EDITORIAL: Light-bulb rights showdown--States defy federal claim to meddle in fixture choice

The Washington Times ^ | April 1, 2011 | Editorial

[jazusamo]

State lawmakers are fed up with the federal government micromanaging their lives. The South Carolina Senate is scheduled to strike back Tuesday with a bill that asserts the 10th Amendment right of the state to tell Washington to take a hike when it comes to the sale of incandescent light bulbs manufactured within state borders.

Ever since then-President George W. Bush signed into law the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the clock has been ticking on Thomas Edison’s venerable incandescent. Unless Congress acts before Jan. 1, 2012, federal bureaucrats will begin their campaign to foist the mostly Chinese-made, compact fluorescent bulbs on a public that has shown no interest in buying them on the free market.

Palmetto State lawmakers aren’t interested in waiting for the feds to see the light. The “South Carolina Incandescent Light Bulb Freedom Act” declares any fixture that bears the stamp “Made in South Carolina” is a product of intrastate commerce and thus “is not subject to federal law or federal regulation.” State Rep. William E. Sandifer III, chairman of the South Carolina House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, told The Washington Times that the measure he co-sponsored has a very good chance of becoming law. “I believe that it is improper for the federal government to tell us as citizens what light bulbs we can use to light our own private homes or businesses,” he explained. “I think the feds have overstepped our 10th Amendment constitutional rights as they’ve so often done under the Commerce Clause.”

[rlmorel]

I was on another thread here about this same subject, and had a very acrimonious discussion with another person on the issue of these CFL bulbs.

I don't have an issue with the lights themselves. If people want to use them, that is their business if they want to pay the money and a manufacturer thinks they can make money by producing them. What I take issue with is government bureaucrats taking my money via confiscatory taxes, TELLING me how to spend the money they leave me, then passing legislation to DRIVE up the cost of energy so we are FORCED to spend more money to drive our cars, heat our homes and turn on our lights, whether they be incandescent or CFL. These bastards think they are doing us a big favor because they think they know best, and are trying to twist our arms to accept their utopian crap. They think if energy costs go up high enough, their plans to harness unicorn flatulence or whatever will become economically viable.

Well I don't care to take part in their damned experiments. If my town wants to purchase LED based traffic and street lights because it saves the town money and is a guaranteed return on investment, then power to them. If people want these CFL lights in the marketplace as an alternative to make their homes more energy efficient, then I think is is fine and would never say boo to anyone so inclined. Actually, my issue is not even residential lighting. Making citizens purchase stuff we don't want and don't need is NOT going to solve any kind of energy shortage. It is the equivalent of selling carbon credits or putting a magnetic sticker on the back of a car. It is Jimmy Carter wearing sweaters and telling us to turn our thermostats down.

So to make my point that forcing all of us to use these things, have to pay MORE money to buy them (even though most of us have found they don't last nearly as long as the government says they do) Here an the original unaltered graph from Livermore Labs/DOE which I think is a very, very good graphical representation (reflecting the situation in 2009):

As shown below, I cut out a part of that graph and marked it up. Of the four major sectors, residential is the second smallest using just 4.65% of generated electrical power as shown by the graph. Government statistics say lighting consumes 12% of 4.65% of electricity flowing into a house. In the inset (enlarged) part shows the 4.65% pipeline with the red stripe on it showing the lighting share, and the green stripe showing what it would be if we assume 10% efficiency compared to CFL for incandescent bulbs. (The orange pipe leading into the box signifies the RESIDENTAL SECTOR of the energy grid and is representative of energy generated from all sources)

I didn't get this image from some anti-enviroweenie website. I made it myself after analyzing the data on the graph and government data such as estimates of how much lighting uses. And it illustrates the point I make, backed up with the government's own data, that forcing us to do this via statist legislation is basically ANOTHER camel nose in the figurative tent...BECAUSE THEY CAN.

If the market really wanted these lightbulbs, they would have made it on their own without government legislation. But, in my opinion, buying into this without a fight just exacerbates this statist mess we are in covering everything from legislation against transfats and salt in the diet to the amount of water we can flush down our toilet. Liberals think this is great because it is their pet thing that they have bought hook, line and sinker, running around screaming that we are running out of energy. Surrendering to this just invites the government to intrude into EVERY facet of our life.

I don't disparage people for choosing CFL's as a stand to take. I believe I have the data (shown graphically here) to indicate that using CFL's in houses isn't going to save us from anything. It is just a piece of do-gooder legislation that only does just that...makes guilty people feel good. I readily admit that one can make an argument for commercial/industrial building codes and so on, and I might buy into it and agree, the same as I agree with towns purchasing led-based traffic lights. However, building codes are so top heavy with bureaucracy now that I would fight against mandating these in commercial use on those grounds alone.

By my home is my home. And we have gone far too long allowing the government to dictate what we can and cannot do on our own quarter acre of land, small as it is. I am sick to death of it.

[Traveler59]

Time for a little eco-terrorism of our own. Go to a town hall meeting and drop a few of these CFL’s and make sure to call 911 and a HAZMAT response team. Also make sure that the HAZMAT response team checks everybody for mercury vapor inhalation. Now do it at the City Counsel meet, next the County Commissioners meeting. Heck, find the next “eco-day” meeting and drop a few dozen. After a while the politicians may get the idea that CFL’s are more dangerous than incandescent bulbs.

[hoosierham]

G.W. Bush seemimgly cared about nothing but invading Irag.

I have little respect for the man.

Why didn't he push to clean up voter fraud,stop illegal immigration,stop government growth and interference,promote oil refineries and drilling,etc.etc.etc.

G.W. Bush was no Constitutional conservative nor did he do much for the Republican party.He was too accomadating to the socialists and as for "Islam is a religion of peace",bah!

Nor have I ever worshipped at the altar of Rove.

Bushes are Democrat Lite.

[hoosierham]

Heck the local Valero(Venezualan?) gas station has probably 30 large high-wattage mercury vapor lights under its canopy;it is literally bright as day 24/7.They use as much electric for lighting as a couple dozen homes.The city uses huge amounts of lighting and the casinos even more!

But force the the homeowner to have a toilet that won't flush and a light that isn't bright enough to tell if it did ,and we will save the nation!

[rlmorel]

LOL! You just said in one sentence in your second paragraph what I took a whole lengthy post to say!

[rlmorel]

I am not even concerned about the mercury, the slowness to reach peak illumination or the confusion one must go through to find a light that has an attractive luminance.

It is the statist intrusion I find most disturbing!

[Ditto]

Bookmark bump.

[upchuck]

Let's tell the Feds to stuff it!

South Carolina
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[boop]

Low pressure sodium vapor lights are the UGLIEST thing created by man. How would you like your house illuminated by these buzzing orange freaks of nature? I’ve read where 7/11s put these atrocities on the side of their buildings to scare away the thugs. If an armed robber is driven away by these POS lights, why would a normal person like them in their house?

[jazusamo]

You said it all. I don’t want the government telling me what bulb, toilet, soap, washing machine, etc. to use. I pay for it and I should be able to make my own choices. Period.

[Tatze]

South Carolina has only one, small manufacturer of incandescent bulbs, but the hope is that others will set up shop here, too, if the law passes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110328/ap_on_re_us/us_light_bulbs_states

[boop]

Frankly, this was the last straw for me with GWB. I appreciate Roberts and Alito on the SCOTUS, and I like having no attacks on the US for 8 years,but this dude was like Nixon. Trying his damndest to be “liked” by the Left by giving them exactly what they wanted. Nixon left office disgraced and hated by everybody. Bush left office being hated by everybody. Reagan left office with a 69% approval rating. Not only was he liked by the republican base, but even the leftists respected him.

[sionnsar]

Good for South Carolina.

Way too little, but hopefully it's the start of something larger.

[sionnsar]

but he could have veoted it and sent it back to committee WITHOUT the light bulb ban.

It doesn't have an outright ban. It "merely" establishes minimum efficiency levels.

And that's way beyond Congress' business, IMHO.

[ForGod'sSake]

Thanks Army Air Corps! Maybe the States will be able to save us all from the scourge of mercury poisoning by the feral government.

SOUTH CAROLINA has entered the room; again!

Please ~ping~ me to articles relating to the 10th Amendment/States Rights so I can engage the pinger.

If you want on or off the ping list just say the word.

Additional Resources:

Tenth Amendment Chronicles Thread
Tenth Amendment Center
Firearms Freedom Act
Health Care Nullification

CLICK HERE TO FIND YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES

[Persevero]

“Well, this sounds like a good idea, but...”

How about mail order?

I don’t think it’s illegal for us citizen types to purchase lightbulbs. Just illegal for manufacturers to sell them here. If it ends up legal in SC presumably we can buy them for our own use.

[wastedyears]

What’s housing and jobs like over there?

[Still Thinking]

If an armed robber is driven away by these POS lights, why would a normal person like them in their house?

Yes, after all we all want all the armed robbers we can get in the house.

[jazusamo]

Not good. New construction is really down and existing values are tanking. Seattle is one of the worst in the country I believe.

[ForGod'sSake]

Heck the local Valero(Venezualan?) gas station...

Minor quibble to help avoid misinformation: Valero is based in San Antonio TEXAS; the T Boone dude owns a large chunk. Maybe you're thinking of CITGO???