No Imagination = No Good

Once again, the imagination of our Federal Government stuns me into an intellectual stupor. Of all the many ways the Feds - both in the Legislative and Executive Branch - could help the American people and the environment, Washington's latest proposal is the one most expedient...and thus, the most lame-brained. I, of course, would love to see vehicles be more fuel-efficient. In theory I'm not against, as the Bush Administration has proposed, requiring automakers to develop 31 mile-per-gallon vehicles. I am, however, against the fuzzy-minded thinking which led to such a well-intentioned yet nonetheless naive proposal.

After all, that 31 mpg auto fuel economy average wouldn't need to be met by automakers until 2015 at the earliest. Not raising any eyebrows, or piquing curiosity? That's to be expected, until one realizes that what Washington is telling us is that fuel prices are only going to continue to go up without much help from our hundreds of representatives in the Federal City, and the only option available doesn't involve cutting or suspending fuel taxes, but letting prices rise and just...us coping with the consequences. What good, I ask you, does a fatalistic government do its people?

What we're being reminded of is, we lack leaders of vision and courage...not to mention imagination. A new bureaucracy would surely be created in order to track and enforce compliance with Federal standards, an incremental increase in national government the relatively ignorant - or informed-yet-resigned - masses will be paying for. I don't have any doubt automakers could meet the compliance deadline...but I feel deciding what will be seven years from now, based only on information known to us now...is stupidity for expediency's sake. It's "government by assumption" - and haven't you ever heard?

"When you ASSUME, you make an ASS out of U and ME."

Far be it from me to suggest that cutting or suspending fuel taxes, so people won't have to choose between a gallon of milk and a gallon of gasoline, is a better idea - one that could conceivably be implemented in the near future and not in the middle of the next decade. No, I'm totally with the Federal Government on this. Let's waste more money, create more rules people and companies are going to find some way to get around, and exacerbate our problems rather than eliminate them. NOT! Come on, people...they're calling for an increase in miles-per-gallon, but not a decrease in gas prices.

Hey, here's an idea - why not increase fuel efficiency, cut fuel taxes, and set a cap on gas prices...so one day, people can fill up their gas tanks for cheaper, and have that gas last longer?

Nah, that makes too much sense.