Please help me on why this is a good thing?
The bill is expected to benefit the auto industry in Delaware and the rest of the nation because it will provide more investment in battery technology needed to operate electric vehicles and the next generation of “plug-in” hybrids.
I’ll say it again…I’m not smart so I need help trying to understand the logic being espouced by Biden, Carper and Castle on this one. I’m going to give it my best shot though
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t foreign competition supposed to force domestic companies to go ahead and create products that are better without my tax money? Isn’t that what competition is supposed to do? So, why is the government handing out $50 million to US Auto companies that haven’t done shit to forward fuel conservation since, well EVER!!? I’m really struggling to see what this is besides a handout and a blatant attempt to get someone to set up shop in De again.
Lesson learned though, fall behind the competition, refuse to create a product the market needs, refuse to create a product that will benefit consumers, get tens of millions of dollars from the government for your own Research and Development. Sweeeeeeeetttttttt!
Tags: Joe Biden, Mike Castle, Tom Carper
Biofuels=Ethanol: Windfall profits for Dupont GM corn business.
Carper in 2005:
Specifically, Carper praised the inclusion of a new biofuels mandate, which he said would directly benefit Delaware’s farming community.[Read: “Dupont seed business.”] The bill would require the nation to produce 8 billion gallons of biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, by 2012 – nearly double the current federal mandate. The legislation also renews valuable tax credits on biofuels to make them more affordable at the pump.
“We’ve got a rich energy supply right here in our backyards – corn and soybeans,” said Carper. “By doubling our production of ethanol and biodiesel, we can drive up the market for the new biodiesel refinery in Clayton. Delmarva farmers will benefit because their products will be in greater demand. And the environment will be better off because we’ll be using cleaner fuels, rather than traditional oil and gas.”
I’ll let the environmental wonks explain why this is bullshit.
Not sure about the battery thing. It sounds like a halfway decent idea. Look for a UDel or local corp connection.
I am ok if it goes to Udel research…but the article says the “bill is expected to benefit the auto industry in De”
It would be nice to have the text of the amendment and a list of its beneficiaries, wouldn’t it? Don’t expect that from the Snooze Journal.
It would have been nice if the article had been mor specific about the DE benefits. These research funding pools are usually administered by the DOE and given out as competitive grants to research groups as well as to support the ongoing research on battery technology ongoing by Argonne National Lab and Sandia National Lab. Without Carper specifically saying which DE institutions get the benefit, this looks like Carper trying to justify the vote.
That said, there are real efficiencies that can be had in newer generations of hybrid batteries and no one really owns the slam dunk solution for all-battery cars. Right now, all-battery vehicles don’t have much range or power and can largely just carry around its batteries.
I would be interested to see the “biofuel standards”. Then maybe we can get Carper to introduce legislation to rid ourselves of price supports for corn intended to be sold for ethanol.
anon,
that’s not in the budget.
maas,
that’s not in the budget. they pay by the word over there.
The bill is expected to benefit the auto industry in Delaware…
We still have an auto industry?
Good Lord, why can’t they just come out and call it the “UAW Please Vote For Us Again” act.
Crud…I am agreeing with you guys again. This has to stop!
Anyway. NO. We should not be handing out tax money for this. How about giving me back some of that tax money.
You don’t get the money, Chris. We have to use it to fund needle exchange programs. There, do you feel better now? You can violently disagree now.
Thanks. I do feel better now..