Lynne Kiesling, who believes that rent-seekers should be prosecuted, is in an accusatory frame of mind concerning the latest energy legislation. She writes,

choosing to expand ethanol mandates as a renewable energy initiative is a big mistake. Using more ethanol will increase our dependence on foreign oil and impose costs that far outweigh its benefits. Overall, the proposed ethanol mandates will cost Americans $18-23 billion more than they will benefit.

Jerry Taylor and Peter Van Doren describe the legislation as “Hundreds of pages of corporate welfare, symbolic gestures, empty promises, and pork-barrel projects.”

For Discussion. What real solutions to real problems are contained in the legislation?