Reader Responses

America largely uses corn in producing ethanol. It has been a boost to the farming industry. However when you take into account all the things we use corn for, the sharp rise in corn prices has had an unwelcome impact on so very many things.

Animal feed is more expensive. Corn syrup, an additive in many food products, is more expensive, so basic staples are more expensive. At a time when health care costs are rising year on year faster than wages. They told us healthcare lawsuit reform would do the trick, but it looks like we might have been tricked. That deal only helped insurance companies. How shocking.

Ethanol that could be produced that did not use one of the most important basic food products we produce and consume would have been helpful.

Our current leaders saw fit in 2004 or 2005 to offer a one-time tax deduction for the purchase of any vehicle heavier than 5200 lbs. In other words a gas hog tax break. If you spent $50,000.00 on an SUV, and that year your gross income was 50,000.00 you would owe no tax. Incredible. If you don’t believe me ask any accountant. We have the best government money can buy. Where was the EPA then?

In fact, in the Wednesday, August 13th edition of this very paper, on page 8A was an article about how the UN is struggling as never before to try and curb starvation. And that’s a direct result of our need (?) for more and more fuel. We have Missionaries spreading the Gospel around the world, but we might want to spread food instead, at least for a little while.

The most galling aspect of this fiasco is something I am ashamed to point out and do so without taking any pleasure from it.

Our favorite Communist to hate, Fidel Castro, said that if we pursued corn based ethanol we would starve the world just so we could drive gas hogs. He was right. I don’t care for the man, but when someone is right, I will give them credit. (I call him our favorite Communist to hate as we seem to get along fine with communist China, someone explain that.)

And the only reason I recall what Castro said was because when I read his comments in the news I had a vision of a starved skeletal women with absolute hopelessness in her poor eyes holding a baby with a distended abdomen, a sign of starvation, and at the same time I could see someone in America pumping that woman’s life and the life of her child (talk about pro-life!) into a tank of gas to drive a vehicle that should never had been manufactured in the first place.

Indeed, we are a fine Christian Nation, and yes, George W. Bush brought decency back to the White House... however it is of a flavor I cannot recognize.
We are 3 percent of world population and we consume 25 percent of the Earth’s resources... do you think that is sustainable?

Lewis Williams
Tyler