Free Market

Free markets at there best. <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/06/18/build/state/48-schweitzer.inc">Democratic Brian Schweitzer would require that all fuel sold in Montana contain 10 percent ethanol</a>. Hold it, that word require in there is a little troublesome. I guess that means it might not be a free market idea. Oh, I understand now, this is a proposal for the government to force us to do something whether we like it or not. <br />n<br />n I would like to know how this is going to "add up to $1 billion annually to Montana's agricultural economy." Of course how stupid of me, everyone knows that farmers and ranchers use horses for all thier work and don't buy fuel. Also it says "add up to" which in political jargon means that if it only adds one dollar to the ag economy it would be a technically correct statement. I guess I'm just not thinking right here.<br />n<!–more–><br />nI would have to agree with the stament that Brian Schweitzer made "we need to decrease our dependency on foreign oil." But I truly belive we need a free market solution to the problem, not more government coercion and intrusion into our lives.<br />n<br />n<i>Schweitzer said the Black bill would have no cost to Montanans, but it is dependent on the continued federal subsidy of 54 cents per gallon</i><br />n<br />nI guess I missed the part where it wasn't going to cost any money. Wait, it depends on a 54 cent per gallon subsidy from the federal government? Obviously I missed the point in the article somewhere that states I don't pay any federal taxes to make my cost for this proposal nothing. If you do pay federal taxes this proposal will cost you something because of the subsidy.<br />n<br />n<i>Few cattle are actually "finished" here. Some are allowed to grow to up to 850 pounds and are shipped to feedlots in other states with cheap protein feed from ethanol production.</i><br />n<br />nWow, I guess i am just illeterate about the cattle industry. I thought that corn and other feed grains made up the bulk of the ration that cattle were fed. According to Brian Schweitzer the only feed cattle are fed is "cheap protein feed from ethanol production." I would have to call "bullshit" on this statement. I do know better than this.<br />n<br />nWhile Mr. Schweitzer's proposal on the surface sounds ok, careful reading shows all the flaws in this plan. It is just going to create another buisness that relies on government handouts, remember those federal subsidies, and the agricultural industry all ready relies on too many government handouts to survive. We need a free market solution to the oil problem. Not government subsidized intrusions into our lives.<br />n<br />n<b>Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government&acirc;