NCBA commends efforts to end 30-year-old ethanol subsidies

http://www.cattlenetwork.com ^ | April 1, 2011 | National Cattlemen's Beef Association

[B4Ranch]

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) supports the nation’s commitment to reduce dependence on foreign energy. However, according to Bill Donald, NCBA president and Montana cattleman, it is time for the mature corn-based ethanol industry to compete on a market-based, level playing field with all other end-users of corn. He added that there are multiple proposals in the 112th Congress to end the 45-cent per gallon blending credit for corn-based ethanol.

“American taxpayers have spent more than $30 billion subsidizing corn-based ethanol for more than 30-years.That industry should be able to operate on the open market like the rest of us do,” Donald said. “As a cattle producer, all I’m asking is to compete head-to-head on a level playing field for a bushel of corn.”

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has introduced S. 520, legislation to repeal the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), and has offered the legislation as an amendment to pending legislation in Senate. In the House of Representatives, Congressman Steve Womack (R-Ark.) has introduced similar legislation to repeal the VEETC.

[Venturer]

$30 Billion dolars to subsidize the destruction of your boats motor, and your weed whacker,and your lawn mower, and to make your car give you 10% less gas mileage.

Now they want 20% ethanol which will raise the cost of that subsidy.

Wher are you Bend-over Boehner?

[the invisib1e hand]

Holy smokes, I didn't realize it's been 30 years!

Plus, there's a tariff on Brazilian ethanol, iirc. 25 of 45 cents, I think.

[The Great RJ]

Left to the private market ethanol fuels would fail miserably. The only way ethanol gasoline blends work is with subsidies from planting the corn to pumping it in your tank. Without these subsidies $4 per gallon gasoline would seem cheap.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Good. $7.00 corn will make beef unaffordable.

[theBuckwheat]

Corn prices have more than doubled since this scam was started. If ethanol is so valuable, let the free market establish its value. And that is part of the madness because the world price of crude oil is now setting the price of corn through the 10% ethanol mandate. This is just shameful liberal crap.

[dhs12345]

Yup. Local stations are forced to provide E10 year round now to remain competitive.

Clear gas is more expensive than blended gasoline? Doesn’t make sense unless you realize that blended gasoline is subsidized.

[waterhill]

bttt... ping...

[SunkenCiv]

National Cattlemen's Beef Association said this? Wow, what a surprise. I wonder if they feed the cattle the same Koolaid?

• The Bum Rap on Biofuels
• Campaign to vilify ethanol revealed

Snowe's the cosponsor, and we know what a staunch fiscal, social, and philosophical conservative she is:

NCBA Supports Legislation Targeting Renewable Fuels
by Randall
June 2nd, 2011

[snip] The Fuel Feedstock Freedom Act, S. 1085 and H.R. 2009, was introduced in the Senate by James Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and in the House by Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), Dan Boren (D-Okla.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.). According to the legislation, if a state legislature votes to opt out of the corn-ethanol portion of the RFS [renewable fuel standard] and the state's governor signs the bill into law, the Environmental Protection Agency would reduce the national corn-based ethanol mandate by the national gasoline consumption percentage that is attributable to that state. [/snip]