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California proposes government-regulated thermostats
One News Now ^ | January 21, 2008 | Pete Chagnon

Posted on 01/21/2008 2:55:44 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Californians may soon have to deal with climate change on a different scale -- and this time the culprit isn't greenhouse gas.

The California Energy Commission is proposing a plan which allows the government to regulate household thermostats in the event of an "energy crisis." Under the proposed rules, all new thermostats will be fitted with technology that will allow the government to adjust the temperature of someone's home by plus or minus four degrees. Originally the plans called for mandatory compliance; however, amid public outcry, the plans have been slightly altered to allow an individual to turn off the remote access device.

But Mindy Spatt, the communications director for the Utility Reform Network, says there may be more cost-effective ways of regulating power during a supposed crisis. "At this point we are concerned that, ultimately, the consumer will end up paying for something that doesn't have benefits commensurate with its cost," she states.

However, Terry Jeffery, the editor-in-chief for CNSNews.com and regular guest on CNN's The Situation Room, disagrees with the proposal, calling it "ridiculous" and a government intrusion of privacy.

"Liberals are always talking about a right to privacy. It seems to me that if there is really, truly a right to privacy, the right to decide how you want to heat or cool your home would fall under it," says the journalist. "If someone wants to pay more money to make it warmer in the winter, [or] pay more money to make it cooler in the hot months of the summer, they ought to be able to do that."

The energy proposal will be decided by the California Energy Commission on January 30. Jeffery says it should be opposed at all cost. "The idea ... of being able to remotely control the temperature that someone's house is heated to is outrageous," he says.

At least one California legislator has described the proposal as "Orwellian." According to the San Francisco Chronicle, several of the state's utilities already operate similar voluntary programs in some areas.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: 1984; apple; bendoverwinstonsmith; ca; california; cnsnews; emergency; energy; energycommission; energycrisis; georgeorwell; government; liberals; mindyspatt; nannystate; orwellian; privacy; regulation; remoteaccess; remotecontrol; terryjeffery; thermostats; urn; utilities
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Free markets regulate supply and demand far more efficiently and fairly than government control.

Allow the energy prices to float, provide that information to the resident (or the resident's computer/thermostat in real time), and let the resident decide how much of each type of energy to buy, and when.

Of course, if the government hadn't already severely restricted the supply of energy, this wouldn't be a problem in the first place.

21 posted on 01/21/2008 3:37:18 PM PST by 3niner (War is one game where the home team always loses.)
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To: Man50D

Next they’ll be loading us all up into boxcars and hauling us away for our own good ... oh, that’s been done once.


22 posted on 01/21/2008 3:43:24 PM PST by mtbopfuyn (I think the border is kind of an artificial barrier - San Antonio councilwoman Patti Radle)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

GET READY FOLKS. When the Marxists have full control, this kind of stuff is going to start happening. With the swing of her mighty pen, Queen Hildabeast will change America for a thousand years.


23 posted on 01/21/2008 3:44:55 PM PST by RetiredArmy (America wants socialism. It wants it all for free. It wants the government to provide all.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

24 posted on 01/21/2008 3:47:43 PM PST by VR-21
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To: Leftism is Mentally Deranged

I still kind of puzzled as to how Global Warming can be spun into an “energy crisis,” which I believe is the criterion they’re currently using. However, they can add “carbon emissions” to the reasons once the program is in place.


25 posted on 01/21/2008 3:49:08 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (I resolve to remember to write "08" on my checks.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
There is nothing wrong with your thermostat. Do not attempt to adjust the temperature. We are controlling by transmission. If we wish to make it warmer, we will bring up the temperature. If we wish to make it colder, we will tune it to a chill. We will control the humidity. We will control the carbon dioxide. For the rest of your life, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat, there is nothing wrong with your thermostat. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Nanny Limits.
26 posted on 01/21/2008 4:01:52 PM PST by reg45
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Printed material won’t work because Mexicans can’t read in any language. Are they going to walk door to door and tell them their thermostats don’t work?


27 posted on 01/21/2008 4:08:50 PM PST by Haddit (A Hunter Conservative)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The government decides what kind of toilet we have - regardless of where we live: on city water or well water, like me, in an area with 'bog-high' water table level.

CFL light bulbs mandated by 2012.

Gov't thermostats.

Next?

I don't think even Socialist countries have this much intrusion into the private homes.

And it's first and foremost about control.

Take the CFL bulbs, for example. The mega-mansions, like Gores 26,000 sq ft place, with lighted swimming pool, pool house and guest house probably takes a few more light bulbs that my little 1,000 sq ft place. But that's okay - besides, he can afford to buy carbon credits so can burn any kind of lights he wants.

Folks, it may be too late to wake up and realize the water is close to boiling...time to jump for our lives.

I worries me to distraction about what kind of a controlled society my children and grandchildren are going to live in.

I'm trying to think of any society in the past where a person couldn't retreat into the sanctity of their home - even were it a hut - and at least be free there of government mandated light/heat/toilet and what next?

This movement is Socialism/Communism on steroids...

(and space heaters/wood stoves will be banned. Believe it. They tried to ban wood stoves 25 years ago back when Carter deliberately drove up fuel prices and the folk in the northeast said, "Fine" and fixed up their chimneys and started burning wood again. They tried to outlaw it, but the stubborn New Englanders told 'em to take a hike.

Now, 25 years later - I fear we'd loose that battle.

What is equally frightening is that many people indoctrinated in our public schools in the past 30 years think these government mandates are just fine. They haven't a clue what the end result is going to be. They've been taught that rule comes FROM the gov't, not the other way around.

28 posted on 01/21/2008 4:11:15 PM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
SF Chronicle, 1/17/2007: State abandons plan to allow utilities to control home thermostats

-PJ

29 posted on 01/21/2008 4:13:11 PM PST by Political Junkie Too (Repeal the 17th amendment -- it's the "Fairness Doctrine" for Congress!)
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To: 3niner
Free markets regulate supply and demand far more efficiently and fairly than government control.

Hillary - and gang - hate the free market, i.e., Capitalist system. She has even stated it out loud.

Like all Communists, she truly believes we "little people" as she once slipped and called us - need to have our decisions made for us...

So go ahead, you Freepers who are determined to let her win by not voting if YOUR candidate doesn't become the nominee - aid and abet the end of our free society - and get ready for every movement from the moment you get out of bed until you go back to bed, being pre-decided for you. Won't that be wonderful? No need to make decisions. Just follow orders/

30 posted on 01/21/2008 4:17:37 PM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: VR-21

I think it’s gone beyond INGSOC to INGCOM


31 posted on 01/21/2008 4:23:16 PM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
the plans have been slightly altered to allow an individual to turn off the remote access device.

Better would be to turn off those bongo headed fools in Sacramento.

32 posted on 01/21/2008 4:31:50 PM PST by Logical me (Oh, well!!!)
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To: Political Junkie Too
I was going to register at the site so’s I could comment, but they want everything but your blood type - I refuse to register on such sites...dont’ want to end up in a data-bank of ‘hostiles’ - (half joking)

I was going to suggest that they could save on power by many other means - like hang out the dang wash, don’t run the tap water while brushing teeth (estimated average of 5 gallons!) when one glass of water will do) - encourage the mega-mansion dwellers with tens of thousands of square foot homes to shut off some rooms at peak times, and not burn all 150 light bulbs....suggest people could cook one meal a week with the “cook once, eat twice” method of cooking a double batch. If every Californian did that just one time a week, it’d save mega k-watts...

Stop stepping over the Constitutional Boundaries into our private homes. And NO, buying carbon credits doens’t mean you get to continue to live high on the hog while penalizing the “little people” =

We vote these Commies out this election or get ready for the U.S.S.A. (and extra S for Socialist)

This mandate got shouted down this time. But it’s still sitting there - and will be brought back to the table in the future. Believe it.

Another thing to be thankful for: Arh-nold was not born in America. He can't be president.

33 posted on 01/21/2008 4:39:23 PM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
And furthermore

I wish there were one, real, investigative reporter to look into the common denominator here: each mandate (low-flush toilets, CFL bulbs, mandated HDTV by this time next year, now the scheme for gov't reg thermostats) is tied to a product that will be made and everyone in every house in the country will be forced to buy.

Sounds like all the earmarks of a great money-making scheme. Who, I wonder, is going to get in on the ground floor stocks of these products?

Wonder if Gore has new stocks? Wonder why he went, last year, to San Jose to meet with "Adventure Capitalists"

Follow the money. Someone, please follow the money....

34 posted on 01/21/2008 4:49:11 PM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: maine-iac7
So go ahead, you Freepers who are determined to let her win by not voting if YOUR candidate doesn't become the nominee - aid and abet the end of our free society -

We've already heard this specious argument in favor of Arnolds election. Now you're dusting it off for this one?

35 posted on 01/21/2008 4:54:28 PM PST by lowbridge
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To: Chode

Ha! During our periodic California droughts, the water authorities will shut off your water if you use more than your fair share. You think the same can’t happen to your natural gas and electricity?

This is a manufactured, man-made crisis because of the lack of will to authorize the construction of new power plants to meet summer peak loads. In the not so distant past, utilities had a social compact to meet demand throughout the year and built sufficient reserve margin to cover even the hottest days of the year. Now, California has banned coal fired power plants, won’t allow the importation of coal generated power, and won’t permit nuclear plants. It essentially only allows the construction of natural gas peakers, windmills and solar plants. We are in a sorry mess because we are not allowing capitalism to do its business and have ceded all planning control to the STATE, just like the old USSR.


36 posted on 01/21/2008 5:11:36 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

The sheeple were willing to put up with every other tyranny and Gubmint control, why does this surprise anyone?


37 posted on 01/21/2008 6:19:59 PM PST by Eric Blair 2084 (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms shouldn't be a federal agency...it should be a convenience store.)
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To: maine-iac7

I fear that you’re right my friend. Enjoy the full moon over there.


38 posted on 01/21/2008 7:30:04 PM PST by VR-21
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Who couldn’t figure out to put an ice pack on the thermostat?


39 posted on 01/21/2008 7:32:16 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: maine-iac7
So go ahead, you Freepers who are determined to let her win by not voting if YOUR candidate doesn't become the nominee - aid and abet the end of our free society - and get ready for every movement from the moment you get out of bed until you go back to bed, being pre-decided for you.

So who exactly is it you're suggesting we vote for that won't do this? McCain, who tells us when we can talk about candidates? Rudy, who wants to tell us what we can shoot? Romney? Who, exactly?

40 posted on 01/22/2008 9:01:10 AM PST by Still Thinking (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
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