Zien to work to re-introduce ethanol mandate

I'm usually fond of Dave Zien, but I wasn't very happy to read this in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:

“The power of conservative talk radio commands some of those legislators like puppets on a string, Sen. Dave Zien, R-Eau Claire, said this morning.

The group of Republicans and Democrats in the state Senate that derailed the bill said consumers were opposed to the mandate.

The Senate voted 17-15 to indefinitely postpone the measure. Supporters and critics pronounced the bill dead for this legislative session because lawmakers will meet only for limited business the rest of the year.

Zien is requesting an extraordinary legislative session from Gov. Jim Doyle when the Senate reconvenes in late April to investigate gas prices and revive legislation on ethanol and minimum fuel markups.

Zien is being disingenuous at best here, and I hope all that he is doing is pandering to the Chippewa Valley media market. The United States is facing a domestic shortfall in ethanol production this year. Those jobs will be created whether Wisconsin required you and I to buy ethanol gasoline or not. If the market prefers ethanol, then we will see the e-85 vehicles that Ford and GM make become more prevelant and this mandate won't even be necessary.

Just the same, it's a good idea to continue to watch this ethanol issue in Madison.