OpenGov - Open Government Brainstorm

Why Is This Idea Important?: Obama has been taking a lot of heat across conservative blogs for his energy advisor being enamored with flex fuel. While I love to criticize Obama given the chance, I have to admit that encouraging flex fuel is probably good for national security (as is drilling here), both things will make our vehicle fleet less dependant on the Middle East. Also E85 from corn may have unintended healthcare benefits. Many naysayers claim corn ethanol will raise the price of cheap foodstuffs making the poor have a harder time. But as a medical student I have to wonder if all the government subsidized corn products in cheap foods aren’t contributing to the obesity and diabetes that is endemic in our lower social classes and if diverting subsidized corn to another industry where it won’t cause negative health impacts might not represent a net financial gain for the poorest among us through lower losses to disease and healthcare?? Not saying we actually should do this, just bringing up the point that no-one has even addressed or studied this possibility, or the possibility of not subsidizing corn at all and letting the food industry use corn products by a more natural supply/demand rather than because of subsidies lowering manufacturing costs for industries that use cheap corn products.