OPINION:
As voters and citizens of the United States, it is our duty to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from increasing ethanol levels in our gasoline (“Corn-fueled politics,” Comment & Analysis, Monday).
The midst of a drawn-out recession is the wrong time to make a change to our gasoline composition. This is not to say that we are neglecting environmental problems; rather, we are prioritizing the country’s ills.
With his already-low approval ratings, President Obama should know better than to follow through with this proclamation to change ethanol levels in gasoline. Many car companies, including Ford and Honda, have expressed concerns about how the new formula could potentially cause engine failures. Roads are already congested and even a few extra stalled cars on the streets and freeways will only add to that obstruction. Roads are more jam-packed with the many new public works projects that are temporarily providing the unemployed with work.
Moreover, car companies are not prepared for this change and are not willing to fix those engines damaged by the new gasoline formula, even under warranty. Today, car companies are among the few businesses experiencing steady growth, but a law like this could destroy their upward trend within months.
Why would we do such a thing after so painstakingly passing the free-trade pacts with Colombia, South Korea and Panama, which could help car companies dramatically? It doesn’t make sense.
We all should urge the EPA and the Obama administration to postpone or scrap altogether talk of increasing ethanol levels in gasoline. It is important that the government realizes what our priorities are at this time.
KAREN TSAI
Arcadia, Calif.
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