On Rick Santorum Campaigning in Iowa in 2012 and Actually Uttering the Words, "This is Not Your Grandfather's Ethanol"
a) I wanted to slap him and b) would the individual whose idea it was to make Iowa the first caucus state please stand up 'cause I'd really like to slap you, too.
Ethanol shouldn't get any special considerations. No subsidies, and no tax breaks (other than a general reduction in taxation the same as other businesses so it isn't ridiculously over-high compared to other countries... again, no special treatment).
The subsidy has been eliminated and I'm thankful for that. But the mandate remains and that's some big time cronyism (not to mention the fact that it's bad for the environment, bad for car engines, and inflationary for food prices).
On the plus side, ethanol can, and is being made from waste biomass, the synthesis and distillation requiring up to 100 hours. Which is a bit shorter than the natural method which produced underground mineral oil. I have no problem looking at alternatives to finite fuels as a wise long-term project. (I also appreciate the ethanol that helps make my brandy!)
Will: Absolutely. Other than actual pollutants (lead, sulfur, etc) the government should butt out.
Protect the public interest, not the pockets of wealthy "plutocrats".
"and inflationary for food prices..."
I've mentioned this before. While it is not catastrophic, I'm very certain that the higher prices on food staples due to the crazy push to burn instead of eat it has caused hunger, and perhaps in some cases, starvation.
"But how could that be when roughly 14% of the world's corn crop is being converted into ethanol in the U.S.? In addition to corn being used for biofuel, taxpayer-subsidized biodiesel is using up more soybeans each year."
That's food not being eaten by human beings, and that's pressure to raise prices on said food. Not due to natural market pressures and demands, but by the ruling elites messing with stuff.
I'm open to anything, BB. It's just that the only things that can currently measure up to cost and scale are fossil fuels, hydropower, and nuclear. And ethanol (at least the corn product) as it turns out emits a lot of nitrous oxide which has an even higher greenhouse effect than CO2.............A perfect example of the unintended consequences of government regulation, dmarks (just like with the cafe standards and auto safety, the ADA actually leading to LESS handicapped people working, the minimum wage spike in American Samoa leading to a major employer leaving the island, etc.).
Sadly, Will, the minimum wage idea is more and more popular (look at those ballot initiatives).
Because it is easier to vote for a wage increase from your employer than to actually earn it honestly.. Not entirely different from the mentality that justifies embezzlement.
Rusty: As if it is even a good idea for states to have such policies to force employers to trim their workforce thanks to such laws demanding that they give each worker a massive unearned bonus that has no connection to the job being done.
8 comments:
Ethanol shouldn't get any special considerations. No subsidies, and no tax breaks (other than a general reduction in taxation the same as other businesses so it isn't ridiculously over-high compared to other countries... again, no special treatment).
The subsidy has been eliminated and I'm thankful for that. But the mandate remains and that's some big time cronyism (not to mention the fact that it's bad for the environment, bad for car engines, and inflationary for food prices).
On the plus side, ethanol can, and is being made from waste
biomass, the synthesis and distillation requiring up to 100 hours. Which is a bit shorter than the natural method which produced underground mineral oil.
I have no problem looking at alternatives to finite fuels as a wise long-term project. (I also
appreciate the ethanol that helps make my brandy!)
Will: Absolutely. Other than actual pollutants (lead, sulfur, etc) the government should butt out.
Protect the public interest, not the pockets of wealthy "plutocrats".
"and inflationary for food prices..."
I've mentioned this before. While it is not catastrophic, I'm very certain that the higher prices on food staples due to the crazy push to burn instead of eat it has caused hunger, and perhaps in some cases, starvation.
From CNN:
"But how could that be when roughly 14% of the world's corn crop is being converted into ethanol in the U.S.? In addition to corn being used for biofuel, taxpayer-subsidized biodiesel is using up more soybeans each year."
That's food not being eaten by human beings, and that's pressure to raise prices on said food. Not due to natural market pressures and demands, but by the ruling elites messing with stuff.
I'm open to anything, BB. It's just that the only things that can currently measure up to cost and scale are fossil fuels, hydropower, and nuclear. And ethanol (at least the corn product) as it turns out emits a lot of nitrous oxide which has an even higher greenhouse effect than CO2.............A perfect example of the unintended consequences of government regulation, dmarks (just like with the cafe standards and auto safety, the ADA actually leading to LESS handicapped people working, the minimum wage spike in American Samoa leading to a major employer leaving the island, etc.).
Sadly, Will, the minimum wage idea is more and more popular (look at those ballot initiatives).
Because it is easier to vote for a wage increase from your employer than to actually earn it honestly.. Not entirely different from the mentality that justifies embezzlement.
Any minimum wage raise should be a state issue....not federal.Cost of living in the states should control any raise,if at all.
Rusty: As if it is even a good idea for states to have such policies to force employers to trim their workforce thanks to such laws demanding that they give each worker a massive unearned bonus that has no connection to the job being done.
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