Active engagement in the political process is important to protect the future of biofuels and rural America. POET established its own nonconnected political action committee (PAC) in 2008 to engage elected leaders and show how biofuels will lead to a cleaner and brighter future. Read why a few of our members feel that their investment makes a difference.
Why do you give to POET PAC?
ANSWER: I believe in the products, the people and the industry I work for. In a heavily regulated environment, it is important to have advocates in Washington, and the PAC makes that possible. I can’t be in two places at once, so we need to rely on our team in Washington to advocate for our best interest.
Q: What do you wish other people knew about POET PAC?
A: It is a necessity for our company and for the future. Giving to the PAC means that you have some skin in the game and that your voice will be heard in Washington, D.C.
Q: What would you say to encourage someone else to give to POET PAC?
A: It’s a way to contribute to something that unifies the voices of many and fights for what we believe in. You have to look at the big picture. There are things happening in each of our lives and locally, but there are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes in Washington. POET PAC is our advocacy tool and it works!
What motivated you to give your first gift to POET PAC?
A: In 2018, I attended a What’s Fueling Ag event hosted by POET. This meeting covered a lot of information concerning the ethanol industry and the resistance we face from the oil companies who are concerned about losing market share. The thing that motivated me to give to POET PAC was understanding how PAC dollars are used and that PAC dollars helped us have eight White House meetings in 2018. It was clear that PAC dollars work!
Q: Why do you give to POET PAC?
A: As a farmer, I know that I cannot make a big impact in Washington on my own. I need to invest in opportunities that help elected officials understand the challenges we face in agricultural states. The success of the biofuels industry will help raise the price of corn and will positively impact rural America. POET PAC gives small producers like me a chance to influence policy that ultimately drives supply and demand.
Q: What would you say to encourage someone else to give to POET PAC?
A: This is an effective and easy way to have a voice in Washington. After 38 years running the family farm, I know we need a strong political presence. The squeaky wheel always gets the grease!
What motivated you to give your first gift to POET PAC?
A: The PAC allows me to support both the agriculture and biofuels industries, both of which are bombarded by falsehoods. My contribution, combined with others, provides an avenue for POET External Affairs to dispel the falsehoods about biofuels to the nation’s leaders.
Q: Why do you give to POET PAC?
A: I give because I believe in the issues POET is passionate about, such as reducing our nation’s dependence of foreign oil, expanding the market for clean and green renewable fuels, and improving the economic environment for agriculture and rural America. Although all the issues are important to me, agriculture and rural America pulls on my heartstrings the most because it impacts my family. I come from a long line of grain farmers in South Dakota and Kansas. I have seen success and failure and people working all hours of the day and night to provide for their family and others. Giving to the POET PAC is a way for me to further the farmers cause as well as support the industry I work in.
Q: What do you wish other people knew about POET PAC?
A: POET PAC is bipartisan and issue-focused. I’m one person and by myself am not able to make as big of an impact as I want. POET PAC affords me the opportunity to make my voice heard about the matters that I care about to the people who make the decisions and laws of our land.
What motivated you to give your first gift to POET PAC?
A: I was once at a table with a Congresswoman from Illinois and witnessed firsthand the dialogue and questions between her and those at the table. I learned she used the information from that discussion in a committee meeting a few weeks later to defiantly push back on misinformation being peddled by our opposition. From that moment forward, I was sold and understood how critical POET PAC is in creating those conversations and sparking those moments of truth.
Q: What do you wish other people knew about POET PAC?
A: POET PAC is less about funding politics and more about piercing through those political complexities for a worthwhile and noble purpose. POET PAC funds are used effectively to positively influence policy that impacts this industry and our country.
Q: What would you say to encourage someone else to give to POET PAC?
A: Ask questions and let POET policy team members tell you their stories. Every year they interact with hundreds of governmental officials to tell the truth about biofuels. They are good at establishing relationships, gaining support and building advocacy. These chances don’t come easy, but PAC dollars give them the chances they need to influence flawed understanding and fortify support.
How do I join POET PAC?
poetpac.com | (605) 965-2377 | poetpac@poet.com
Contributions to POET PAC are not tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes. Contributions to POET PAC will be used in connection with federal elections and are subject to the limits and prohibitions of federal law. The maximum an individual may contribute to POET PAC is $5,000 per year ($10,000 per couple). Corporate and foreign national contributions are not permitted under federal law. Please make checks payable to POET PAC. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to obtain and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 per calendar year. Your contribution to POET PAC is strictly voluntary.
