A story breaking this week from Bloomberg Politics details the political influence of the most powerful family in the sugar industry, the Fanjuls. The report focuses on the family’s massive wealth, formed on the backs of hardworking taxpayers, and how they have used that wealth to curry favor to insulate the U.S. sugar program from much needed reform. The Bloomberg report uncovers the worst forms of crony capitalism by digging into the background of the Fanjul family, and providing insight on why reforming the sugar program is an important element of job creation for U.S. companies that use sugar as an ingredient in their products. … Prices are so inflated consumers are spending $2.9 billion a year that they shouldn’t have to, said Tom Earley, an economist with the consulting company Agralytica who has lobbied against sugar protections.

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