Posted on 03/07/2015 11:57:58 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Des Moines—Only weeks after taking this key state in the presidential race by surprise, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker defended his front-runner status in Iowa by pledging to support a federal ethanol mandate, shifting his position on renewable fuels at a Republican roundup on farm issues.
The GOP governor and a lineup of other major potential presidential contenders—including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush—took the stage before hundreds of spectators and media at the Iowa Ag Summit at the state fairgrounds here.
In the moderated discussion with ethanol magnate Bruce Rastetter, Walker dropped his previous flat opposition to ethanol mandates, offering a new stance that's well-suited to a state covered in cornfields. Walker signaled that he favors keeping the mandate for now and phasing it outin the future — without saying over what period.
"It's an access issue, and so it's something I'm willing to go forward on continuing the Renewable Fuel Standard and pressing the EPA to make sure there's certainty in terms of the blend levels set," Walker said. "Now, long term — we've talked about this before as well — my goal would be to get to a point where we directly address those market access issues and I think that's a part of the challenge. So that eventually you didn't need to have a standard."
Walker, a past critic of ethanol, acknowledged in January that he would have to spell out his position on the issue as part of his likely presidential bid. In other key issues for Iowa, Walker said that he favored drawing down federal tax credits for wind power over time and opposed mandatory labeling of foods made from genetically modified crops.
"This is one of those where I believe it's served its purpose," Walker said of the credits. "I would support phasing that out over a period of time."
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
Walker walks.
Cruz tells the audience of roughly 1,000 that he has “every bit of faith that businesses can continue to compete, continue to do well without going on bended knee to the government.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3265499/posts
“The answer you’d like me to give is ‘I’m for the RFS, darn it,’” Cruz responded. “That’d be the easy thing to do. But people are pretty fed up with politicians that run around and tell one group one thing and tell another group another thing. Then they go to Washington and don’t do anything they said they would do.”
“I’m going to tell you the truth,” he added.
Cruz is the sponsor of a Senate bill to repeal the RFS standard over a period of five years, so it’s no surprise where he stands. But he did not try to nuance his position. He said he’s against corporate welfare of all kinds and against the government picking winners and losers.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/3265487/posts
Iowa Ag Summit Applauds Ted Cruz Even When He Opposes Their Interests
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3265405/posts
Haven't we heard farmers talking about all the EPA rules, regulations and paper work that was taking all their time?
March 7, 2015 - Farm Bureau, others question Scott Walker's proposed farm research cuts
"Researchers and supporters of a program that helps farmers run cleaner and more efficient operations say they were “stunned” and “blindsided” by Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to cut a third of the project’s funding.
Discovery Farms, a UW-Extension program that dates to 2001, applies science from a “plows-on” level, evaluates and monitors efforts by state farmers to control runoff, calibrate fertilizer use and employ techniques to conserve land and water.
It has a $750,000 budget, of which $248,000 would be cut in the governor’s proposed state budget.
UW-Extension officials noted the loss affects longstanding projects and the ability of the small program to leverage crucial additional grants and funds.
“We would have a 1.2-employee reduction of staff and we would pull back some of our sampling efforts, water quality analysis and a project (set) for Rock County,” said Amber Radatz, project co-director.
The project’s programs include monitoring 20 state farms and educating thousands of farmers on conservation strategies.
“This was a big surprise to our agency partners as well as our partners in farm groups and in UW-Extension,” she said. “We never had an inkling.”
The $248,000 comes from a surcharge on farm chemical sales that would be discontinued."..................
I hope they drop the mandates- the ethanol screws up boat engines down here.
Let the market decide.
...”Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said he would continue the subsidies for now but phase them out once ethanol producers are assured access to markets. “I think eventually you can get to that,” he said. “But you can’t get to that unless you deal with market access.”...
“...Saturday’s forum also was an opportunity for likely contenders to display knowledge of rural issues and connect with Iowa’s farmers. Walker waxed nostalgic about growing up as the son of a Baptist preacher in the small Iowa town of Plainfield, where he said he learned that “farming isn’t just a business, it’s a way of life.”....
Very good point.
Except Cruz has a concrete timeframe and Walker has some nebulous ‘whenever’ timeframe. Whenever could easily become ‘never’.
Sometimes environmentalists can go overboard, as for nonendangered species that are being pushed out of places that they are actually foreign migrants into, or those that are a genetic variant of a plentiful species. But it looks like seriously fatal monkey business is going on with these orangutans and nobody cares because green is not orange. These monkeys will not continue to live in palm groves.
There will be no problem. Liberals will run screaming for the bottle and the ethanol producers will be in fat city.
Anyhow if Walker is anything like he was with the unions, the popular support will be there. The ethanol sinecure will suffer “some” however there’s nothing saying it can’t serve to farm something else instead.
What exactly does that mean?
This is why Cruz will not be the nominee and Walker will be our nominee.
Cruz supporters are too stupid (or too dishonest) to understand what Walker says is the same as Cruz, but try to criticize Walker for it.
Want to bet a steak dinner on it?
"It's an access issue, and so it's something I'm willing to go forward on continuing the Renewable Fuel Standard and pressing the EPA to make sure there's certainty in terms of the blend levels set," Walker said. "Now, long term -- we've talked about this before as well -- my goal would be to get to a point where we directly address those market access issues and I think that's a part of the challenge. So that eventually you didn't need to have a standard."The price of corn will drop this year because the price of fuel has fallen (and going forward, petrochemicals will follow), meaning (as my dad used to say) farmers will be ploughing out to the middle of the road. Ethanol will fall in price as a consequence, which will have an additional small impact on fuel prices at the pump. Of course, this will go out the window if the price of oil rises again.
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