Bush Wants U.S. To Reduce Dependency on Foreign Oil

Rockford, Illinois- President Bush called America "addicted to oil" during his State of the Union address. He believes fuel-efficiency should be on the minds of every citizen and wants to see technology used to better produce cleaner-burning fuels like ethanol. "This country can dramatically improve our environment," Bush said. "Move beyond a petroleum-based economy and make our dependency on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past." Just a couple weeks ago, Governor Rod Blagojevich shared a similar message during his State of the State address. In order to help protect the environment, he proposed giving a $500 sales tax rebate to consumers who buy fuel-efficient cars, many of which run on E-85 and biodiesel. But Republican State Senator Dave Syverson feels the proposal is flawed. "The Governor`s tax credit gives a credit for cars that are mostly foreign-made cars, and none of the cars on his list that qualifies for the tax credit are made in Illinois," Syverson says. But Syverson`s Democratic opponent in the fall election, Dan Lewandowski, would support the governor`s proposal. "I think the credit is a good idea and we`ve got to consider to pursue that issue," Lewandowski says. "If there are better ways to explain how you meet the criteria to get that credit or how to get people in Illinois more involved to understand that issue, we`ve got to do that." While the President and the Governor push for more fuel-efficient options, a proposal for an ethanol plant in Winnebago County is still driving a lot of controversy.