Times – Picayune
Storm floods area homes and cars, closes schools, snarls traffic
By Bruce Nolan, Michelle Krupa and Mark Waller Staff writers A massive winter storm rotating over the Great Plains dragged a train of thunderstorms across South Louisiana early Thursday, producing heavy rain that flooded homes and cars in parts of Orleans and Jefferson parishes and left roads impassable in the region’s heaviest rainfall since Hurricane Rita. In some places, more than six inches fell overnight and Thursday morning before yielding to a gloomy, but drier, afternoon. More rain is forecast Friday. Officials in Jefferson Parish reported water in three homes on Hollywood Drive in Old Metairie, as well as in some businesses on Metairie Road. In New Orleans, at least three schools took on water and some residents in the Carrollton and Broadmoor areas said water had gotten in their homes. The worst flooding in both parishes occurred in areas drained by the massive Pump Station No. 6 on Metairie Road at the 17th Street Canal. New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board spokeswoman Brenda Thornton said an electrical failure kept the station from pumping at full capacity early in the event. In addition, one pump at the station had a problem, a department release said.
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tpupdates/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tpupdates/archives/2006_12_21.html#218270
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La. to receive $75M for alternate housing, Miss. $280 million
12/21/2006, 6:53 p.m. CT
By MELINDA DESLATTE
The Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana will receive $75 million in new federal money to pay for modular quick-assemble homes, known as "Katrina cottages," to replace the cramped FEMA trailers where many residents have lived since Hurricane Katrina, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said Thursday.
But that was far less than Louisiana had sought, and state officials said they were disappointed that Louisiana will get less than one-fifth of the $400 million pool available for the pilot program funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Mississippi is expected to receive more than $280 million.
The divvying up of alternative housing money restarted complaints that Mississippi has been treated better than Louisiana in the allocation of federal hurricane recovery cash. Landrieu said FEMA was being unfair because the 2005 hurricanes destroyed more than 205,000 homes in Louisiana compared to 61,000 homes in Mississippi.
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-29/116674674890700.xml&storylist=louisiana
Scientists rebuke Corps over 'Mister Go' report
12/21/2006, 5:26 p.m. CT
By CAIN BURDEAU
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A group of scientists on Thursday accused the Army Corps of Engineers of endangering this city's future by failing to take steps to immediately close a shipping channel blamed for widespread flooding during Hurricane Katrina.
The rebuke was aimed at a preliminary report the Corps sent Congress on Dec. 15, urging it to close the 76-mile Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet but stopping short of saying when.
Locals have dubbed the channel a "hurricane highway" because it has been blamed for funneling storm surge into the city.
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-29/116673720099390.xml&storylist=louisiana
La. local govts can borrow cash while waiting for FEMA and state
12/21/2006, 3:35 p.m. CT
The Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Cash-strapped parishes and local governments struggling to rebuild after hurricanes Katrina and Rita will have access to a $500 million pool of loans until they get reimbursed by FEMA for the work.
Local government officials, including New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, have complained that reimbursement money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that flows through the governor's homeland security office is moving too slowly. Local officials have blamed both federal and state government red tape for the hold-up.
While cities and towns wait for their reimbursement money, they will be able to borrow an estimated 75 percent to 80 percent of the anticipated FEMA grant money from the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority. They then will repay the loan with interest to the LPFA when they are reimbursed by FEMA.
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1166737465112860.xml&storylist=louisiana
Bush signs historic energy royalty bill
La. wetlands fix is crucial target for the money
Thursday, December 21, 2006
By Bruce Alpert
WASHINGTON -- Ending a five-decade battle, President Bush signed historic energy legislation into law Wednesday that will give Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states a share of royalty payments for oil and gas produced off their shores.
"This is really an important piece of legislation for Louisiana for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is it will help provide money so that we can help restore the wetlands in Louisiana," Bush said at the bill signing ceremony attended by Louisiana's two senators.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who had been working on the issue since she first arrived in the Senate in 1997, said she told the president that embracing the energy legislation will create a positive legacy for him and his administration for decades to come.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/washington/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1166687237146230.xml&coll=1
Bond Commission OKs borrowing for Plaquemines ethanol plant
12/21/2006, 2:45 p.m. CT
The Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Plaquemines Parish can move forward with the possible construction of a $600 million ethanol plant, financed through a tax exempt business bond program for hurricane affected parishes, the State Bond Commission agreed Thursday.
The commission gave the parish the authority to borrow the money to build the plant by issuing bonds through the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act and paying them off with the revenue of the facility. The state money panel quickly approved the plans without objection.
But the parish council hasn't decided whether it will back the plant, and negotiations are continuing with the businesses involved. The Bond Commission's approval was contingent on approval by the council at its next meeting and an environmental impact study.
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/business-4/116673446514580.xml&storylist=louisiana
State population down 5 percent
A Census Bureau report released today shows that the state’s population shrank by 220,000 people, or 5 percent, in the year after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the largest one-year migration from an American state since the wholesale community disruptions of the World War II era, the bureau said. Not surprisingly, Louisiana’s net population loss between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006, easily surpasses that in any other state. “You have to go back to the ‘40s to find percentage or numerical loss of that magnitude for any state,” said Census Bureau demographer Greg Harper. The closest reference points he found were a 12 percent population loss in Arizona and a 230,000 net loss in Pennsylvania from 1943 to 1944. The new state-by-state estimates underscore an argument often made by Louisiana Recovery Authority officials since Katrina and Rita: that the impact from storm waters, winds and levee failures in Louisiana dwarfs that seen from Katrina in Mississippi, which actually increased its population by about 2,000 people, or one-tenth of a percent, during the year. Two states attracting large numbers of Louisianians after the storms, Texas and Georgia, had estimated population gains of 529,000 and 231,000, respectively, during the year, ranking them among the fastest-growing states. Each had a 2.5 percent growth rate.
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tpupdates/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tpupdates/archives/2006_12_21.html#218283
Hundreds volunteer to help City Park after Hurricane Katrina
12/22/2006, 1:08 a.m. CT
By MARY FOSTER
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Michigan State horticulture professor Art Cameron couldn't believe what he saw when he visited New Orleans in August.
He was shocked to find much of the city still in ruins following Hurricane Katrina, which struck Aug. 29, 2005.
Cameron, like many others who are volunteering their time to projects aimed at bringing the city back to life, thought he could help. Turned out his skills were more than needed by City Park, the massive, 150-year-old park struggling to recover from the storm and catastrophic flooding.
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1166773276184530.xml&storylist=louisiana
Japan official: NKorea nuclear talks end
12/22/2006, 2:59 a.m. CT
By AUDRA ANG
The Associated Press
BEIJING (AP) — The first six-nation arms talks in the wake of North Korea's nuclear test ended Friday without any agreement on getting the communist nation to move toward disarmament, and negotiators weren't even able to schedule a date for more meetings.
During five days of meetings in Beijing after the North ended a 13-month boycott, negotiators had said Pyongyang refused to address its nuclear weapons but instead stuck to a demand that U.S. financial restrictions on the regime be lifted.
The talks were to end Friday with a statement being issued solely by the Chinese hosts — not a joint statement signed by all six countries involved, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Jiang Yu said.
A Japanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said no new date had been set for further nuclear talks, which also include Russia, South Korea and the United States.
Earlier, Japan's top envoy questioned whether the talks would survive as a forum for dealing with North Korea's weapons if they failed again to make any progress. In more than three years of meetings, the North has only committed in principle to disarm but taken no concrete steps to do so — instead going ahead with its first nuclear test on Oct. 9.
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/topstories/index.ssf?/base/international-19/116674674990700.xml&storylist=topstories
Precincts, locations likely to change
Ordinances need federal, local OKs
Thursday, December 21, 2006
By Charlie Chapple
Changes in precinct makeups and polling locations affecting thousands of St. Tammany voters are expected to be approved by local and federal officials before the next elections in the parish on March 31.
The Parish Council approved an ordinance this month moving eight Slidell area precincts from their temporary post-Katrina locations to permanent polling places.
And on Jan. 4, the council is expected to approve another ordinance that will consolidate 10 precincts that have few voters into five new precincts.
http://www.nola.com/northshore/t-p/news/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1166684320146230.xml&coll=1
Saints hope last week's effort was an anomaly
Payton hopes team can correct problems it had vs. Washington
Thursday, December 21, 2006
By Jimmy Smith
The question is inevitable: did the Washington Redskins provide the rest of the league, foremost this week's opponent the Giants, a plan by which to stymie the league's No. 1 offense?
Will New York, bolstered by the possible return of defensive end Michael Strahan from a foot injury, incorporate the same tactics the Redskins last week -- pressure from both sides and middle on quarterback Drew Brees and eliminate check-down receivers such as Reggie Bush -- into their defensive game plan?
"I just think Washington played extremely well and swarmed to the ball," Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday. "They've been playing like that if you had any opportunity to see the Redskins play. They played an excellent game the week before against Philadelphia, as well. I'm sure it was no surprise to the Saints the quality of the Redskins' defense.
http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1166686920146230.xml&coll=1
Mail and Guardian
Cheetah to be fitted with prosthetic leg
A two-year-old cheetah, who had her paw mangled in a crude snare, is to have a prosthetic leg fitted in a ground-breaking operation by animal surgeons in South Africa.Betty Blue was operated on at the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, near Johannesburg, after being rescued from the iron jaws of the trap which had clamped down on her left hind leg in the province of Mpumalanga."She was brought in to a vet, who thought it was so serious she should be euthanised. But we are not big on euthanasia and decided we should give it a try," said project deputy director Vanessa Bouwer.An expert wildlife vet, Peter Caldwell amputated two of the normally fleet-footed big cat's toes as gangrene had already started setting in. He later amputated just over six centimetres of her foot.The staff at De Wildt then came up with an idea that had never been attempted before on a cheetah.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294322&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/
Russia’s winter shrivels in the face of global warming
There is not quite the drama of a Florida hurricane, or the poignancy of stranded polar bears, but Moscow babushka Larisa Bilik is struggling to sell her wool socks -- and global warming, experts say, is also to blame.The warmest November-December since records began has put Russia's fearsome winter on the back foot.Mushrooms are sprouting outside Moscow, bears are unable to hibernate, and Bilik, who looks older than her 53 years, is having trouble attracting customers to her stall in the city centre, where she hawks thick socks, slippers and fake-fur vests."When it's cold, they buy; when it's warm they don't," she says, gold teeth flashing against the gloomy, almost permanent twilight that has oppressed sunless -- and snowless -- Moscow for several weeks.Gennady Yeliseyev, deputy director of the state's weather service, the Gidrometeocentre, said that since November 20 Russia has experienced the warmest temperatures since records began in the 1870s."Average temperatures for the first 10 days of December are minus five degrees Celsius and the current abnormalities range as high as plus 10 degrees Celsius," he said. "This is the weather we'd normally have in late October."Scientists here believe Russia has fallen victim to the phenomenon of global warming already blamed for turning European ski resorts into grass meadows, driving exotic fish to British coasts and whipping up ever more destructive natural disasters."The obvious explanation is that very powerful cyclones are forming over the north Atlantic and moving toward the Barents Sea," Yeliseyev said. "But there is also general change to a warmer climate and you cannot deny a link to the greenhouse effect."Leading weather expert Alexander Bedritskovo said that climate change in Russia is "reality".Although temperatures will inevitably drop -- wet snow could start falling in Moscow this week, according to forecasters -- weird things are already happening in a country synonymous with harsh, long winters.In faraway Siberia, the ice has begun to melt and break up along a 250km stretch of the great River Yenise.At the Moscow zoo, warm temperatures are prompting birds into the lovemaking usually reserved for spring, while the brown-bear couple Mushir and Rosa are grumpily insomniac as they wait for snow and hibernation."His mood is worse, but she's calmer," zoo spokesperson Yelena Mendosa said. "She's a female and she deals with his moodiness because she loves him."Human inhabitants of the capital find the lack of snow a mixed blessing. "Of course I'm waiting impatiently for winter -- I'm a Russian!" exclaimed economics teacher Nina Babrova (55), resplendent in one of the few fur hats visible on Moscow's streets.But joining the huddle of smokers on the pavement outside Soyuz Bank, Vladimir Sharikadze (20) crossed his fingers that the milder weather would last. "This is great for us smokers. Maybe when winter comes we'll have to give up."Yekaterina, a 20-year-old student, was also making the most of the phony winter. While most women are now wrapped in trousers and boots, her legs were clad in nothing but thin tights and a skirt that came well above the knees. "This is easy," she said.And will she be that brave when the traditional Russian freeze finally strikes? She laughed under her white wool hat. "You must be crazy!" -- Sapa-AFP
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294075&area=/insight/insight__international/
Fog paralyses London's Heathrow airport again
Thousands of travellers struggling to get home for Christmas faced another day of chaos and frustration on Friday as London's Heathrow airport was blanketed in fog."The weather across much of the UK is regrettably showing little sign of improvement," said Geoff Want, director of ground operations for British Airways which has cancelled all domestic flights.Boeing 747 Jumbo jets are being put on some European routes to try and deal with the backlog.On Thursday, 350 flights were cancelled and a similar number will be stopped on Friday, said a spokesperson for airport operator BAA, which runs Heathrow and six other airports in Britain."It is the world's busiest international airport but we have only two runways. If you compare with our main competitors in Europe, Frankfurt has three, Paris has four and Amsterdam has five. We have fundamental capacity constraints," BAA spokesperson Simon Baugh told BBC radio on Friday.British Airways had to despatch more than 3 000 passengers on coaches across Britain as the airport was gripped by fog for a third day running.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294347&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/
The Brits that stole Christmas
It's looking like a bleak mid-winter for Britain this Christmas as businesses and schools seek to airbrush out the annual Christian festival for fear of offending people of other faiths.The popular press is hot on the heels of the Christmas "killjoys", compiling an almost daily list of politically correct do-gooders who they say, frankly, are just spoiling the fun for everyone.One school has banned Christmas cards in class, a court has told a householder he can only have a certain number of lights on his property, and a traditional nativity play has been replaced by reggae-style Christmas carols.And one school in Rotherham, northern England, has decided this year to offer halal turkey and chicken for its Christmas meal following pressure from parents in the sizeable Muslim community there.But businesses are not immune either: three out of four British firms (74%) said in a survey out this week that they had outlawed tinsel, trees and traditional festive trappings from the workplace.According to the law firm that carried out the survey, it's not just fear of causing offence to non-Christian religious minorities that's driving the phenomenon. Employers said they "are sceptical and dismayed by this trend" but "they feel that they have little choice ... due to the threat of litigation".
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294070&area=/insight/insight__international/
Cosatu proclaims neutrality in succession debate
The Congress of South African Trade Unions was not divided into pro-Zuma and pro-Mbeki camps, it said in its year-end statement on Thursday."We have also spent the year trying to convince the media that Cosatu has not taken any decision to support [African National Congress (ANC) deputy president] Jacob Zuma, or anyone else, as the next president of the ANC and South Africa, and that there are no pro-Zuma or pro-Mbeki 'camps' within our ranks," wrote the union federation's general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on behalf of its central executive committee.Turning his attention to the economy, he said the rate of job creation –72 000 new jobs in the last quarter -- was "nowhere near" that required to reach the government's goal of halving poverty and unemployment by 2014. Cosatu's ninth national congress in September had decided that its Jobs and Poverty campaign would be its main focus for the next three years. It promised a "relentless campaign", involving a broad front of organisations, to fight for job creation and against poverty.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294320&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__business/
US marines charged with Iraq murders
Four United States marines were on Thursday night charged with murder and a further four with failure to investigate and report the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians, in the biggest US criminal case to arise from the Iraq war.The eight include Frank Wuterich (26) who was charged with the murder of 18 Iraqi civilians in the episode that has come to be known as the Iraq war's My Lai -- a reference to the notorious massacre of civilians in the Vietnam war.Staff Sergeant Wuterich, who commanded a squad of marines near the town of Haditha in November last year, faces 12 counts of murder and one of ordering the troops under his charge to "shoot first, ask questions later" when they cleared a house, killing six people inside it.The men all belonged to Kilo Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Marines Regiment based at Camp Pendleton, California.Sergeant Sanick Dela Cruz was accused of the unpremeditated murder of five people and making a false official statement; Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt was accused of the murder of three Iraqis; and Lance Corporal Stephen Tatum was charged with the murder of two Iraqis and the negligent homicide of four other civilians.None of the charges includes premeditated murder, and the maximum sentence for any of the men would be life in prison. All the accused will remain free until the trial.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294311&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/
Twists and turns
December 7 to 13 2006
This week, the drama surrounding police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi and his friend Glenn Agliotti, arrested for the murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble, took an unexpected turn when Agliotti claimed, as part of his successful bail application, that Kebble's death was an assisted suicide. It also emerged that the Scorpions hope to charge Agliotti in connection with a large drug-smuggling network.
As allegations stack up against Agliotti, the picture is looking less than rosy for Selebi, whose self-confessed association with the accused seems more questionable by the day. Will the government wait until Agliotti is found guilty on any of these charges before looking into this friendship?
The political arena was by no means quiet this week, as the succession battle for leader of the African National Congress remained in the headlines. The party's Eastern Cape congress proposed that Thabo Mbeki stay on as leader for a third term -- but the ANC Youth League still backs Jacob Zuma for the top spot.
The Mail & Guardian reported that Mbeki has been visiting provincial ANC executive committees, ostensibly to garner their support. But while building bridges within the party, he has angered the ANC's partners in the tripartite alliance -- the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Communist Party -- by defending the involvement of Cabinet ministers in the Gautrain rapid-rail project shareholding.
http://www.mg.co.za/articleflat.aspx?area=mg_flat&ArticleId=241408
Cape stadium fracas a 'storm in a teacup'
Legal and technical experts from the Western Cape provincial government and the City of Cape Town met on Thursday to discuss a way forward on the city's proposed 2010 Soccer World Cup stadium.The meeting came as verbal sniping continued over the province's claim that a bungle by the city in the approvals process has delayed the construction of the R2,9-billion project.Mayor Helen Zille said the experts were seeking a way to "resolve the development approvals" required for the construction and would continue their work on Friday."Procedural difficulties around the rezoning for the Green Point stadium can be overcome and I am confident a way forward will be found between the City of Cape Town and the provincial government," she said.She also said the controversy was a "political storm in a teacup”."Several months ago, I met with the premier [Ebrahim Rasool] and we agreed on a step-by-step process on the statutory approvals required for Green Point Common and the construction of the new stadium. The City has met every one of its obligations by the required deadline."
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294314&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/
'Colourful transition' after Niyazov's death
Turkmenistan on Friday faced the prospect of an eventful political transition a day after its leader died following 21 years of totalitarianism and isolation.The death of President-for-life Saparmurat Niyazov (66) who enjoyed an extravagant personality cult and filled the country with statues of himself, left the strategic Central Asian nation and the wider world speculating about who would succeed him.Turkmenistan-watchers forecast a turbulent period as Russia and the West fight for influence in a country which lies on some of the world's biggest natural gas reserves."We're definitely going to see a colourful transition," said Martha Brill Olcott, a Central Asia expert at Carnegie Endowment For International Peace.Flags flew at half-mast from buildings in Ashgabat. But its Soviet-era streets were calm and there were no obvious public displays of grief.Niyazov's funeral was set for December 24 and the government scheduled December 26 for Turkmenistan's highest representative body to meet to decide on the succession and set a date for elections.Until the poll, which should be held within two months, Deputy Prime Minister Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov (49) will be acting head of state.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294358&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/
Chat show host plays Trump card in battle of top insults
Even by their own impressive standards as straight-talking controversialists, Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell must have surprised themselves by the intensity of the vitriol they flung at each other this week. She called him a bankrupt snake-oil salesman. He called her a fat-assed slob and threatened to sue. It is fair to say there was no love lost.The spat erupted earlier this week after Trump, the property tycoon best known for sacking people at the point of a finger on The Apprentice television show, which he produces and hosts, made what he saw as an act of generosity.It related to Tara Conner, this year's Miss USA -- an award which Trump controls as the owner of the Miss Universe Organisation. Trump extended his largesse towards Conner after she became embroiled in a succession of news reports on her underaged drinking in New York clubs.She turned 21 -- the legal age to drink -- this week, but not before she had been paparazzied in compromising situations. Trump announced on Tuesday that despite the publicity he would allow her to retain the title so long as she went into alcohol rehabilitation.Enter O'Donnell. On her morning talk show, the View, on Wednesday, she said the display of Trump's forgiveness had annoyed her "on a multitude of levels".
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294313&area=/breaking_news/other_news/
Political bling
It’s a pity that a hard-working woman’s year will be remembered for little more than her flying habits.Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s year started on a high-flying note -- and it has ended in exactly the same way. In January, she hit the runway rolling as a holiday to Dubai aboard a defence force jet got up the nation’s nose. She ends her year flat on her face, too. Mlambo-Ngcuka, it was revealed this week, has travelled aboard at least five chartered jets this year. The South African National Defence Force, responsible for the presidency’s travel, has chartered the aircraft because it does not have pilots to fly its own. So we’ve spent at least R8-million jetting her excellency to work.We may not be a banana republic, but we certainly are fruity.Some desk-jockey in the military is going to take the rap for sanctioning the deputy president’s trip. Poor fool. He or she probably expected to be promoted instead.The culture of political bling, in the form of jets, convoys and R96 000 lunches, has become deeply entrenched in South Africa. The only reason Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota has called an inquiry into the latest case is to manoeuvre himself to a safe distance from a political stinker.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=293400&area=/insight/insight__editorials/
Controversy over McBride smash
Charges of reckless or negligent driving are being investigated against an Ekurhuleni metro police official, but police refuse to say whether that official is controversial police chief Robert McBride.Witnesses have reportedly claimed McBride was "blind-drunk" when he rolled his car on the R511 near Centurion on Thursday night.They accused Ekurhuleni metro police officers of assaulting people on the scene and threatening to shoot them. Officials were tight-lipped about the crash on Friday, but confirmed that McBride had been involved in an accident.Ekurhuleni metro police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago said he was injured, but said he could not describe the nature of his injuries.Eye-witnesses told the daily newspaper Beeld that they had seen cuts on McBride’s head.Kgasago described the allegations again McBride and his colleagues as "crazy".He said a report into the matter was being compiled and would be made available later on Friday.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294376&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/
Protocols rear their ugly head
An ANC MP cited the Protocols of the Elders of Zion -- the infamous anti-Semitic forgery used by the Nazis -- as a credible document at a recent Iranian-sponsored academic seminar in Pretoria.Farida Mahomed agreed recently she had asked a Jewish seminar delegate, Claudia Braude: “Are the protocols still relevant to you in today’s time? How do we apply this balanced approach to reconciliation when we read them and they are totally the opposite?”Mahomed was responding to a presentation by Braude reflecting on democratic South Africa’s possible role as a global reconciler. It included a call for South Africans to reject Iranian Holocaust denialism.Interviewed this week, Mahomed said she was unaware the protocols had been exposed as a hoax. Published in the early 20th century by the Tsarist secret police Okhrana, the document purported to show a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world.Another delegate at the Pretoria meeting also questioned the authenticity of the Holocaust, citing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s dismissal of it as “a myth”. The gathering took place a week before the Iranian government’s widely condemned international Holocaust conference in Tehran.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294186&area=/insight/insight__national/
Saddam court hears of cooperation with Turkey
Iraqi forces were told to cooperate with their Turkish counterparts during a 1980s campaign against Kurdish civilians, according to evidence presented on Thursday to a court trying Saddam Hussein.Prosecutors seeking to prove that the ousted Iraqi dictator ordered the slaughter of 182 000 Kurdish civilians in the 1988 Anfal campaign produced a series of Iraqi military documents during the day's hearing.One sent to the commanders of the 1st and 5th Corps of the Iraqi Army on August 21 1988 ordered them to carry out "heavy special strikes before starting the project to create a condition of panic among the citizens".Prosecutors have previously said that the term "special strikes" in Iraqi documents refers to the use of chemical weapons such as mustard gas or sarin.The document, signed by Iraqi chief of staff Nazar Abdul Kareem Faisal, insisted: "There must be full destruction of saboteurs in the northern area."And, in a revelation likely to stir anger among Kurdish survivors, the memo orders the Iraqi officers "to cooperate with the Turkish side, according to the cooperation protocol with them to chase all the refugees".
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=294285
Politicians take time out
ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma will be opening his Christmas presents and kissing his numerous wives under the mistletoe at his homestead in Nkandla, northern KwaZulu-Natal, the Mail & Guardian has established.One assumes President Thabo Mbeki will not be among the guests. Mbeki is on holiday, but at a hide-away so secret that even his spokesperson, Mukoni Ratshitanga, claims not to know where it is.“Getting hold of him at this time is impossible,” Ratshitanga explained.There was slightly more information about the holiday plans of Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who will be in the Eastern Cape with her family. “I don’t have details, but she will be back on duty in the second week of January,” said her spokesperson, Thabang Chiloane. Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana is waiting to start a Cape Town holiday, delayed, she says, by the pressing land issues cluttering her desk. “I’ve had a very hectic year, and I like Cape Town because it’s quiet. I also like going to the beach and waiting for the fireworks.”
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=294185&area=/insight/insight__national/
A case to answer
Jacob Zuma's expedient populism is touted as a contrast to the aloof centralism of President Thabo Mbeki. But each is driven by the same considerations of political advantage.Today Mbeki bleats about corruption and respect for Desmond Tutu; when he was in the driving seat he branded journalists investigating the arms deal as racist “fishers of corrupt men” and made his own sneering attack on the Arch.Back when Mbeki was stamping on attempts to have the Heath special investigations unit added to those investigating the arms deal, Zuma was tjoepstil -- even when Mbeki, in Zuma’s name, delivered an outrageous attack on the chair of Parliament’s public accounts committee, Scopa. Only recently, to bolster his conspiracy claims, has Zuma chosen to confirm what many long suspected: that he merely put his signature to that attack.Zuma’s public spin campaign on the corruption charges against him -- struck off the roll this week by Judge Herbert Msimang -- has been similarly self-serving.When he was dismissed as South Africa’s deputy president he complained, legitimately, that he had long been subjected to allegations that had not been tested in court. But since he was charged his lawyers have used the law in every way possible to prevent that from happening. They have alleged that the Zuma investigation was the result of a political conspiracy.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=284690&area=/insight/insight__editorials/
Mbeki's popularity wanes, says poll
South African President Thabo Mbeki's approval rating has dropped to its lowest level in four years following a series of scandals involving the governing African National Congress (ANC) party, a poll showed on Thursday.The poll, by the Johannesburg-based Research Surveys, showed that Mbeki has a 53% approval rating, 8% down on the figure recorded six months ago.Mbeki, who is due to stand down as head of the ANC next year and president of the country in 2009, has presided over a series of embarrassing incidents in recent months during which the party's chief whip has been expelled for sexual harassment and a string of lawmakers convicted of, or admitting to, fiddling their expenses.Research Surveys director Neil Higgs said Mbeki's support has also tailed off as a result of the government's failure to fight the rampant crime rate.A temporary boost to his rating, which followed his decision to sack deputy president Jacob Zuma last year, has since faded, with Zuma's supporters constantly sniping at the president.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/&articleid=294246
Mbeki: SA certain of World Cup success
President Thabo Mbeki on Friday rubbished suggestions South Africa will fail to successfully stage the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.The truth is South Africa is way ahead in preparations for hosting a successful tournament, he said in his last weekly newsletter for 2006 on the African National Congress website.Mbeki said some people, both locally and abroad, had done their best this year to convince the nation it would fail to create the conditions for a successful 2010 World Cup."Media suggestions were floated liberally that some countries were already standing by to take over this responsibility from us, since it was certain that we would definitely fail to do the things Fifa required of us to ensure that the 2010 Soccer World Cup would actually take place in our country."Most fortunately, consistently, the President of Fifa, Sepp Blatter, insisted correctly that our country was perfectly capable of hosting the World Cup, and would indeed do so, setting new benchmarks in terms of the success of this most important global sports tournament," Mbeki said."The truth is that with regard to 2010, we have beaten all previous records with regard to the preparations for the successful hosting of the Fifa Soccer World Cup, including the benchmarks set by the highly successful 2006 German Fifa World Cup."This includes the financial sponsorships without which it would be impossible to hold the tournament."The work done to prepare for 2010 represented one of the most prominent items of good news of which South Africans should be proud. Mbeki also had a word of inspiration for the national team, Bafana Bafana."The appointment of a new coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, is an opportunity to leave recent disappointments behind and make progress towards a successful campaign in 2010."History suggests that an uplifting performance by the host country is often an integral element in a successful Fifa World Cup, and we are confident that the hope of the nation, Bafana Bafana, will rise to the occasion in 2010," he said. -- Sapa
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/&articleid=294366
Report: Zim to discuss $2bn loan from China
Zimbabwe will soon open negotiations with China for a $2-billion loan as part of efforts to stabilise its imploding economy, the official Herald newspaper reported on Friday."China's government is ready to negotiate with the government for a $2-billion facility to fight inflation and other aspects of the economy," Chris Mutsvangwa, Zimbabwe's ambassador to China, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.This would be the largest foreign loan for President Robert Mugabe's government, which is presiding over its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1980.Mutsvangwa said the Chinese government has appointed a projects officer to handle the issue and start talks with Zimbabwe's finance minister and central bank governor.Last month Mutsvangwa said a Chinese company had offered $3-billion for a 60% stake in the country's struggling state-owned steelworks, Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company.His revelation was met with scepticism in Zimbabwe and the China Metallurgical Group Corporation, the company in question, denied making such a bid, although it said it had been approached by Harare.Mugabe's government has launched a "Look East" policy to attract investment and loans from Asian and Muslim countries after a fall-out with the West over policies such as the seizures of white-owned commercial farms for black people.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__business/&articleid=294342
MDC: Zim now targeting businesses
The Zimbabwean state has started another "blitzkrieg" -- this time on businesses, threatening to take 51% of the equity in all foreign-owned concerns, the country's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) economics adviser Eddie Cross has said.In his Christmas message carried on his internet newsletter and commentary on the situation in Zimbabwe, Cross said there are already signs that foreign businesses are withdrawing from the embattled state.Noting that the Zanu-PF ruling party's argument is that it wants to turn this equity in foreign-owned concerns over to the "people" and ensure that Zimbabweans are in control of all economic institutions, he said this merely boils down to handing them to the ruling party's cronies.Cross said businesses know "full well what that means and the signs are there already as to what their attitude is going to be -- withdrawal".Cross reported that he already saw Mobil and BP taking down the signage on their petrol stations throughout the country. "Anglo American, once the owner of 40% of the country's private sector, has almost totally liquidated its holdings -- remaining with a platinum mine in the midlands that is simply too valuable to relinquish unless the situation becomes totally impossible.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__business/&articleid=294236
'Macaca' named most politically incorrect word
"Macaca" you are number one. The word macaca, used by outgoing Republican Senator George Allen of Virginia to describe a Democratic activist of Indian descent who was trailing his campaign, was named the most politically incorrect word of the year on Friday by Global Language Monitor, a nonprofit group that studies word usage."The word might have changed the political balance of the United States Senate, since Allen's utterance [an offensive slang term for Indians from the Sub-continent] surely impacted his election bid," said the group's head, Paul Payack.Allen narrowly lost to Democrat James Webb in November, helping make it possible for the Democrats to capture control of the Senate.In second place on this year's list was "global warming denier," for someone who believes that climate change has moved from scientific theory to dogma."There are now proposals that 'global warming deniers' be treated the same as 'Holocaust deniers: professional ostracism, belittlement, ridicule and, even, jail," Payack said.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/other_news/&articleid=293896
Kick up dust
It was ironic that two of South Africa’s most audacious cases involving politics and sexual abuse came at the cusp of the 16 days of activism and at its zenith.The ruling party’s chief whip, Mbulelo Goniwe, was outed, then suspended, for alleged sexual harassment last month. Last Friday, the high court ruled that the former ambassador to Indonesia, Norman Mashabane, was guilty on three counts of sexual harassment.These cases have completely overshadowed government’s laudable efforts to make something of the global campaign against sexual violence but this is no crying shame.What the incidents have shown, coming in the same year as the rape trial of the party’s deputy president, Jacob Zuma, is that often the enemy is within.Political campaigns, good laws, advocacy and marches build consciousness but this is neutered when political leaders, husbands, lovers and partners do not respect those they work with and abuse those they ostensibly love.Much has been written about the need to deal with the horrors of the home, but it is worth considering that sexual abuse and politics have become uncomfortable bedfellows. This can negate the state’s public support for the 16 day campaign and risks making it a white ribbon charade.There is a growing trend toward politicians and civil servants using their positions to secure sexual favours. This reveals the extent of patriarchy even in supposedly liberated organisations like the ANC and its allied partners. Goniwe has been suspended but there are many, many more instances of harassment in Parliament that have gone unreported and unpunished.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=292651&area=/insight/insight__editorials/
The Burlington Hawkeye
Vilsack rallies support
By JEFF ABELL
jabell@thehawkeye.com
After a whirlwind tour that led him across the country to promote his bid for the White House in 2008, Gov. Tom Vilsack returned to southeast Iowa Wednesday evening to energized supporters in Burlington.
More than 150 people packed inside the home of Linda Clark at 912 N. Seventh St. and waited 30 minutes to hear the former mayor of Mount Pleasant talk about hot–button issues such as Iraq and illegal immigration.
They weren't disappointed.
Vilsack railed against the policies of President George W. Bush. Vilsack said the Bush administration has failed to secure the country's borders and has mismanaged the war in Iraq.
"George Bush believes we should stay the course in Iraq. I believe he is the only one in the country who does. And Sen. (John) McCain believes we need more troops over there, which would be disastrous," Vilsack said amid thunderous applause.
http://www.thehawkeye.com/daily/stories/ln9_1221.html
Keep Iowa Beautiful grant deadline nears
The Hawk Eye
Local governments and nonprofit organizations have until Jan. 2 to apply for Keep Iowa Beautiful grants from the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Keep Iowa Beautiful funds projects that provide long–term solutions for litter, improve waste management or recycling efforts, beautify a site, prevent illegal dumping or eliminate public nuisances.
No matching funds are required. However, the higher the degree of match, the more likely a project will be approved.
Grant applications can be obtained by visiting the Iowa DOT Web site, www.io–wadot.gov/forms, or by calling Kathy Ridnour at (515) 239–1713. A copy also can be found on the Keep Iowa Beautiful Web site, www.keepiowabeautiful.com
Moments of recognition …
December 21st, 2006
Being a newspaper reporter, you get used to being recognized at odd times by random people who have seen your picture in print. Here in Burlington, that has never been more true for me than since I started contributing blog excerpts to the print edition of The Hawk Eye.
For example, I was at a department store recently, making for the exit when I heard the name Craig spoken behind me. I didn’t turn around until the name was repeated, and when I did I was greeted by the smiling face of a woman flashing me a thumb’s up. Later the same day, at the grocery store, I’d been chatting with the checkout clerk for a couple of minutes when she all of a sudden looked up and started in her moment of recognition.
That kind of thing happens with some frequency anymore. But a similar moment that occurred Wednesday in the locker room at the Great River Center for Rehabilitation offered a unique twist.
http://www3.thehawkeye.com/ssme/
Columnist zeros in
By MIKELEEDOM
Bob Woodward and Dr. Jerry Jochims (The Hawk Eye, Nov. 19, "Columns spew vitriol) must have collaborated on titles, because that's what he and his neocon buddies are in–a total state of denial. Where have these folks been for the last six years? Bush's popularity and approval ratings have eroded faster than a steep, creek bed during a summer gully–wumper!
To blame Mike Sweet (and the 70 percent of Americans who overwhelmingly agree with him), is like sticking your head into the sand.
Jochims must be a charter member of the O'Reilly/Limbaugh right–wing talk club "say anything and the conservative base will believe it" genre. We should all be grateful to Sweet for pointing out the truth.
When the airwaves are saturated with right–wing hyperbole, the only serious avenue of rebuttal is from journalists like Sweet, who are able to rapidly respond.
What an interesting life Mike has led. From traveling around the world with a military family, to sharing his passions of fishing, traveling and tidbits that conjure up memories of sweet, no pun intended, youth. Sweet is a classic throwback to the days of John McCormally, who also wrote about life and his military experiences.
http://www.thehawkeye.com/daily/stories/co2_1221.html
Chilling reality That three students were plotting terror in Lee County shows how vulnerable we are.
Authorities are taking the appropriate, deliberate approach as they investigate an alleged plot for a pre–Christmas attack on Central Lee High School students and staff.
The revelation stunned many in the region as the news circulated Tuesday and Wednesday.
But with the recent tragic slayings in Van Buren County, hopes have been dashed that southeast Iowa can be immune from such deadly, senseless violence.
The three students Jacob Schulte, 15, Dalton Bird, 17 and Stephen Copeland, 16, have been charged with conspiracy. They apparently devised their plot and communicated in a coded language. Authorities say they had access to the weapons they allegedly would have used.
So Jim Sholl, chief deputy for the Lee County sheriff's office, is on the mark when he said: "I don't think law enforcement, or society, can stop and wonder if this is joke or how serious it is. We better deal with this from the start in a serious manner. It's easier to apologize later for a mistake than deliver death messages because we didn't do enough."
Earlier this month marked the 20th anniversary of the shootings in the Mount Pleasant City Council chamber, when Ralph Davis, upset over a sewer problem at his home, murdered Mayor Edd King and wounded two other council members.
And certainly the tragic shooting deaths of the Bentlers and their three daughters this fall provide ample evidence for authorities to take seriously the threat in Donnellson.
The three students aren't involved in school activities and other students described them as outsiders. It's a description that matches with other tragic school shooting incidences across the country. The Columbine killers were described in much the same way.
That one of the three, Copeland, reported the plan to his principal suggest it was no joke. Thank heavens Copeland came forward and a potential tragedy was averted.
In the wake of the Pennsylvania slayings at an Amish school, parents are justifiably concerned about outsiders entering schools. As much attention needs to be placed on those already in the buildings.
Grains 12–21–06
http://www.thehawkeye.com/daily/stories/ln3_1221.html
Ames Tribune
Ethanol production in Iowa to set record
DES MOINES - Iowa ethanol production will set a new record this year, passing last year's record high by 36 percent. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association announced this morning that Iowa ethanol refineries will produce 1.5 billion gallons of the corn-based fuel this year, up from 1.1 billion gallons produced in 2005. "There was record demand for ethanol from coast to coast this year, and Iowa stepped up to fill the need," said Monte Shaw, executive director of renewable fuels group. He said Iowa will produce more than 30 percent of all the ethanol in the country. "That's a fine testament to Iowa entrepreneurs, Iowa workers and Iowa corn growers," Shaw said. And the records should continue to be broken over the next few years. The Legislature approved a package of goals and incentives last spring intended to increase use of E85 - 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline - and increase the share of fuel from renewable sources. "We are going to continue down the path of being the ethanol production center of the world," said Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyeden, who was a co-author of the renewable-fuel plan. Iowa has up to a dozen new ethanol plants slated to begin construction in 2007, which would add about 1.4 billion gallons of capacity. "We're going to have record production because we have new plants under construction. At the same time, new technologies and efficiencies are letting us produce more ethanol from each bushel of corn," Johnson said. All this planned production has raised concerns that Iowa's corn crop won't be large enough to meet demand. Iowa State University economist Robert Wisner said in November that current corn production is far behind the level needed to serve the demand that will exist once all planned ethanol plants are on line.
In response to this and other supply concerns, the Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Corn Promotion Board held a news conference earlier this month to argue that corn production will rise to meet demand. They said farmers will plant more acres of corn and get better yields.
http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=17620314&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554314&rfi=6
ISU professor tackles religious games and toys
Missionary Conquest" is marketed as "one giant game of laughter and strategy." Players who choose to finance Christian missions in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia earn extra points if they are stoned to death and declared martyrs. The talking Virgin Mary doll recites Bible verses from the Book of Luke. As Christmas approaches, parents are under pressure: Toddlers and teenagers have been hinting non-stop about their desired Christmas list loot since late October. Some will choose religious-themed toys and games, hoping to send the right message. But what are children really learning? Nikki Bado-Fralick assistant professor of philosophy and religious studies at Iowa State University, asks "To what extent will the doll's simplified sound bytes affect children's understanding of scripture and hinder their ability to develop a more mature and nuanced understanding of religious concepts? "Does such a reduction of complex text contribute to a tendency among today's students to read text one-dimensionally and literally?"
http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=17620312&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554314&rfi=6
ISU's feedback on college of agriculture's name change
The following are the E-mail messages received to the address letusknow@iastate.edu set up by ISU's College of Agriculture to gather opinions on a possible name change. The college announced Wednesday it is moving forward with a proposal to change its name from the "College of Agriculture" to the "College of Agriculture and Life Sciences."
Byron Brehm-Stecher, ISU Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition:"I fully support the update of the College's name to College of Agriculture and Life Sciences" (CALS). In addition to the supporting rationale cited in Dr. Wintersteen's email, it is also important to recognize that several peer and competitor institutions have already made this change. In order to enhance recruitment and retention of students and faculty at ISU and to better reflect the current and future work of the College, it is essential to not be the only institution left still using an outdated name/self-definition."Dennis Keeney, Senior Fellow, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and emeritus ISU professor of agronomy and former director, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture:"I strongly support the change to College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, even though this is the college name at UW Madison. I have always thought that CALS fit the mission of the college at UW well (I was on faculty for 22 years) and it will work well for ISU."
http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=17621241&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554314&rfi=6
Conterfeit bills turn up at Kmart
Don't be surprised if the checkout lines at Ames stores take a little bit longer this holiday season, especially if you will be using cash to pay for your purchases. Counterfeit bills turned up at an Ames store, so area merchants are being encouraged to closely inspect U.S. currency when people are paying for purchases, according to the Ames Police Department. Larry Mayes, Kmart store manager, reported that 32 counterfeit $20 bills were used Wednesday at the store on Buckeye Avenue. The department said the bills appear to be of two different styles and have four different serial numbers. There are no suspects at this time, and the department will continue to investigate the matter.
Quiet zone gets OK on main line
Trains in Ames that traverse the east-west tracks will eventually be prohibited from blowing their horns, except for emergencies. The Ames City Council approved the establishment of a quiet zone along that line Tuesday.John Joiner, public works director, said the quiet zone application wouldn't be made until after a four-quadrant gate is installed at the Duff Avenue crossing. He estimated that the work there would be complete by fall of 2007.He said there has been no indication about the length of time the Federal Railroad Administration needs to review and respond to the application.By a unanimous vote, the council also approved spending $65,000 for improvements at three of the six crossings in the city limits. Medians will be extended at Scholl Road, North Dakota Avenue and North Hazel Avenue. Joiner said an abandoned track near North Hazel probably would also be removed.
http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=17620257&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554314&rfi=6
School board seeks clearer construction policy
By: Bob Zientara
12/21/2006
After years of confusion and turmoil surrounding construction issues, the Ames Community School Board is looking into ways smooth out the procedures.
A committee of two board members, Michael Murray and Anita Rollins, is working on changes to district policy on construction contract bidding and awards, and how the district chooses architects and engineers to work on school projects. "In the recent past, - during the (high school and middle school) construction projects - it was discovered that the policies weren't adequate or applicable," Murray said Wednesday. "But instead of going to the board to adjust the policies, the administration chose to interpret and apply the policies to the situation, and the board tacitly approved by letting that happen.". To be fair, Murray added, the $40 million middle and high school construction project was something entirely new to the district.
http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=17620256&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554314&rfi=6
Spirit of gifing: 'Warmth from the Ames Heartland'
12/21/2006
The Ames Heartland Club of Soroptimist International, in cooperation with RSVP and Heartland Senior Services, has finished its "Warmth from the Ames Heartland" project this year. The volunteers donated more than 200 hats, mittens and scarves to those in need at Youth and Shelter Service's Lighthouse Transitional Housing residents, Mid-Iowa Community Action and Beyond Welfare. Donations of yarn were received from The Rose Tree Fiber Shop, Wal-Mart and the volunteers themselves.A reception was held at the RSVP offices on Dec. 19 to thank the volunteers for their support and present them with a small gift of appreciation.
http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=17620283&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554314&rfi=6
Be careful what you wish for
A reader points out a flaw in Tuesday's editorial. "There was one sentence in today's editorial that I just have to respond to somehow," writes David Losure, of Boone. "In an otherwise fine editorial, this sentence stuck out: 'In fact, it is market dynamics alone that have sparked the construction of a corn ethanol industry in Iowa.'
"Nothing could be further from the truth, at least if it is free-market dynamics we are talking about. Corn growers received $51.3 billion in federal production subsidies between 1995-2005. These subsidies artificially lower the price of the raw material used by ethanol plants. "Then, oil refiners who blend ethanol with gasoline receive a direct income tax credit of around 50 cents a gallon for all the ethanol they blend in to gasoline. ...This has made refiners willing to use ethanol when it wouldn't otherwise be profitable. "The recent ethanol rush is also driven by the mandates in the last energy bill requiring that ethanol be mixed with at least a certain percentage of the nation's gasoline. ... The ethanol industry only exists at all because of a series of massive federal subsidies throughout the entire chain of production. If anything close to an actual free market existed in U.S. agriculture, we would be making some ethanol to drink but that is about it."Losure is right. Ethanol exists only in a heavily manipulated economy. But the point of Tuesday's editorial remains intact - energy policy that thoughtfully guides ethanol expansion is nonexistent. The sense that the market - albeit an artificial market - is driving the boom rests in the fact that industry right now is responding to a convoluted pricing structure. In addition to the direct subsidies to corn and to ethanol, federal economic policy and the price of oil also work to make ethanol suddenly attractive.But neither Iowa, nor the nation for that matter, have a good handle on the effects of ethanol expansion. It's a case of being careful of what you wish for. The policies that Losure points out above have polished the lamp in hopes for a brighter future. But now the genie is out. Policy makers will have to wrestle with what to do with it.
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