A blog posting on Independence Day, discussing the subtle erosion of
independence, quoted at length so that Bob Ackley and others can appreciate
it without having to follow the link:

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The Energy Policy Act of 1992 was signed into law by President George H.W.
Bush. In 1994 the implementing regulations went into effect, requiring that
all residential toilets be manufactured using a 1.6-gallons-per-flush
standard. On the tenth anniversary of the regulations, American Standard
made an important announcement: "today the worry-free 1.6-gallon toilet is
becoming a reality."

The busybodies of the administrative state have remained at hard at work.
In December 2007, Congress enacted an energy bill that will, among many,
many other things, force us to buy a new kind of light bulb. As Andrew
Ferguson explained in "A nation of dim bulbs," environmental enthusiasts
don't like the light bulbs we're using now. They reason, therefore, that we
shouldn't be allowed to have them.

The bill was signed into law by President George W. Bush. President Bush
extolled the energy bill in a statement at the Department of Energy. For
reasons that Ferguson touched on, Bush acknowledged the light bulb
provision a bit circumspectly: "The bill...includes revisions to improve
energy efficiency in lighting and appliances." After summarizing the bill,
he stated: "With these steps, particularly in the bill I'm about to sign,
we're going to help American consumers a lot." And he thanked Congress: "I
appreciate the fact that we've worked together, that we can show what's
possible in addressing the big issues facing our nation." Indeed.

Last week Deroy Murdock lamented the impending demise of the electric light
bulb. Murdock cited an April 14 fact sheet from General Electric noting
that 276 versions of its incandescent bulbs will start to vanish just 18
months from now. Murdock alludes to the virtues of the classic American
light bulb and points out the defects of the common compact fluorescent
lights that are to replace it.

The administrative state has inserted its big paws into our houses, from
the toilet bowl to the light socket. Now if it would just stretch those
paws from the one to the other at the same time, we might begin to
recapture the spirit of '76.


http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/07/026679.php
 
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