Sierrans:

FYI. This LTE appeared this morning in the Des Moines Register [see below],
from Sen. Gronstal our Democratic Iowa Senate Minority Leader. Another good
opportunity for a response LTE in the DMR or your local paper. This is a
high time for Energy issues, so take these opportunities as we can.

Lyle


Lyle R. Krewson
Sierra Club Conservation Organizer
6403 Aurora Avenue #3
Des Moines, IA 50322-2862

515/276-8947
515/238-7113 - cel

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Presidential candidates support ethanol

Every one of the major presidential candidates crossing the state, including
President Bush, has trumpeted his support for ethanol ("Ag Issues Off the
Agenda?" June 1).

Clearly, they understand Iowans know ethanol can play a key role in
promoting economic development in our state, especially our rural
communities.

These candidates clearly know we want Congress to stop talking about
supporting ethanol and get the job done. It's time to see whether they do
what it takes to get there.

For the Democratic presidential candidates, the test will be whether they
work constructively to get an overall comprehensive energy-policy bill
passed into law. While ethanol is the part of the package that gets the most
attention, there are other measures in the bill that will benefit the state,
including provisions to address rising natural-gas prices and the
wind-energy production-tax credit.

It's not a perfect bill. Senate Democrats are right to work for
improvements, but at the end of the day, no bill will mean no ethanol
expansion, no steps to reduce gas prices and nothing to promote more
renewable electricity.

President Bush needs to push for an energy bill, not just make it part of
his stump speech. Get the White House involved in pushing Senate Republicans
to finish their work on the bill. He also needs to make clear to some
Republicans that there's more to energy policy than just expanded oil
drilling. They need to accept some positive environmental provisions in the
bill.

In the end, Iowans will be able to tell the difference between those who
merely talked a good game on ethanol and those who worked to make ethanol
and other job-creating parts of an energy bill happen.

Mike Gronstal,

Iowa senate minority leader,

Council Bluffs.

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