Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Cato Scholar Comments on New Energy Bill
Cato Institute ^ | December 19, 2007 | Jerry Taylor

Posted on 12/19/2007 10:12:53 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-143 next last
To: businessprofessor

“The market will determine winners and losers by the collection of individual choices of consumers and producers.”

Many people don’t know that or even understand it.

The economy is an extremely complex machine , much too complex ,for any central government idiot planner to know how to run.

But idiot voters keep having faith that these evil,corrupt, incompetent, scheming, moronic, ignorant, unaccountable, politicians and a few burocrats will have their best interests in mind and actually be able to run the economy.

It is the sum of these millions of choices made continuously by these millions of consumers that determine winners and losers in the economy. Usually it is just a few central planners or politiicans running the economy or program. No one of these central planners or a few them can have all the knowledge that the millions of consumers and businessmen have. And even if they could have all this knowledge the burocrats are not accountable to consumers ( it is not their money so they don’t care).Also there is no competition in government planning. So these are just 3 reasons, no competition, no accountability, and not enough knowledge about the economy, why government planning is a disaster and should be minimized.

You blame Republicans and Bush does deserve blame but Congress is controlled by Democrats so democrats get the blame for this too and they are socialists.


41 posted on 12/19/2007 12:55:25 PM PST by Democrat_media (Democrats are communists/Socialists.Socialism is an economic disaster.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks; OKSooner; honolulugal; Killing Time; Beowulf; Mr. Peabody; RW_Whacko; ...

FReepmail me to get on or off


Click on POGW graphic for full GW rundown

New!!: Dr. John Ray's
GREENIE WATCH

Ping me if you find one I've missed.


Related..
42 posted on 12/19/2007 1:03:47 PM PST by xcamel (FDT/2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tryon1ja

The free market should dictate energy use and policy, NOT the Government! The only thing this sorry piece of crap legislation brings us is mors control over our lives! If you want to save energy, use common sense, not the heavy hand of Government! My truck has an ignition switch, and everything in my house can be unplugged or turned off. I don’t need the “helping hand” of Government to save energy in my personal life!!


43 posted on 12/19/2007 1:25:25 PM PST by wjcsux (Islam: The religion of choice for those who are too stupid for Scientology)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
I have several light fixtures in my house that will not accept CF bulbs. Some beautiful antiques that are absolutely irreplaceable. It will cost me hundreds of dollars to replace them all. Thanks George.

I've used CF bulbs, and still use them in some places where it makes sense. But when used in high on-off frequency circuits, they will burn out in about quarter of the time as an incandescent, and cost another fortune to replace them. I will therefore just leave the lights on, it will save me money in the long run, despite using more energy overall.

One thing people don't think of is that in the winter time it will save no energy at all. Every BTU that your light bulbs put out, is a BTU that your heater doesn't have to. So with CF's, you heater will have to make up for it. An incandescents put out a lot of BTU's.

I'd better start stocking up.

44 posted on 12/19/2007 2:22:58 PM PST by Jotmo (I Had a Bad Experience With the CIA and Now I'm Gonna Show You My Feminine Side - Swirling Eddies)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I have been listening to comments today.

A new SHAME for our legislators.


45 posted on 12/19/2007 2:46:13 PM PST by 3D-JOY
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: tryon1ja
this article and all your comments concerning the Pres. and this program are a bunch of B.S.

I see you enjoy being told what to do....

46 posted on 12/19/2007 3:30:35 PM PST by SteamShovel (Global Warming, the New Patriotism)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: B Knotts

Depends on how you define words. Bill Clinton showed us a good example of word difinition.


47 posted on 12/19/2007 3:59:25 PM PST by tryon1ja
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Little_GTO
May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams

Nothing isdone in darkness that does not come to light.

Know the truth and the truth will set you free.

48 posted on 12/19/2007 4:01:45 PM PST by tryon1ja
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: mbs6

Sometimes change for the better has to be a forced change. Your so called CATO experts are no more than common everday people with a personal view that they put forth as an educated expert view. It is still only a view of one or a few persons and no more a correct view than yours or mine.


49 posted on 12/19/2007 4:05:14 PM PST by tryon1ja
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: RinaseaofDs
I hear your bitching. The bitching is what caused me to post in the first place.

Wheat futures have hit $10.00 a bushel. Corn is over $4.00 a bushel. Finally the farmers are getting a fair market value for their product. Free enterprise is finally working for them too.

50 posted on 12/19/2007 4:09:40 PM PST by tryon1ja
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: SteamShovel
I see you enjoy being told what to do....

A bit of a strech........Don't you think?

51 posted on 12/19/2007 4:11:05 PM PST by tryon1ja
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: wjcsux
The free market should dictate energy use and policy, NOT the Government!

The trouble is people will not accept change sometimes unless you force it upon them. I tried putting timers on the light switches in classrooms once for a test. It only took the users a couple of days to bring in electrical tape and tape the timer switches in the on position so they would never shutoff.

Next I tried using motion switches to shut the lights off when the room was not occupied. So the students and the instructor would practice setting motionless and see how long it would take for them to make the lights go out.

Some people never get it unless it is forced upon them. Saving energy and money are very important goals.

52 posted on 12/19/2007 4:17:23 PM PST by tryon1ja
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: Democrat_media
Plus this is just wrong. Government has no right to tell us what kind of light bulb we can put in our homes. Where in the constitution is this? Are they going to send in the federal police to check to see if we have the right kind of lightbulbs.

No, they will do like they did when they mandated that toilets could only use a prescribed amount of water to flush. You no longer can buy toilets that use the old amount of water. Soon, you will no longer be able to buy the incandescent light bulb. It will go the way of the dial phone, the record player and the soon to be VHS player.

53 posted on 12/19/2007 4:21:23 PM PST by tryon1ja
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: tryon1ja

You mean the free enterprise that comes from a government mandate out of Congress, right?

And by fair, you also mean subsidized, right? As in subsidized by my tax dollar.

Everybody knows you can’t win in the midwest unless you ‘take the pledge’ right?

That isn’t ‘Free’ and it isn’t an ‘Enterprise’ especially when the lion’s share of the benefits go to ADM.

No, it’s ‘expensive’, and it’s planned economics - which is what the Soviets tried and failed with.


54 posted on 12/19/2007 4:25:06 PM PST by RinaseaofDs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: tryon1ja

“Sometimes change for the better has to be a forced change.”

Marx (Lenin, Stalin, Mao), is that you? You really don’t believe in freedom, do you? You highlight the fundamental difference we have here. I believe that individuals, left to their own, will make the right choices via the market. You believe that individuals can’t be trusted to make their own choices. Your viewpoint is anti-American and stems from a philosophy that has caused untold human suffering. The empirical evidence is my favor on this one: economic freedom works every time it’s tried.


55 posted on 12/19/2007 4:29:54 PM PST by mbs6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Democrat_media
These new light bulbs have mercury in them so if one breaks good luck in cleaning that up and not poisoning your family (government planning at work).

Another over hyped media statement. The mercury content of lamps is becoming less and less. The new lamps have far less Mercury than the old style lamps. Even the new T8 lamps are smaller and more efficient than the old T12 lamps.

I am from Michigan the car capital of the world (was anyway). I know what higher gas mileage will do the car industry. It will make them better and not worse. I once had a 1967 Ford Galaxy 500 with a 275 HP V8 engine. It got 18 mph. My new Escape only get 18 mph and is a dinky 3.0 V6. Where is the improvement? My 500 weighed over 4400 pounds and was a boat compared to my Escape. If you don't force Detroit to make they better. They never will.

56 posted on 12/19/2007 4:29:57 PM PST by tryon1ja
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Bastiat_Fan
We will never be able to conserve our way into using less energy. We have a growing population that is growing more affluent each and every year. New electronics are invented all the time, all using electricity. The ONLY affects of stupid laws like this one are to infringe upon our liberties and create market distortions, forcing people to buy what they don’t really want.

We will be able to use less energy per person. You are wrong about not being able to conserve. I have won awards for conserving energy. I know that it can be done. The energy bill that comes due each month has been my proof.

57 posted on 12/19/2007 4:33:42 PM PST by tryon1ja
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: tryon1ja
Finally the farmers are getting a fair market value for their product.

Bullsh**.

The 'fair market' doesn't have a thing to do with what's going on in the corn market. Farmers are the largest bunch of welfare whiners in the country.

This bill sucks and should be vetoed.

L

58 posted on 12/19/2007 4:37:21 PM PST by Lurker (Pimping my blog: http://lurkerslair-lurker.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Adam Smith

“Energy Independence” is a canard.

If the US fails to use lowest cost energy supplies, where ever they may come from, it acts only to subsidize the energy use of China India and the EU.

In a relatively free market, the price mechanism allocates resources efficiently, something Congress has never done, and cannot do, because it is comprised of stupid people responding to hysterical deceptions propigated by our leftist dominated media. When it is more efficient to manufacture and use an alternative technology, the market will shift to it, if the forces of supply and demand are left alone to react to changing conditions and changing technologies. Only the ultimate users can evaluate and chose among competing technologies as to what is most useful to them in a particular application.

Coercive government action creating a mandated preference for particular technologies, is by definition a giant waste of money, and will for certain, have massive unforeseen consequences.

Free speech itself, is eroded and devalued, if consumers are not free to express their market choices, except only as to government approved energy sources and forms. Freedom of association, which can only be fairly read to have encompassed freedom to chose with whom and as to what one deals commercially, was long ago diminsished and eviserated by the political and intellectual elite, whose dominate motive in life is the seeking of CONTROL over others whom they envy.

It may seem like a light bulb to some, but it is the United States of American and its founding principles that are being rendered obsolete by the current round of environmental ideology. Such principles may be regarded as irrelevant abstractions by many, but when and if this latest round of government imperatives, restrictions and reproaches (how dare you drive an SUV?) are substantially implemented and epidemic of economic polio will visit the American economy... read: your job, your income, your real estate and investment values will all be diminished... like it or not you will be buying more than Healthcare from your friendly HMO.


59 posted on 12/19/2007 4:38:24 PM PST by Gail Wynand (Free markets are the manifestation of liberty and freedom of speech and association)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: mbs6
Marx (Lenin, Stalin, Mao), is that you? You really don’t believe in freedom, do you? You highlight the fundamental difference we have here. I believe that individuals, left to their own, will make the right choices via the market. You believe that individuals can’t be trusted to make their own choices. Your viewpoint is anti-American and stems from a philosophy that has caused untold human suffering. The empirical evidence is my favor on this one: economic freedom works every time it’s tried.

Sometimes you are right and sometimes I am right. Some people will change or do the right things. However, some people will not do anything unless prodded into it. An extreme example of this are all the population of the prison systems.

I was only referring to the energy bill and not to government in general. The truth be known, I am most likely a bigger conservative that you are. Proof being, I don't bash the President. I realize he is only one person, doing what he can to make a difference. Some of his ideas are good and some are bad. I hope he will become enlightened on the bad one and I support him whole heartily on the good ones. In the meantime, I do not give aid and comfort to the enemy liberals by bashing what we have. I try to make the best of it.

60 posted on 12/19/2007 4:43:56 PM PST by tryon1ja
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-143 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson