This Week in Stupid

Believe it or Not!

For reasons not entirely clear or coherent, the U. S. has embarked on a policy to turn corn into gasoline.  Corn ethanol, which is alcohol distilled from corn is used as a gasoline substitute.  The program was enacted not to help with U. S. energy costs, but to boost the price of corn for Midwest farmers.

Now given the rise in commodity prices even this excuse is no longer valid.  So it would seem that even free market Republicans would support a program to end a government subsidy that is no longer needed.  But wait!  According to the man who decides all Republican tax policy, Grover Norquist, ending the program would be a tax increase.  So Republicans cannot vote to stop a wasteful, useless subsidy.

http://www.economist.com/node/18529711?story_id=18529711