Kagen / Peterson: Higher gas prices needed to force changes

Steve Kagen's buddy was in Greenleaf. It's easy for him to say higher gas prices are needed, he isn't paying for it! Just had a few comments.

From the Appleton P C

"House ag leader sounds off on farm issues, economy
Peterson: Higher gas prices needed to force changes

By Ed Byrne • Gannett Wisconsin Media • June 16, 2008" House ag leader sounds off on farm issues, economy | Postcrescent.com | Appleton Post-Crescent

FREEDOM — Rep. Collin Peterson flew Sunday into northeast Wisconsin to attend the Outagamie County Breakfast on the Farm and visit an experimental manure-to-energy project at the Wiese Brothers Farms in Greenleaf.
Peterson, D-Minn., who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, also endorsed the re-election bid of Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, who serves on the committee.

Kagen is being challenged by Republican John Gard, whom he defeated two years ago.

Peterson credited Kagen for helping to get the Milk Income Loss Contract program in the new farm bill.

"I look at the farm bill as the most important economic stimulus package we have," Kagen said. "It is long term, it takes a while to grow the products and get the marketplace going, but for rural America it is the most important economic success story."

Code word - "STIMULUS PACKAGE" Free tax payers money!

At the Rick and Diane Fischer farm, Peterson picked up a guitar and played along with a country band providing entertainment.

But when Peterson talked about farm issues and the U.S. economy, he was blunt.

"I'm for drilling, I'm for nuclear, I'm for coal, whatever it takes to get us out of the Middle East," he said at the Wiese Brothers' Greenleaf farm where liquid manure is dried into a fuel used to generate electricity.

Is Steve Kagen for drilling, nuclear and coal. As far as I know he isn't. If Peterson is for all that, is he for cutting the ethanol mandates? Don't think so.

We need more (energy production) … and we need to conserve," he said.

The high cost of gasoline and diesel fuel was necessary, Peterson said: "We needed these higher prices to force us to change our ways."

Do you see how much power the left thinks they have! High gasoline was necessary! Will the MSM call him on this comment? They can say anything and do anything and it's all O K. If John Gard said this, wow, he would be ripped a new one! Every station and every newspaper would of called him out. "John Gard for higher gas prices, EVIL JOHN GARD REPUBLICAN!" Collin Peterson, oh well, "isn't he great, his comments are blunt!" How nice the left is, they are our hero's. B.S.

Peterson said the future of ethanol production is not in corn, but in other cellulosic crops such as switch grass.

"We have to learn how to grow it, how to harvest it, how to move it … so we have a five-year program to learn how do develop the biomass products," he said. "Corn ethanol will stay … but that can only get us so far

Ok, then stop the mandates!

Kagen said the University of Wisconsin is "the thought leader in developing the enzymes that will bring about the generation of ethanol."

Minnesota has 21 ethanol plants, all making fuel from corn, but three of the plants are using a new process that produces ethanol and livestock feed as a byproduct, Peterson said.

"They're splitting the oil, the fiber, the protein and the starch before it goes in," he said.

Peterson said he is concerned about the impact on the corn crop from flooding in Iowa and other parts of the Midwest.

He said there was a 9 percent decrease in the number of acres planted in corn this year compared to 2007, because bankers pushed farmers toward planting more soybeans, wheat and barley.

"We started 9 percent below and now we have 20 percent of the (corn) crop that's going to be damaged," Peterson said. "It's going to be a big problem and we are going to have a lot of unhappy people, the hog people primarily, and chickens."

Unhappy people? Will we pay $7.00 lb bacon! $6.00 ethanol gasoline! $40.00 buckets of KFC chicken! How much more can we pay?

As for the cost of agricultural products in the grocery store, Peterson said we have enjoyed artificially low food prices for years, but those days are over.

"Artificially low food prices for years", say what? What is he trying to tell you?
You people got cheep food prices far too long, now you will pay higher prices! You need to suffer more , we need to take away more of your freedom. We know better then you! You Wisconsin people are too dumb to see what we're doing to you! And I have my good friend Steve Kagen helping me screw you in Washington! Sure glad we told you who to vote for in November. You will pay more for food, more for gas, more for everything and you will elect Steve Kagen back to Washington.

Mr Peterson , not so fast. When it comes to our money we are not as dumb as you think. How did this guy get elected in Minnesota?

We will send Steve Kagen back to private practice.