The law that established Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, then gradually ratcheted them down was based on a reality that no longer exists. The U.S. was importing millions of barrels of oil products a year, and we were extremely vulnerable to OPEC's management of their oil reserves, as well as production.
It was a serious concern at the time, and those of us who are old enough to remember the long lines at gas stations during the Arab oil embargo(es), wanted no part of that in the future. We accepted the concept of mandating relative efficiency in our personal autos, even though gas prices already produced a rather poignant "penalty" for vehicles with poor fuel economy - we had to pay more for gas than if we drove a "roller skate."
But the situation has changed. We are producing all the gas we need, and recent exploration reveals that there is NO DANGER of gas shortages in the foreseeable future, except as may be caused by some catastrophe at one of our major refineries - which is a largely controllable risk.
"We" also know now that the CAFE standards were of very limited value due to the vehicles that were not covered, some of the most popular vehicles in the entire U.S. "fleet."
So for now, the situation is that we still have the incentives cranked into our consumption via the simple fact that the more gas we burn, the more it costs us, and the more fuel taxes we must pay. And for that reason, normal people have all the incentive they need to pursue the most efficient vehicle that meets their needs. Indeed, many people are buying and aspiring to buy vehicles that use no gas at all!
The O'Bama Administration dramatically cranked up the fuel economy standards (for the time after they were out of office) through either ignorance or simple obliviousness, and our Blessed President Trump has floated the idea that maybe he will defer or eliminate this next increment. Of course the Lefty-Enviro-Weenies went bat-shit crazy.
But wait a second. The original justification for CAFE is GONE. It no longer exists, and the best information we have is that it will not exist any time in the foreseeable future. (The same could be said for our incredibly stupid incentives to produce and use Ethanol).
This is YET ANOTHER example of a Government program that has outlived its raison d'etat, yet our "leaders" in Congress refuse to let it die. CAFE has nothing to do with Global Warming or CO2 emissions; it was intended to eliminate our vulnerability to OPEC oil market manipulations, but we are no longer vulnerable. Hell, we would PROFIT if they did it again!
REPEAL CAFE!
It was a serious concern at the time, and those of us who are old enough to remember the long lines at gas stations during the Arab oil embargo(es), wanted no part of that in the future. We accepted the concept of mandating relative efficiency in our personal autos, even though gas prices already produced a rather poignant "penalty" for vehicles with poor fuel economy - we had to pay more for gas than if we drove a "roller skate."
But the situation has changed. We are producing all the gas we need, and recent exploration reveals that there is NO DANGER of gas shortages in the foreseeable future, except as may be caused by some catastrophe at one of our major refineries - which is a largely controllable risk.
"We" also know now that the CAFE standards were of very limited value due to the vehicles that were not covered, some of the most popular vehicles in the entire U.S. "fleet."
So for now, the situation is that we still have the incentives cranked into our consumption via the simple fact that the more gas we burn, the more it costs us, and the more fuel taxes we must pay. And for that reason, normal people have all the incentive they need to pursue the most efficient vehicle that meets their needs. Indeed, many people are buying and aspiring to buy vehicles that use no gas at all!
The O'Bama Administration dramatically cranked up the fuel economy standards (for the time after they were out of office) through either ignorance or simple obliviousness, and our Blessed President Trump has floated the idea that maybe he will defer or eliminate this next increment. Of course the Lefty-Enviro-Weenies went bat-shit crazy.
But wait a second. The original justification for CAFE is GONE. It no longer exists, and the best information we have is that it will not exist any time in the foreseeable future. (The same could be said for our incredibly stupid incentives to produce and use Ethanol).
This is YET ANOTHER example of a Government program that has outlived its raison d'etat, yet our "leaders" in Congress refuse to let it die. CAFE has nothing to do with Global Warming or CO2 emissions; it was intended to eliminate our vulnerability to OPEC oil market manipulations, but we are no longer vulnerable. Hell, we would PROFIT if they did it again!
REPEAL CAFE!
