GWB Wants Authority to Set Fuel Standards

[Chuck]

Pres Bush want the authority to set fuel standards. Could history be repeating itself? In the early 1970's, inflation was America's leading domestic headache. Congress gave Nixon authority to freeze wages. Democrats figured Nixon would never put a cap on wages, and use that to say he fiddled while the economy burned. Well, Nixon suprized them by going to China - and freezing wages.

All this week, the President and Republicans have made energy proposals. Is this for real, or is this like the Death Row inmate trying to cheat the executioner by "getting religion"?

Call me skeptical for the moment while hoping something good may actually get done.

CNN Story

[brick]

I read about that in the NYT this morning. There was a funny Bush quote in the article:

"One of the things we've got to do is make these trucks run on ethanol and batteries that won't require gasoline," he said. "That's what the future is going to be."

I want to believe that he gets it, that he's miraculously become rational while the legislature runs around in a panic waving $100 bills maniacally. But then reality sets in and casts doubt upon that little glimmer of hope. The bottom line is this: the government can not do anything for us. We have to do it ourselves as private citizens. Conserve as much as you can with current technology and do what you can to encourage the development of alternative fuels. Private industry will see the dollar signs and move slowly in the right direction. It's not fast, but the truth is that there isn't a quick fix to begin with. No matter what, our energy situation will have to work itself out naturally and the most important thing we can do is work together to push for conservation, renewables, and eventually energy independence. Many people working at it every single day from every angle we can find could be what saves us.