BCT Editorial – 3/15/09

This page was last updated on March 15, 2009.

Wrong road; Editorial; Beaver County Times; March 15, 2009.

I agree with the editorial, though I’m not sure why the Times would take this position. (At least once before an editorial opined “the benefits of ethanol as an energy source are highly questionable.”) Given the Times editorial history, I don’t buy the editorial’s alleged concern about “excessive government subsidies to its overall impact on the cost of food.” Using government-run, taxpayer-funded bus systems and education as only two examples, when has the Times not supported “excessive government subsidies?”

I suspect the real reason is the Times opposition to conventional energy sources and the use of ethanol would extend the life of an oil-based economy. Also, production and consumption of ethanol generates CO₂, and the Times believes in manmade global warming.

Did you notice the editorial attributed the change in ethanol content to “Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack,” not the Obama administration? I suspect this will be a blueprint for future editorials in those rare circumstances when the Times disagrees with an Obama policy/program. This apparent unwillingness to call out Mr. Obama on issues is likely why the editorial didn’t remind us of Mr. Obama’s comment when he lifted the federal funding ban on embryonic stem cell research. In his prepared remarks prior to signing the embryonic stem cell executive order, Mr. Obama said, “To ensure that in this new Administration, we base our public policies on the soundest science; that we appoint scientific advisors based on their credentials and experience, not their politics or ideology; and that we are open and honest with the American people about the science behind our decisions.” As noted in the editorial, the ethanol policy is all about politics.

[As a reminder, contrary to what much of the press reports, there was no ban on stem cell (adult or embryonic) research. The ban was only on federal funding of research using embryonic stem cells collected after a certain date in 2001. The private sector and local/state governments could fund embryonic stem cell research as much as they wanted. Then-President Bush was the first president to approve federal funding of any stem cell research.]