“I don’t get the upside of this for them”
CFLs sell for $3 - 6 dollars each. Incandescent bulbs sell for about 65 cents.
If people want to buy CFLs, they should be able to buy them.
But, I think that it's foolish for the government to mandate that people spend 10-20 times as much for the same (debate aside) result, when a perfectly serviceable, cheaper, option is available.
Face it, if I'm laid off from work, and it comes down to an extra 5 bucks for groceries, or replacing a burned out lightbulb .... I can shuffle bulbs in fixtures around. Use flashlights. Candles. Other options.
Personally, I've got a 3-4 year stash of real light bulbs, and I'm adding to it. I don't even *use* 100W bulbs, and I picked up an 8-pack of them.
Who knows, I *might* want to use one someday (I'm thinking as a easy, portable heat source, frankly). Meantime, they won't go bad.
(sound of other shoe dropping...) Duh.......thanks.