Maybe corn isn’t a very good fuel source.

Or at least, maybe it isn’t particularly reliable. From the National Drought Summary — July 17, 2007 (see the weekly drought monitor here)

The Midwest: Little change in the moderate drought (D1) situation was noted in the eastern Corn Belt, while abnormal dryness and moderate drought (D0 and D1) expanded across the upper Midwest. By July 15, USDA indicated that 20 to 30 percent of the corn and soybeans were rated very poor to poor in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Crop conditions were also beginning to slide in the upper Midwest, where the percentage of Minnesota’s corn rated very poor to poor jumped from 8 percent on July 1 to 19 percent two weeks later. During the 25-day period from June 23 to July 17, less than one-tenth of an inch of rain fell in locations such as Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Marshalltown and Sioux City, Iowa.

Yeah. OK. I’d rather rely on something that doesn’t depend so much on the weather, and while we’re at it, something the use of which doesn’t cut into what we and our livestock eat to start with.
Corn-based ethanol will only survive with government help. Unfortunately the government is currently doing its blinkered best to do that, and to raise food prices at the same time.
Tell me again why we’re supposed to trust the government?