Government holds ethanol control

There are no reported sightings of the compassionate farmer depicted in a recent Super Bowl ad. I worked for some when a boy. Those farmers may now be extinct.

His replacement began developing back when corn was burned because there was no market. He became more political and arranged for government-supported minimum prices for corn providing he limited his acres planted.

Then he elected congressmen owning farms and also a conflict of interest when they mandated national use of their product. They forced us all to go back to burning corn (ethanol), this time in our vehicles.

It appears that in return for the mandated use of ethanol and our helping pay 57 percent of crop insurance costs, we get more runoff flooding, flood insurance costs and a larger Gulf dead zone.

Ethanol of higher quality and costing less can be made from natural gas. China permits it, our government does not. We burn corn instead. The resulting tripling of corn, soybean and land prices has also increased many food prices and put more people on food stamps. This government is the cause of income inequality.

The market could provide lower-priced alternative fuels if the government will get out of the way and allow competition to occur.

My 80 years and decades doing projects for many governments tell me that voters need to rotate incumbents out of office before they become entrenched dictators. Experience is not worth its cost in government.

Marv Rops

Cedar Rapids