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Okay, that may be a strong statement … the Associated Press probably wrote most of this story anyway:

In a new study, University of Wisconsin-Madison agricultural economist Randy Fortenberry says it’s clear that the increasing use of corn to produce fuel has played a role in rising corn prices - but he cautions that the magnitude of the increase has been overstated.

Over the past 18 months, as ethanol production has doubled, corn prices have increased 85% to 100%, but increasing ethanol production is responsible for 25% to 40% of the higher price. That higher cost is all in the corn used to feed livestock - and could be reflected in some of the increases in the price of beef, pork or poultry, according to Fortenberry.

Oh, it’s only 40%! Not a problem, then.

From Jeffrey Sachs:

Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, said Monday that the United States and the European Union should reconsider banking on biofuels.

“In the United States, as much as one-third of the maize crop this year will go to the gas tank, and this is a huge blow to the world food supply, so these programs should be cut back significantly,” Sachs said in Brussels, Belgium.

Top international food scientists recommended last month that the use of food-based biofuels, such as ethanol, be halted, saying that would cut corn prices 20% during a world food crisis.

Sachs is not really a conservative and he has worked for the United Nations, so he should be among the most reputable and trustworthy people on Earth on this issue. (I’ve used his work in my own research, he’s pretty solid.) Sachs reveals that this issue isn’t really that complicated. Less availability of corn for food due to mammoth reallocation of corn (etc) to ethanol simply leaves less corn available. The price will rise to that which can be afforded by consumers who will be willing to pay more for the limited supply. Naturally (economically), this will mean a smaller quanitity supplied.

It’s amazing to see someone like Sachs admit these facts when even he has a financial incentive to state otherwise as someone who wines and dines with international organization bureaucrats.

In her discussion with retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson said she still believes elections are the best system for choosing judges, but there are “defects” that need fixing. AP report:

“I favor elections in Wisconsin. I think we should work to repair the defects that have appeared,” she said. “We have had the elective system since 1848. It’s up to all of us to make sure the elective system works.”

Her solution, of course, is public financing of elections. In a recent Q&A with the Madison Capital Times, she said:

Q. Do the larger donations coming to Supreme Court campaigns from certain groups raise a concern?

A. Polls seem to show that the public believes that judges are influenced by contributions. Whether that perception is accurate or not really sometimes is beside the point because the perception can become the reality. That’s why the seven judges on this court all signed a letter supporting public campaign financing for justices of this court so that much of the money is removed from the race so no one will have a perception that justice can be bought in this state.

The obvious thoughts are these:

1. most of the money spent in the election was by outside interests, 527s and 501(c)(4)s, not campaigns. Thus, public financing will not remove most of the money from the system.

2. During the Q&A, she mentioned recusal. Judges very rarely recuse themselves because they received a donation from a lawyer or party before them. Some have suggested that judges should do so more often, or even automatically. If that is the case, WMC should donate $10000 to Abrahamson, Bradley, and Crooks so they are never on another case where WMC has an amicus brief!

Here’s another thought that I’ve been processing but haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere:

Everyone agrees that the most, I’ll say aggressive, ad of the campaign cycle was the Gableman “Reuben Lee Mitchell” spot. If we had taxpayer financing of elections, this spot would still have been run!

You think the ad was offensive? How do you like the idea of your hard-earned tax dollars paying to put it on the air?

Tax-funded financing of elections for judges is not the answer (if there is a problem).

Great video from the RNC’s new Can We Ask campaign against Obama’s empty rhetoric.

So many of my liberal colleagues like to point to our states “image” or green ranking when they are talking about big businesses leaving Wisconsin. They seem to think if we just spend tons of state money on light rail, green energy, emissions control and socialized un-”Healthy Wisconsin” healthcare we will somehow attract more talent and more businesses.

As it turns out, it’s a question of simple economics that becomes more and more evident as time passes:

“The Lone Star State passed New York as home to the most big companies in the latest list compiled by Fortune magazine.

Texas now boasts 58 headquarters, three more than New York, the previous No. 1, and California, with 52.

Business experts say it’s a matter of simple economics – Texas attracts companies with its low taxes, affordable land and large labor force.

“Cost is overwhelmingly the No. 1 driver,” said Albert W. Niemi Jr., dean of the business school at Southern Methodist University, who wrote his doctoral thesis about companies leaving the Northeast for the Sun Belt 30 years ago.”

And to preempt those who will say “oh, it’s just oil companies”:

“Other Texas companies on the magazine’s list include technology, such as Dell Inc., three of the nation’s biggest airlines, two of the biggest homebuilders, an insurer, a hospital company and the largest garbage hauler around.”

Hmm, I seem to remember some CEOs in Milwaukee blatantly stating this point:

“They said Milwaukee’s taxes are too high, and the region doesn’t know how to market itself, suffers from a lack of leadership, has wasteful government spending and doesn’t provide enough tax incentives to attract and keep businesses and create jobs.

And when they were done criticizing the region as a terrible place to do business, they piled on and did it again. And again.”

I ate here once…ONCE. It was an unfortunate mistake that I can still remember. The orange chicken was near deadly. I didn’t even get through the whole thing before I realized the gravity of my mistake. The fact that the orange chicken close to what I imagine a cat tastes like was too much to bare. I think I will have a war like flashback if I keep thinking about it felt like my body was filled with fiberglass insulation… oh the humanity.

Anyways yeah this place isn’t a beacon of cleanliness either.

• There is an accumulation of grease on the filters. Hood filters must be cleaned as often as necessary to prevent the accumulation of grease.
• There are several missing and damaged ceiling tiles in the kitchen and dinning areas. There is some water leaking from the roof. Repair the roof to stop the leaking and replace all damaged and missing ceiling tiles. Do not store or prepare any food under these areas until repaired.

Clean the floors in the kitchen, especially under the equipment on the cook line—much grease accumulation.
• The cooler doors, the scoops used in the flour bins, and the large white bins (used to hold flour, sugar and rice) are dirty with old food debris and need to be cleaned. Also repair the seal on the 2 door upright cooler as it has come away from the door.
• There was no bucket of sanitizer set up anywhere in the kitchen area. Dirty wiping cloths were sitting out on prep tables. Properly set up and maintain sanitize buckets at food prep stations to the proper concentration. Keep the wiping cloths in the buckets in between uses.
• Bean sprouts, cooked chicken and other potentially hazardous foods are being left out on the counters by the cook line. Sprouts were found at 55 degrees and chicken at 58. All potentially hazardous foods must be kept at 41 degrees or below for cold holding. Do not allow food to sit out on counters.
• Cooked mushrooms were found at 81 degrees on the hot hold table in the kitchen. Also there was a large batch of cooked rice sitting on the counter at 118 degrees. All potentially hazardous foods being hot held must remain at 135 degrees or more.
• There is no date marking being done. All ready to eat potentially hazardous foods that are prepared on site must be marked with a 7 day use by date when held for more than 24 hours.
• There were many rat droppings in front of the walk in cooler and the fencing outside. None were noted inside, however the dropping need to be cleaned up and effective pest control measures taken to eliminate the rat activity. There were also possible burrows seen in the cement around the fence. Remove all items along the fence to eliminate any harborage areas as well.
• Raw meat was stored above onion rings and potatoes in the tall cooler behind the cookline. Store all raw animal foods below and away from ready to eat foods and cooked ready to eat foods.
• The soda dispensers were moldy and in-need of cleaning. Remove and clean soda dispensers on a regular basis.

Fortune Cookie say: If you eat here; you may die
Lucky Numbers 3, 56, 9, 13, 64, 18, 42