04/15/08 Upholding the Party & Oil Not Corn

Upholding the Party & Oil Not Corn plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The Idaho Republican Party filed suit late Friday in U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho against the Idaho Secretary of State, in an effort to close the party's primary elections process, so only registered Republicans would be allowed to vote in Republican primaries. This session, the legislature did not implement an appropriate closed primary system such as the "call for ballot" process. The Idaho Republican Party urged the legislature to approve closed primary legislation this year, in order to avoid litigation, but several proposals were unsuccessful. There is a lot of finger pointing going on with regards to corn based ethanol and food prices but a new study shows corn prices have had little to do with rising food costs. The report was released Friday by Texas A&M - one of the most respected ag research universities in the country. NCGA Ethanol Committee Chairman Steve Ruh says it's good to have this closer look at the true effects of increased ethanol production. RUH: What they really found was that actually it's the high energy costs related to oil rising which is the underlying factor in all these issues and especially when you look at what it costs to transport these products and to package them, you know it's all based on basically the cost of petroleum. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. What happens to most of us when we are told we can't have or do something? We generally want to do or have whatever is forbidden; the old tell me to sit and you're forcing me to stand! Perhaps someone should let MeMe Roth the self appointed food cop in on that little tidbit of human psyche. Instead of trying to force a total "junk" food ban on children, how about teaching them to eat a variety of foods in a well balanced diet. Of course this common sense approach isn't MeMe's style. Roth's most recent press release calling for the YMCA to ban all "unhealthy" food is easily recognized for what it really is, just her way of getting back into the spotlight. Instead of being food cop, Roth has quickly turned into food clown, with her attack on the Girl Scouts and birthday cakes. The real focus needs to be on helping our children to make healthy food choices, not on this week's current food Nazi's claim to fame. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.