Redstate...
Tim Pawlenty comes
out against farm subsidies. In Iowa.
Posted by Moe Lane
Monday, May 23rd
In his official speech kicking off his campaign:
I’m here today to tell Iowans the truth, too.
America is facing a crushing debt crisis the likes of which we’ve never
seen before. We need to cut spending, and we need to cut it…big
time. The hard truth is that there are no longer any sacred programs.
The truth about federal energy subsidies, including federal subsidies
for ethanol, is that they have to be phased out. We need to do it
gradually. We need to do it fairly. But we need to do it.
Now, I’m not some out-of-touch politician. I served two terms as
Governor of an ag state. I fully understand and respect the
critical role farming plays in our economy and our society. I’ve
strongly supported ethanol in various ways over the years, and I still
believe in the promise of renewable fuels - both for our economy and
our national security.
But even in Minnesota, when faced with fiscal challenges, we reduced
ethanol subsidies. That’s where we are now in Washington, but on
a much, much larger scale.
It’s not only ethanol. We need to change our approach to
subsidies in all industries.
It can’t be done overnight. The industry has made large
investments, and it wouldn’t be fair to pull the rug out from under it
immediately. But we must face the truth that if we want to invite
more competition, more investment, and more innovation into an industry
- we need to get government out. We also need the government out
of the business of handing out favors and special deals. The free
market, not freebies from politicians, should decide a company’s
success. So, as part of a larger reform, we need to phase out
subsidies across all sources of energy and all industries, including
ethanol. We simply can’t afford them anymore.
As I have been reminded privately, in 2008 John McCain likewise came
out against ethanol… and paid the price for it in Iowa and
Indiana. And it might make Pawlenty pay the same price in 2012;
but the truth is, we really can’t afford ethanol subsidies
anymore. Either economically, or - increasingly - in terms
of world security*. So the sooner we have more candidates feeling
comfortable in telling early primary states that their particular
sacred cows aren’t actually all that sacred, the better off we’re all
going to be…
Read it at Redstate
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