The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • A4

A4 Orlando Sentinel FINAL TUESDAY, drop in gasoline prices, E85 is less of abargain than ever. The Web site E85prices.com said last week that the national average for a gallon of gasoline was $1.61, while the average gallon of E85 cost $1.64. And becausethe energy content of E85 is lower than that ofgasoline, most vehicles that can use either gasoline or E85 get 20percent to 25percent worse fuel mileage on E85 than on gasoline. The flex-fuel 2009 Ford F-150, for example, is EPA rated at 12miles per gallon overall on E85, 16 on gasoline. online pricing service, fuelgaugereport.com, monitors the average pump price of E85but adds 25percent to that figure to give consumers a more accurate idea of what they are getting for their money, calling it the Realities pinch producers With faltering demand, at least six ethanol manufacturers, including South Dakota-based VeraSun, the second-largest ethanol producer, have declared bankruptcy.

And plans by U.S. EnviroFuels, based in the Tampa suburb of Riverview, to build an $80million ethanol- producing plant in Port Manatee and plant at the Port of Tampa have been canceled. At this point, Florida has no ethanol plants.Of the 1,921 stations in the United States that sell E85, Florida has 10 and two of those are closed to the public. Ethanol, mostly made in the corn- producing Midwest states, has had to drop its price to compete with gasoline, though the price to manufacture ethanol dropped substantially. But companies such asVera- Sun signed long-term contracts with some corn producers to buy corn at as much as $6 a bushel, which did not seem bad when corn topped out at $7.75 a bushel in June.

When corn prices dropped to about $3.35 a bushel in the fall, VeraSun was stuck paying nearly double the going rate. when the second crisis kicked in: The financing crunch meant that it was suddenly difficult and expensive, if not impossible, to get loans that would tide ethanol producers over until its market rebounds. Like most ethanol producers, VeraSun, established in 2001, is a young company and have its own cash reserve to cope with the downturn. Florida stands firm Even so, Florida is doing its part to keep the ethanol industry going with its mandate to add 10percent ethanol to every gallon of gasoline. The requirement kick in until 2010, but oil companies have pushed ahead with E10, most notably in Central Florida, in part because of a renovated ethanol-capable pipeline that runs from the Port of Tampa to Orlando.

The E10 rule was part of a state energy bill signed into law by Crist, which includes in annual investment tax breaks for biofuels. Crist also supports rollback of the 54cents-per-gallon federal tariff on importing ethanol from Brazil. The state Department of Agriculture says adding 10percent ethanol is good for the environment because it will reduce gasoline consumption in Florida by 870million gallons a year a tenth of 8.7billion gallons used by Florida drivers, the third- highest total in the United States. There is also a federal tax break on ethanol that pays the petroleum industry a bit more than 5cents per gallon of ethanol sold. For customers who simply want to make a statement against foreign oil, using E85 makes sense.

For everyone else, though, the future of ethanol is impossible to predict. Right now, though, it looks a little bleak. Sentinel Automotive Editor Steven Cole Smith can be reached at 407-420-5699or through his blog at Enginehead.com. SMITH FROM PAGEA1 move touched off waves of criticism among the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens faithful. Dozens of angered customers chastised the company Monday in online forums, with some even vowing not to renew their annual passes.

sad said Gareth Hurford, 30, of Orlando, who said he visited Hospitality Center a couple of times a week with his wife. just somewhere where you can go in the park and just sit and The hospitality centers and the free beer sampling within them are a staple at Busch theme parks. The tradition extends back 50years at Busch Gardens in Tampa, which opened in 1959 as a small park offering tours of a nearby Anheuser-Busch brewery. The SeaWorld Orlando center opened March1, 1992, three years after Anheuser-Busch bought the park. Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, said A-B InBev could have strategic reasons for ending the beer giveaways.

Since InBev reached the deal to buy Anheuser- Busch, there has been widespread speculation that the combined company would look to shed its Orlando-based theme-park division. Any buyer that emerges is likely to have little interest in continuing to cross-promote beer throughout the parks. Overhauling the hospitality centers now ensures that a new buyer have to take that step itself and incur the wrath of park customers. just trying to get it into shape where minimal disruption for the new owner. There anything new buyer going to have to Niles said.

basically taking care of the major disruption right Jason Garcia can be reached at or 407-420-5414. JACOB LANGSTON SENTINEL SeaWorld Orlando guests line up Monday for free beer samples. The Hospitality Centerwill close Feb. 1. Officials said all affected employees will remain with the company, and beer will still continue to be sold in the park.

BEER FROM PAGEA1 Mideast Conflict Alook at the attack on Gaza Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, said he had instructed his chamber to review sales-tax exemptions and alcohol taxes and submit a plan for the cigarette tax in time for the March regular session. taxes are going to be a part of he said, I would much rather look at this in the totality of, are the other reforms that might be In the meantime, lawmakers will jack up all traffic tickets by $10, increase speeding fines by $25 and eliminate the break that speeders receive by taking drivers-education courses. The higher fees are expected to generate $16mil- lion this year and $63million in 2010 to help offset cuts to court operations. In education, the amount given to local schools would be cut $140 per student, or 2percent. In addition, lawmakers say adecline in student enrollment will shave another $77million.

Maureen Dinnen, chairwoman of the Broward School Board, pleaded with legislators to cut a pot of money that is already under- She said Broward schools have cut $128million in the past year. Noting that Broward schools have received national recognition in recent years, she added, watching that go down the drain, and killing Lawmakers got their first look at the line-item budget cuts Monday afternoon, the only day of the 12-day session set aside for public testimony. Afinal vote after a mandatory three-day cooling-off period is slated for Jan.16. The session began with a dose of bad news: Tax receipts in December were $100million less than state economists had predicted just a month earlier. The House today is planning to finalize $934million in cuts in operations expenses and even that might not be enough to stop the bleeding, officials said.

The Senate said its cut total would be around $1billion, although release an exact figure. To reach lawmakers also will empty out cash reserves and halt school building projects intended to lower class sizes. Meanwhile, Democrats led by Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek tried to introduce the cigarette-tax increase to the special-session agenda but were blocked by Republicans. Josh Hafenbrack can be reached at or 850-222-6214.

Aaron Deslatte can be reached at 850-222-5564 or SESSION FROM PAGEA1 About 700 members of Central Jewish community turned out at a rally to support Israel on Monday night at Congregation OhevShalomin Orlando. With speeches, songs and prayers, the group expressed solidarity with the Jewish nation now engaged in a ground war against Hamas, the Palestinian group in control of Gaza. has been sending missiles into Israel, and Israel is doing what any country must do to maintain its said Rabbi Aaron Rubinger, whose synagogue hosted the event. want to show our support for what Israel is Rubinger said. understand The group also highlighted support from U.S.

Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park. Mica released a statement Monday saying: strongly support right to defend itself against Hamas terrorist attacks, and until Israeli citizens can live without fear of these attacks, Israel is justified in its effort to maintain national security for its citizens. we all hope for peace in this region, it must not come at the expense of sovereignty or right to Many of the speakers urged those in attendance to carry signs, call talk shows and make donations to express their support. Rabbi Richard Margolis of Temple BethSholomin Melbourne urged the crowd: something meaningful.

not your applause; your support that will The fighting between the Palestinians and Jews in the Middle East has stirred emotions throughout Central Florida. Local Muslim and Arab groups will rally at todayat St. George An- tiochianOrthodox Church in downtown Orlando in support of an immediate end to the hostilities. HazemBata, head of the Orlando chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the group wants to bring attention to the civilian casualties in Gaza. needs to stop treating Palestinians as animals.

caged them in, and that is Bata thinks that Israel broke the current truce, but he condemned civilian casualties caused by both sides. need to recognize Bata said. Israelis need to treat Palestinians as Rubinger said he feared that an immediate cease-fire with Hamas be another waste of time. A cease-fire means another chance for Hamas to Jay Hamburg can be reached at 407-420-5673 or JACOB LANGSTON SENTINEL About 700 people gather Monday at Congregation OhevShalomin Orlando to express their solidarity with Israel, which is engaged in a ground war in Gaza. Central Floridians turn out at rally in support of Israel By JAY HAMBURG SENTINEL STAFF WRITER Israel: No cease-fire till towns in line of rocket fire are quiet Israel ignored mounting international calls for a cease-fire Monday and said it stop its crippling 10-day assault until and are achieved in southern Israeli towns in the line of Palestinian rocket fire.

Israeli forces seized control of high-rise buildings and attacked smuggling tunnels and several mosques in a campaign against Hamas militants that took an increasing toll on civilians. In the first serious clash in an urban area, Israeli troops and Hamas militants fought a gun- battle on the outskirts of the crowded Gaza City neighborhood of Shajaiyeh, Israeli defense officials said. Details also emerged of an unsuccessful attempt by Hamas fighters to capture Israeli soldiers hours after the ground operation began Saturday with a withering round of artillery fire. Bush unwavering: The Bush administration stuck to its defense of expanding offensive in the Gaza Strip on Monday and pushed for a cease-fire including a lasting halt to rocket attacks on Israel and a reopening of border crossings that are economic lifeline. Where are the reporters? Israel scrapped arrangements Monday to allow the first foreign reporters into the Gaza Strip since the military launched its offensive against Palestinian militants, adding to mounting media frustration at being locked out of the war zone.

Cease-fire? The contours of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas are emerging, with diplomacy focusing on international guarantees, including foreign border monitors to oversee any agreement. Arab delegates met with the U.N. Security Council in New York onMonday, urging members to adopt a resolution calling for an immediate end to the Israeli attacks and a permanent cease-fire. 550 Palestinians killed and 2,500 wounded, at least 200 civilians, according to Dr. Moaiya Hassanein of the Gaza Health Ministry.

The U.N. thinks that at least 25percent of those killed were civilians. 8 Israelis killed since the Dec.27 offensive began three civilians and five soldiers. Israel said todaythat three of the soldiers were killed in a friendly-fire incident that also injured 24 soldiers. 70,000 Iranian student volunteers have registered to carry out suicide bombings against Israel because of theassault on the Gaza Strip, according to official IRNA news agency.

Five hard-line student groups and a conservative clerical group launched a registration drive last week to ask the government to allow them to stage the suicide attacks. Israel wants to prevent weapons smuggling from Egypt into Gaza and to create enough deterrence to persuade Hamas to halt rocket attacks for good. But Hamas says it will halt rocket fire only in exchange for lifting the stifling blockade of Gaza, enforced by Israel and Egypt since Hamas took over the territory in 2007. NEWS SERVICES Notebook TIMOTHY A. CLARY IMAGES Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa (center) attends a meeting about Gaza with the Arab Foreign Ministers Committee on Palestine at the United Nations in New York on Monday.

Foreign ministers confer Product: OSZZBS PubDate: 01-06-2009 Zone: MET Edition: ROP Page: User: wojackson Time: Color:.