Write Your Members of Congress Now!
America ’s energy industry is under attack and your help is needed. Contact your U.S. Senator today and ask the Senate to defeat the Waxman-Markey “Cap and Trade” legislation that will negatively impact American farmers, as well as farmer-owned refineries, including Indiana-based CountryMark.

If enacted, the Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade legislation will increase the cost of corn production by $80 per acre, soybean production by $20 per acre, and wheat production by $30 per acre. Cost increases of this magnitude will be devastating to American farmers and the entire agricultural industry that depends on the success of production agriculture.

If the Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade legislation is enacted, CountryMark’s estimated tax liability would exceed $100 million per year, or ten times the cooperative’s typical annual income. We, at CountryMark, believe the Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade legislation, if enacted, threatens the future of our company and the ability of our country as whole to be competitive in the global market place.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed this legislation on June 25. The Senate is expected to vote on the legislation later this summer. Let your Senator know that you don’t support the Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade legislation and ask them to oppose it as well. Please call your U.S. Senator today. Other Senate phone numbers can be found here .

U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, Indiana, (202) 224-4814
U.S. Senator Evan Bayh, Indiana , (202) 224-5623
U.S. Senator Richard Durbin, Illinois, (202)224-2152
U.S. Senator Roland Burris, Illinois, (202) 224-2854
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Ohio, (202) 224-2315
U.S. Senator George Voinovich, Ohio, (202) 224-3353

Or if you would prefer, send a letter to your U.S. Senators. The letter below will be sent on your behalf to your U.S. Senators when you complete the registration form and click “Take Action”:

I am writing to you to express my deep concern regarding the Waxman-Markey "Cap and Trade" legislation (HR 2454) recently approved by the U.S House of Representatives and now working its way through the U.S. Senate. This legislation will produce significant adverse effects on CountryMark, production agriculture, and the regional farming community. CountryMark is a farmer owned petroleum refinery located in Mt. Vernon, Indiana and is part of the farmer cooperative system operating in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. As a cooperative, profits are distributed back to our member farmer owners . Built in 1940 with money from farmers, the CountryMark refining system represents a commitment of farmer's money to an entity vital in providing fuel for farming operations. This investment on behalf of the region's farmers represents a time honored business model of joining resources for the common purpose of purchasing vital goods and services in a manner they cannot accomplish individually. The "Cap and Trade" legislative proposal embodied in HR 2454 is functionally an Energy Tax. This tax will produce a financial burden on CountryMark of such size that it will constitute a direct threat to the existence of not only CountryMark but also to production agriculture and the cooperative system. The cost of "Climate Taxes" on CountryMark is estimated to exceed $100 million per year, or ten times their typical annual income. Beyond petroleum, Climate Taxes also adversely affect virtually all aspects of production agriculture. One report from Doane Advisory Services indicates farming costs will increase over $80 per acre of corn, $20 per acre of soybeans, and $30 per acre for wheat. "Cap and Trade" legislation in its current form will threaten the delicate balance of the farmer owned cooperative system. These taxes will produce significant costs that will need to be absorbed by either farmer owned cooperatives like CountryMark, or the farmers themselves. If CountryMark absorbs the cost of carbon allowances, the company may not be economically viable due to the significant financial strain on its limited resources. In this case, farmers lose their valuable investment in the company. If CountryMark passes on the cost of carbon allowances to its farmer producers, the input cost to the farmer served by the local cooperative will increase. This will likewise impair the farmer's ability to pursue their livelihood. There is a better way to improve our Energy future without destroying the farming economy and farmer owned cooperatives like CountryMark. Production agriculture and companies like CountryMark will be key contributors to the future renewable fuels industry. Future legislation and regulation should foster innovation in the renewable fuels industry instead of imposing significant tax burdens on farmer owned cooperatives that will render them insolvent. In conclusion, we encourage you to oppose the current proposed Climate Tax legislation that will destroy the time honored farmer cooperative model. This legislation will result in net reductions in jobs, GDP, and individual incomes and will inhibit our freedom to pursue our livelihood. Thank you for your support.

Your name and address will be added automatically to the signature line so that the targeted legislator can reply to your correspondence.

ACT NOW!
Send a letter today urging the U.S. Senate to oppose the Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade Legislation! Simply review and edit your letter, fill out the privacy-protected registration form below, and then click the Take Action button to send this letter to your U.S. Senators.

If you do not have a valid email address please click here to create a free email account with Google's Gmail. If you need assistance or would like more information regarding this process, please click here .

In the event your legislator requires additional information in order to receive communications, you may be asked to provide some additional details upon submitting your letter. If you are asked to select a specific issue, we recommend selecting "energy" in the dropdown box.