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Trump announces challenge to Obama-era fuel standards

24 Comments
By JILL COLVIN

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24 Comments
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So this is what "greatness" looks like! Roll back on Health Care, roll back on the Environment. Roll back on safeguards on the Financial Industry.

This is so great it makes me sick.

Trump's whole platform has been undoing Obama executive action. Instead of a pen he should have an eraser.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

1950's redux. The difference, however, is this time there will be no possibility for large numbers of Americans to become middle class. Trump and the Republicans are intent on forcing through measures further widening the wealth gap, creating castes, not classes. Making it more difficult to get health insurance while tearing down environmental standards will hurt everyone, in particular those with existing health problems.

An 'untouchable' level health caste will be among the first to appear. Dystopia now!

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Mr Trump is right. Too many regulations which are difficult to implement with the current technology and dreamed up by officials who have no expertise in these matters. However, there have been many inventions for very high fuel economy in the past that have been shut out of the market by deceit and even murders of the inventors of these technologies.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

However, there have been many inventions for very high fuel economy in the past that have been shut out of the market

Yes. Like how Detroit/Michigan wouldn't allow Tesla Motors to sell their cars online. Demanded they use a showroom and private dealerships.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Stuff like this is always about balance. You don't want too many regulations that price an item out of the market, and you don't want too few regulations which turns the US into Beijing.

If someone is only talking about cost then they are only looking at half of the equation.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It's the 80s again! The US once more a great exporter!

of acid rain

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Although I somewhat agree with Trump that over-regulation is bad, when it comes to environmental regulations I think he should back off and let them be, if not build on them. If there are no environmental regulations, more than any other industry, they will be abused. And with the environment, a lot of damage is irreparable or lasts for decades.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

For the love of God, is this man actively trying to make his country a filthier place?

13 ( +14 / -1 )

California has long had the prerogative of setting their own fuel efficiency standards, and it is one they will not easily relinquish. And being by far the largest car market in the nation, these standards have become de facto national - manufacturing different classes of cars makes no sense financially.

Those paying attention know that the Trump administration has been eyeing stripping California of this right. Not only would this be hypocritical (state's rights, anyone?), but it would bring a weakened Trump administration into full conflict with a resurgent blue California. I doubt Banner would want to risk another high-profile loss, but if he chooses to risk it: Bring it on.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Oh well!

Making more gas-guzzling American cars that will guzzle more gas, employing more American workers who will have to buy more gas-guzzling cars and have to pay more for more gas, and planning to export more gas-guzzling American cars that can guzzle more gas just when the rest of the world is interested in getting away from guzzling gas altogether.

I can't understand the logic I have just articulated either.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

This will fit in nicely with Trump wanting to convince Japan to import more US made cars, or will it? Choose your answer, Yes or No.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Yes! Yes! Yes! This just what America and the world has been crying out for. Bigger and better gas guzzling polluting cars. By increasing consumption of a diminishing fuel resource America will be great again. Just like the 1950's. How could it go wrong?

I weep at the lack of leadership coming from the USA.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

What most people don't realize is that for too long government has been a business, and a vast monopoly of a business.

Most businesses compete with one another for customers, and they do this by offering better goods, lower prices, new designs, new features, etc. Some succeed, some fail, but in the end, the customers for the most part get what they want, the companies make the money they want, and large numbers of people are employed in the process.

But some businesses do not like to compete, so they find ways to limit competition. The less competition there is, the more they can charge, as the consumers don't have a choice but to buy from them. And businesses have been successful in this practice. A century ago America had more than 20 auto makers, more than 50 motorcycle makers, hundreds of bicycle makers, countless electronics and appliance companies, with numerous more being founded almost every week.

How many of these companies does America have now?

Then there are the banks. In the past, banks were very numerous in America, and if any bank, or any ten banks failed, it had almost no effect on the overall economy. Now the great deal of banking business is held by a small number of banks, of which the failure of any could cause a nationwide economic calamity (think Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers).

When one becomes a politician, one doesn't do it for the good of the people or for the good of the economy. Politicians run for office to make money, and as the business of government collects and spends trillions of dollars in America, few businesses are more profitable. One need only look at a politician's net worth before he runs for office, then look again after he leaves. Back when Al Gore became vice president, his net worth was about $1 million. Now he is worth some $200 million. Bill Clinton is some $150 million richer.

Government has been slowly taking over services which were once provided by businesses. Public education is a monopoly, because every person must pay taxes for the education of their children, but if you don't send your child to a public school, you can't collect what the state would have paid for public school and spend on private school. What's more, you cannot even deduct even part of the tuition you pay at a private school.

As a monopoly, public education has done what many people fear monopolies do, it provides ever worse products for ever higher prices. America spends vastly more on education than Japan or any European country, yet educational standards in America are far below Japan or Europe.

Healthcare is a disaster which is even worse than education. Whatever America spends on education is nothing compared to what is spent on healthcare. And, despite the incredible cost, there is no national healthcare system in America. Obamacare is not even close to being a national system, yet it cost more per person than systems like the NHS, or Japan's system.

The reasons these things are so expensive is that politicians design them to be so. Huge amounts of money are spent, but very little in the way of services is delivered. The federal government spends $1100 per month per child in America for education, yet classrooms are overcrowded, teachers are not well paid, books and materials are often scarce. Most of the money is absorbed in bureaucracy and inflated contracts, which then makes it back to the pockets of the politicians who control the purse strings.

The new fuel standards set by the Obama administration have nothing at all to do with fighting climate change or protecting the environment. What they do is further eliminate the chance that new car companies will be created (which has essentially been impossible for decades), furthering the monopoly the current big three have in American industry. The new standards will be subject to loopholes and exemptions, which will be written in exchange for campaign contributions, or bags of cash. In the end, the climate will warm no less quickly, cars will be more expensive, which means to lower prices, more will have to be manufactured overseas in places like China. The auto executives will continue to make their millions, and so will the politicians. The rest of us will be screwed, as those who live under state or corporate monopolies always are.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Trump is too thick to realize that making vehicles that pollute more just means the government will need more money to spend on pollution-related illnesses and deaths.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

@sangets What they do is further eliminate the chance that new car companies will be created (which has essentially been impossible for decades), furthering the monopoly the current big three have in American industry.

You've made that point before; the article below says something different. These new companies may just be niche, they may flame out, but new car companies are being created. Truth.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/40887273/ns/business-autos/t/new-car-companies-aiming-big-leagues/#.WMo_JBhh3Vo

1 ( +1 / -0 )

serendipitous Trump is too thick to realize that making vehicles that pollute more just means the government will need more money to spend on pollution-related illnesses and deaths.

No it doesn't, the way Trump is cutting the health care, you will have to pay for it yourself.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@Sangetsu - Although I do not agree with you on the fuel standards issue, there are quite a few things in your post I agree with, and I think those with a liberal bent (as I do) would agree with you as well (allowing bigger companies to get bigger, your thoughts on the banks, etc.)

Additionally if you look at the U.S. ranking in the world in every meaningful category (education, infant mortality, health metrics such as obesity, cost of health care and drugs, access to healthcare, etc., etc., etc.) we are no longer in the top 20 when many years ago the U.S. was always near the top. There is alot of truth to what you say. We have spent more money but have not accomplished much. As an engineer I see how few American kids go into science and engineering and it saddens me.

As stated, I disagree with you on fuel standards however. I think upping the bar is a good idea in this account and they could actually allow newer companies to enter the market. As PTownsend says the companies in the referenced article may in fact flame out.....but I would imagine a few of them will be here to stay.

Time will tell.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I wonder if less efficient fuel economy cars will be more competitive in overseas export markets where environmental regulations will be stricter than what Trump changes the American ones too?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Don't let American cars be mocked as gas-guzzlers once again

and don't let America be more dependent on MidEast oil

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Wasn't Trump complaining that Germany and Japan sell more cars in the US than the US does in both of those countries? Will he ever figure out why that is?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Government of the spiteful, by the spiteful, for the lulz.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

So instead of doing the "smart" thing which is closely paying attention to what regulation does what, Trump decides to make US vehicles LESS competitive on the global market, cost Americans MORE at the pump, increase demand for usage of gas, encourage higher dependency on oil and drilling of a resource that is expected to run dry pretty soon.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

What an excellent post from Sangestu03 above. I am very impressed! Those who have thumbed you down must be Trump haters and they can't help themselves. Change is coming soon, though! The decline of French fries and thunder thighs will be replaced by hemp seed-munching enlightened rurals...and the rise of co-ops, craft schools and local community newsletters, journals, etc will be coming soon I hope I hope

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

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