The Last Days of Ethanol?

[Geee]

Front Page Magazine:

A prosaic commodity—corn—is making strange political bedfellows. But their stance makes infinite sense.

They oppose heavily subsidized ethanol, made from corn. Opposition comes from such diverse advocacy groups as the Democrat-aligned activist organization MoveOn.org to the Tea Party-aligned FreedomWorks. Other opponents ranging across the ideological spectrum include the American Bankers Association, the Sierra Club and the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute.

They believe, as do sensible Americans, that using food for fuel is public policy insanity. The Environmental Protection Agency, keeping true to its usual irresponsible actions, decided earlier this year to allow the use of fuel containing ethanol in any gas-powered car or truck An agency that is supposed to protect the environment looks the other way despite such environmental consequences as water pollution from heavy application of farm chemicals applied to corn fields to increase production, clearing of wildlife habitat, and plowing marginal and erodible lands to boost corn supply.
Ethanol was sold to the public as a way to reduce crude oil imports. Yet for our investment of $17 billion from 2005 to 2009, the reward to taxpayers was a paltry 1.1 mile-per-gallon increase in fuel economy. Simply keeping our tires properly inflated could have saved more than that.


Congress earlier this year voted to extend the current $7 billion ethanol subsidy for one year and the tariff on ethanol at the existing rate as part of the Bush tax rate compromise. Ethanol now eats up 35 million acres of corn, forcing farmers to convert wheat and soy acreage into corn.
There are more than 200 ethanol plants in two dozen states. Production, however, is centered in the Midwest. About 40 percent of U.S. corn grown is used to make ethanol.

[Argyle58]

Since when good sense have anything to do with government subsidies, or government programs?

 

Ya'll remember the Rural Electrification Administration? It was created in 1936 to bring electric power to every corner of the U.S. Well, to my knowledge, its stated goal has been fulfilled for at least 40 years, and yet, it still exists and has a multi-billion dollar annual budget. And, the budget keeps increasing.

 

Just coming on line are provisions from NAFTA, (remember this boondoggle?) REA is now providing funds for Rural Electric Co-ops in MEXICO AND CANADA!!!!! (Your tax dollars at work).

 

REA money is used to bring obsolete telephone exchanges to rural communities.....never mind that Ma Bell and her off-spring can provide service to virtually every community in the country.

 

You can bet that they will be used as the vehicle to fullfil Zero's dream of "bringing broad-band access to the entire country"...in spite of the fact that with modern technology, it is already available anywhere in the country.

 

Farm subsities are taboo subjects to politicians with rural consituancies, and their continuance is always the first bargaining chip in any budget battle. Don't look for ethanol subsities to end anytime soon.

[SrWoodchuck]

As a pheasant hunter that has many friends in eastern Colorado that grow feed corn......they would have gone bust without being able to "farm the government." To me, this is less onerous than using food for fuel......the corn grown for ethanol is feed corn.....which raises the cost of meat, as well as taking food acreage away from our tables. It's important to keep the "small" farmer & rancher.....as the other option is big "agri-businesses" that have no feelings except profit motive & will use their monopoly for that end.

 

Witness George Soros & his purchase of grain storage companies in the US [silo's] and the fact that he now is the 3rd largest owner of grain storage facilities. Do you think he has anything benevolent planned for these purchases, or will he be twisting arms soon to promote his agenda & bottom line?

 

Worse than that......in Mexico, farmers are plowing under agave to grow corn for ethanol....when they mess with the prices of a staple.....like good tequila.....they've reached the end of their senses.

 

I'm all for the making of ethanol, as long as it's used properly.....for drinking!