By giving the most caucus delegates to Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the citizens of Iowa demonstrate that even those in the heart of corn country have had enough of overpaying for an underperforming fuel that can destroy engines.
15 Comments on Even Iowans Are Sick of Ethanol
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Yeah Doc, I want you to perform a chopacockoffofme operation. Make it look like a cow pie that’s been run over with a truck tire.
Oops, commented on the wrong post. Dangit!
Thanks for finding this, Dr. Tar. After reading the first paragraph, I signed up for their daily newsletter.
Every time I hear “ethanol” I always ask, why are we putting food into gas tanks when we have so much oil under our feet?
Larry The Red O’Donnell said he supports Cruz on this.
I don’t like ethanol, I like Ted Cruz, but I don’t agree that Ted Cruz is taking anything other than a politicians position on this. He is riding this fence and framing his statements like a regular politician. Sure, he can make a good sound bite but I’m not convinced he will do anything on this. He says it’s up to the market to decide, I want to see him say this is a stupid idea to begin with and we are getting rid of this mandate, and not in 10 years, but right damn now! I’m kind of pissed off at all these guys right now.
It’s true, ethanol subsidies are a big problem. The bigger problem at this point in time, because of joblessness and the loss of industry in the U.S., loss of jobs and the flow of those salaries into the communities would be a huge hit. According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, ethanol production accounts for 47K jobs just in Iowa and about $5B of Iowa’s GDP. It would have been easier to get rid of ethanol in its early years, but it is so much a part of the economy — especially in Iowa — it would be a shock wave to their economy.
As crazy as it seems I even worry about the loss of gov’t jobs and how that would effect what little is left of any economic stability. We don’t make anything anymore and most service jobs are not living wage level. Because of these things, I doubt we could pull the plug on anything until we can repatriate U.S. corporations, their money and the jobs that go with them. Renegotiating our trade deals along with other measures would really help to start the recapitalization of middle income and reducing corporate tax rates would bring outside investment — which we haven’t seen for a long time.
It’s a really delicate balance that we’re trying to hold as we’ve been waiting for obama’s “prosperity is just around the corner” BS. I’m unwilling to look at the problem of ethanol as a major election issue because “fixing it” is more than simply saying it’s bad and pulling the plug at this point in time. And I guarantee you nothing big is going to change about ethanol production in the next 8 years. There has to be something that can take its place in the marketplace — better crude-based technologies or something. Even fixing the mass transportation problems in this country would go a long way toward providing alternative means of travel. Upgrading our rail systems would be another. Etc., etc., etc.
Just got a new truck, 38 gallon tank. Goobermint estimated range of 570 miles per tank on regular unleaded gas. The same federally funded 1/4th of the sticker also says 380 miles per tank running E85.
In other werds, a near 35% loss in efficiency. LOL!
So, you need diesel to plant seeds, you need diesel to fertilize/pesticide the plants, you need diesel to harvest the plants, you need natural gas or propane to dry the harvest, you need diesel to move the harvest, you need diesel once again to move the product of the harvest for blending, you need diesel to move the blend to the consumer.
So a gallon of E85 basically costs about 3 gallons of diesel.
The kicker?
The stupid fcuk consumer needs to buy 35% more to do the same amount of work.
Duh!
That corn crap destroys your engine.
I love it when someone here brings the whole problem down to a couple of paragraphs! Ethanol is to the 80’s what wind farms are to the 90’s! Both are over-bloated, big government/crony capitalism at their finest. Don’t get me wrong, I get the whole “dependence on foreign energy” thing, but it takes gov’t to screw over the people.
The pipeline?
I couldn’t agree more!…Diesel is the answer to many of these questions…
Dept of Ag doles out the cash for the ethanol/corn shit. But they ain’t stupid over there. The 2014 Budget document says they want to eliminate SNAP benefits (nutrition assistance) for millionaires.
Tell me these guys ain’t on the ball!
I don’t care if getting rid of ethanol disrupts the economy in Iowa. It is stupid to put a fuel in your car (or lawn mower) that ruins your engine. Doubly stupid to put food in your engine, especially when we are exporting oil
Maybe Iowa can buy me a new lawn mower every 3 years.
Federal milk marketing orders ……