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Bill Aims To Repeal Ethanol Incentive Save Email Print
Posted: 5:39 AM May 1, 2008
Last Updated: 5:39 AM May 1, 2008

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Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner has signed on as a co-sponsor of a bill that would repeal incentives for producing ethanol.

The bill introduced by Republican Congressman Jeff Flake of Arizona would repeal the tax credits for ethanol producers, among other moves.

Sensenbrenner, who's also a Republican, says he's always opposed reformulated gasoline that includes ethanol.

Backers of ethanol say it cuts air pollution and reduces reliance on foreign oil.

But Sensenbrenner says gas with ethanol is less efficient, giving consumers fewer miles per gallon, and it adds costs because it's made from corn that is converted to ethanol and then has to be transported.

With the rising reliance on ethanol for fuel, he says the increasing cost of corn means higher costs for animal feed and food, hitting families hard.

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Posted by: Jim Location: Kansas on May 2, 2008 at 04:01 PM
Hurray for ignorance! To keep our reliance on foriegn oil is nothing short of an economic downfall. There has to come a point where we as americans become more self reliant. Ethanol is most certainly the most effect course of action on the table right now to gain independance. Studies show that corn ethanol only uses only 4 percent of the corn grown in the US, but it is easy for working class public to point the blame of their grocery bills on ethanol because all they are hearing is the marketing strategies of the oil magnates that dont want you to use ethanol...doing so would not allow them to have record annual earnings AGAIN at our expense. What about Tomatoes...why am I paying twice as much for tomatoes this year as I did last year? All food products are increasing and it has very little to do with ethanol. With gas and oil prices at all time highs look at how much it is costing to transport food products. Ethanol is the only thing keeping gas prices from going higher.

Posted by: Henry Location: EC on May 1, 2008 at 03:41 PM
Hurray! Someone is finally paying attention to what the experts are saying. Ethanol from corn is NOT eviromental friendly. Granted, is has the potential of short term benefit for some farmers, those that grow only cash crops, but hurts most small farmers in the long run as feed & food costs rise. Many reports show that it takes more energy to produce ethanol than the benefit received from using it. I have heard from a number of people who have seen a 10 to 15 percent drop in fuel mileage when useing E85 vs straight gas. So why should I pay high gas prices and subsidise ethanol production both. Plus if I was dumb enough to use a high ratio ethanol gas, then fill my tank twice as much during a month, thus actually spending more for transportation.

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