Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

This last week I took my husband grocery shopping with me for the first time in a while.  We had been eating mostly chicken and fish and decided we would like a nice steak.

Both of us were shocked when we looked at the price of beef.  The price of beef has gone through the roof.  One steak cost us close to $12.

Why the high prices?  Well, I asked a friend whose family is into farming.  The answer is simple.  The current government is mandating that 40% of the corn crop go to producing ethanol for gas to fuel our vehicles.  Everyone knows that the best beef is corn-fed.  With 40% going to fuel our vehicles that only leaves 60 % for the cattle.  It’s the simple law of supply and demand.  Our government is interfering with the supply and demand of corn.   More restrictions and more regulations resulting is less corn and higher prices.   Result is some clean air, but no one is being able to afford to eat beef.  I’ll take reasonable prices for beef over EPA regulations any day.  Less government means lower prices.

Linda Silverman
Manteca