US Senate votes down ethanol subsidies

[Political Junky]

A huge blow to Norquist.

AFP: US Senate votes down ethanol subsidies

WASHINGTON — The US Senate voted Thursday to end a $6 billion subsidy for ethanol in a move that appeared largely symbolic but sends a message about the growing unease on support for the biofuel made mostly from corn.
In a 73-27 vote, the Senate approved an amendment to end a 45 cent per gallon credit given for blending ethanol into gasoline and scrap a hefty tariff on ethanol imports.
The outcome for the measure remains uncertain, since the broader bill would need to pass the Senate and the House of Representatives, but lawmakers said a broad coalition supports the move to help curb the massive budget deficit.
"The ethanol and oil industries do not need nor do they deserve subsidies that are costly to American taxpayers, harm our environment and increase the cost of the food we eat," said Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who was among the 38 Democrats, 33 Republicans and two independents voting in favor.
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[Toronado3800]

A huge blow to Norquist.

AFP: US Senate votes down ethanol subsidies

WASHINGTON — The US Senate voted Thursday to end a $6 billion subsidy for ethanol in a move that appeared largely symbolic but sends a message about the growing unease on support for the biofuel made mostly from corn.
In a 73-27 vote, the Senate approved an amendment to end a 45 cent per gallon credit given for blending ethanol into gasoline and scrap a hefty tariff on ethanol imports.
The outcome for the measure remains uncertain, since the broader bill would need to pass the Senate and the House of Representatives, but lawmakers said a broad coalition supports the move to help curb the massive budget deficit.
"The ethanol and oil industries do not need nor do they deserve subsidies that are costly to American taxpayers, harm our environment and increase the cost of the food we eat," said Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who was among the 38 Democrats, 33 Republicans and two independents voting in favor.
<more>

I have mixed feelings on this one and work towards indecision.

On the one hand, great, let the farmers enjoy small government.

On the other I believe ethanol subsidies lower the demand for Iranian oil and defunds their military. Also stretches out how long available oil will last.

The tariff? Um, are folks really trying to sell us corn? I am ok with tariffs if there is a point.

 

[waltky]

Granny says hook a hose up to the Congressional toilet - all dem politicians is fulla crap...

Human waste could be biofuel
June 15, 2011 - Gates foundation is funding effort in Ghana to turn excrement into biodiesel and methane fuels.

It's not enough just to keep human excrement out of water supplies and other places where it's not welcomed. Not putting it to practical use is, well, a waste. Now a Columbia University professor of environmental engineering has teamed up with a social enterprise in Accra, Ghana, to turn "fecal sludge" into biodiesel or methane fuel. The project, called the “Next-Generation Urban Sanitation Facility,” is in cooperation with Waste Enterprisers and is being underwritten by a recently announced $1.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“We are delighted to be awarded this project,” says Dr. Kartik Chandran in a news release from Columbia University. “And we are especially pleased that the Gates foundation has recognized the critical importance of sustainable sanitation by investing in our pioneering project. Thus far, sanitation approaches have been extremely resource- and energy-intensive and therefore out of reach for some of the world’s poorest but also most at-need populations. This project will allow us to move forward and develop practical technologies that will be of great value around the world.”

Half the people in the developing world – some 2.5 billion people – lack access to safe sanitation, according the Gates foundation. "1.2 billion people practice open defecation, meaning they have no sanitation facilities at all, and 1.3 billion people use unsafe latrines. Most of these people live in rural areas, but as urbanization increases, the crisis is spreading to towns and cities as well." Human excrement is "a concentrate of organic material with high energetic value," the Gates foundation says. "Energy can be derived through digestion, extraction, or combustion, simultaneously reducing the volume of sludge that must be disposed." The Gates foundation is focusing on improving sanitation in poor regions, seeing it as one of the "Grand Challenges" facing the world.

Dr. Chandran and his partners are developing methods to convert organic compounds in human waste into usable fuels. That will keep the waste out of the environment, where it's a contributing factor to disease, and provide an alternative fuel source. Chandra's work is part of a project by Engineers without Borders, which taps engineering expertise to address human needs. The world is experiencing a "sea change" in the way human waste is regarded and used, Chandra says. "In fact, the term ‘wastewater’ is already archaic," he says. "Wastewater is, after all, just water with a different chemical and biological composition."

Source

 

[Quantum Windbag]

A huge blow to Norquist.

AFP: US Senate votes down ethanol subsidies

WASHINGTON — The US Senate voted Thursday to end a $6 billion subsidy for ethanol in a move that appeared largely symbolic but sends a message about the growing unease on support for the biofuel made mostly from corn.
In a 73-27 vote, the Senate approved an amendment to end a 45 cent per gallon credit given for blending ethanol into gasoline and scrap a hefty tariff on ethanol imports.
The outcome for the measure remains uncertain, since the broader bill would need to pass the Senate and the House of Representatives, but lawmakers said a broad coalition supports the move to help curb the massive budget deficit.
"The ethanol and oil industries do not need nor do they deserve subsidies that are costly to American taxpayers, harm our environment and increase the cost of the food we eat," said Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who was among the 38 Democrats, 33 Republicans and two independents voting in favor.
<more>

I have mixed feelings on this one and work towards indecision.

On the one hand, great, let the farmers enjoy small government.

On the other I believe ethanol subsidies lower the demand for Iranian oil and defunds their military. Also stretches out how long available oil will last.

The tariff? Um, are folks really trying to sell us corn? I am ok with tariffs if there is a point.

If your concern about ethanol rests on us buying oil from Iran you can relax. The US not only imports no oil from Iran, we go out of our way to limit the import of anything made from that oil. If you do a little research you will see that, despite the rhetoric, we get less that 15% of our oil from the Mid-East, most of that comes from Saudi Arabia. The largest share of our imported oil comes from Canada. The rest comes from Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil, with a smattering from other Central and South American countries. That actually means that well over 80% of the oil we consume comes from this hemisphere.

 

[VaYank5150]

A huge blow to Norquist.

AFP: US Senate votes down ethanol subsidies

WASHINGTON — The US Senate voted Thursday to end a $6 billion subsidy for ethanol in a move that appeared largely symbolic but sends a message about the growing unease on support for the biofuel made mostly from corn.
In a 73-27 vote, the Senate approved an amendment to end a 45 cent per gallon credit given for blending ethanol into gasoline and scrap a hefty tariff on ethanol imports.
The outcome for the measure remains uncertain, since the broader bill would need to pass the Senate and the House of Representatives, but lawmakers said a broad coalition supports the move to help curb the massive budget deficit.
"The ethanol and oil industries do not need nor do they deserve subsidies that are costly to American taxpayers, harm our environment and increase the cost of the food we eat," said Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who was among the 38 Democrats, 33 Republicans and two independents voting in favor.
<more>

Did I miss in the article where they voted to end subsidies to the big oil companies too? Separate legislation or what?

 

[KissMy]

Did I miss in the article where they voted to end subsidies to the big oil companies too? Separate legislation or what?

They are all on the take from Big Oil. They will never bite the hand that feeds them. No way big oil lose their tax breaks or subsidies.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Great! It's long overdue...

 

[Baruch Menachem]

Now lets see about doing biofuel from Hemp.

If we are going to have air pollution, lets have air pollution that will make us happy

 

[KissMy]

Big Oil gets over $280 Billion in subsidies.

Ethanol gets $6 Billion.

Solution = Take-a-way Ethanol Subsidy.

Ethanol created over 400,000 Good Paying Jobs in the USA. Not the part time minimum wage crapola jobs most companies do today. Those ethanol jobs generated $56 Billion in the US economy & $11 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue. That easily covers the $6 Billion ethanol blending subsidy.

One comprehensive report found that subsidies for the oil industry total up to $280 billion annually, representing up to $2 per gallon of gasoline. A recent legislative effort to eliminate $2 billion of these oil subsidies went nowhere in Congress, he noted, after organizations like the National Taxpayers Union painted it as a tax increase.

 

[Two Thumbs]

A huge blow to Norquist.

AFP: US Senate votes down ethanol subsidies

WASHINGTON — The US Senate voted Thursday to end a $6 billion subsidy for ethanol in a move that appeared largely symbolic but sends a message about the growing unease on support for the biofuel made mostly from corn.
In a 73-27 vote, the Senate approved an amendment to end a 45 cent per gallon credit given for blending ethanol into gasoline and scrap a hefty tariff on ethanol imports.The outcome for the measure remains uncertain, since the broader bill would need to pass the Senate and the House of Representatives, but lawmakers said a broad coalition supports the move to help curb the massive budget deficit.
"The ethanol and oil industries do not need nor do they deserve subsidies that are costly to American taxpayers, harm our environment and increase the cost of the food we eat," said Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who was among the 38 Democrats, 33 Republicans and two independents voting in favor.
<more>

scrap a hefty tariff on ethanol imports

What's that mean?

We are going to stop a tariff on inported ethanol?

Hope that brings down the price

 

[Two Thumbs]

Big Oil gets over $280 Billion in subsidies.

Ethanol gets $6 Billion.

Solution = Take-a-way Ethanol Subsidy.

Ethanol created 500,000 Good Paying Jobs in the USA. Not the part time minimum wage crapola jobs most companies do today. Those ethanol jobs generated $53 Billion in the US economy. That easily covers the $6 Billion ethanol blending subsidy.

Baby steps. I'll take what I can get.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Now lets see about doing biofuel from Hemp.

If we are going to have air pollution, lets have air pollution that will make us happy

So much for "rush hour".

 

[percysunshine]

Big Oil gets over $280 Billion in subsidies.

Ethanol gets $6 Billion.

Solution = Take-a-way Ethanol Subsidy.

Ethanol created 500,000 Good Paying Jobs in the USA. Not the part time minimum wage crapola jobs most companies do today. Those ethanol jobs generated $53 Billion in the US economy. That easily covers the $6 Billion ethanol blending subsidy.

$280 Billion is a big number. I am sure you can come up with an example of a subsidy.

Not taxing big oil at 100% does not count as a subsidy, just to get our terminology straight.

 

[flacaltenn]

A huge blow to Norquist.

AFP: US Senate votes down ethanol subsidies

WASHINGTON — The US Senate voted Thursday to end a $6 billion subsidy for ethanol in a move that appeared largely symbolic but sends a message about the growing unease on support for the biofuel made mostly from corn.
In a 73-27 vote, the Senate approved an amendment to end a 45 cent per gallon credit given for blending ethanol into gasoline and scrap a hefty tariff on ethanol imports.
The outcome for the measure remains uncertain, since the broader bill would need to pass the Senate and the House of Representatives, but lawmakers said a broad coalition supports the move to help curb the massive budget deficit.
"The ethanol and oil industries do not need nor do they deserve subsidies that are costly to American taxpayers, harm our environment and increase the cost of the food we eat," said Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who was among the 38 Democrats, 33 Republicans and two independents voting in favor.
<more>

Well that answers my question of why only 4 or 5 DEMS voted AYE a couple days earlier on a motion to end ethanol subsidies. That way -- about 27 Dem senators get to go home and tell their constituents that they voted "for ethanol before they voted against it"

SHEEEZ --- what an outrage.. And WHICH party are the corporate stooges?

45 cents/gal is WAAAY too high. Shut that down and put 25% of that into the SCIENCE/TECH of producing ethanol from something other than table grade corn!!! Don't pay for commodities that we KNOW how to produce! NEVER....

And forget about Grover. ANYONE that claims that removing a subsidy is equal to a tax increase needs to become irrelevent. But evidently, there's enough stupid Repubs to actually be worrying about the philosophical canard..

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Big Oil gets over $280 Billion in subsidies.

Ethanol gets $6 Billion.

Solution = Take-a-way Ethanol Subsidy.

Ethanol created 500,000 Good Paying Jobs in the USA. Not the part time minimum wage crapola jobs most companies do today. Those ethanol jobs generated $53 Billion in the US economy. That easily covers the $6 Billion ethanol blending subsidy.

$280 Billion is a big number. I am sure you can come up with an example of a subsidy.

Not taxing big oil at 100% does not count as a subsidy, just to get our terminology straight.

Nice to see that I am not the only one that gets that.

 

[KissMy]

Big Oil gets over $280 Billion in subsidies.

Ethanol gets $6 Billion.

Solution = Take-a-way Ethanol Subsidy.

Ethanol created 500,000 Good Paying Jobs in the USA. Not the part time minimum wage crapola jobs most companies do today. Those ethanol jobs generated $53 Billion in the US economy. That easily covers the $6 Billion ethanol blending subsidy.

$280 Billion is a big number. I am sure you can come up with an example of a subsidy.

Not taxing big oil at 100% does not count as a subsidy, just to get our terminology straight.

Just so you get your terminology straight.

The "Ethanol Subsidy" is a tax break of 45 cents per gallon. Since 10% of the gasoline everyone uses every day is Ethanol, this gave everyone a 4.5 cent tax break on every gallon of gasoline they buy.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

A huge blow to Norquist.

AFP: US Senate votes down ethanol subsidies

WASHINGTON — The US Senate voted Thursday to end a $6 billion subsidy for ethanol in a move that appeared largely symbolic but sends a message about the growing unease on support for the biofuel made mostly from corn.
In a 73-27 vote, the Senate approved an amendment to end a 45 cent per gallon credit given for blending ethanol into gasoline and scrap a hefty tariff on ethanol imports.
The outcome for the measure remains uncertain, since the broader bill would need to pass the Senate and the House of Representatives, but lawmakers said a broad coalition supports the move to help curb the massive budget deficit.
"The ethanol and oil industries do not need nor do they deserve subsidies that are costly to American taxpayers, harm our environment and increase the cost of the food we eat," said Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat who was among the 38 Democrats, 33 Republicans and two independents voting in favor.
<more>

Well that answers my question of why only 4 or 5 DEMS voted AYE a couple days earlier on a motion to end ethanol subsidies. That way -- about 27 Dem senators get to go home and tell their constituents that they voted "for ethanol before they voted against it"

SHEEEZ --- what an outrage.. And WHICH party are the corporate stooges?

45 cents/gal is WAAAY too high. Shut that down and put 25% of that into the SCIENCE/TECH of producing ethanol from something other than table grade corn!!! Don't pay for commodities that we KNOW how to produce! NEVER....

And forget about Grover. ANYONE that claims that removing a subsidy is equal to a tax increase needs to become irrelevent. But evidently, there's enough stupid Repubs to actually be worrying about the philosophical canard..

Norquist has gone off the deep end, ATR should let him go.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Big Oil gets over $280 Billion in subsidies.

Ethanol gets $6 Billion.

Solution = Take-a-way Ethanol Subsidy.

Ethanol created 500,000 Good Paying Jobs in the USA. Not the part time minimum wage crapola jobs most companies do today. Those ethanol jobs generated $53 Billion in the US economy. That easily covers the $6 Billion ethanol blending subsidy.

$280 Billion is a big number. I am sure you can come up with an example of a subsidy.

Not taxing big oil at 100% does not count as a subsidy, just to get our terminology straight.

Just so you get your terminology straight.

The "Ethanol Subsidy" is a tax break of 45 cents per gallon. Since 10% of the gasoline everyone uses every day is Ethanol, this gave everyone a 4.5 cent tax break on every gallon of gasoline they buy.

No it did not.

What it did was pay the blenders the money regardless of how much it actually costs them to mix the ethanol. We have no idea what the price of that would be because the market has never had a chance to set it.

 

[percysunshine]

Big Oil gets over $280 Billion in subsidies.

Ethanol gets $6 Billion.

Solution = Take-a-way Ethanol Subsidy.

Ethanol created 500,000 Good Paying Jobs in the USA. Not the part time minimum wage crapola jobs most companies do today. Those ethanol jobs generated $53 Billion in the US economy. That easily covers the $6 Billion ethanol blending subsidy.

$280 Billion is a big number. I am sure you can come up with an example of a subsidy.

Not taxing big oil at 100% does not count as a subsidy, just to get our terminology straight.

Just so you get your terminology straight.

The "Ethanol Subsidy" is a tax break of 45 cents per gallon. Since 10% of the gasoline everyone uses every day is Ethanol, this gave everyone a 4.5 cent tax break on every gallon of gasoline they buy.

The subject of debate is your list of Big Oil subsidies.

Still waiting for the list.

 

[KissMy]

$280 Billion is a big number. I am sure you can come up with an example of a subsidy.

Not taxing big oil at 100% does not count as a subsidy, just to get our terminology straight.

Just so you get your terminology straight.

The "Ethanol Subsidy" is a tax break of 45 cents per gallon. Since 10% of the gasoline everyone uses every day is Ethanol, this gave everyone a 4.5 cent tax break on every gallon of gasoline they buy.

The subject of debate is your list of Big Oil subsidies.

Still waiting for the list.

I had already posted a link, but here is another one for you.

The Wall Street Journal: Oil Demand Growth Vulnerable to Subsidy Cuts

In 2009, the IEA says the total cost of oil subsidies was $130 billion. But in 2008, the last time the oil price touched $100 a barrel, this figure was a budget-busting $280 billion.