Senate Panel Rejects Better Mileage For Gas Guzzlers - Reuters

[hatrack]

WASHINGTON - The Senate Energy Committee on Wednesday rejected a Democratic plan to require sport utility vehicles and minivans to become more fuel efficient and achieve the same gasoline mileage as passenger cars in six years.

Under the failed proposal, SUVs and other light trucks would have to meet the same 27.5 mile-per-gallon rule for passenger cars by 2011, up from a current 21 mpg for light trucks.

EDIT

Opponents said imposing a higher fuel standard would place further burdens on US automakers that are already suffering financially, endangering thousands of high-paying jobs. They also said the government should not dictate what vehicles consumers buy.

"I think mothers and fathers can make those decisions themselves," said Republican George Allen of Virginia."

EDIT

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30856/story.htm

What a surprise. Oh, and thanks for reminding us, Senator Allen, that's it's really all about the children, you leaning tower of senility and pious pus.

[Roland99]

1. Yeah...hybrid engines are SO difficult to produce

Honda has a 3.0L, 6-cyl, 240hp, 212lb-ft of torque hybrid engine in the Accord. Seems to me that would work in all but the largest of SUVs.

[Double T]

2. Everyone needs to drive a SmartCar ForTwo and get rid of the SUVs !!!

....oil problem solved (for the moment).

[Ganja Ninja]

3. Remember this the next time you hear ...

Democrats don't have an energy plan.

[tex-wyo-dem]

4. And so tell me Sen. Allen...

(and all Rethugs for that matter), why isn't the grotesque rate at which we consume energy a matter of national security? Our sons and daughters are killing people and being killed as we speak just so Nancy soccer mom can fill the tank in her Suburban without a care in the world. Where's the sacrifice?

[aquart]

5. And what makes them think people will still buy low mileage SUVs?

Sales are already plummeting. In a free market, the automakers would already be rushing to upgrade mileage, since that's the sticking point to a purchase. Why aren't they?

This is simply bizarre.

[Old and In the Way]

10. Reminds me of the HP Printer business model.

Sell the printer cheap....make your money on the replacement cartridges. Makes me wonder how tight Big Oil is with Big Auto here. I'll bet we'd find that each is well represented on the board of directors for their combined companies.

And, as we know, Republicans preach "free market", but regulate to keep their interests in the driver's seat.

[Pithy Cherub]

6. The price of gas will be brutally efficient.

Allen is mind-controlled, thinks he should be pResident and has the intellectual strength of wet tissue paper. So the oil republicans are cannibalizing the car republicans...

[merwin]

7. So Commander Cuckoo Bananas wants alternative fuels, but not better

gas mileage? Wow...

[KansDem]

8. More GOP hyporcisy...

I think mothers and fathers can make those decisions themselves," said Republican George Allen of Virginia.

Really? You think so, George? Like decisions involving:

life
death
abortion
faith
health
marriage
peace
war
and every other "decision" you and your smarmy, corrupted Party has taken away from "mothers and fathers" in order to advance your "agenda."

[Straight Shooter]

9. The problem is people who can afford gas-guzzlers can afford gas costs.

They don't care. That person you see driving down the road in that monstrosity of ego-stroking called a Hummer, they don't give a rat's a** if they pay $2.00 or $4.00 per gallon of gas. They've got the money, and they don't care if everyone else on the road is paying for their privilege of driving something which causes more wear and tear on the road and is much more likely to kill or maim the occupants of any vehicle with which they collide.

Allen is stating a universal truth: Many people with money don't care.

I'm not saying all people with money are brutally without conscience. But for many, especially Repubs, it's all about me, me, me. IGMFU. (I've got mine, f*ck you.)

[megatherium]

12. All the megachurch parking lots are filled with SUVs

driven by people who have never been told that there may be a moral component to this issue -- they are guzzling a precious resource that is rapidly being depleted, and when that resource is gone, the suffering (particularly in developing countries) will be immense. It may be a form of gluttony to drive an SUV. A sin.

Oh, I guess there was the "What Would Jesus Drive" campaign not long ago. But the conservatives riduculed that off the news media quickly enough.

[Brooklyn Michael]

11. Auto makers have dug their own graves anyway

"Opponents said imposing a higher fuel standard would place further burdens on US automakers that are already suffering financially"

For years now, US auto makers have fallen behind the rest of the world in creating more energy-efficient cars. While I agree that making fuel efficiency changes would be a cost to them, I have no sympathy: it's their fault they didn't keep up with the changing market and, in fact, actually went out of their way to make LESS-fuel-efficient vehicles.

Now that we've already begun to see SUV sales falling, if US auto makers don't get with the program, a majority of Americans will start (or continue) buying foreign cars that ARE more fuel efficient. So it's either spend $$$ now to give the people what they want, or lose $$$$$ later when fewer people are buying the gas-guzzlers.

What's it gonna be?