Not to beat a dead horse, but the ethanol subsidy ended on Jan 1st. So, no more of that.
durning the past 20 years, ethanol use has raised the price of corn 10-15 cents a bu, thus lowering the grain subsidies as well. That was one of the points of ethanol, taking a product we have too much of - corn - and finding a market for it. Farmers around me put up their own money to build the cooperative ethanol plants. So ethanol has reduced subsidy costs in some ways.
Every segment of the USA seems to have some subsidies. Rentals in major cities, I always hear of rent controlled, subsidised. Pipelines to carry perto fuels get subsidised. The Chevy Volt is a clear example of other forms of energy getting subsidised.
When used, as ethanol has been, to get a new infrastructure started to help replace an old, well-subsidised floundering infrastructure, perhaps a subsidy isn't always a 100% bad thing? The ethanol subsidy ended now, and we will see if ethanol continues. We are in strange ecconomic times, and with Americans driving less, using less fuel, it is difficult to sell enough ethanol. Exports to Brazil help, and:
Subsidies have ended on it. What other segment of USA society can say that subsidies have gotten smaller or ended??????????
Time will tell.
--->Paul