independent" and "self sufficient". |