"ALL CAPS IN DEFENSE OF LIBERTY IS NO VICE."

Saturday, April 01, 2006

BUSH, SUV'S AND MPG: MORE BOGUS REGULATIONS

The "liberal" Bush Adminstration - which claimed we are "addicted to imported gas" - recently annouced the biggest increase in MPG requirments for SUV's. They're requiring that US automakers raise the AVERAGE MPG ratings of their SUV FLEETS.

This cannot have ANY possible effect on US consumption of gas. People purchase cars - and SUV's - according to their own needs and these purchases DO NOT "mirror" the fleets AT ALL!

Look at it this way: if each US automaker only made 2 SUV's - one which got 40 MPG and one which got 10 MPG, then their fleet average would be within the goal set by Bush - 25 MPG (for 2011!).


However, if consumers only buy the 10 MPG SUV, then this new regulation would have ZERO EFFECT. Free people buy what they want; this is THE MARKETPLACE. And the MARKETPLACE determines what our "national" gasoline usage is; it is NOT and can NEVER BE determined by the government setting fleet averages.

That's why this type of regulation is nothing more than phony posturing by demagogues - in this case Liberal Green ones. People who applaud this kind of regualtory misadventure are fools.

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