S.C. Supreme Court Blocks Ethanol Add-On
FUEL PORTION OF BOBTAILED BILL VOIDED BY JUSTICES
FITSNews – June 27, 2008 – Sometimes, it’s truly amazing how stupid South Carolina legislators are.
Less than forty-eight hours after the S.C. Supreme Court reminded them that it’s unconstitutional to tack on unrelated special interest amendments to a separate piece of legislation (i.e. “bobtailing”), state lawmakers did just that by overwhelmingly overriding a gubernatorial veto of a “bobtailed bill.”
Originally designed to encourage the use of energy efficient appliances, the bill became unconstitutional when lawmakers added a special interest amendment designed to bail out petroleum marketers.
Seriously, what part of “unconstitutional” do these idiots not understand? Does the Chief Justice need to walk across the street with some crayons and a piece of construction paper and draw it out for them? We already know that lawmakers have absolutely no respect for anything that stands in the way of them getting a fat special interest payday, but this is the State Constitution, people. If they’re going to turn tricks for their deep-pocketed lobbyist buddies, they could at least do it in a way that doesn’t break the law.
Anyway, less than forty-eight hours after lawmakers pulled their little special interest coup, the Court struck down that portion of the bill – pending a review of its constitutionality, of course.
So what happens next?
Well, now a bunch of taxpayer-funded lawyers will waste a bunch of our money sitting around arguing something that the Supreme Court already made clear was unconstitutional – and not only that, something they made clear was unconstitutional just two friggin’ days before the legislature overrode the veto!
Let’s be clear – in the history of avoidable expenses, these legal costs are going to rank right up there with that fluorescent Tiki dancer lamp Sic Willie brought back from his honeymoon.
Nice job, legislators. And by all means, keep fattening your campaign accounts while you stick us with the legal tab. Oh, and please also feel free to continue bending us over every time a cute lobbyist makes you treat the State Constitution like a common whore …
Comments
By Phil Waste on June 27th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
E85 ethanol ready cars have been produced in the US for years now but we still have no E85 pumps at our services stations. Where they do have the E85 pumps ethanol runs about $2.35 per gallon. http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/flexfuelvehicles.php
Ethanol made from sugar cane and sugar beets is 7 times more efficient than ethanol made from corn and won’t affect the food supply. Sugar beets can be grown damn near everywhere while sugar cane can be grown in the southern states.
You have got to stop listening to the oil companies as they have screwed everything up for years now…… The oil companies own the White House and Congress. Who in the hell do you think choose ‘CORN’ to make ethanol out of which was doomed to failure even before they began. Who do you think put a tariff on imported ethanol?
Oil companies have no solutions but to drill more, true energy independence will not involve oil companies. You have got to stop listening to the oil companies as they have screwed everything up……
The solution to energy independence is ethanol and E85 fuel which our cars can burn right now! It is renewable, Right Now!!!! If something comes up later fine but right now the answer is E85 ethanol.
Removing the tariff from imported ethanol would give us access to cheap ethanol.
You have got to stop listening to the oil companies as they have screwed everything up……
The truth is available in Brazil; they have been using E85. Check it out for yourself….
Don’t you find it ironic that the White House and Congress along with the oil companies still want to send more and more of our cash over to the Middle East to support our sworn enemies, the terrorists? What the hell is that all about?
Ford and Chevy are taking a beating so why don’t they use their heads and put E85 fuel pumps at their dealerships and push that their cars will run on 85% ethanol.
How about importing small Ford and Chevy cars from Europe that get much more mileage than our local huge pieces of steel.
By Phil Waste on June 27th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Southern Resurgence
Here is an idea that the Republicans, oil, tobacco companies will hate.
How about we plant sugar cane or sugar beets in the states of Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. We encourage them to stop planting tobacco which is killing millions. Sugar cane or sugar beets are 7 times more efficient than corn in making ethanol.
You want proof that it works? Just google Brazil and find out for yourself. Now, you won’t be using a food product or even displacing a food product……
In 1798, Thomas Malthus predicted that population growth would be perennially held in “check†by inherent limits to food production. … Energy can substitute for food in his theory but when the energy is the food……catastrophe will result.
Completely renewable and no one is hurt except for those purveyors of death the tobacco companies.
I would sure like to know the idiot who decided to use corn (a food product) and doomed ethanol to failure. Had to be an oilman!
Stop the tax subsidies to corn farmers and give them to sugar cane and sugar beet farmers, in the mean time eliminate import tariffs for ethanol. Allow the import of flex-cars made by our very own car company Chevy….
Come on all you Democrats in Congress are you going to give us more of the same or are you going to make a difference? Do something now to prove you are not just more of the same…… and I mean minions of the oil companies….
OH! This could all be done in one year……….No more dependence on foreign oil. What ever happened to common sense in America? You know, if we can’t straighten out a simple mess like this we deserve to fade away as a has been leading nation……
It is real simple folks; America has been sabotaged by special interests namely the oil companies including those from the Middle East who want to sell oil, oil, oil.
Cars are already to go, made by Chevy and Ford! They are called flex-cars and burn any combination of oil and ethanol.
By No Food for Oil on June 28th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Phil, please stop spouting your nonsense. Yes, sugar cane and beets WILL disrupt the food market by displacing other cash crops like soy, wheat, and even corn, thus making those crops more expensive. With fat government subsidies up for grabs, farmers will very quickly move to growing these crops intstead of others. Also, the ethanol will NEVER substitute oil because it would take damn near every acre of land in the US to support our fuel needs…not happening. Go back to the drawing board and come up with something better.