A bad policy: Linking gas to food

When it comes to bad ideas, bad policies and bad politically expedient "solutions," President Barack Obama is the current champ.

Scrounging for votes in the Midwest yesterday, Obama shamelessly announced another government spending program -- this one would have the U.S. government buying pork, chicken, lamb and catfish at inflated prices to "help" ranchers and farmers.

It won't help ranchers and farmers. And it most assuredly will hurt consumers. But this is a direct result of the country's "green" ethanol program, which mandates that more than 40 percent of the country's corn crop be used for the useless fuel ethanol. Linking gasoline prices with food prices creates an unnatural intervention in the food market that in the end is bad for everyone. It is compounded by the fact that ethanol just doesn't serve any purpose. (For more on this, link here.)

It doesn't make any sense. Except, of course, if you are the president and you need votes in the Midwest.

PS: Yes, Ds and Rs do it. But Obama did it yesterday. Don't make excuses for the guy.

PPS: Government intervention into private markets produces unnatural results. Hence: Ethanol in Iowa while people go hungry.

PPPS: 250,000 people in Clark County are food insecure. None (I feel safe in saying) put ethanol in their cars.