Conservatively Speaking
State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
It’s baaaack!
By Mary Lazich
Friday, Feb 2 2007, 01:55 PM
The “E” word is back. I am referring to ethanol.
If we turn the clock back to March 9, 2006, it was on that day I made a motion on the floor of the state Senate to indefinitely postpone a bill to mandate the sale of gasoline in Wisconsin that contained 10% ethanol. The motion was approved and for the past 10 months, we could breathe a sigh of relief. Not anymore.
Governor Doyle said during his State of the State speech, “I'll propose the next major step forward in our effort to become America's leader in energy independence - a $40 million investment in renewable energy. We'll provide incentives to dramatically increase the availability of E-85.” E-85 is fuel that is comprised of 85 percent ethanol.
Excitement over ethanol, a renewable fuel made with corn, has reached such a high level that there has been a virtual rush on corn. The effects have been devastating, especially in Mexico with a society, culture, and way of life dominated by the tortilla. Tortillas make up 40 percent of the diet for poor Mexicans, and with corn prices quadrupling in Mexico since last summer, Mexico is suffering through its worst tortilla crisis.
Exorbitant tortilla costs created by the buzz about ethanol have left few alternatives in Mexico. Mexicans who can afford food are bypassing tortillas for options that are less healthy, so they are gaining weight. The poor are eating less, eating less healthy, or going hungry.
There are many concerns about ethanol, its effect on world hunger being the latest. Because corn is used to produce ethanol, it requires so much water, energy and land to produce, making its benefits highly questionable. Evidence suggests that ethanol costs more, harms the environment, and reduces gas mileage. Ethanol has been known to wreak havoc on small engines, and now it is likely to wreak havoc on the food supply.
When the Governor talks about investing, another word for spending, a substantial amount of state dollars on proliferating ethanol, it makes me very skeptical. Before our deficit-riddled state commits to earmarking large sums of taxpayer dollars to ethanol, we should be assured with hard, empirical findings that the benefits are worth the expenditure. Today, that information is lacking.
