Biofuels: Where’s Our Bailout?

Lynne Kiesling

Via Ron Bailey at Reason: the biofuels industry asks where their bailout is. I had to chuckle when Ron pointed out that the Renewable Fuels Association says that they, unlike other lobbying organizations, are offering ideas instead of just asking for a handout. OK, I did more than chuckle …

Ron quotes a couple of critics of a biofuels bailout, including this choice one from Andrew Moylan from the National Taxpayers Union:

“Since corn ethanol boosters have never known a day when they weren’t benefiting from government largesse, it’s sadly predictable that their response to times of economic distress is to push for more handouts rather than consider reality-based business models. Ethanol lobbyists won’t call their latest loan and mandate schemes ‘bailouts,’ but after seeing so many other interests line up for federal cash recently, taxpayers know when they’re being shaken down. Americans should be outraged that yet another industry, especially one that is already dependent on the government, has the gall to ask them for even more of their hard-earned money.”