California Environmentalism The Standard Democrats Wish To Follow

By Douglas V. Gibbs

I remember when the Congressional Democrats were talking about trying to make the nation follow the emission standards set in California.

California is a liberal haven of idiocy. The left has had control of the state (even most of the Republicans here are progressives) for a long time, and the fact that the state is bankrupt is evidence of what leftism does to economies.

The Environmental movement is especially strong in California, and dictates every snort, fart and whistle in this state.

Over the weekend I went in to have one of my vehicles smog-checked. This one is a little Toyota Corolla I use as a commuter car. It is a 1995 year model, and the last time it was smogged was November, 2007.

In the office of the smog-check place I saw a sign with the following information on it:

Notice: Beginning 12-1-2007, Certain 1976-1995 vehicles are required to be tested for evaporative emission leaks as part of the standard emission test. Customers requiring this test will be charged an additional $10.00 fee in order to cover the costs related to performing the test.

They are trying to get older vehicles off the road. The evaporative emission leaks are tested by pressurizing the fuel tank and accompanying system to check to see if anything leaks out. In the real world, the kind of pressure they are ordered to apply would not happen naturally unless it was over 120 degrees outside.

Next year they are going to begin smog checking diesel engines, and big rigs will need to be retrofitted with new equipment that will cost tens of thousands of dollars per truck to pass the test. The same goes for tractors, and other heavy equipment. In a discussion with some of my old construction buddies, in most cases the retrofits will cost more than the value of the equipment, and most of the smaller companies simply can't afford to do it. But, without the retrofits, the State of California will shut the companies down, and disallow them from doing business in California.

Smog Check places will also be required to have new equipment in the next few years - each machine costing in excess of $100,000 dollars.

If the leftists in California are trying to destroy what little there is left of the trucking and construction industries in California, they are on target.

Most of the smaller companies will be driven out of business, and larger trucking and construction companies will be forced out of state.

And all this to save a planet at risk by man-made global warming of which has not only been proven not to exist, but has been proven to be a politically motivated scam.

And these are the kinds of idiots that want to control your health care, too.

Oh, by the way, my little Corolla passed with flying colors.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary