The Industry’s Stake in this Election
by Brian Jennings (Ethanol Producer Magazine/American Coalition for Ethanol) …What we have going for us is that ethanol has a compelling story to tell. We can and should go on offense. The RFS costs taxpayers nothing and is doing exactly what Congress intended. Foreign oil imports are below 50 percent, thanks primarily to the RFS. Americans are saving upwards of $1 or more at the pump because of ethanol. High-skill, high-wage jobs that can’t be outsourced have been created by our industry. This record of accomplishment means the RFS is working. But we can’t sit idly by, we’ve got to start at the grassroots level and educate our friends, neighbors and local elected officials about how ethanol is improving the lives of all Americans.
You and I may not have enough money to match the campaign contributions of ethanol opponents such as C. Larry Pope of Smithfield Foods or Rex W. Tillerson of ExxonMobil, but we have the same influence they do in the ballot box. Our vote is as powerful as theirs.
I recognize most of us aren’t single-issue voters, but given what’s at stake for our industry, we have no other choice but to take our responsibility to vote in November seriously and to make our vote for ethanol nonnegotiable. The RFS is the only variable we have to level the playing field with oil companies. If we lose the RFS, we lose E15, our industry never sees the day when E30 and E85 are available on a widespread basis, and the promise of advanced biofuel vanishes.
…To help inform ethanol supporters where certain candidates stand on the RFS, ACE has published voter guide information available on our website, www.ethanol.org. Please take the time to educate yourself on the candidates’ RFS positions.
Given the gravity of the situation, it isn’t good enough to simply elect politicians who tell us they support the RFS. We need elected officials who are willing to stand up on the floor of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and speak out forcefully and effectively for ethanol in debates. We need members of Congress who will convince their colleagues to stand with us on RFS votes next year. READ MORE
