So Democrats Want Us To Drive...

...more fuel efficient cars, and the way they want to make sure we drive them is by demanding that automobile makers start manufacturing cars that will average 35 miles per gallon. See:

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jun16/0,4670,DemocratsEnergy,00.html.

The goal is to reduce our dependence upon foreign oil. This does not sound like a bad idea, so why does it get me so pissed off when I hear it spouted out by the liberal left. I guess those pictures of them flying around in private jets, and the fact that many of them own multiple gas guzzlers instead of fuel efficient cars are reasons good enough to irk me. About 10 years ago, heck actually 11 years ago, I bought a brand new Ford Taurus (whoopee) not because it would be fuel efficient, but because my family needed a step up in the size of car we had been driving which was a Mazda 323 and our only car at the time. We kept the Mazda which was quite fuel efficient up until about 2 1/2 or 3 years ago when we donated it to the Salvation Army. The Ford was not the best choice I could have made for a second car, so I decided to get another foreign job, well a made in America foreign job anyhow. Guess what we bought. We bought another fairly fuel efficient automobile. One of the reasons I wanted a smaller car was that I like the way they handle, another was that I like the way they sip gas instead of guzzle it. The fact also is that being a hunter and fisherman, I like to do my bit to help the environment. As for gas prices at the time, gas prices were higher than they had been but still not very high when we bought the new car 2005. Since we don't drive as much as the average family with a car, the price of gasoline did not effect my decision much, but I figured the prices would go up, and my guess about further price increases effected my decision somewhat. My wife had wanted an SUV, but finally agreed a small car would be just fine. So we decided on a Toyota Corolla. We got a great deal and away we drove with our new silver Corolla. Today I am quite happy I did so, what with the prices of gasoline, and the fact that it recently cost me $50 to do a fill up on the Ford Taurus (yes we still have that one after 11 years or so), and $35 to fill up the Corolla. I don't recall what mileage the Toyota gets, but it probably comes close to 35 mpg on the highway and that is a blessing at these prices.

Now I would like you, or anyone, to point out to me all of the Congresscritters who drive vehicles like that, especially those among the Demoncrats. Can you show me that the majority of them do so. No you cannot. I wonder is John Kerry one of them, has he sold his veritable fleet of SUVs and big cars? Is Teddy Kennedy one of them, has he sold his boat with the hole in the bottom larger gas guzzling cars and replaced them with compact sized fuel efficient cars? Does Nancy Pelosi usually get driven around in something like a Corolla, or a Civic, or a Prius (spelling?), or another fuel efficient automobile - or in a limo? What is Harry reid driving or being driven around in on a regular basis? Remember the same goes for the Republicans too.

Now don't get me wrong, I am all for fuel efficiency, hell it will cost less in the long run for fuel, and the price of such fuel efficient cars will plummet, from what they are now, once they mass produce fuel efficient cars since their availability will then be high. What I would like to see now though are the big blabbermouths in Congress putting their money where their mouths are and going out and selling their big gas guzzlers, replacing them with currently available fuel efficient cars, of which there are plenty - even among those that do not run on batteries. I want to see them replace their limos, and their private flights, used for work travel with public transportation too. If that jerk (my opinion of him) Mayor Bloomberg in NYC can do it, then anyone in Washington DC can do it too. (Fact is that Bloomberg's use of public transportation is about the only really good thing he does that I can see, it saves my tax dollars that would otherwise have gone to fueling his limo.)

Now here is why I am really pissed off: I wonder, whatever happened to teaching by good example? What ever happened to shunning and punishing hypocrisy? These bastards in Congress want us to do what they will not do. They want to force us to drive more fuel efficient cars by forcing automobile manufacturers to build more fuel efficient vehicles, yet they will not change their ways, on that you can bet hard earned money. Should this law pass, and in the near future should the manufacturers all produce cars that get 35 mpg, 50 mpg, or even 100 mpg, most of the politicians will still be driving in the gas guzzlers of that future time. This is, I think, because politicians (redundancy alert) are for the most part hypocrits, or in other words, they are just politicians after all is said and done. I think it is about time to start voting people into office who were not lawyers to begin with, and ones who actually did some type of real work in the real world and who look at things from a practical point of view. That might be a jump start in the right direction, and would most likely keep the government running at a more efficient pace without burning all the bullshit.

All the best,
Glenn B