Posted on 01/16/2008 2:13:20 PM PST by calcowgirl
I admit that I didn’t believe the first reports that the California Energy Commission is seriously considering a law to require homeowners to install a thermostat that can be adjusted by government bureaucrats. It seemed like “black helicopter” hysterics to suggest our government has become so intrusive that it would seek to monitor and control minute decisions like what temperature we set for our own homes.
But seeing is believing. The proposed regulations can be found beginning on page 63 at this link [PDF FILE].
The rationale for this brave new world is that government can promote energy conservation and avert blackouts by electronically entering our homes and adjusting our thermostats for us. But wasn’t that the purpose of Orwell’s vision of Big Brother: to “help” individuals lead “better” and more “secure” lives?
And why stop there? Shouldn’t government promote additional conservation by requiring microchips that will disable our major appliances when it suits officials? Shouldn’t it adjust the water flow and temperature of those miscreants who take showers that are too long or too warm? Shouldn’t it disable bank cards after too many junk food purchases to reduce obesity? And imagine all the lung cancer it could prevent by sniffing for smoke in our homes, or all the crime it could prevent by peeking through cameras in our living rooms. All are well within the reach of current technology – and, judging from the Energy Commission’s agenda, well within the appetite of California’s leftist officials.
In response to initial public outrage, a spokesperson for the Energy Commission assured a reporter that the proposal would probably be modified to allow homeowners to manually override the government thermostat setting. Then why mandate the device at all? Why not allow homeowners to decide for themselves whether their thermostats contain a government microchip and whether they wish to invite officials to control it? The answer should be obvious: the bureaucrats are trying to accomplish in two steps what politically they can’t do in one.
If there is any doubt that this has little to do with electricity and much to do with raw power of quite a different kind, consider this: according to the Energy Commission’s own figures, Californians already rank dead last among the 50 states in our per capita consumption of electricity. Indeed, the average Californian uses about half the electricity as the average American, and less than consumers in Luxembourg, Guam, the Cayman Islands and Aruba. How many more kilowatts do they expect to squeeze from California consumers?
The great and tragic irony is that a generation ago, electricity in California was clean, cheap and abundant. It was an era of hydro-electric dams and nuclear power plants that today are generating electricity for between ½-cent and 3-cents per kilowatt hour, and there was serious discussion about doing away with home electricity meters completely. After all, at 3-cents per kilowatt hour, the average household electricity bill should come to about $18 per month.
But then the California Energy Commission was created in 1974 and it began systematically obstructing the construction of new power plants. And having imposed an artificial electricity shortage by its own overbearing regulations, it now seeks to ration what’s left by setting your thermostat for you.
What can Californians do about it? The Commission will consider these regulations on January 30th. All five members of the energy commission are gubernatorial appointees, and four of the five were appointed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. They need to be flooded with protests and placed on notice that this is one vote that they can’t cast in obscurity. And the governor needs to know that voters will hold him accountable for the decisions made by his own appointees.
We will watch the vote and report to you HOW the governor’s appointees voted.
Heh. How about turning on the oven and opening the door?
Would work. However, every winter there’s a story of a family that has died do to carbon monoxide poisoning, or a home blowing up because the flame went out on their gas oven resulting in an explosion. Someone will try and make hay about this, I’m sure.
You are talking about the coast. Most of CA is not on the coast and not in southern CA. and our summers get quite hot, 106 degrees and hotter in the desert areas and cold in the winter. Our hummidity is low in the summer but I tell you what, 106 is hotter than hell anyway. Yes, we use our air conditioners.
They still have gas stoves?
Not being sarcastic SD, I just haven’t seen one in decades.
Why don’t they make a test run by turning off the heat and lights in every government building especially the capitol. Dittos to teachers and prison guards break rooms...
Sounds good to me, but some might disagree with ya! ;-)
Poll 100 people and ask them if "Orwellian" or "Machiavellian" is a brand of designer jeans.
People don't really know what "Big Brother" refers to anymore, much less why things like totalitarian communism would be bad in their day-to-day lives.
A lot of people have them. My daughter had one in SF, my brother in MD. I could have one here (KY) since I have gas for heat, but my house had a nice electric range when I bought it and I'm too cheap to replace it, even though I prefer gas.
Anyone that is a serious cook knows that you can't beat gas. You ever watch the food channel? You don't see electric stoves .
LoL!
Anyone that is a serious cook knows that you can’t beat gas
Thats what my dad used to say. - Fortunately, I’m not a serious cook. :)
Bump! I'll second that. And yes... we have a gas range!
Sad, but true.
Look at it this way, it will help you lose weight by shivering it off...
From what I heard on KSFO last night, there were enough phone calls and emails rec’d that they are no longer going to consider this for now.
And sweatin' it out! A good thing! ;-)
Well, that is good news! But we need to keep an eye on these folks!
I'd recommend at least TWO eyes and the business end of something that chambers .45ACP.
Didn’t McClintock endorse Thompson?
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