EXTENSIONS of REMARKS February 1, 197? EXTENSIONS of REMARKS

3178 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February 1, 197? EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS METHANOLASANENERGYSOURCE of fuel. At the present time, the amount ful, consistent performance of duty in an of methanol made in the United States assignment essential to the orderly and is only about 1 or 2 percent of the amount efficient operation of the minority side of HON. G. WILLIAM WHITEHURST of gasoline we refine. If we do not im the House, and, with a tinge of regret, I OF VIRGINIA prove these statistics, we are neglecting join in a fond farewell. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES a potentially abundant source of energy. May Tom and his family enjoy good The United States comprises 6 percent Tuesday, February 1, 1977 health and contentment in the years of the world's population, yet we burn ahead-and may he be inclined to visit Mr. WHITEHURST. Mr. Speaker, I am up 33 percent of the world's energy. The often with his many friends here. today introducing legislation to encour severe energy crunch we are now experi age the use of methanol as an alterna encing coupled with the oil embargo by tive fuel for motor vehicles. This bill the Arabs in 1973 surely dramatize the would encourage the construction of need for increased energy supplies and SICK PAY TAX EXCLUSION methanol-producing facilities by allow self-sufficiency. We need to explore every ing a 5-year rapid amortization in addi possible avenue of new energy sources. tion to a 10-percent investment tax My bill is a rational one designed with credit. Second, it would exempt fuels our future energy needs in mind. It rep HON. WILLIAM (BILL) CLAY which are at least 10 percent methanol resents the kind of concrete energy pro OF MISSOURI from Federal excise taxes. gram the American people are calling IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES I believe it is time for the Congress to for. I urge my colleagues in the House Tuesday, February 1, 1977 begin a real program for the develop to join me in supporting this measure. Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, the sick pay ment of methanol as a viable substitute tax exclusion by the Tax Reform Act of for gasoline. Why methanol? Methanol, 1976 has been a matter of grave concern more commonly known as wood alcohol, to large groups of persons. is more easily obtained, cleaner, and THOMAS H. TEAR more efficient than gasoline. In a recent I wish to share with my colleagues a test performed at the Massachusetts In letter from a representative of the Amer titute of Technology, a compact car run HON. J. KENNETH ROBINSON ican Federation of Government Em ployees which sets out in simple language ning on a fuel mixture of 30-percent OF VIRGINIA the reasons why this aspect of the Tax alcohol and 70-perce.nt gasoline got bet IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Reform Act is offensive: ter mileage than on plain gas. The cars Monday, January 31, 1977 JANUARY 11, 1976. tested at MIT used between 5 and 13 per Hon. Wn.LIAM L. CLAY, cent less fuel. Methanol can be substi Mr. ROBINSON. Mr. Speaker, I desire House of Representatives, tuted for from 15 to 30 percent of the to join the distinguished gentleman from Washington, D.C. gasoline in automobile fuel tanks with Illinois <Mr. ANDERSON) in his remarks DEAR MR. CLAY: The emasculation of the out having to make any major changes recognizing the invaluable service, over Sick Pay Tax Exclusion by the Tax Reform in present engines. 30 years, of the minority chief page, Act of 1976 constituted a gross disservice Tom Tear. to the Ul, the infirm and the handicapped. Methanol is a cleaner fuel, and its use The abiUty of the tll, the infirm and the would negate the necessity for the clean Tom has maintained a home in Rap handicapped employees and the disabled re air devices and smog controls that pres pahannock County, Va., in the congres tirees to survive economically was rendered ently clutter our automobile engines. And sional district which I am privileged to nugatory by the tax formula designed in the potential sources of methanol are all represent, for many years, and, on ac above cited enactment. around us. It can be made from wood, quiring property there, set about at once The changed law eliminated, by progressive and this does not apply only to fresh cut to associate himself with the community. stages, the exclusion which previously existed He was an organizer of the Amissville after the employee or retiree attained the wood. Methanol can be produced from $15,000 level of income. Consider, if you sawduct, scrap wood, and even grass. The Fire Department and has been a-partic please, the economic pressure on such em United States is as rich in coal as the ipant in other civic endeavors of the ployee or retiree where the disabled person area-a good neighbor in the full sense. Arab States are in petroleum and syn~ must pay a large part of the health insurance thesizing methanol from coal is one of What we seek to note publicly here this premium, share in the cost of medical treat the most practical ways of producing it. afternoon, however, is Mr. Tear's dedi ments under the co-insurance clause, pro cated service to the minority side of this vide for home care (non covered), provide Also important is the fact that methanol for comforts, provide for special forms of can be produced from industrial wastes. House. His title-minority chief page does not identify adequately the scope of transportation, provide for aid and attend By relying more heavily on methanol as ance, among other things, while at the same a fuel, we would not only be decreasing his work. The courtesy and efficiency of time providing for the family and paying the our consumption of and dependence on the minority pages certainly is attribut full range of federal, state and city taxes, oil, we would also be partially solving our able not only to the high standards of the excise and sales taxes, property taxes, etc. ever-increasing problem of waste dis selection process but also to the careful which seem to be on an unending incline. posal. tutelage of Mr. Tear. We are the minor The emasculation of the Sick Pay Tax Ex ity, and we do not have a high level of clusion hardly eliminated any reasonably In the United States, about 1 billion "bench strength" in our page team, but important loop hole, if such it can be called. gallons of methanol are produced each these young people, few in number, do a Rather, it injured and deprived very many year. Much of this is used in the manu remarkable job. I know their perform people in the lower economic strata and ren facture of plastics. It was originally dered their ab111ty to economic survival very ance has been a source of continuing difficult. For these reasons, we request res thought that methanol production would pride to Tom. be too expensive, but the price of gasoline toration of the law governing the Sick Pay Beyond this primary responsibility, Tax Exclusion as it existed prior to the 1976 continues to climb and eventually may though, Tom has helped us in countless amendments. exceed the price of methanol. In addi ways, individually and as a group, In our past relationships, you have always tion, if the production of methanol was through three decades. A particular chore demonstrated sincere, high level and rare substantially increased, the price would might not have been, technically, part of sympathetic outreach to federal employees. surely be reduced. And, as industrial his job description, but Tom Tear never This, we deeply appreciate. We would ask waste was converted into methanol on a was one to quibble when service to the your kind assistance in treating this letter wide-scale basis, the price should drop minority was concerned. and the accompanying copy of my letter, pub even lower. All the arguments stack up lished in the Federal Times of January 10, The tradition of service will be main 1976 as a memorial on this most important on the side of methanol as a worthy tained, but we will miss Tom greatly. • subject and having both, this letter and the alternative to gasoline as our chief source He has earned his retirement by faith- accompanying published letter, published 1n • February 1, 1977 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 3179 the Extension of Remarks of the Congres BACKGROUND charging his duties and always willing sional Record as the expression of the con Oaable television today reaches 12 million to offer extra assistance whenever pos cern of federal employees and federal American homes. Because ca.ble does not use retirees. sible. the airwaves, it has a channel CS~pacity that Sincerely, This great body called the House is a tar exceeds over-the-air teleV'ision. This collection of different people with varied HARRY H. ZUCKER, channel capacilty is used by cable systems for Past President, Chairman, Legislative many purposes-to present local television outlooks and approaches to their individ Committee. broadcast signals, to present programming ual tasks. Despite all the divergence, the imported from afar by microwave and satel House functions well thanks in large lite, and to present locally originated pro measure to the dedicated efforts of able ENERGY SHORTAGE gramming. staff people like Tom Tear. This local origination programming typi Those of us who have been privileged cally uses what is called the "access" channel to work with Tom these past years thank HON.

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