Details here and here: the short version is that the Senate back in June kicked off opposition to continued ethanol subsidies via a bipartisan amendment: it didn’t pass, but Congress has just let both the ethanol subsidy and a restrictive foreign tariff (on Brazilian sugar-cane ethanol) lapse. Given that the Iowa caucuses will be finished by the time Congress reconvenes – and given that the House of Representatives is currently chock-heavy with people who spit at the very phrase ‘ethanol subsidy’ – getting back either is going to be a problem for the domestic ethanol industry. Mind you, there are still mandates for using ethanol in place, but note again the ending of the tariff; I’m not a businessman, but effectively lowering the price of Brazilian ethanol by 54 cents/gallon while simultaneously effectively raising the price of domestic ethanol by 45 cents/gallon sounds to me like it would at least raise some intriguing alternatives.

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Details here and here: the short version is that the Senate back in June kicked off opposition to continued ethanol subsidies via a bipartisan amendment: it didn’t pass, but Congress has just let both the ethanol subsidy and a restrictive foreign tariff (on Brazilian sugar-cane ethanol) lapse. Given that the Iowa caucuses will be finished by the time Congress reconvenes – and given that the House of Representatives is currently chock-heavy with people who spit at the very phrase ‘ethanol subsidy’ – getting back either is going to be a problem for the domestic ethanol industry. Mind you, there are still mandates for using ethanol in place, but note again the ending of the tariff; I’m not a businessman, but effectively lowering the price of Brazilian ethanol by 54 cents/gallon while simultaneously effectively raising the price of domestic ethanol by 45 cents/gallon sounds to me like it would at least raise some intriguing alternatives.

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The FCC’s excuse for delaying the AT&T/Qualcomm spectrum deal was to work on the AT&T/T-Mobile deal. The latter has been withdrawn, so what’s the excuse now?

AT&T and Sprint both get bad reviews. Sprint’s Nextel deal went through. AT&T’s T-Mobile deal is getting blocked. Hmm. Looks shady, which is why I support Chuck Grassley’s push for FCC transparency involving LightSquared, even though so far their claims on spectrum make sense to me and John Deere and the GPS industry are getting rural pushback against their LightSquared opposition.

Yeah, I never thought I’d mention John Deere in Tech at Night, either.

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The FCC’s excuse for delaying the AT&T/Qualcomm spectrum deal was to work on the AT&T/T-Mobile deal. The latter has been withdrawn, so what’s the excuse now?

AT&T and Sprint both get bad reviews. Sprint’s Nextel deal went through. AT&T’s T-Mobile deal is getting blocked. Hmm. Looks shady, which is why I support Chuck Grassley’s push for FCC transparency involving LightSquared, even though so far their claims on spectrum make sense to me and John Deere and the GPS industry are getting rural pushback against their LightSquared opposition.

Yeah, I never thought I’d mention John Deere in Tech at Night, either.

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The chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, made a surprise appearance at the Iowa Straw Poll earlier August 13th.  During a short interview, she claimed “common ground” with several Republican presidential candidates on renewable energy subsidies.  Much to the chagrin of economic conservatives, her claim appears substantiated.

Parked horizontally on the grounds of the Iowa Straw Poll throughout the weekend was a blade from a wind turbine.  Prominently displayed on the turbine blade were the corporate logos of GE and TPI Composites. These two companies partner together to develop subsidized wind farms throughout Iowa.  Representatives of this partnership provided magic markers to straw poll attendees and to politicians.  People could then indicate support of the projects by signing the turbine blade.  In addition, politicians were provided a speaking area to verbally express their support of renewable energy subsidies in front of the blade.

Both Mitt Romney and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), amongst other politicians, attached their signatures to the declaration of support for wind energy subsidies.  Considering Mitt Romney’s portrayal of himself as a businessperson with an economic vision starkly opposed to President Obama’s, his apparent support for renewable energy subsidies for TPI Composites may give conservatives pause.  Unbeknownst to most Republican primary voters, several other prominent Democrats strongly support corporate welfare for TPI Composites.  In fact, President Obama mentioned stimulus funds provided to TPI Composites in a speech last year.   Another Massachusetts politician,  stalwart Leftist Barney Frank, recently proudly announced the placement of a TPI plant in Fall River, MA—a plant supported with a $250,000 grant from the government.

The apparent endorsement by several Republican presidential candidates of this particular corporate welfare recipient will likely raise questions with conservative primary voters.   After all, TPI Composites has also received accolades from Barney Frank, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and President Obama.  Iowa companies have received more than $160 million in Department of Energy stimulus grants.  How unfortunate that some Republican contenders chose to endorse more of the same instead of taking the opportunity to explain the senselessness of such a system.  One would think that the Iowa Straw Poll would have been the optimal event to explain the free market perspective rather than acquiesce to the demands for more corporate welfare.