This restatement of “Those who don’t remember history”, or its January version, will be at the top of the blog until AB15, the bad-ethanol-gas bill, is defeated (except for a temporary move one spot down during Christmas). Please look for the regular posts below.
How appropriate it is that the penultimate reaction to the first episode happened 232 years ago December 16th. A politically-connected industry finds itself with a massive amount of product that it can’t sell. It goes to the government to get a monopoly in a new market to get rid of it and goes on to claim that it will actually cost less to do it that way. I am not talking about the East India Tea Company back in the 1770s (which led to the Boston Tea Party and ultimately the creation of the United States of America), but ethanol in 2005. That’s right, the Assembly forgot its history and crammed AB15, the bill mandating the more-expensive, less-efficient, more-polluting, GM-engine-killing statewide E10 gasoline mandate through the day the day before the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
There is at least one more chance to stop this, and likely just that one more chance. This bill still has to go through the Senate (my list of semi-confirmed “no” votes here). If it makes it through, Jim “Craps” Doyle (WEAC/ADM-Potawatomi) has already promised ADM that he would sign it. Those Senate staffers you called regarding the repeal of the automatic gas-tax increase are still there in Madison. Call them today! If you don’t have the number (for shame; you should still have it from the efforts to repeal the automatic gas-tax increase), go here to find your Senator and his or her phone number. I’ll be back tomorrow (12/16) with the response I get from my Senator, Jeff Plale (Madison phone # – (608) 266-7505).
Revisions/extensions part 1 – At least I planned on being back here today (12/16) with that info. I got Sen. Plale’s messaging service at 10:39 am 12/16, on which I urged him to oppose AB15 and invited him to give me a call back.
Revisions/extensions part 2 (8 am 12/17) – Still no sign from Plale (apparently, he’s going East Side on me again); and I got tired of re-bumping this to the top, hence the forwarding of the date to the last possible minute of the month.
Homer nod – I need a new calendar :-)
