Losing control of the fuel efficiency debate

The "no solution" rhetoric does nothing but lead those same stupid
people. For some odd reason, the weak-minded are so easily led to vote
for candidates who merely point out problems, but never offer
solutions. As though some magic will occur to address the issues when
they're fair-haired candidate takes office.

I remember Gore in 2000 ranting about how we "need" to address the
problems in the public schools. This from a guy in that administration
for eight years. What the hell did he or they do for the school
system, for eight years, that left it with "needs"?

Some areas or states simply have no public systems to enable taking
mass transit. In California, for example, it's common for people to
live fifty or more miles of freeway away from home. They have no
choice but to drive.

 

I don't mind. Some of the money goes to a good cause:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/22/world/middleeast/22fighters.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

November 22, 2007
Foreign Fighters in Iraq Are Tied to Allies of U.S.
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
BAGHDAD - Saudi Arabia and Libya, both considered allies by the United
States in its fight against terrorism, were the source of about 60 percent
of the foreign fighters who came to Iraq in the past year to serve as
suicide bombers or to facilitate other attacks, according to senior American
military officials.

The data come largely from a trove of documents and computers discovered in
September, when American forces raided a tent camp in the desert near
Sinjar, close to the Syrian border. The raid's target was an insurgent cell
believed to be responsible for smuggling the vast majority of foreign
fighters into Iraq.

The most significant discovery was a collection of biographical sketches
that listed hometowns and other details for more than 700 fighters brought
into Iraq since August 2006.

The records also underscore how the insurgency in Iraq remains both
overwhelmingly Iraqi and Sunni. American officials now estimate that the
flow of foreign fighters was 80 to 110 per month during the first half of
this year and about 60 per month during the summer. The numbers fell sharply
in October to no more than 40, partly as a result of the Sinjar raid, the
American officials say.

 

I'm not saying there's no solution. I'm saying there is no solution that
many people are comfortable with.

Loads of people live 50 miles from Manhattan, and take nice trains into the
city to get to work. The problem with some cities is that they have no
incentive to adopt these ideas. They also ignore what we now know about
widening highways to reduce traffic: It only leads to more traffic.

It is not yet known when we can expect vehicles with vastly improved gas
mileage. But, mass transportation is KNOWN to work, if some thought it put
into it.

 

Reagan should have finished off Qadaffi.

 

I know what you meant.

Some areas or states simply have no public systems to enable taking mass

Nice if you have them. Here, if anyone suggests building trains, the
first thing that happens is environmentalist whackos getting court
injunctions to stop the laying of tracks. Much like people who say we
need to stop buying foreign oil, but won't allow the building of
refineries or drilling domestically. Much like those who want you in a
50+ mpg econo-box, while they drive around in SUVs.

It's too late for that here.

 

We had an interesting situation here a few years ago. Along one of our major
highways was an old unused rail bed. The highway carries lots of traffic
from downtown to various sprawlville communities between 5 and 10 miles
away. Advocates for light rail service pointed out that a train would cost
less over any 10 year period than widening and maintaining the highway. The
highway project won anyway. I think part of the problem is political
connections to the construction industry. Matter of fact, I'm sure of it,
based on comments from an insider here in my town.

 

Maybe in NY. Here, if something has remained unused for any length of
time, some environmentalist will "find" and "define" a new sub-species
of rat, bird, or bug in the area to ensure nothing is ever used or
re-used.

The entire attitude can be summed-up thusly: People are vermin, and
need to be eliminated to ensure the planet's survival.

 

Since Ron Paul is the only Constitutional canidate for probly the last
100 years, He most certainly will come the closest to steering the
country back toward the orgional intent of less Fed Gov. and that is
enough for me. (even though tax and spend critters and users will scream
its unfair) KB

 

Ask Earth First, PETA, or Greenpeace members. They all seem to be
arbitrary enough to take the plunge.

 

Is this after she gets universal healthcare for ALL our friends south of the
border? Or after she finishes giving amnesty to all Illegal aliens and
totally ruins the country. Maybe she can leap tall buildings in a single
bound and is faster than a locomotive.
look up in the sky, its a bird its a
plane.............................................
No just the hillary blimp.

 

he tried but the utility pole fell on his legs instead of his head.

 

So are you stupid enough to believe what a presidential candidate will
promise you?

Our government could artificially lower the price of gas through
subsidy. What price do you want, $2/gal, $1/gal? Knowing how inefficient
our government is I hope you realize that would make it cost more than
it does now, probably double. But the cost would be hidden and easily
explained away.

 

And your unaware that every politician ever elected from both parties
has immediately reniged on their campaign promises? As in "read my lips"

This is nothing more than campaign poofery. It will pass.

Ted

 

I've never noticed ideas like that with Greenpeace. Who told you to say
that?

 

Very difficult but not impossible if one dares to think outside of the
box. That box on 4 wheels has to be MUCH SMALLER and lighter.

 

First, you have to change attitudes. No amount of engineering will convince
the majority of Americans they can live with a smaller car. I average 24
mpg in my full sized car, but frankly, I can live with something smaller
myself. In Europe I'll get a small rental and accept it as normal. I do
refuse to buy one of the big Land Barges though.

 

This is actually a good article...

'A hypothetical Camry that weighed 2,525 pounds (1,148 kg), and had a 1.4
liter, 128-horsepower engine could accelerate to 60 miles per hour in 9.2
seconds, but would average 42 miles per gallon (5.5 liters per 100 km.) The
same exercise applied to a Ford F-150 pickup would produce a vehicle that
weighs 877 pounds less than today's vehicle, gets around on a 162
horsepower engine and averages 27 mpg, compared with 17.3 mpg today."

Now, I would not be driving a compact Camry or be found in a Ford truck, but
the concept works.

If we all stop carpooling, we'd remove much of the weight from the car/truck
and thus get better mileage.

I like that!

 

The Camry is not compact, it is the same size as all of today's other "full
sized" cars, park one next to a 71 Torino, they are very close to the same
size...

 

And said F-150 pickup wouldn't be able to get out of it's parking space
when you actually tried to use it, i.e. tow something or load a few
sheets of drywall.

And then there are those of us who need the 350/3500 class pickups,
which get about 11 MPG. Try that idiotic "exercise" with my 3500 and it
wouldn't be able to make it over a speed bump when loaded with the
13,000# of camper and trailer it periodically moves.

As I noted before, until the public at large gets some education and
understands the difference between "Efficiency" and "Economy", nothing
of value will be accomplished.