Someone At The New York Times Must Be Reading This Blog -- January 31, 2016

Just a couple of days ago I asked: with a global glut of oil and gasoline that isn't going to end any time soon, and the price of oil / gasoline at record lows, "tell me again why we're adding ethanol to gasoline? Oh, that's right. The first presidential "primary" is held in Iowa." 

Someone at The New York Times must have been reading the blog, because tonight the newspaper has this story/headline:  Ethanol Mandate, a Boon to Iowa Alone, Faces Rising Resistance. LOL. What a coincidence!

From the story:

And now a powerful coalition including oil companies, environmentalists, grocery manufacturers, livestock farmers and humanitarian advocates is pushing Congress to weaken or repeal the mandate. As soon as this week, the Senate could vote on a measure to roll back the Renewable Fuel Standard, just days after the Iowa caucuses close and the issue largely goes to rest for another four years.

Even here, as Iowa urbanizes and diversifies, ethanol may be losing its once-powerful hold, some political consultants say. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, one of the Republican front-runners in Iowa, has called for an end to subsidies for all forms of energy, as well as a five-year phasing out of the renewable fuel mandate that created the ethanol economy here.

That position drew an unusual repudiation from Iowa’s governor, Terry E. Branstad, a Republican who has not endorsed any candidate. “It would be a big mistake for Iowa to support him,” Mr. Branstad told reporters at a forum held by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.

At the same forum, the other front-runner, Donald J. Trump, said he was “100 percent” behind the ethanol mandate and would even support increasing it further.

At least now, on this single wedge issue I know who I support. LOL.