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April 25, 2006
WE'RE FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND WE'RE HERE TO HELP
MORE ON THE GASOLINE STORY...
Mallory (a new poster) says our government is actually blocking the importation of clean, low cost ethanol. Now Mallory, are you suggesting our government is doing something really stupid or worse? Unfortunately for consumers, that is exactly what our government is doing.....
Mallory, please go to the head of the class.
Yes, folks there is an abundant supply of sugar based ethanol available from Brazil and it's pre-tax pump price would be around $2.00-$2.20, which sure beats the heck out of what we pay now for polluting gasoline. However, Congress in it's infinite wisdom, imposed a .54 cent tariff on imported ethanol from Brazil, presumably to protect the higher cost domestic ethanol made from corn and of course the HUGE oil lobby. With the heavy fuel tax now imposed on us, that would make imported ethanol just high enough to be impractical for consumers, which is exactly what the oil industry wants to keep their strangle hold over the American consumer.
But, importers may outwit Congress and bring consumers desperately needed $2 a gallon ethanol. The "Caribbean Basin Initiative" or (CBI) allows signatory nations to import duty free. In order to take advantage of this, Brazil would have to build a refinery in a CBI signatory country or use an intermediary nation that is already in the loop like El Salvador and that's just what they are trying to do, as Congress and special interest lobbyists scramble to stop them.
Plum farmers, like a lot of other domestic crops, have been hammered by foreign competition, but no protective tariffs for them and certainly no subsidies. Well, plums are one thing, but what about an industry that is tied to national security? For a lack of protective tariffs, many of our steel mills wound up closing only to reopen in China, yet we block the importation of a clean bio-fuel from a democratic ally, go figure? This is one of those strange situations that can only be explained by following the lobbyists money trail that inevitably leads to somebody's campaign war chest in Congress.
Posted by Post Scripts at April 25, 2006 07:00 AM
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Comments
I had heard about this but figured it was just some ones wishful thinking (other than just mine). Now, how do we get this to people in mass numbers? Maybe we have found that one golden opportunity where we all, conservative, liberal, tree-hugger, normal people can come together and actually achieve something worth while. How good would it feel to tell OPEC to kiss our @$$! EAT YOUR $%#&ing Oil! I hate to say this, but the guy/gal who gets behind this and runs for election gets my vote. This would solve a boat load of problems beyond our gas prices.
Posted by: Toby Stahler at April 25, 2006 08:24 AM
Toby, the question is why haven't our GOP guys stepped up to help us on this one, is it big oil money or what? Why are fuel taxes inordinately high and the GOP has done nothing to roll them back?
Cutting fuel tax would really help those who can least afford to pay those taxes, like low and middle income families and aren't we supposed to be focusing our tax cuts to help them?
I'm sorry to say, this is exactly the kind of $##% that is going to get a lot of Republicans kicked out of office next election.
They are not keeping their promises and they have lost their connection with the voters. The GOP is in serious trouble.
Did you know that as low as Bush's numbers are, that Congress is even worse? They come in with about a 25% approval rating...YOU CAN'T LEAD A NATION with numbers like that! And now Bush and Congress are pushing this amenesty program and guest worker program that is going to be just as fraud riddled as the last similar program in 1987! What are they thinking...better yet, what are they DRINKING???
Posted by: Jack Lee at April 25, 2006 08:45 AM
Are you sure that sugary fuel would not gum up the engines of those SUVs?
Biggest problem is that those cornbelt lawmakers - Republicans and Democrats - would howl if we imported something we make here.
I not sure importing Brazilian ethanol is the answer because of that word "importing". We're already addicted to energy from another part of the world, and we're paying a hell'uva price for it in terms of at the pump, lives, borrowed money for wars, worldwide prestige.
BTW - I say it tops out around $3.80 for reg. unleaded by July/August.
Posted by: Drzal at April 25, 2006 01:38 PM