[Matt Herring]

Before I get in trouble for posting political issues on the forum let me begin by saying I'm posting this information only to take a look at what both candidates plan to do from an auto energy standpoint and to discuss which ones we (on the ecomodder site) think are realistic. Personally, I'm on the fence as to which candidate I'll vote for and energy conservation is only one topic in the grand scheme of choosing a candidate. I thought an open discussion would be interesting...especially since we are examining this specific topic.

I've been perusing the candidates websites and this is what I copied directly from them in terms of auto energy issues. I did not indicate which ones are tied to which candidate to try and create an unbiased opinion on their resolutions for energy conservation. I even mixed them up so they're not in order by or identified by candidate and unless you have been closely following what each candidate has been saying (some may be more informed than others) you won't know who said them.

Pick one auto energy issue below and comment on it. Please keep your comments to auto energy related responses and not "This candidate is crazy because..." or "Republicans/Democrats are going to end the world because..."

Interested to see what everyone thinks!

* Alcohol-Based Fuels Hold Great Promise As Both An Alternative To Gasoline And As A Means of Expanding Consumers' Choices. Some choices such as ethanol are on the market right now. The second generation of alcohol-based fuels like cellulosic ethanol, which won't compete with food crops, are showing great potential.

* Increase Fuel Economy Standards - Increase fuel economy standards 4 percent per year while providing $4 billion for domestic automakers to retool their manufacturing facilities in America to produce these vehicles.

* Get 1 Million Plug-In Hybrid Cars on the Road by 2015. - These vehicles can get up to 150 miles per gallon. We should work to ensure these cars are built here in America, instead of factories overseas.

* Today, Isolationist Tariffs And Wasteful Special Interest Subsidies Are Not Moving Us Toward An Energy Solution - We need to level the playing field and eliminate mandates, subsidies, tariffs and price supports that focus exclusively on corn-based ethanol and prevent the development of market-based solutions which would provide us with better options for our fuel needs.

* Create a New $7,000 Tax Credit for Purchasing Advanced Vehicles.

* Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) Should Play A Greater Role In Our Transportation Sector - In just three years, Brazil went from new cars sales that were about 5 percent FFVs to over 70 percent of new vehicles that were FFVs. American automakers have committed to make 50 percent of their cars FFVs by 2012.

* Effectively Enforce Existing CAFE Standards - the mileage requirements that automobile manufacturers' cars must meet. Some carmakers ignore these standards, pay a small financial penalty, and add it to the price of their cars. Penalties for not following these standards must be effective enough to compel all carmakers to produce fuel-efficient vehicles.

* Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard - Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) to reduce the carbon in our fuels 10 percent by 2020. Require 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels to be phased into our fuel supply by 2030.

* Clean Car Challenge - A Clean Car Challenge to the automakers of America, in the form of a single and substantial tax credit for the consumer based on the reduction of carbon emissions. Commit a $5,000 tax credit for each and every customer who buys a zero carbon emission car, encouraging automakers to be first on the market with these cars in order to capitalize on the consumer incentives. For other vehicles, a graduated tax credit will apply so that the lower the carbon emissions, the higher the tax credit.