Posted on 01/28/2009 12:19:39 AM PST by bruinbirdman
In an attempt to take decisive action on energy and environmental concerns in the first days of his administration, President Obama has given businesses a dose of what they fear most: uncertainty.
Monday, Obama directed the Environmental Protection Agency to "immediately review" a request by California to set higher standards for vehicle tailpipe emissions than U.S. law requires. At the same time, the president ordered the Department of Transportation to put in place new regulations for vehicle fuel economy standards.
Obama's move provides a sense--not unexpected--of where his administration is headed on energy and the environment. In many ways, it's a symbolic move to show a clean break with the Bush administration, which denied California's request to waive out of federal law while dragging its feet implementing fuel economy standards.
But it sends automakers mixed signals about what will happen to the industry. Just when auto companies are receiving a helping hand from Uncle Sam, they argue, the government is considering hammering them with expensive new regulations. Moreover, Obama's actions raise questions for other businesses about when carbon emissions can be regulated.
Automakers first. Higher fuel economy standards result in lower tailpipe emissions. In December 2007, Congress mandated that automakers achieve a fleet-wide 35 miles per gallon standard--a 40% increase above current levels--by 2020. Detroit grumbled about the costs, but it didn't have to comply immediately, as the Bush administration never put in place the enabling regulations.
Nonetheless, Toyota (nyse: TM - news - people ), Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people ), General Motors (nyse: GM - news - people ), Chrysler and other automakers are fighting requests by California and 13 other states to set their own tailpipe emissions standards.
The reason: They say they'll have to drastically increase costs to comply with a patchwork of
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Liberal factions once again bumping into each other. We need more of this... and that it be publicized. A few off hand remarks from the opposing sides would be nice.
I’m sure they are torn between their desire to bail out everything that moves versus their fascination with destroying American industry....
Obama’s gonna save us.
Has Obama ever held a real job before?
Nope, and it shows...
the infowarrior
Well, just about the same thing is in the non-stimulous bill. The government will be ordering up a few thousand of the green cars it is mandating for its fleet.
yitbos
“Has Obama ever held a real job before?”
Depends upon whom you ask (me: no). Then again...
John Kerry’s “business” experience was a chocolate chip cookie business (that I believe was un-eventful until he bailed out).
He was put in as Chair of the Small Business and Entrepreneur Committee. (amongst other critical comms)
(POGO: We have met the enemy and he is us)
On the Limbaugh show yesterday, a woman called in from Michigan. One of the things she touched on was the literacy rate in Detroit. Here are the stats she rattled off. Rush was able to confirm part of it by the end of his show.
She stated. Detroit has an adult literacy rate of 51%. Rush was able to verify that the literacy rate is actually 53%. That means that 47% of the adults in Detroit cannot read.
She also stated that just 21% of the children who enter kindergarten in Detroit, will graduate from high school.
Then she mentioned that there hasn’t been a Republican on the ballot to be mayor there in forty years. They list two Democrats during elections, and the public picks the best one. No Republicans need apply.
Isn’t California going into recievership soon? Don’t they have bigger things to worry about than exhaust?
Don’t bash it. With our first mulatto president on the job, America will look like Detroit in a few years.
Well, I’m in California near Los Angeles, so I can’t talk much. I’m just heralding something that was news to me. Isn’t it shocking. Half the people can’t read. The thing that doesn’t sink in right off, is that you almost have to work at it, not to be able to read. We’re exposed to so much. If you desired to read, you almost couldn’t avoid learning.
With the percentage of illegals in California, this isn't a big surprise.
We have way too many in Texas as well.
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