Posted on 12/11/2015 11:57:00 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Donald Trump attacked Ted Cruz for not supporting ethanol subsidies. He said in Iowa on Friday, "Oil companies give him a lot of money, so he's for oil."
The thing about oil and gas is, it doesn't require big subsidies, because it's the cheapest and most efficient form of fuel for cars. Ethanol, on the other hand, does require big government subsidies, because it is highly uneconomical. Ethanol is much more expensive than oil and gas and, gallon for gallon, produces much less energy than gasoline. That's why the government has to hand over billions in subsidies to big agri-businesses to keep it going. And that's also why the government has to force oil companies to blend ethanol in with their fuels. Because without government coercion, oil companies wouldn't do it, and the price of gasoline would be substantially lower than it is now.
Additionally, ethanol actually acts as a corrosive on car engines. It slowly degrades car parts over time.
But the worst thing about ethanol is that not only does it require taxpayer subsidies, and not only does it raise the price of blended gas, but it also raises the price of many different kinds of foods. Ethanol is made with corn - a lot of it. And when a lot of corn production is diverted to ethanol, there is less corn available to use for food. Corn is heavily used as a sweetener in many food products. By raising the price of corn, the price of many different kinds of foods are raised.
That is what subsidizing ethanol gives us. That is what Donald Trump is for and Ted Cruz is against. Ted Cruz is starting to lead in some Iowa polls, and he's doing it without this kind of pandering...
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Amazing, indeed. And somewhat discouraging.
Hank
I said.. "And you're telling me that's ALL going to stop if he's nominated?" What I'm referring to is HOW the GOP establishments has dumped on Cruz everythime he makes an attempt within the Senate to project and enforce "Conservatism."
I'm referring to instances ( here's one example )
This was less than a month ago. McCain is a member of the GOP establishment who are against BOTH Cruz and Trump
John McCain defends Syrian refugees and attacks Ted Cruz
http://www.stridentconservative.com/john-mccain-defends-syrian-refugees-and-attacks-ted-cruz/
You’ll get no argument from me on that point. I am not agreeing with ethanol production, as I hold the same opinion as you on the issue. All am stating here is that Trump said nothing about subsidies, one way or the other.
Don’t put words in his mouth. Unless Trump specifically states he is in favor of subsidies, whether or not you suspect such support to be “implied,” then your assertion is just that - an assertion, not a fact. I would put the question to him directly, and then there will be no doubt. For the record, I neither support ethanol subsidies nor ethanol product. Ethanol, as a “renewable fuel,” is a total farce ... And I live in a “corn” state!
yeah, yeah....I am well aware.
Cruz threatens their good ole boy club. He skewered them in his book and they resent him.
With any luck, a number of them will not be in the senate if and when Cruz takes office, and the rest can be handled in the usual way with diplomatic maneuvering and soft power.
Trump’s “lets make a deal “ strategy that worked as contractor, will not work with government. There is a valid reason why the three branches do not have a close relationship, and generally it will not affect good governance. Reagan had the same issues with the GOP establishment. He ran them in spite of it. Cruz is a straight A student of Reagan.
Trump has no sense of any of this...he thinks he can make deals, and we all know that you cannot make deals with Democrats. It’s easier to make a deal with a enemy, but democrats are not just enemies. They are always liars first.
You do it by the power and art of persuasion and if done right you can get them to vote for their own pay cut and like it.
But it’s not a deal..it’s more like internecine warfare without guns..You do not need to be liked but you do need to be feared/respected.
Trump’s deals are all about money.
Government is about power and ego’s. Cruz has plenty of experience with that, and with liars.
But having said all that, the primary issues I want repaired, are the Supreme Court, and Executive brach usurpment of power from both the US congress and the State governments, (federalism)
I don’t trust trump with any of my major worries.
Immigration and other domestic and foreign issues are but a symptom of the primary disease that is affecting everything.
That would be the gradual destruction of the original intent of the Constitution and both SCOTUS and Congress are guilt of killing the patient.
I don’t think Trump has a clue what I am talking about here.
To elect him would be foolish.
He could always state that ethanol must stand or fall on merits w/o subsidies. One can support a market, and not support government manipulation of that market. If Iowans are stupid enough to waste water and land resources on growing corn for fuel (and - believe you me - Iowans are stoooopid as Nebraskans when it comes to growing food for fuel)then let them drown in the garbage. In no case am I in favor of subsidies for any sector; And if Mr. Trump does favor such interference in the market, then that is where he and I diverge.
“BTW, these plants cannot maintain themselves or be built without government aid and constant support.”
Yes, I am aware of that - I have one of these monsters just 12 miles down the road ... I am no supporter of ethanol based fuels. The entire system of ethanol production is a losing game that requires more energy to produce than what it delivers in return - a net loss. Ethanol requires more fuel to run the same distance as does straight gasoline - so you generate more pollution, not less; ethanol totally destroys small 2-stroke engines, and; ethanol is neither kind to 4-stroke engines or their fuel systems.
There is no need to imply anything, it just is.. Counting up just the directed subsidy monies going itno bio-fuels, mostly corn and bio diesel, the costs for that are a paltry 17 billion over ten years...
This does not include the ag tax credit programs, the farm bill and all the other stuff in the form of tax credit incentives.
Nobody has to imply anything. Ethanol has been a democrat voter cash cow since the 70s...and of late, Rino repubs all over the place like Steve King and others have been just as bad as the slimy dems.
They grow feed corn, they get both products from one crop, as they feed the spent corn-mash to livestock. It is a better feed than the original corn. Now who's stoopit?
True.
Ethanol requires more fuel to run the same distance as does straight gasoline
True.
so you generate more pollution, not less
Hmmmm...maybe?
ethanol totally destroys small 2-stroke engines
Really! You have proof of that?
ethanol is neither kind to 4-stroke engines or their fuel systems.
Not true, only if you leave fuel in a vented cap system where it can draw water from the air. You put a plastic bag over the opening and screw on the cap. Applicable to small power equipment engines.
Your car has a sealed fuel system, no similar issue exists.
I am quite familiar with what they do with the remnants - but it is still a stoooopid waste of valuable resources - arable land, and especially water. Oh, and let’s not forget about the fact that shorting corn creates a huge problem in the food production market place that ends by driving up the price of every staple that uses corn - yeah, that really does wonders for those on a fixed budget. Ethanol is THE most asinine idea every to be ginned up. It is a net energy loss - but you think the stuff great because cows prefer the taste of the leftovers.
No, I don't.
But on that one point, I think you're kinda.....lying. Same with the four stroke engines.
Furthermore, I don't find cornmeal, corn syrup, or sweetcorn particularly expensive.
No need for that...ethanol is 5% water.
Yes it does destroy small engine tools like chain saws, weed eaters, lawnmowers, and generators.
The alcohol damages the fuel system components, rots out gas tanks and jams the carbs with debris.
May devices of this kind only last two seasons..
On automobiles, they have been trying to correct the issues for more than 20 years. The most common issue is the in-tank fuel pumps...the alcohol degrades the once fluid tight connectors for the pump and instrumentation power, this causes the connectors to go prematurely bad causing a replacement and much aggravation as they just fail suddenly.
Yeah I have proof.... I have 7 chainsaws and three weed eaters in buckets. I have 3 replaced fuel pumps in 125K miles. 2 pumps on another car with 70K miles...2 screwed up generators as well... And that's just me!
Run ethanol in your lawn mower, or any other two-stroke engine, and you’ll be replacing the equipment after one season. Proof? Every person around here - myself included - who have had to learn the lesson the hard way.
If you must burn 5% more fuel to go the same distance, because 10% ethanol has less BTUs per gallon than straight gasoline, then you are putting more contaminants into the air. It’s not rocket science.
Ethanol is highly corrosive to aluminum, it degrades rubber seals and vacuum lines, and opens up the sand pours of cast block engines - thus causing increased oil consumption ... those are not suppositions, but proven facts. Bio-diesel may be a worthwhile endeavor, but ethanol is the most piss poor fuel additive ever created. It’s a total farce, and an absolute waste of limited resources.
Just ask someone who has raised livestock for the past 20 years, especially since they raised the mandates in the 2008 farm bill.
Why do you think beef prices went to the moon...
“7 chainsaws ...three weed eaters...5 replaced fuel pumps...2 generators as well... And that’s just me!”
So - what your saying is ethanol is good for the economy!
A neighbor (mechanic) told me about some stuff called “Sarbrite Startron” Enzyme Fuel Treatment. On the label it says “Cures & Prevents Ethanol Problems”. I’ll give it a try. The guy that sold me my chainsaw said to run all of my small engine stuff once a week and you’ll never have a problem. It runs the water through before it gets to be too large of a percentage.
Every once in awhile I try - but after two weeks in a row I then skip it for 6 weeks until I remember again. The power tools are still okay, the generator......??
You are either not paying attention, or else you are in denial of reality. Perhaps later model engines (2010 vehicles and later) are better designed to handle ethanol fuels, but older engines do not run well on the garbage. And while corn syrup, corn meal, and sweetcorn may not be expensive to you ( I am guessing your fairly young) the products that these items go have become much more expensive in linear fashion with increased ethanol production.
The drought. They sold off their stock, they're now rebuilding their herds, keeping them off the market.
It'll come back down.
Fuel ethanol is not 5 percent water. It is always less than 1 percent, usually a lot less, unless contaminated.
Yeah, I'm stupid. (I'm in the automotive industry)
Perhaps later model engines (2010 vehicles and later) are better designed to handle ethanol fuels, but older engines do not run well on the garbage.
It's been around a lot longer than that. It cleans the varnish out of fuel tanks and dissolves rubber parts, depositing the gum in the fuel filter or carburetor. After that's fixed...no big deal...same as running a lot of dry-gas. How long has it been since auto manufacturers actually used rubber fuel line, fuel pump and accelerator pump diaphragms instead of neoprene?
40 years?...longer?
And while corn syrup, corn meal, and sweetcorn may not be expensive to you ( I am guessing your fairly young)
Wrong again honey...retirement age.
the products that these items go have become much more expensive in linear fashion with increased ethanol production.
Oh for crying out loud.
First of all, they don't use feed corn for cornmeal and corn syrup. I use cornmeal frequently and the price is negligible.
I don't think five ears of sweet-corn for a dollar is outrageous....do you?
Did you not notice that I gave you credence on your first two points? The rest is hog-squeeze....mythology.
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