Olmsted County Concerned Citizens

05/08/2008 – DEFENDING ETHANOL
Metro News
The USDA will go to bat today for corn farmers in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and elsewhere who have taken a public relations beating over ethanol. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer and other top agency officials will hold a news conference to make the case for corn-based fuel. More than 2 dozen Republican U.S. senators want to cut this year’s ethanol production mandate in half, and scrap higher standards for 2022. Presidential nominee John McCain says corn-for-ethanol has led to higher grocery prices at home and food shortages overseas. A Wall Street Journal editorial yesterday said the product joins the pesticide Alar and silicone breast implants as quote, “the greatest scams of the age.” But South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson says gasoline would cost 50-cents more if ethanol was not around. He and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley have asked the EPA to maintain the corn ethanol production goals