Fix the Ethanol Mandate

Yesterday afternoon, an email was received from "BoatU.S. Government Affairs" with a subject of "Fix the Federal Ethanol Mandate - Add Your Voice Now". The email had a couple of buttons to click on titled "Fix the Ethanol Mandate" but when you click on the buttons, it takes you to a non BoatU.S. web site that requires the input of a whole lot of personal information.

While definitely in favor of fixing the ethanol mandate, I just can't bring myself to provide this info to go into some ones database, specially, when there was no privacy statement provided.

Anyone else have concerns about the data collection involved with this?

I agree with you about getting rid of the ethanol mandate and I also agree that providing that info will just result in getting a lot of campaign contribution requests. Don't do it.

FWIW, I once (and only once) wrote an email to my congressman expressing my strong views about a topic- can't remember what. I got a form email in return and then for the next couple of years I got contribution requests- from a guy whose policies I don't support.

No more. If I ever get really passionate about something, I will call. The press recently indicated that phone calls have much more effect. Someone on the other end has to take it and record the complaint, unlike email or similar where it is handled automatically.

David

Send BoatUS an email regarding your personal information sharing concerns. Have found then to be very responsive to member complaints. 100% agree with your position on both points.

Ted

As passionate as I am about ethanol, I'm pretty sure the corn lobbyists will get far more money than the boat lobbyists. It's not about common sense, or what's good for the average American, or even the environment.

I'm afraid that at that point, input from citizens means very little.

CaptTom said:

As passionate as I am about ethanol, I'm pretty sure the corn lobbyists will get far more money than the boat lobbyists. It's not about common sense, or what's good for the average American, or even the environment.

I'm afraid that at that point, input from citizens means very little.

Click to expand...

I generally take the view that this is a boating forum and not a political one, but hereby violate my own principles on that to make the following comment since it is a somewhat interesting perspective. Mods can feel free to delete as they see fit. I apologize in advance.

It would be an over simplification to say that the mandate has purchased my fleet. However, I grow a half million bushels a year of the stuff and the mandate has certainly changed the value proposition for that activity.
Yet even considering that vested interest, I consider that policy as one of the most egregious errors of public policy that I have ever witnessed or heard of. A government that hijacks a nations food resources to make energy cheaper and thereby taking food off of the table of people of limited means to fuel the SUVs and heat and cool the 5000 sq foot houses of the wealthy is completely absurd and embarrassing.
Futile as it may seem, perhaps democracy demands that we voice our opinion on this and I do despite the fact that I prefer privacy on most thing political.

...now back to boating.

Bill, I remember having a discussion about ethanol fuels back in the early 70's while studying marine biology in college. Almost all of us in class came to the same conclusions that you mentioned.