As a member of the “Gang of Six,” Senator
Mike Crapo of Idaho has emerged as something of a hero among advocates of
bipartisanship, one of three conservative Republicans working with three
Democrats to cut the deficit by closing loopholes that allow businesses and
households to avoid paying taxes.
Yet earlier this year, the senator made sure
that a $3 billion loophole — protecting “black liquor,” an alcoholic sludge
used as fuel in timber mills and factories — remained open in the negotiations
over the highway bill that President Obama signed this month. Many budget
experts criticize the loophole as a tax dodge because it allows the sludge to
qualify for an energy subsidy created to wean the country off imported oil for
vehicles, which black liquor does not do.
