Gov. Goodhair Demands Cuts To Federal Ethanol Subsidies As Costs Hammer Ranchers & Feedlot Owners

[hatrack]

WASHINGTON — Gov. Rick Perry took his case for a Texas waiver from corn-based ethanol production to Washington on Tuesday, arguing that the EPA program is driving up food costs by diverting scarce corn to fuel production.

"While I have no doubt this mandate was a well-intentioned effort to move our country toward energy independence, it is doing more harm than good and must be modified before our livestock industry suffers permanent damage," said Perry at a news conference at the National Press Club. "Granting this waiver will provide much-needed relief to families, while enabling Texas to continue feeding and fueling the nation."

Perry, governor of the state that is home to the nation’s oil and natural gas industry, asked the Environmental Protection Agency in April for "at least a 50 percent waiver" from its renewable-fuel standards for grain-based ethanol.

The result, he and cattle and chicken producers said at the news conference, would be lower meat prices and even lower diesel prices from freed-up energy production. Renewable-fuels advocates countered that granting the waiver would not significantly lower corn or meat prices.

EDIT

http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/721459.html

[damntexdem]

1. Well, it's Goodhair and Texas vs. national agribusiness.

Goodhair will likely lose; but whoever wins, we will all likely lose.

[kestrel91316]

2. Well, if we'd lose our shameful addiction to cheap feedlot beef

it would go a long way toward addressing the problem. Grassfed beef don't need no stinkin' corn.