A Different Idea

After my <a href="http://nowherethoughts.net/sarpysam/archives/2527-Shoving-It-Down-Our-Throats.html">little rant this morning</a> I thought about the situation a little and wondered if there wasn't a way to support the use of alternative fuels without the Legislators needing to shove a mandate down our throats like they so love doing. I did come up with an idea, I might not like it well but it would allow the power of the consumers wants and needs drive the use of alternative fuels instead of mandating it.<br />n<br />nWhat you do is manipulate the fuel tax for your goal. It's real simple, you reduce the Montana fuel tax by say 50% for biodeisel or ethanol blends that are made with Montana products and keep the fuel tax on everything else the same. This will give retailers the opportunity to price the alternative fuels cheaper than the normal fuels and the consumers, who are always looking for a deal, will by the alternative fuels since they are cheaper. This will help Montana farmers and get the alternative fuels production running in the state.<br />n<br />nNow I know that lowering taxes is painful to some politicians, mainly Democrats, so the less attractive alternative is to raise Montana fuel taxes on non biodeisel or ethanol blends. You will have the same results as before since the consumer will buy the alternative fuels since they are now cheaper.<br />n<br />nWorking with the consumer, by manipulating the taxes, instead of shoving a mandate down their throat would support the Montana alternative fuels industry in a much better way. Politicians don't see it that way though, shove a mandate down the consumers throat. I wish they would find a different way.<br />n<br />n<strong>When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. Edmund Burke</strong><br />n<br />