The federal ethanol mandate is one of the larger government ripoffs imposed on Americans, courtesy of the corn lobby. From Eric Peters at theburningplatform.com:
When establishment Republicans like Jim Talent pat the president on the back, he might want to check for a knife.
Talent recently praised Trump for not ending or even dialing back the Renewable Fuels Standard – a federal mandate which force-feeds billions of gallons of ethanol and biodiesel to American drivers, like it or not. The fact that there is no natural market for ethanol – which may be “renewable” but isn’t energy efficient – doesn’t seem to bother Talent, who is an ex-senator from Missouri and lawyer/lobbyist/PR flack by trade.
This probably explains his lack of economic and engineering knowledge about ethanol.
It’s astonishing, first of all, that he could write that ethanol “saves consumers at the pump.” If that were so, “consumers” wouldn’t need to be force-fed ethanol. This much ought to be obvious – even to a lawyer/lobbyist.
But ethanol does have to be force-fed to Americans – because it costs them money.
Which costs you money.
Ethanol – which is corn alcohol – costs in other ways, too.
Car engines and fuel delivery systems have to be “hardened” to handle ethanol-adulterated fuel, because alcohol is both highly corrosive as well as water-attractive. It accelerates internal rusting of fuel tanks and lines and – in car and other engines not designed for it – accelerates the deterioration of rubber and plastic seals, too – leading to leaks and potentially fires.
To continue reading: A Talent for Deception
