Leave farmers to food production

On Aug. 17, a U.S. Appeals Court basically allowed the use of ethanol in our gasoline be increased to 15 percent from the 10 percent previously allowed.

The original purpose of using fuels made from grains, like corn, was to cut our insatiable dependence on foreign oil. Obviously, 10 percent ethanol in your tank should equate to our purchasing 10 percent less oil from foreign sources. The record will show this has never been the case.

The court’s decision will now allow farmers of corn, for example, to produce and sell their crops to refineries to make 5 percent more motor fuel. This means that at least 15 percent of the corn crop will now be headed to a refinery instead of to those who use this very same product for feed.

The result is more of a demand from the processors and less supply. This scenario will only increase the cost of feed and those food items such as meat and poultry will cost more at your family’s table.

We do not pay less for motor fuel because of the addition of ethanol and fuel costs will certainly not be going down by 5 percent because of this ruling, but we surely will be paying more food as well as the cost to get that food to the marketplace.

Adding to all of this, the Obama administration has halted drilling in the Gulf, offshore in general and in Alaska and halted the building of the Keystone Pipeline for our neighbors to the north so that they are now selling their lower cost Canadian oil to the likes of China and others.

We need to drill here and become self-sustaining with our own oil. Allow the farmers to supply the food chain as they should do, resulting in lower food prices at our tables. Now, does that make any sense?

Jerry J. Marchese

Wayne