Free Republic

A Bit of ‘I Told You So’ Outside World Bank Talks By HELENE COOPER and CHARLIE SAVAGE Published: October 10, 2008 WASHINGTON — They told everyone this was going to happen, no one listened, and now see?As column after column of black Lincoln Town Cars disgorged international finance officials onto the sidewalk in front of World Bank headquarters on Friday, a raggedy group of about 20 free-market protesters gathered across the street to express their sadness — and in some cases, glee — over the global economic catastrophe that some said had proved them right. *snip* For many of the...

Environmental groups blasted the owner of a Lamborghini who had the vehicle shipped from Qatar to London for an oil change. The Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, the same model driven by Christian Bale in The Dark Knight, cost about $40,000 to ship round-trip and $7,045 to service at an authorized London dealer, The Telegraph reported Thursday. Environmental groups criticized the owner of the vehicle, thought to be a sheik, for sending his car on a 6,500 mile trip just to change the oil. "This horrifies me. It is another example of how rich people exploit and pollute the planet because of...

According to a recent study by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, 73 percent of California drivers change their oil more frequently than required. This same scenario no doubt repeats itself across the country. Besides wasting money, this translates into unnecessary consumption of $100-a-barrel oil, much of it imported. Using 2005 data, the Board estimates that Californians alone generate about 153.5 million gallons of waste oil annually, of which only about 60 percent is recycled. Used motor oil poses the greatest environmental risk of all automotive fluids because it is insoluble, persistent, and contains heavy metal and toxic chemicals. One...

Imagine going to get your car repaired, paying for it, and then finding out that the work was never done. With the help of insiders, NBC4 uncovered an apparent scheme at several Los Angeles area Jiffy Lube stores. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has asked customers who have had problems at Jiffy Lube stores to contact the DA's Consumer Protection Division, by e-mail, at jiffylube@lacountyda.org