Government

House to Vote on Bill Overturning Traditional Light Bulb Ban

House to Vote on Bill Overturning Traditional Light Bulb Ban

Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), who helped create the original light bulb legislation that many conservatives abhore.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Having to buy a squiggly fluorescent light bulb is an affront to personal freedom, some lawmakers are saying as the House decides whether to overturn a law setting new energy-efficiency standards for the bulbs.

House Republicans are pushing legislation that would overturn measures in a 2007 energy act requiring efficiency upgrades in the old-fashioned incandescent light bulb, little changed since it was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879.

Republicans say the new standards, signed into law by President George W. Bush, are a symbol of an overreaching federal government and people should have the right to buy the traditional, cheap and reliable incandescent bulbs. The Obama administration and environmentalists say new bulbs on the market will save American households billions of dollars in energy costs.

The legislation, promoted by Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, is being considered under a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority to pass. With Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee urging their colleagues to oppose it, that won’t be easy to achieve, and the bill faces dim prospects in the Democratic-controlled Senate. A House vote could come Tuesday.

For some Republicans, the new standards are too glaring an example of big brother government to ignore. The legislation, Barton said, “is about more than just energy consumption. It is about personal freedom.”

The light bulb became an issue after the Republican takeover of the House, when Barton was vying with Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., for the energy panel chairmanship. Upton, who worked with Democrats in crafting the light bulb provisions in the 2007 energy act, eventually got the job, but Barton got his bill on the legislative calendar.

Conservative talk-show hosts took up Barton’s campaign. Republican presidential contender Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, in her freelance response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address earlier this year, said that under Obama “we bought a bureaucracy that now tells us which light bulbs to buy.”

Supporters of the Barton bill also speak of the higher up-front costs of the energy-efficient bulbs and a health risk from mercury in compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs.

Barton said consumers should have the option of paying 30 or 40 cents for an old-fashioned incandescent bulb rather than $6 for a CFL or more for an LED (light-emitting diode). “If you are Al Gore and want to spend $10 for a light bulb, more power to you,” he said. But “let people make their own choices.”

Democrats waved new energy-efficient incandescent bulbs made in the United States and costing in the $1.50 range. “Yes, this costs a few dimes more. But let me tell you, you start saving dimes the moment you screw these into the socket,” said Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J.

Those backing the new standards say the mercury risk is negligible and say new incandescent and LED bulbs contain no mercury.

The Obama administration, in a statement released Monday, said it opposes the bill because it would repeal standards that are driving U.S. innovation, creating new manufacturing jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The White House said the bulbs will save American households nearly $6 billion in 2015 alone.

The Energy Department pointed out that energy-saving improvements in refrigerators carried out since the 1970s now save Americans $20 billion a year, or $150 a family.

“Now is not the time to roll back commonsense standards, achieved with bipartisan support, that will save families $6 billion in energy costs,” said department spokesman Damien LaVera.

The National Resources Defense Council said that, when the law is fully implemented in 2020, energy costs would be reduced by 7 percent or about $85 a household every year. It said the more efficient bulbs would eliminate the need for 33 large power plants.

Supporters stress that the new rules do not ban incandescent or any specific bulb types, and that stores already offer a choice of energy-saving incandescents, LEDs and the curly CFLs that some find aesthetically displeasing. Instead, new bulbs will have to be 25 to 30 percent more efficient than current incandescent models, which convert only 10 percent of the energy consumed to electricity and give off the rest as heat.

As of Jan. 1, 2012, inefficient 100-watt bulbs will no longer be available at most stores. That will apply to 75-watt bulbs in 2013 and traditional 40- and 60-watt bulbs in 2014.

USA Today and Gallup in February and found that 61 percent judged the law to be good, and 31 percent bad. More than seven in 10 said they’ve switched to more energy-efficient light bulbs, and 84 percent said they were satisfied with their non-incandescent light bulbs.

Comments (192)

1 2 3 ... 6
  • NJTMATO
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:25am

    Been stocking up on the Edison’s for some time now….every time we go to the store, I buy a package…I tried to get some on line and they were all sold out!! Ha!!! I think there are more people that are “in the know” than even we Blazers realize!!! (Thank God!!!)

    Report Post » NJTMATO  
    • JohnBirch
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:54am

      Seriously……bust a couple squigglys on the EPA doorstep and then watch if they clean up according to their “procedures”

      Report Post » JohnBirch  
    • NJTMATO
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 9:07am

      @Johnbirch
      HAHAHAH! Love that!! Hadn’t even thought of it! Now….one can get arrested for purposely breaking squiglies in public….creating an environmental hazard! The thought of breaking them at EPA doorstep…..”oooops! I’m sorry, I dropped them”….well, I can dream

      Report Post » NJTMATO  
    • Rogue
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 9:58am

      Bad idea… you don’t want to be anywhere near an EPA agent. You may get taxed for exhaling when you breathe since you are emitting carbons into the atmosphere.

      A more efficient lightbulb is not going to matter one bit if the EPA keeps shutting down coal plants and refusing to let more open. They haven’t designed a lightbulb yet that will work during rolling blackouts and outages.

      Report Post » Rogue  
    • JGraham III
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 10:16am

      I bought into this lie a few years ago, but decided to verify the claims on the fluorescent corkscrew bulbs and wrote the date on the base with a marker when I put them in. They last longer than the old fashioned ones but not much longer. They only way the fluorescents last longer is if you don’t turn them on and off a lot. Stopped buying them except for places where the light stays on a long time. LED’s cost about $50 per 40 watt bulb. Maybe they last 10 years but it will take at least that long to actually get your money out of them in savings…
      Incidentally, Phillips who makes many of the corkscrews is a subsidiary of General Electric…strange

      Report Post »  
    • watchmany2k
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 10:38am

      Full Disclosure: I Sell LED LIGHT Bulbs

      I Support this bill, as every type bulb has it’s place, not to mention MFG JOBS !

      LEDs DO save Energy, use 4.4 watts ! Last 11+ years
      Read More: http://www.watchman2012.com

      I am a Blazer, and so are many of my visitors !

      Report Post » watchmany2k  
    • JRook
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 11:04am

      “the new rules do not ban incandescent or any specific bulb types, and that stores already offer a choice of energy-saving incandescents” So what exactly is the issue here….

      Report Post »  
    • JRook
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 11:59am

      Good thing these new leaders in Congress are tackling the tough stuff.

      Report Post »  
    • sandrunner
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 12:16pm

      i have an idea.
      if any of the green light bulbs break or go out send back to sender. lol
      like…
      epa or w. bush lol

      Report Post » sandrunner  
    • tbo
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 12:32pm

      The “Next Story” pop ups are driving me crazy. Get rid of them!!!!

      Report Post » tbo  
    • Fla Del
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 12:47pm

      I have been shouting this from the rooftops for a long time. No one is listening. CFLs will fade everthing in your house. Your photos, carpet, chairs, etc. Just ask an art gallery to light a famous painting with a CFL and see what reaction you get. How much will it cost to replace these things because they have faded the same as being in the sun. – Same wave length -. It will just take a little longer becaue the stupid bulbs are not as powerful.

      Report Post » Fla Del  
    • buster2
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 12:51pm

      Obama is full of hot air – create jobs and mercury is small. If they use the analogy all the time if there was a one percent chance the plane will crash will you get on it. So is there a one percent chance some child will break a bulb and injest mercury (probably a lot more). This pie in the sky I stopping the coal plants, oil exploration and drilling in the U.S. because it will encourage people to develop green alternatives. This has the same effect of turning off all utilities and autos in the whole country. Best look at the pictures of transport in the third world nations we are being pushed back into stone age.

      Report Post »  
    • 24AheadDotCom
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 1:44pm

      jrook: the long-term goal is in fact to phase out incandescents. The two current alternatives have various problems. LEDs cost a lot and have a heavy manufacturing footprint. And, you almost need a hazmat suit if you break the other type. The halogens cost more, AFAIK aren’t made in the U.S., and once again they want to phase out incandescents entirely over several years.

      http://noCFL.com/

      Report Post »  
    • perdew
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 5:13pm

      If they do away with the old reliable light bulb. More than the politicans will be sitting in the dark. Do you think welfare will cover the cost of the new light bulbs???????/

      Report Post »  
    • Bluebonnet
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 10:20pm

      Tried using those spiral bulbs and they burn out quicker than a regular bulb. And I’ll be darned if I want to risk those things breaking in my house, if they’re as dangerous as they claim. I also have been buying light bulbs when I see them on sale. But, Texas says they will mfg. regular light bulbs and since I visit there at least once a year, I’ll buy them there. No poison bulbs for me, thanks.

      Report Post »  
    • TIMBERBLACK
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 11:54pm

      This was nothing short of a government incrouchment on freedoms…. Bush or not this was wrong!!!!! and should be repiled

      Report Post »  
    • UPSETVET
      Posted on July 13, 2011 at 7:51am

      This is a joke. After his “Executive” Order to ban the sale certain types of firearms and ammunition, an executive order to ban certain types of lightbulbs is just a flick of Obama’s Bic from being the “law of the Land”.

      Report Post »  
  • Zogo
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:25am

    The clean-up procedure for a broken CFL per the EPA
    Ventilate the Room Before You Clean Up the Broken Bulb
    Have people and pets leave the room, don’t let anyone walk through the breakage area.
    Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
    Shut off the central forced-air heating/ac system.Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid or in a sealed plastic bag.
    Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
    Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
    Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
    Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area. Check with your local gov’t about disposal requirements.
    The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central heating/ac system and open a window prior to vacuuming. Keep the central heating/ac system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming. Consider using a drop cloth (e.g., plastic sheet or beach towel) when changing a fluorescent light bulb in case a breakage should occur. The drop cloth will help prevent mercury contamination of nearby surfaces and can be bundled with the bulb debris for

    Report Post »  
    • booger71
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:50am

      My clean up procedure, just throw it in the trash like always.

      Report Post » booger71  
    • joyfulgiver
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 10:20am

      Anyone curious of the simple fact that the only CFL’s on the market are produced by the same GE that has paid NO taxes? Isn’t that some sort of a “conflict of interest”? When the company with the “corner on the market” is the same company that has unwittingly beat the govt at it’s own game? Hmmm…

      Report Post »  
    • Glith
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 12:25pm

      Mercury poisoning? That’s just junk science.

      We don’t need the EPA regulating how much mercury there is in the drinking water.

      Get rid of the EPA!

      Report Post »  
    • Bluebonnet
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 10:28pm

      YEAH? I’ll go through all those cleaning steps when Pigs Fly. I’ll use kerosine lanterns before I buy another crazy bulb that might harm our health. Hold on, you can visit Texas and buy old type there.

      Report Post »  
  • Uechi
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:21am

    Hope this goes through. As it stands right now Edison’s invention goes bye bye in January and is replaced with light bulbs that are an environmental hazard, all in the name of Green. People that passed the ban must have been sniffing the Mercury. Nice job Bush administration.

    Report Post »  
  • LICENSEDTOCARRY
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:18am

    No longer are traditional bulbs manufactured in the U.S. The factories are empty and the machinery sold to China and elsewhere. Where were the republicans when W shoved this down our throats. Obozo will never sign this into law.

    Report Post »  
    • awizard
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:40am

      I have to remind you that W was working with a dem. congress, they shoved this down your throat … it was part of a larger bill that “They” passed and W signed because it had some good stuff in it …

      Could we all remember that from Jan. ‘07 the dems. have been in control?.. Oh and by the way, when exactly did the economy tank?.. hmmm.

      Report Post » awizard  
    • Diablo4965
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 9:47am

      Pelosi added this to the bill at the last minute!

      Report Post » Diablo4965  
    • Jaycen
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 10:10am

      Bush pushed it as his initiative. He was a Progressive. It’s not a case of “Blame Bush”. This time, he was really part of the problem.

      Report Post » Jaycen  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:10am

    Barry and his crew are systematically destroying the capitalist system in the U.S and this is just another part of his plan.When you listen to the collection of marxists,communists,and progressives advising the anti-colonialist in chief they all have the recurring theme of control in their anti freedom speeches.

    I never thought I’d see the day when someone running for president would say he wanted to put the coal industry out of business,well I saw it and the sheep were sleeping when they voted for this ant freedom socialist,the list goes on and on with this vile socialist, health care,no drilling for oil, open borders and on and on.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • Tear Em Up
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:09am

    Everyone hit your knees and pray this passes!!!

    http://traffic.libsyn.com/mikeleeandterrymartin/Number_72_July_9th_2011.mp3

    Report Post » Tear Em Up  
  • uncleskull
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:02am

    Energy costs will neccesarily skyrocket.

    That is how they will get you to buy the emergy eflishent light bulbs.

    TEA – it isn’t just for drnking any more!

    Report Post » uncleskull  
    • jhaydeng
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:16am

      I will save $85 a year! Great! Now I can buy 1 LED bulb a year with the money!!! What a travesty!

      Report Post »  
  • itsmyfirstday
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:59am

    Green is a Lie!!!

    Report Post » itsmyfirstday  
  • does this burka make me look fat?
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:54am

    HALLELUJAH!! They’re seeing the light!! LOL!!

    Report Post » does this burka make me look fat?  
  • streetrodder
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:53am

    I have enough regular light bulbs to last a life time, so as far as i‘m concerned just send the new bulb’s back to China.

    Report Post »  
  • 3katmomma
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:51am

    Isn’t it wonderful that the government does not want the taxpayer to waste his/her money. No, they want to waste it for us.

    Report Post »  
  • beachmom
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:43am

    This is a quote from Energy Sec’y Chu: “We are taking away a choice that continues to let people waste their own money,”

    That tells you what they really think about what the govt. elitists need to be doing.

    Report Post »  
  • JGallagher50
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:39am

    “It opposes the bill because it would repeal standards that are driving U.S. innovation, creating new manufacturing jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

    1) You don’t need a ban on certain products to “drive innovation”. If CFL’s are better (which they’re not) someone in the free market will manufacture them without a government mandate. It’s called profit motive.

    2) Provide me with any evidence that mercury filled bulbs at more than twice the cost are somehow better for the environment and my wallet.

    It’s crazy but the day Pres. Bush passed this law was the last day that I referred to myself as a Republican.

    Report Post »  
    • awizard
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:30am

      JG, I agree with most of your post … Except the part about “Bush passing the law” … Bush signed a bill into law that was passed by a dem. controlled Congress, it was part of a larger environmental bill that did have some good stuff in it …

      It seems we all forget that the dems. have had control since Jan. ‘07 … Oh, and when exactly did the economy go south?.. hmmm …

      Report Post » awizard  
    • Diablo4965
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 9:56am

      Who is going to be manufacturing these bulbs? GE thats who! Who is jerkoffs Job czar? Jeffrey Immelt thats who! Who is Jeffrey Immelt? Chairman of the board and chief executive officer of, guess who? GE!

      Report Post » Diablo4965  
    • Navyveteran
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 1:35pm

      AWizzard you’re correct that the dem controlled congress sent the bill to Bush, however, Bush should/ve had vetoed the bill. I am certain that is a constitutional right of the Executive Branch. Bush didn’t do that and only party liners will excuse that poor behavior. Just because Bush is or supposed to be a republican doesn’t give republicans that love their country carte blanche to excuse bush on signing that piece of unconstitutional bill into law. Just as that progressive Bush signed into the Unpatiriot Act into law. Nothing patriotic about the patriot act, unless you’re a Cuban, Russian, North Korean, or Chinese.

      Report Post »  
  • BrerRabbit
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:38am

    Praise be….some sanity may be restored!

    Report Post »  
    • Alvin691
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:32am

      Yep. If through innovation somewhere down the road 20 years we have better bulbs through competition and the incandescent is retired, then fine.

      Report Post »  
    • AmericanGeekGurl
      Posted on July 13, 2011 at 10:18am

      yep – and, gotta go with alvin’s comment regarding free enterprise – build a better mousetrap / lightbulb, and the less efficient contraption will die a natural death in the marketplace.

      Report Post » AmericanGeekGurl  
  • Christian Kalgaard
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:36am

    America you are doomed.

    Report Post » Christian Kalgaard  
    • LOVE AMERICA
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 1:10pm

      Please,AMERICA wake up,get united, stop fighting,put your deffirences aside and trow out N’OBAMA ,
      dems and some RINOS out of office,bring real AMERICA back!
      I have the old light bulbs for the rest of my life,one time i bought the new ones because they where saying they are better, its a LIE,the new ones bad for your and your vision

      Report Post »  
  • Bushie
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:35am

    I have a great idea, why don‘t we take all our light bulbs and shove them up barry and michele obama’s as$holes. This way where ever they go, they will light up the world.

    Report Post » Bushie  
    • Ailene Wright
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:18am

      LOL. The song “You Light Up My Life” should follow The Obama’s everywhere they go.

      Report Post »  
  • BIGJAYINPA
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:32am

    At what point must I submit my shopping list to the government for approval??? These people are getting out of hand. If they can’t remember the oath they took when assuming the office, maybe it is time to remind them. I really am starting to belive that this government as constituted has become and enemy of the constitution. I call on all Americans to stand up and register their displeasure with the actions of this government. PASS NO MORE LAWS UNTIL 2013 WHEN WE HAVE THROWN OUT THIS ILLEGAL GOVERNMENT and replaced it with people who understand the Constitution and their place in it…Just sayin’

    Report Post » BIGJAYINPA  
    • Corwin525
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 9:08am

      @ BIGJAYINPA, you won’t need to “submit” your grocery list, you will only be “allowed” to shop at “convenient Government outlets” where only items deemed “safe” , “healthy” and “green” will be “available” for your squandering.
      DOWN WITH TYRANNY!

      Report Post » Corwin525  
  • 50BMG
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:31am

    The government tells us we have to buy health insurance. The government tells us we can’t buy incandescent light bulbs. Hundreds of legislators, hundreds of thousands of bureaucrats, one president, and nine justices are all determining what we can and can’t do every minute of every day from birth to death.

    Is this really what the Founders had in mind when they penned “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”?

    “A government big enough to give us everything we want, is a government big enough to take from us everything we have.” -Gerald R. Ford

    This government has certainly learned how to take from us everything we have, especially our freedom.

    Report Post » 50BMG  
    • modelmax
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:45am

      It was Thomas Jefferson.

      Report Post »  
    • Susrevda
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:12am

      Sorry Model….it was Ford…unless the internet lies then I stand corrected…

      Report Post »  
    • GRAMPA-D-NH
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:17am

      It does really tell you how far we have “progressed”. Liberals have been confiscating and redistibuting our wealth for 100 years, restricting and regulating our constitutional rights, and are now on the final assault to mandate how we live and spend what little of our money they “allow” us to keep. This light bulb issue is a huge step in the grand scheme. How far off are we when gas powered vehicles are “taken off” the market, or cigarettes and fast food outlawed altogether? If the govt can make you purchase medical insurance, where does it stop? The Teaparty conservative movement is a blessing and is presenting major resistance to the Obummer regimes final push to socialism. Every day as I “wake up” more and more, I recognlize how far the progressives have taken this country in the wrong direction. Freedom loving people in 2010 drew the line they will not back up further over. I think we’re pressing forward off it, but “we have miles to go before we sleep”.

      Report Post » GRAMPA-D-NH  
  • Cuthalu
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:31am

    Politicans should get it through their heads that they have no right deciding what free people can buy or not buy, let individuals decide for themselves and what works for them.

    Report Post »  
  • kickagrandma
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:31am

    We can do it, AMERICA!

    Pick up the pieces. Re-open factories. There are hungry people who WILL WORK for a living. Let’s get this country back in shape. We can do it one person at a time, one business at a time, one idea at a time.

    “Let’s roll!”, AMERICA.

    Report Post »  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 9:06am

      I have emailed my Congressional Rep. and Speaker Boehner about this issue. Sounds like they listened to me. Now if we all write our Senators, maybe we will have a chance.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • biohazard23
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:29am

    They CAN’T ban regular light bulbs!! Fluorescents don‘t work in my kids’ Easy Bake oven.

    Report Post » biohazard23  
  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:28am

    Let’s get the manufacturing of lightbulbs back in America! Communist China’s “state capitalism” is slave labor. That’s what President Obama should really be talking about when it comes to jobs, and that’s our manufacturong base: which has been regulated out of business, and over taxed.

    Report Post » NOBALONEY  
  • kestrel27
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:28am

    It‘s also about telling busy body Liberals to stick it where the sun don’t shine. What a brilliant idea. Replace regular light bulbs that put out good light with mercury poisoned light bulbs that if broken, need a hazmat cleanup crew and cost twice as much. Just another in a long line of idiotic Progressive ideas that are total failures like everything else they “Feel” is important.

    Report Post »  
    • Ailene Wright
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:31am

      I say let the progressives have their mercury laden bulbs. Maybe it will adversely affect their fertility. No more dummies in the gene pool.

      Report Post »  
  • LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:25am

    big deal… by the time our Gov’t is done we will all be burning candles

    Report Post »  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:22am

    .
    I feel bad for the guy that sold his US based light blub factory…… More U.S. jobs lost due to Democrate Ideas…………

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
    • Ironmaan
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:26am

      The more jobs they destroy the more likely people will go on the dole and become slaves of the state. All part of the plan.
      guerillatics.com

      Report Post »  
    • Bluefish49
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:50am

      I have a closet full of 60 and 75 watt bulbs….I’m good for life.

      Report Post »  
    • Southernguy
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:56am

      @Blue………Me too ;)

      Report Post » Southernguy  
    • GRAMPA-D-NH
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:41am

      Someone should do an expose on “follow the money” regarding this light bulb issue. Keep in mind it was passed 4 years ago so I’m very sure many politicians have had the time to be well positioned to profit from this major market shift. The Chicoms, or China Inc, have gone hog-eff -n wild investing $Bs for factories to dominate the LED market. Dominate is not 51%. The thing is, its not a high labor content product. It is a high capital investment business. Given the regulations and reluctance to invest capital in the US, once again entire industries and jobs disappear here. This pattern is accelerating because the ChiComs are flush with cash ($ they want to get rid of before its worth nothing) and are not idiots especially when they see the competition (US) is floundering. Trump is right, they laugh at us! Say what you will, China isn’t stupid and blaming them for our stupidity is unproductive. We’re screwed unless true liberty conservatives win back the two houses and WH in 2012 so we can actually get a lot done. Its way over due.

      Report Post » GRAMPA-D-NH  
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