Posted on 12/16/2011 5:30:52 AM PST by markomalley
Congressional negotiators struck a deal Thursday that overturns the new rules that were to have banned sales of traditional incandescent light bulbs beginning next year.
That agreement is tucked inside the massive 1,200-page spending bill that funds the government through the rest of this fiscal year, and which both houses of Congress will vote on Friday. Mr. Obama is expected to sign the bill, which heads off a looming government shutdown.
Congressional Republicans dropped almost all of the policy restrictions they tried to attach to the bill, but won inclusion of the light bulb provision, which prevents the Obama administration from carrying through a 2007 law that would have set energy efficiency standards that effectively made the traditional light bulb obsolete.
The bill doesn’t actually amend the 2007 law, but does prohibit the administration from spending any money to carry out the light bulb standards — which amounts to at least a temporary reprieve.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Thanks, Guys. Now that I have a 20 year supply tucked into my attic...
We avoid halogen lights for exactly the reasons you stated. The LED lights we installed were under the cabinets on both sides of the kitchen. We still use old fashioned incandescent spot lights that are recessed in the ceiling. We avoid CFLs because, to us, most of them give off an annoying, unnatural light. As the price of LEDs come down, I think they will dominate CFLs in most applications.
Nobody else is going to have them. Nobody is going to be manufacturing 100 watt bulbs again because they are STILL ILLEGAL TO MAKE OR SELL. This provision only prevents the justice department of the United States from prosecuting anyone for selling them.
The good news is that you can sell them to your friends without fear of prosecution. But you are still breaking the law.
Isn't this what the administration is doing about illegal aliens? They are here illegally, but the administration is not spending any money prosecuting them.
I’m with you. I don’t understand all the people who profess to have aesthetic objections to the squiggly bulbs. After all, a bare Edison bulb is not exactly a thing of beauty. Not to mention the fact that they’re almost all under lampshades or concealed within fixtures anyhow.
Maybe there’s a survivalist aesthetic of which I am unaware. Some people sound like they live in bunkers, sit on ammo crates, and consider a bare Edison bulb dangling down on an exposed wire to be an essential part of the decor. Idaho chic, I suppose.
I converted to the squiggly bulbs long ago. They do save an electricity, but mainly I like not having to run to the store to replace them.
In Panama, our Philips light bulbs are made in India and are distributed to Costa Rica, Mexico, and Venezuela who redistribute them throughout Latin America.
No shortage of 100 watts here.
Well, the wife just just bought another 2 / 12 packs on Wednesday. Guess I’ll just have to put them into my stock of incandescent light bulbs we already have horded.
Suddenly, two weeks before the ban becomes effective, the WIs (Washington Idiots) "see the light", and end the ban. Except, now there are few bulbs in the stores, and no manufacturing capacity to handle the demand.
On all my shopping lists scattered around my house and truck is LIGHT BULBS in inch-high letters circles several times.
I think the industry is just transferred to another country.
Most of the incandescent bulbs I've bought in the last few years were made in Mexico.
I really wonder how long those will last. I’ve had LED Christmas light fail also.
Good news but big deal.They could have stopped all of the ponzi scheme insider trading with they’re fake bill but they didn’t because they would lose money.So they are appeasing us giving us back our old light bulbs when they probably had stock in them when people were buying them up like mad in dollar generals when it was thought they would be banned.
All the preppers with stocks of light bulbs just lost money and probably have a pile of short lifetime bulbs.
Practically speaking what does this mean? We can import them next year?
It actually will make no difference.
First, the law has already existed, and manufacturers and stores have already made provisions to meet the law, which takes effect in about 2 weeks. They aren’t going to be able to change their decisions on manufacturing now, or do new orders to replenish stocks.
Second, since the law has not been repealed, stores aren’t likely to take any chances in ramping back up the sales, knowing first that the Obama administration is notorious for ignoring laws, and second that the law could change at any time, since it’s just a matter of funding.
Third, if Obama decides to spend money enforcing the law, courts will allow the law to BE enforced. There could be a separate lawsuit against the administration for misappropriation of funds, but the law itself is still in force, and can still therefore be invoked. There also might not be anything to stop environmental groups from filing lawsuits against companies who are violating the law — I’d have to read the actual legislation to know whether this would be possible.
It is clear however that Obama’s big thing with this bill was to make sure the republicans couldn’t put anything in the bill that would actually help the economy. Obama can’t have republicans fixing the economy since Obama has failed.
The headline is misleading. 100 watt bulbs are still illegal. Undocumented workers are illegal as well. All this bill does is to stop the enforcement of the law.
So if you own a 100 watt bulb you will be an “illegal bulb owner”. But the government will not enforce the law.
So now you can hire an illegal alien to install your illegal light bulb and nobody is going to go to jail.
Cool, huh?
The 40-watt equivalent LED I bought yesterday is dimmable.
The market is moving very quickly. Real-time, prices are falling so fast you can see it happen.
All this bureaucratic crap will be moot, faster than many realize.
Do not grind your teeth yet.
The politicians waited so long I think most manufacturers not only quite making them (or went out of business) but already sold or destroyed their equipment.
They are now so heavily invested in production of the crap bulbs they have no choice but to push the consumer to change over to the new garbage.
I fully think the politicians did this on purpose so they could force us to do what they really want but politically use this all too late amendment to show us they are on our side.
They really don’t care that you can use a LED for the same price, in fact, they’ll probably go after that soon on some trumped up environmental reason.
The point is to have you shivering in the dark and under their control.
Yes agreed.
It was entirely pointless, and unconstitutional and stupid for a Republican president to have signed this.
The market is solving the issue. This so illustrates the principle of RINO.
“Compassion” is not a word meaning stupid laws and ever bigger, more dictatorial government.
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