Friday, May 12, 2006 | 7:22 a.m.
The recent "Ethanol Tax Relief Act" - introduced by Rep. John Shadegg , R-Ariz., and endorsed by President Bush - is one more example of what desperate politicians will do to salvage their reputations.
This bill, which might speed up the use of ethanol as a fuel additive in America, would also undermine the growth of America's emerging ethanol industry, which has been stalled for 20 years due to the oil industry and its lobbyists. Making it beneficial to import ethanol would only serve to make us dependent on another foreign country for our ethanol needs rather than developing our own sources.
Backing this bill also gives the president the opportunity to say that he is actively trying to lower fuel prices. Given the choice, the president always seems to choose what is best for him instead of what's best for the country.
The few cents a gallon that would be saved by importing ethanol can be the sacrifice all Americans make for the next few years while we develop our own fuel alternatives.
Phil Ventura, Las Vegas
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