Sunday, May 28, 2006

Front Page Promotion: Cox Leads on Bio-Disel

Here's a post from "Button." With millions of Georgians on the road this weekend, Cox unvieled a forward-thinking stragtegy to make Georgia a leader in the emerging bio-fuels sector. Not only does this strategy help consumers- it could potentially help our farmers. This is a win-win strategy, and all Taylor can do is complain about her traveling around Georgia to tell voters about it. Can't blame him. He surely doesn't want voters to meet Cathy and hear from her directly because when they do, they will vote for her!

From "Button":


Well, apparently the Taylor campaign has a problem with this too.


http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/0528metgagov.html
Cox: Ga. should use 25 percent biofuel by 2025

By SHANNON McCAFFREY
Associated Press Writer

Published on: 05/28/06

Secretary of State Cathy Cox said Saturday she wants farm-grown fuel to make up 25 percent of all the fuel used in Georgia by 2025.

The gubernatorial candidate used the start of the Memorial Day weekend — one of the year's busiest travel holidays — to unveil a biofuel initiative.

Cox said that using agricultural fuel products would reduce dependence on foreign sources of oil while at the same time creating new jobs.

"Our agricultural industry and our state are perfectly matched to make Georgia the farm-grown fuels capital of the world," Cox said.

But first, Cox said, investment is needed in infrastructure and research. Cox's proposal would funnel $10 million in state funds to researchers in Georgia pursuing alternative fuel development.

She said she would also use agricultural-processing enterprise zones to create tax incentives and economic development funding for private industry.

In order to meet the 25 percent target by 2025, Cox said she would appoint a commission within her first month after taking over as governor to create a statewide renewable energy strategy.

Recent high prices at the pump have renewed interest in alternative fuel sources. The Cox initiative has appeal for both environmentalists and farmers looking for profitable new crops.

Georgia is a leading producer of animal and vegetable oils, which are the building blocks for biodiesel. And the state could also begin converting biomass like pecan hulls, poultry litter and pine tree harvest cuttings into energy crops. Wood-based ethanol made from plentiful yellow pine trees also shows great promise as an energy source, she said.

Cox is battling Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue. Both Democrats had scheduled full weekends of campaigning throughout the state. The primary is July 18.

The Taylor campaign did not address the fuel initiative but said in a statement that Cox "announces her new energy policy and then takes her campaign on the road in a gas-guzzling SUV with volunteers in a large gas-guzzling RV registered in Florida. You can't trust anything she says or does."

Hmmmm, I thought this was an issue that both Cox and Taylor agreed on? If so, instead of encouraging a conversation about their mutual interest, the Taylor campaign says not to trust Cox because she's out wasting gas campaigning.........um, just what does Taylor use? I doubt he and his supporters are using a solar powered car. And um, I do seem to remember that back in 2002, Roy Barnes, Mark Taylor, and Cathy Cox took a bus tour of Georgia rallhying Dems across the state.

And it's even more interesting seeing as how Taylor's enjoyed the priviledges of the success of a trucking business in Albany. No, I don't think the Taylor fleet of trucks uses alternative fuel sources either...........

So for Taylorites wanting to talk about issues so bad, this is TWICE at least now that the Taylor campaign has diverted attention from the issue and went on the attack. Why do they have a habit of doing that? Begging to talk about the issues and then diverting attention from them leaves one with a tremendous credibility gap.

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1 comment:

Button Gwinnett said...

Here's more on the fuel issue. This article re-emphasizes the fact that Taylor is visionless. He deals in short term, quick fix ideas that look good and puts cash into the pockets of Georgians right now. But down the road, our problems only get worse. Contrast that with Cox's detailed plan that could bring opportunity to Georgia farmers, stimulate our economy, and, most importantly, protect our environment.

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/052806/news_20060528019.shtml

The whole article is worth reading, but for the sake of brevity I'll emphasize the key passage:


For the long run, Taylor favors exploring ways to diversify the state's energy supply, though he hasn't offered specifics.

Cox, though, has a detailed plan. Besides research money and incentives for plant construction, her blueprint calls for low-interest loans to farmers and others who build the kinds of "infrastructure" needed. Farmers also would get tax credits, and certain zones of the states would get extra attention to encourage construction of alternative fuel plants there.

"Our agricultural industry and our state economy are perfectly matched to make Georgia the farm-grown fuels capital of the world," she said.

Cox's broad plan may capture the imagination of drivers like McMeans.

"Alternate fuels are the only hope for Georgians to keep from being robbed by foreign oil cartels and multi-national oil companies who do not have our best interest in mind," he said.

Cox took Georgia from second worst in vote counting efficiency to second best in the nation according to Cal Tech and MIT. Once again, she looks into the future and she sees Georgia as a leader in alternative fuel sources, decreasing our dependence on foreign fuel sources, and making Georgia more envirnonmentally friendly. I think that we can all agree that's called "vision."