Farm Vote Swings on Ethanol

By Clinton Thomas

Farmers in red Case tractors plant split red wheat each fall in Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri. Every four years, those farmers head for the ballot box to vote for president. In recent elections, they have voted red.

But in extreme circumstances, a loyal Case customer might trade in his red tractor for John Deere green. For the right price, a red wheat grower could switch to yellow corn. And on a certain issue, a red voter could cast a blue ballot.

Ethanol will force farmers to make a tough choice on Nov. 4.

Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain said at his party’s convention that he wants to repeal the Renewable Fuels Standard that sets mandates for ethanol production. He also has stated that he wants to eliminate subsidies for domestic ethanol production and tariffs on ethanol imported from foreign nations such as Brazil so the free market can fix the energy crisis. The Democrats have nominated Sen. Barack Obama, who favors the Renewable Fuels Standard along with current subsidies and tariffs on ethanol as a means to shift the United States toward renewable fuels.

The debate figures to drag more than a few conservative farmers into an unfamiliar side of the political spectrum.

Bill Becker lives in Northeast Kansas and works in St. Joseph as the president and chief executive officer of Lifeline Foods. When Lifeline started producing ethanol in the late summer of 2007, Mr. Becker said the company did so under the assumption that it would have government support. Now Mr. Becker worries that Mr. McCain’s plan could pull the rug out from under his company.

"This is an issue that is a difference-maker to me," Mr. Becker said. "Historically I have considered myself a Republican, but I will vote for the Democrat in this presidential election."

Mr. Becker said that in other races, he will still vote for the candidates who have consistently supported his views.

"I think it’s going to be challenging for the guys on the Republican ticket to have their leader speaking against something that they’ve worked so hard for," Mr. Becker said.

Ken McCauley’s connections to the corn industry stretch well past his 3,500-acre farmstead near White Cloud, Kan. Mr. McCauley serves as chairman of the National Corn Growers Association. He has previously held spots as the association’s president and the vice chairman of its ethanol committee.

"This statement that we should repeal the Renewable Fuels Standard is just wrong," Mr. McCauley said. "It’s just the wrong attitude to have at election time."

Mr. McCauley said he was speaking as a farmer and not on behalf of the association. The NCGA does not endorse political candidates. He added that ethanol generally draws strong support from both parties.

"The big thing is that it’s being brought up as an issue in the Republican platform, but it isn’t every elected Republican’s point of view," he said.

Ron Blakely knows how Beltway politics can affect Belt Highway voters.

Last week he flew to Washington, D.C., to speak with lawmakers about the St. Joseph Regional Port Authority and the need for federal funding. The southern Buchanan County farmer has his eye on the ethanol issue as well. Not only does Mr. Blakely grow corn, he’s an investor in Lifeline Foods. As for political leanings, Mr. Blakely describes himself as a strange duck who is conservatively aggressive and hasn’t voted a straight ticket in his life.

Mr. Blakely has found a few holes in Mr. McCain’s energy plan, which the senator has referred to as an all-of-the-above policy.

"The thought of not using homegrown renewable fuels is ridiculous, because anybody with any common sense at all would have to think that figures into the equation," Mr. Blakely said.

If Mr. McCain wins the election, he would need congressional support to revoke ethanol subsidies, tariffs and the Renewable Fuels Standard. That’s no sure bet, as many of the congressmen who voted for those issues could remain in office.

Mr. Blakely said he has talked to several McCain supporters who oppose his position on ethanol and said those voters hope Mr. McCain’s colleagues can change his mind. Mr. Blakely doesn’t want to take any chances that could hurt the St. Joseph business community.

He points to the jobs available at Lifeline, or at biodiesel plants such as Ag Processing and Northwest Missouri Biofuels. Construction on another biodiesel plant — Terra Bioenergy — has already begun on Stockyards Expressway. Totaled up, the biofuels industry could bring hundreds of millions of dollars to St. Joseph in coming years through sales, payroll and tax revenue.

"Not only are farmers losing the opportunity to add value to their products, but city folks are losing out due to the fact that they would lose jobs," Mr. Blakely said. "The infrastructure alone that has been built in St. Joseph has to be worth at least $100 million. How much is that worth to you?"

Steve Alexander grows corn and soybeans near the Northwest Missouri town of Hopkins. As an investor in Lifeline Foods and Golden Triangle Energy in Craig, Mo., Mr. Alexander admits that he’s biased on the ethanol issue. He worries that Americans depend too much on foreign oil, and he said the next president should use all the nation’s resources to change that, including ethanol and offshore drilling. Mr. McCain’s plan opposes ethanol and favors offshore drilling, while Mr. Obama favors ethanol and opposes offshore drilling.

Mr. Alexander — a self-described independent with conservative Midwestern values — finds himself in a predicament. He said neither candidate satisfies him. He doesn’t like one, and he doesn’t trust the other.

"My vote is still kind of up in the air," Mr. Alexander said. "I’m probably leaning a little to the Republican side right now, but I could trip over to the other side if I heard something between now and Election Day."

Clinton Thomas can be reached at clintonthomas@npgco.com.

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