The Senate legislators are claiming to have passed an "energy bill". The only thing about this bill related to energy is the amount spent to make it and the amount spent to strip it of any validity.
First the bill declares "Price gouging" illegal. You mean to tell me this wasn't already against the law? If anything it took teeth out of any local law on the books. It uses the term "unconscionably excessive". Like pornography, music volume, art, comfort, style, and a million other example of abstract and ambiguous issues. What you call art, I call the result of a spilt paint can. What you call pornographic, I call art. In reality they are already charging "unconscionably excessive" prices. this is evident by their record profits and CEO Payouts. I wonder if thye have to buy their own gas?
The next big issue is the requirement of government buildings to hurry up and replace lighting and appliances with more energy efficient. For those who haven't stepped foot into government building lately, this is already going on. I have seen everything from the CFL's to motion sensor activated lights. Government offices are run on budgets. If it really saves money there will be no need to make a law to get a bean counter to enact an efficiency policy. What they don't mention is that most of these technologies include the use of mercury switches. nobody has made plans or policies on what to do with all these new bulbs when they are disposed of. The cost and energy required to address this issue may cause a wash of the efficiency gained.
Grants, Loans, and other assistance supplied for research into fuel efficient vehicles was also passed. Who do you think is getting that money? When was the last time you did research into creating a new vehicle? Right, the auto industry got a way to get congress to give them more money. This is money to compensate for the fact that they spent all their time and marketing in the late 90's up until the last 4 yrs making bigger and fatter gas guzzler SUV's. In fact in the past the government has offered only up to $3000 in tax breaks for hybrid vehicles. However, they have been offering up to $100,000 for those who wish to buy large SUV's. How is that for encouragement.
On the other hand, lobbyist did manage to get the issues will values stripped from the bill. an estimated $32 billion that would have went to actual research firms and current programs to develop new methods to harvest renewable energy was taken from the bill. Republican leaders didn't like the fact that $29 billion of it would come from a tax on the big oil companies. That is who they are working for after all. You sure didn't contribute to their campaign.
The electric lobbyist got their way and pried the requirement of the energy producers to incorporate a mere 15% of production from renewable energy. Turns out that wouldn't look good on the balance sheet to their stock holders. if it is any consolation, they are trying to find a way to use it as long as it means they can charge more for it.
The biggest joke is that they will require a 10 MPG increase in the fleet economy by 2020. First, you can believe with the incentive just given to them by this bill they will be doing it anyway. Besides, right now the American buying public requires it. However you must realize how a "fleet" MPG rating is obtained. Using the CAFE regulations you take all the vehicles offered in your fleet, add up their MPG, and divide it by that fleet number. So if Ford offers 5 different models, that equal about 25 MPG, they only need to add some light concept car that gets 85 MPG to boost the "Fleet" rating. It doesn't matter that the new vehicle is some paper thin two seater concept car that nobody will buy. They have met their requirements. Expect to see a ford Moped in the near future.
So there you have it. Another waste of taxpayer time and money to pass a bill that rewards incompetence, Pays the wealthy, and in the end gets nothing done to solve the original problem. If a senator really wanted to do his constituents a favor he would have stood up and said, "no I will not pass this worthless bill." Instead it will turn into fluff that the politicians will use to boast that they passed a "comprehensive fuel reform bill".
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First the bill declares "Price gouging" illegal. You mean to tell me this wasn't already against the law? If anything it took teeth out of any local law on the books. It uses the term "unconscionably excessive". Like pornography, music volume, art, comfort, style, and a million other example of abstract and ambiguous issues. What you call art, I call the result of a spilt paint can. What you call pornographic, I call art. In reality they are already charging "unconscionably excessive" prices. this is evident by their record profits and CEO Payouts. I wonder if thye have to buy their own gas?
The next big issue is the requirement of government buildings to hurry up and replace lighting and appliances with more energy efficient. For those who haven't stepped foot into government building lately, this is already going on. I have seen everything from the CFL's to motion sensor activated lights. Government offices are run on budgets. If it really saves money there will be no need to make a law to get a bean counter to enact an efficiency policy. What they don't mention is that most of these technologies include the use of mercury switches. nobody has made plans or policies on what to do with all these new bulbs when they are disposed of. The cost and energy required to address this issue may cause a wash of the efficiency gained.
Grants, Loans, and other assistance supplied for research into fuel efficient vehicles was also passed. Who do you think is getting that money? When was the last time you did research into creating a new vehicle? Right, the auto industry got a way to get congress to give them more money. This is money to compensate for the fact that they spent all their time and marketing in the late 90's up until the last 4 yrs making bigger and fatter gas guzzler SUV's. In fact in the past the government has offered only up to $3000 in tax breaks for hybrid vehicles. However, they have been offering up to $100,000 for those who wish to buy large SUV's. How is that for encouragement.
On the other hand, lobbyist did manage to get the issues will values stripped from the bill. an estimated $32 billion that would have went to actual research firms and current programs to develop new methods to harvest renewable energy was taken from the bill. Republican leaders didn't like the fact that $29 billion of it would come from a tax on the big oil companies. That is who they are working for after all. You sure didn't contribute to their campaign.
The electric lobbyist got their way and pried the requirement of the energy producers to incorporate a mere 15% of production from renewable energy. Turns out that wouldn't look good on the balance sheet to their stock holders. if it is any consolation, they are trying to find a way to use it as long as it means they can charge more for it.
The biggest joke is that they will require a 10 MPG increase in the fleet economy by 2020. First, you can believe with the incentive just given to them by this bill they will be doing it anyway. Besides, right now the American buying public requires it. However you must realize how a "fleet" MPG rating is obtained. Using the CAFE regulations you take all the vehicles offered in your fleet, add up their MPG, and divide it by that fleet number. So if Ford offers 5 different models, that equal about 25 MPG, they only need to add some light concept car that gets 85 MPG to boost the "Fleet" rating. It doesn't matter that the new vehicle is some paper thin two seater concept car that nobody will buy. They have met their requirements. Expect to see a ford Moped in the near future.
So there you have it. Another waste of taxpayer time and money to pass a bill that rewards incompetence, Pays the wealthy, and in the end gets nothing done to solve the original problem. If a senator really wanted to do his constituents a favor he would have stood up and said, "no I will not pass this worthless bill." Instead it will turn into fluff that the politicians will use to boast that they passed a "comprehensive fuel reform bill".
“Politics: “Poli” a Latin word meaning “many”; and "tics" meaning “bloodsucking
creatures”.”
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