In poking around the Metro Council website to see what’s going on there I came across a Resolution filed recently by Councilman Doug Hawkins, whose every move drives Mayor Jerry Abramson and Louisville’s liberals insane.  He can’t even walk his dog without making Louisville’s left wing cringe.  Let me tell you the truth - it’s because Hawkins states way too many simple, inescapable truths to be considered part of the city’s governing elite.  What drives them even crazier is that Hawkins doesn’t care what the elites say about him.

This Resolution is a very interesting one that could potentially set off a firestorm that, in turn, could force Governor Steve Beshear into the uncomfortable situation of having to go against his party’s wishes and do what’s best for Kentucky.

The Resolution, if passed by the Metro Council and Mayor Abramson, would call on Governor Beshear to lift Kentucky’s voluntary use of an uncommon and outdated recipe of gasoline known as Reformulated Gasoline (RFG) which is often up to 40 cents/gallon more expensive than the Conventional Gasoline available in surrounding areas, largely due to its limited production.  As the resolution states, former Governor Brereton Jones implemented use of RFG in Metro Louisville in 1993 under powers granted to him by the federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.  Hawkins calls on Beshear to suspend this voluntary and exclusive use of RFG.

A RESOLUTION ON REFORMULATED GASOLINE

Sponsored By: Councilman Doug Hawkins

WHEREAS, Gov. Brereton Jones in 1993 exercised his power under the federal

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 to require that gasoline sold in Metro Louisville be

Reformulated Gasoline (RFG) even though the area is not a “non-attainment”area,

required by federal law to use only RFG, and as this program is strictly voluntary, the

current Governor of Kentucky may under federal EPA regulations “opt-out”of the

requirement; and

WHEREAS, RFG is twenty-year old technology which offers no real

environmental benefits, given the clean nature of today’s conventional gasoline (CG),

which is now controlled for sulfur and the Reid Vapor Point ; and

WHEREAS, RFG is often up to forty cents ($.40) per gallon more expensive than

in surrounding communities where just CG is sold, because of the limited production of

this “boutique”fuel; and

WHEREAS, Metro Louisville is just one of six metro areas not on the East or

West Coast to use RFG, the others of which are much larger, making Metro Louisville

even more of an afterthought for refiners and leaving prices to climb , and

WHEREAS, RFG must be trucked in many hundreds of miles greater than

normal CG supplies, thus negating the goal of less overall pollution and energy use.

Now therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE

LOUISVILLE/JEFFERSON COUNTY METRO GOVERNMENT (THE COUNCIL) AS

FOLLOWS:

SECTION I: That Governor Beshear and his staff is hereby asked to draw up new rules

for the end of the RFG mandate in Metro Louisville immediately.

SECTION II: This Resolution shall take effect upon its passage and approval.

_______________________________

Kathleen J. Herron

Metro Council Clerk

_____________________________

Jim King

President of the Council

_______________________________

Jerry E. Abramson

Mayor

_____________________________
Approval Date

As you read, Hawkins claims that there are no longer substantial environmental benefits to RFG, and that the increased price per gallon is due largely to the limited production of that type of fuel.  Obviously, with RFG at $4/gallon, switching to CG would be great.

I will do some more research into these claims, but if Hawkins is even half right I think this is a Resolution that the Metro Council should most definitely pass and pass quickly.  From there, Governor Beshear would need to utilitize his powers to end this RFG mandate, and then people could start spending a little less money every week on gasoline.

I have to tell you, Beshear has shown signs of potential progress lately.  He stated recently that he would consider two things which would bring tremendous progress for Kentucky, those being nuclear electricity production and the elimination of the income tax.  While I’m not holding my breath on either of those things, I have to say that if he were to spine up and end this apparently useless RFG mandate that Louisville is bound to, he would be dealing with some grateful voters and legislators at the next session of the General Assembly.  His stupid casino gambling dream is never going to come true, but in fairness I would like to state that he has over 3 years to reclaim his term as Governor after these horrible first eight or so months.

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