Michigan gubernatorial candidate plans to cut taxes to promote alternative fuels
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Dick DeVos, the Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate, wants to position Michigan to become a national leader in ethanol production. In order to achieve this lofty goal, he wants to reduce taxes farmers pay on land and equipment and plans to build an infrastructure to make alternative fuels available to drivers. DeVos, who is in a close race with current Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, wants to cut property taxes on farmland as well as taxes on farm machinery. While DeVos has plans to promote alternative fuels if he gets elected, Gov. Granholm has already signed in to law bills that will promote the use of alternative fuels, through tax cuts for ethanol and biodiesel blends, grants for gas station owners who want to sell E85, and tax-free zones in some counties to encourage construction of four new ethanol production plants. Of course, the Republican challenger believes the current administration is working too slowly in granting ethanol production permits.[Source: Detroit Free Press]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1985 Gripen 5:33PM (8/03/2006)
I notice that all the north-midwestern states are really jumping on the ethanol bandwagon (to be expected as that's where they grow corn), but I'm surprised the southern sugar-growing states are not. The United States is the world's fifth largest sugar producer.
I would expect the cost to produce sugar would be lower so the southern states could make more profit per gallon of ethanol produced than those making it from the more energy-intensive corn process.
Also, I'd expect Hawaii to jump on that bandwagon. The highest gasoline prices in the nation are in Hawaii usually and they grow a whole heck of a lot of sugar there. Stick an ethanol factory on one of those unused islands out there! Use wave power to power the factory.
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