It's a rare thing for Leviathan to willingly return even the tiniest freedom, once it has snatched it away. Now that us light-bulb hoarders feel a little silly, Congress, why not get frisky and crush the black-market toilet industry by letting people decide how much of a flush they want all on their own?
Don't get all excited... the current load of BS is no different than the usual load of BS.
They repealed nothing, did not change the law one whit. They did nothing more then defund enforcement, a particularly gutless way to gain a small PR profit, in exchange for merely putting off the enscrewing planned for our home lighting choices.
Let me ask you... with that insane law still on the books, what US manufacturer would even consider firing up a line to make incandescent bulbs? What major retailer would think nothing of stocking up lots of 100 watt bulbs, knowing they will be part of another political football match in a few months?
I used to have a saying - "Screw diamonds - stop lights are forever."
Have you ever seen a stop light taken down at an intersection? You see them going up all the time but I've never seen one taken down.
Until now.
There is an area near downtown in My Fair City that used to have about four or five stop lights. These have all been de-activated in the last week and are in the process of being dismantled.
Years ago My Fair City re-designed an intersection so as to have a traffic circle. There used to be two stop lights at this intersection (it was near a triangular parcel that was where three different roads met at two different places). Everyone griped about the traffic circle but now there is no stop light and the wait at the intersection, even during busy times, is never more than a few seconds.
There are now plans to turn the five-way intersection on the north side into a traffic circle. They work, and they don't need a stop light to work.
Would that other governments at echelons-above-municipality had similar common sense.
As for defunding being gutless, I'll take what I can get. Remember the anti-gun crowd was perfectly happy (and perfectly successful) working incrementally. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Each Member of Congress shall be required to bear The Full Burden of the Law. All Laws and Regulations of the Federal Government shall be printed on heavy bond paper at not more than 250 words per page, and placed in the backpack of each Congressman. Any Congressman found in public not bearing The Full Burden of the Law shall be whipped not less than 39 times on Pay-Per-View television with proceeds directed to the Government Printing Office.
My proposal is much more pedestrian than Tasso's: repeal 80% of the CFR. I used to think it really mattered which 80% we got rid of, but lately I've been thinking, "yeah, you'll throw away some important laws, there must be a few in that monstrosity, but it's easier to put them back"
After that, every Federal law has a sunset, and expires in five years - keep 'em busy replacing the ones they deem important. Every department, EPA, DOE, has a five year lifetime.
Carteach0 - as far as I know, there was only manufacturer of 100W light bulbs in the US anyway (GE quit some time back), but for at least nine months we can at least import them. Carefully...
Oh, wait, there is something that had been exempted (and I think GE makes it) a ruggedised (thick filament) bulb but it costs over $4.
-------------- just for old-time's sake, a bulb in Livermore California has neem burning for over 100 years! http://www.centennialbulb.org/
So...a new branch to trim the old branch. I'm down with the sentiment, but there's some srs irony in there.
"What major retailer would think nothing of stocking up lots of (Evil High Capacity Clips!), knowing they will be part of another political football match in a few months?"
A smart one. Get yer pre-ban red-hots right here! 'Course they might cost a bit more...I just love the smell of gov-mandated money in the morning.
Rather than a house of repeal, I'd like to see every federal law have a 10 year sunset clause, a la the late un-lamented scary rifle ban. Unless it is re-proposed, re-debated, re-voted on, and re-signed, it goes away on its 10 birthday.
Don't get all excited... the current load of BS is no different than the usual load of BS.
ReplyDeleteThey repealed nothing, did not change the law one whit. They did nothing more then defund enforcement, a particularly gutless way to gain a small PR profit, in exchange for merely putting off the enscrewing planned for our home lighting choices.
Let me ask you... with that insane law still on the books, what US manufacturer would even consider firing up a line to make incandescent bulbs? What major retailer would think nothing of stocking up lots of 100 watt bulbs, knowing they will be part of another political football match in a few months?
What Carteach0 said.
ReplyDeleteUs light bulb hoarders? I don't feel silly at all.
I will admit that I had more ammo than light bulbs - before the boat sank (By count and weight, maybe not by volume)
Terry
Florida
I used to have a saying - "Screw diamonds - stop lights are forever."
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen a stop light taken down at an intersection? You see them going up all the time but I've never seen one taken down.
Until now.
There is an area near downtown in My Fair City that used to have about four or five stop lights. These have all been de-activated in the last week and are in the process of being dismantled.
Years ago My Fair City re-designed an intersection so as to have a traffic circle. There used to be two stop lights at this intersection (it was near a triangular parcel that was where three different roads met at two different places). Everyone griped about the traffic circle but now there is no stop light and the wait at the intersection, even during busy times, is never more than a few seconds.
There are now plans to turn the five-way intersection on the north side into a traffic circle. They work, and they don't need a stop light to work.
Would that other governments at echelons-above-municipality had similar common sense.
As for defunding being gutless, I'll take what I can get. Remember the anti-gun crowd was perfectly happy (and perfectly successful) working incrementally. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
gvi
Traffic signal bulbs ...
ReplyDeleteBernardo De La Paz had the right idea for a functional Congress.
ReplyDeleteMy proposal for a Constitutional Amendment:
ReplyDeleteEach Member of Congress shall be required to bear The Full Burden of the Law. All Laws and Regulations of the Federal Government shall be printed on heavy bond paper at not more than 250 words per page, and placed in the backpack of each Congressman. Any Congressman found in public not bearing The Full Burden of the Law shall be whipped not less than 39 times on Pay-Per-View television with proceeds directed to the Government Printing Office.
My proposal is much more pedestrian than Tasso's: repeal 80% of the CFR. I used to think it really mattered which 80% we got rid of, but lately I've been thinking, "yeah, you'll throw away some important laws, there must be a few in that monstrosity, but it's easier to put them back"
ReplyDeleteAfter that, every Federal law has a sunset, and expires in five years - keep 'em busy replacing the ones they deem important. Every department, EPA, DOE, has a five year lifetime.
Greybeard:
ReplyDeleteI would add: after the 80%, each new law passed must be accompanied by two current laws being repealed.
Here,here!!!
ReplyDeleteThree cheers for the House of Repeal!!!
Where do I sign up?
Carteach0 - as far as I know, there was only manufacturer of 100W light bulbs in the US anyway (GE quit some time back), but for at least nine months we can at least import them. Carefully...
ReplyDeleteOh, wait, there is something that had been exempted (and I think GE makes it) a ruggedised (thick filament) bulb but it costs over $4.
--------------
just for old-time's sake, a bulb in Livermore California has neem burning for over 100 years!
http://www.centennialbulb.org/
And yet, there are people who at this moment are decrying this return of incadesant lightbulbs as a harbenger of Doom For the Children.
ReplyDelete*double facepalm*
"This is why we need a House of Repeal."
ReplyDeleteSo...a new branch to trim the old branch. I'm down with the sentiment, but there's some srs irony in there.
"What major retailer would think nothing of stocking up lots of (Evil High Capacity Clips!), knowing they will be part of another political football match in a few months?"
A smart one. Get yer pre-ban red-hots right here! 'Course they might cost a bit more...I just love the smell of gov-mandated money in the morning.
Rather than a house of repeal, I'd like to see every federal law have a 10 year sunset clause, a la the late un-lamented scary rifle ban. Unless it is re-proposed, re-debated, re-voted on, and re-signed, it goes away on its 10 birthday.
ReplyDelete