More insane regulations coming our way?
Rumor has it the US will soon be requiring electronic stability control on all vehicles, both SUVs and cars, sold in the US. While I think these are generally good things to have, I would not mandate them.
When do they stop with these regulations? And why do they constantly go after the most complex technologies they can find instead of looking at the root cause of most accidents?
The government has yet to do anything about driver training and testing, so that people can drive for 80 years on a license and eyesight test. There are no Federal-level mandated periodic safety checks for automobiles. Headlight rules are woefully out of date and barely enforced, so that drivers can frequently be blinded by cars with powerful and mis-aimed headlights, or even by cars with regular headlights because of the obsolete light pattern (designed at a time of dimmer headlights). There don’t seem to be any rules at all about fog lights and ancillary lights. Even standard brake lights rob drivers of their night vision. Likewise, minivans and SUVs come standard with black glass so you can’t see through them as in the days of old - when conditions on the road were easier to predict because you could see much farther ahead. But all these things are too cheap and too easy to fix. No, we need technology.
We could also look at the things we know to be very dangerous - cell phones and badly designed navigation or sound systems. NHTSA could work with automakers and aftermarket stereo folk to make stereos easy to use without looking, and without thinking. The police could actually enforce the few cellphone laws. These things would not only greatly decrease direct accidents, but would cut down dramatically on road rage, thereby reducing “indirectly caused” accidents.
But no, we need electronic stability control. On every single car made. Camrys and Corollas, Calibers and Caravans.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were trying to give government a bad name. And probably they are. That’s been one of the key strategies of the anti-regulation politicos - well, the ones without morals, anyway. It’s better to keep on regulating, but to make the regulations as daft as possible, so people get angry at big government and decide it’s better to do without it, and to trust private industry. (Which we have tried before, and found ourselves with private armies shooting at women and children in the street for daring to picket; with drugs that killed people instead of curing them; with ads that were insanely false; and with banks that were far less trustworthy than mattresses.)
Either way, this is a rule that gets my ire up, and I’m hoping it doesn’t go through.
ESP IS A GOOD SECURITY VALUE ADD FOR CARS, HOWEVER, TRACCION CONTROL IT WOULD BE BETTER
TO BE MANDATORY, DUE THE LARGE CRACHES ON SUPERHIGHWAYS DOURING THE WINTER, I ENTIRELY
AGREE ABOUT ENFORCING THE CELL PHONE REGULATIONS.
JUST REMEMBER THAT APARENTLY U.S. GOVERMENT HATES U.S. CAR INDUSTRY, AND EVERY NEW LAW
AIMS “APARENTLY” TO GM,FoMoCo and DCX.
I ALSO WISH THAT LAW DOESN´T GO THROUGH
ESP includes traction control.
Thanks for your agreement.
I also thought about other issues - like France’s old yellow-headlight rule (very nice!!) and the huge number of child-deaths caused by people running over kids (often their own) in the driveway. Seems to me those backup indicators would make more sense in a death-prevention sense than ESP, especially with all these cars and SUVs where you can’t see anything behind you.
Yeah, or the high intensity blue Xenon Lights that even at day hurt your eyes and sight of the road when driveing in a two way road. there are better ways to make our roads safer.
Make government look bad? When did government ever look good? Has anyone taken just a few seconds to consider all the alphabet agencies that your tax dollars support? And the limited customer service that you get when you request something from one of them? Social Security that makes you feel like you are picking their pocket when you ask for your benefits even after working 40 years for them….. and it takes 6 months to get it started. Department of Labor that is so lousey that the personnel turn over rate is 30% a year, and this is the agency that is supposed to protect you, and they can’t even retain good people on their own. The ATF that goes around jacking up ligitmate business people because they are offering home made products, threatening their livlihood and costing them hundreds in legal fees. The TSA that can’t seem to make up it’s mind on just who is a terrorist and settle on a comprehensive security program, with already in place technology, instead flopping around on every knee jerk incident along with a preventive rate that is no better than the private outfits it replaced. The FDA that can’t react to a e-coli outrbreak in time to prevent death and untold sickness with long term ramifications. The USDA that doesn’t have enough punch to stop contamination in meat plants without a court ordered overview. The FBI that is so riddled with self concern that it is a wonder that anything gets solved, and usually only when they have violated the law to get the case evidence. And the oversight of all is Congress that has a public approval rating of 19% today, and about to tank with the scandel over the Foley business. Government look bad? Oh yes, it has done a nice job of self destruction all on it’s own. And if anyone believes that it is ultruistic, and there to benefit you, please pass your feel good stuff around to the rest of us. Just consider the IRS, and how many people really love that agency. Given too much influence, power, and distinct lack of oversight. It costs too much, and they keep making more insane regulations for the sake of just showing that they have some purpose. Better that we institute a 5 year moritorium on any more regulations, laws and the like (except immediate public safety concerns) and clean up the draconian hodge-podge mixture of unimaginable unenforcible, lackadasical, inexiple statutes that currently exist to control YOU! A government that doesn’t trust it’s people is a government the people can’t trust!
Come out of your shell Curtis and tell us how you really feal. :)
I agree. although it’s just more of the same old. Antilock brakes, tire pressure warnings — we luckily avoided the
various sensors designed to prevent people from leaving their kids in the car.
I’ve been a tech guy all of my life, but it has to make sense. We’re trying to take all of the judgement out of driving.
– only you can’t get there. Barring automated cars, the driver has to handle some of the issues — but all of these systems isolate him/her from the ‘feel’ of the car. Then suddenly, the bored and distracted driver has to deal with a situation that the systems can’t handle — and disaster.
My favorite example of this is 4WD SUVs. At the slightest hint of trouble, drivers put them in 4 wheel, and race down the highway. Now suddenly there’s black ice — no traction is available. The vehicle slides, but then it hits a solid spot and the drive wheels dig in - hard!(it’s 4wd remember). Now the top heavy thing rolls. If the moron drivers knew what they were about, they would have left it in 2WD, and cruised a bit slower.
Again, I believe in tech, but people still have to know what they’re doing. I’d like a switch on almost any active
vehicle control system to switch it off when needed. ( I’d love to kill my antilocks sometimes). The systems are
complex, their operating parameters are fixed and not known or adjustable, and we have only their internal diagnostics
to verify that they’re OK. Not to mention the scenarios not envisioned by the designers.
And drivers need to be trained — and tested. I consider myself only an average driver ( if I’m honest — most of us think we’re above average — not possible). But I’ve always liked cars, and when I first started driving, I spent a little time on a frozen lake. It’s helped me many times over the years. You get to know that “turn in the direction of
the skid” really works. Anyway, we don’t need to turn out a nation of NASCAR or F1 drivers, but a little appreciation of
what’s happening would be good. I didn’t need the warning label on my Blazer to know that it might roll — it felt
like it would!
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it
Agreed, Harry J.
Curtis, FWIW, Reagan just about killed the ability of agencies like the FDA, USDA, OSHA, and the EPA to do their job when he made un-announced inspections illegal and canned most of the inspectors. They still suck up money but their effectiveness is pretty low. Had we maintained the level of enforcement at Nixon-era levels, you wouldn’t see all those E. Coli strains… or any of the other toxins that make their way into food becuase of the careless industry practice. (And it was FAR worse before the government stepped in! which is why they did.)
CJ, you have no idea of the repulsion I feel towards the agencies that are supposed to be of service to the people. The levels of government is absoultely INSANE. They permeate every single facet of everyone’s life in some insidious ways. Make a move and you probably have violated some law, regulation, government entreaty, or somehow evaded paying a fee, or a tax on whatever it is you did!
If Mr Reagan accomplished the things you said he did, David, then I am sure he had some good reasons. However, the insipid dolts elected to Congress surely botched whatever it was that he was trying to do. I would believe he intended to put more power into reliable, regular, attainable enforcement rather than the lackadasical hit or miss approach practiced with dull regularity in the agencies today. Government seeks not well qualified individuals, instead finding, and doing it’s level best in keeping well qualifed, absolute mediocre individuals, so as to not risk being accused of favoritism or prejudices for people that actually want to work at their jobs! The upsetting part is that administration, after administration does nothing to challenge these entrenched fat cats in bureaus hidden behind union work rules that border on insanity. Not faulting unions, they surely have their worth and their place. It is just that somehow, when it comes to government it goes batty beyond comprehension. We need a top to bottom end over end review to determine just what it is the agency is truly charged with doing, and then a very critical complete operational evaluation down to the newest hired clerk, to see if they can do what is expected, and change that which is not needed or not working or lacks service to the customers. There is also the prospect of things like HR 25, the Fair Tax that will serve the people well, and shake the dullards hiding behind bureaucracy. I love it because it restores power back to the people where the Constitution intended it to be, and it kills off the worst of the government agencies. That would be a good beginning.
Reagan simply wanted to eliminate any agency charged with protecting the public, while decreasing oversight of any spying/”defense” agency. He supported the CIA’s efforts to train and arm terrorists in South America and Afghanistan, but hated the EPA, OSHA, FDA, and USDA. I have absolutely no respect for Reagan; he ran up incredible budgets and most of the increase was pure waste. His devious way of disarming protective agencies was contemptible and resulted in us spending hundreds of millions of dollars for no return. Though he was derided constantly in his time as VP, Al Gore did a hell of a lot more to try to do exactly what you said - cut through the entrenched bureaucracy and get results. The “liberal media” rarely reported on those efforts but I saw a lot of work around defining goals and trying to measure and meet them more effectively reported in the organizational development sub-media. At least for a couple of years that work was continued by the Bush administration, to its credit, though they changed the names; that effort was replaced though by a senseless demand for privatization which has led to the United States using hired thugs in Iraq at great expense to our wallets and to our reputation. (There are other, more serious, and more long-lasting ill effects of “privatization for privatization’s sake.”)
I’ll give credit happily to Nixon for his good deeds, to Eisenhower, and to Gerald Ford and the first George Bush, but I’m not going to give credit to Reagan for the things he claimed to be doing - since he consistently said one thing and did the opposite.
Perhaps, but it sounds like the consummate politician to me. And FWIW, they are virtually interchangable. Demicans, and Republicrats. None of them care about the public. They care about power. The bureaucracy we support to act in our behalf could give one hoot. They exist to collect a paycheck, and like their politico buddies, to stay in position and power. The call for privatization continues, and not from the administration so much as from members of Congress, like John Mica of Winter Park FL, who wants to return to the “good old days” and let private security outfits, operated by the airlines and the member airports once again take over passenger and baggage from the TSA. What he is not saying is the tremendous amount of money waiting in the wings to fund these outfits available from Congress, and of course the outpouring of support for certain people’s re-election efforts. Al Gore? I thought he was busy inventing the internet? But, I find anything coming from government in any means contemptible. Because it is NOT the government for the people. It is government out of control, and slowly falling in upon itself. Without a full restoration, I didn’t say revolution, but a fall back to complete accountability to the electorate, the Republic is going to fade as surely as other empires of old have done throughout history.
If your only retort is that old lie about Al Gore claiming to invent the Internet…it never happened. A quote was taken out of context and, more importantly, ALTERED to make him look like a liar.
If you really believe that, I hope you will be voting for the people who have made a leg of their platform eliminating the electronic-only voting machines in favor of machines that leave paper records. Electronic voting has been used for fraud already, and will only get worse, since there is no control at all - and in some cases, the machines are made and sold by felons.
I am aware of the situation concerning Mr. Gore. I just couldnt hold myself back to tossing it out there. Much is spun by both parties. Much is untrue from both parties. You cannot descern the truth by listening to ANY POLITICON! The system is so preverted that there is only money or power or both that is sought by most office seekers. Look at the drivel that comes out as legislation. Those with the money get the legislation. Who seeks to protect the people? Neither party. The standard line is to take from the rich and distributate to the poor. Only Robin Hood was admired for doing that. Ultruistic intent, yes, however, the cut out occurs when it gets into the public treasury, and Congress girds itself with billions of dollars in pork, in a festival of spending unrivaled in history. Tearing at the Republic’s roots, bearing poisoned fruits. Electronic voting machines hardly represent the tip of the spear of fraud. Every single method of voting has been comprimised, and fraught with fraud over the years. Paper trail? Sure, go out and count the thousands of headstones from the large cemetary that voted in a paper ballot, and continue to do so. Vote, and then vote often…. pm the same day for the same guy using paper ballots. Then too, using paper ballots you can challenge their validity, and get them thrown out, such as the hundreds of military ballots from overseas for the minutia of obscure regulations. Scanning machines? Same thing. Who scans the scanner? Paper ballot goes through, and if a mark is placed in the right spot then it could tally as much as a 100 votes, or more for that person. Vote? Is there a viable third party or Libertarian that is running? That is who needs the votes. The Republicrat or the Demoican doesn’t need any more false trust or power to steal, defraud, or evade doing the public’s work.
Curtis, I hope you understood my comment was in jest. Being a non-American, my understanding of the different levels of government is slim to non.
Yes, of course CJ. I appreciated it, even if my ire is up at arms. Probably due to the mess in Congress, and the upcoming fiasco called an “election” next month. The fact may be that you as a welcome visitor may have a deeper understanding of the system in the US than a whole lot of people that get to cast ballots here.
As you mentioned the “election” next month. I have noticed the campaign commercials a lot more this time around. Dirty dirty commercials. You talk about mud slinging. I can’t believe the depth that people will go to trash their opponent. No wonder people don’t vote. They have nothing to do with any issues for the most part. It really has turned me off to for any politician. Incredible.
To that trashy depth and beyond. Yet they are rewarded by being elected. However, to strenthen my argument, when the election is done, all involved shake hands and conduct business as usual. Republicrat or Demoican. It makes little difference what party comes to the fore.
I will point out that the last two presidential candidates from the Democrat side resorted to dirty ads only as a last resoirt, while the Republican strategy has been to start out dirty and get even dirtier. I haven’t seen any Democrat smearing a Republican like the Republicans went after distinguished war veterans on the other side - not just Kerry but also that guy who lost the use of all four limbs in the war.
What’s more, the entire Republican national election fund was committed far in advance to a purely negative campaign - long before the first Democrat attack ad (not that I’ve seen one yet.)
Tom Kean - you remember him, right? - started out with a bunch of telephone calls “from an independent polling agency” which started out neutral and then reminded us many times that Menendez has been accused of wrongdoing (by a Republican prosecutor, oddly enough) while Tom Kean is the great American from the 9/11 Commission. He is also one of the architects of that series of lies called The Path to 9/11, an especially shameful abuse of the terrorist attacks which shifts blame from the guy who didn’t care to the guy who tried, and a really scummy governor who left the state with a massive budget deficit and a bloated deficit.
No, the two sides are NOT equally bad. Yes, the two sides are BOTH bad. But if you ask me whether I’d rather have Hitler or Alexander Hamilton (or some other mildly but not totally evil historical figure), I’d pick Hamilton, thank you, even though he tried to make American into a monarchy and tried to cheat John Adams out of the presidency.
PS> Isn’t it interesting in the Foley sex scandal that the Republican National Committee was informed of everything a year in advance and chose to hush it up?
Sure, but the Democrats only criticise and point fingers of blame, yet have nothing to offer to make changes that will benefit the country. Perhaps the Republicans did have the information about Foley a year ago, however, it does not excuse the Democrats who had it over three years ago, and leaked it to ABC news 18 months ago, only to make sure it was released just prior to the election. I say it again. Neither party is of much worth. Beyond any shadow of doubt each party is just as bad as the other. Neither can go to the moral high ground, NEITHER party. The election isn’t even over, and you have Nancy Polesi, running around makeing ill advised statements about TAX INCREASES already, when she becomes Speaker. Now that is outrageous. Wouldn’t you think she would be more conerned in making certain that the ethics committe is fixed so that another Foley is prevented? Taxes? NOW?? Clean up the act first, won’t ya? And now we have Senator Harry Reid making literally a triple of his orginal investment, a million on a land deal that he just happened to forget to mention to Congressional regulators, and won’t answer questions about it. He didn’t do anything any different than Randy Cunningham did, and Cunningham is serving 8 years for it. I can’t believe how swarmy things are, however, the true fear to watch out for is continued voter apathy, because folks, it can, and take this to heart, it WILL get much worse if the people don’t act to stop it. Least you forget, the wolf is at the door, and if we don’t defeat the enemies we are currently engaged with, we WILL be fighting them right here at home. We can’t afford to loose.
1) Democrats only criticize. Have you visited their web site, where youc an get their full platform? Perhaps it’s the “liberal media” that never reports their actual positions and platform.
2) The Republicans did have that news; the Democrats as far as I know did not have it 18 months ago, and if they leaked it to ABC 18 months ago, whyd id ABC not run it?
3) As for tax increases, I’d hope so. How long can you borrow and borrow? The tab has to be paid eventually, and the sooner the better.
4) How do you know Polesi hasn’t been making recommednations on changes to the ethics committee? You only read what the newspaper reports, right? Remember that first Bush election? There was a videotaped confession aired on the BBC-TV by one of the guys who fixed the Florida results, and that never made it to the USA newspapers.
5) Yes, Harry Reid and many other Congressmen are certainly guilty of sleazy acts - but not quite as sleazy, again, as starting a war with profit as the sole motivation, refusing to provide aid before a hurricane when it would be useful and then funneling aid after the hurricane to chosen no-bid companies that they’ve invested in, or revealing the identity of an active CIA spy (and their cover operation) for political gain.
There IS a difference. Both are sleazy; but it’s like saying that a felony is the same as a misdemeanor.
Sorry Dave, can’t agree with you less. There is no difference. We all know why ABC didn’t run with the story. They wanted saved until now for as much influence peddling as they could contrive out it all. Again, no agreement about taxes. The burden is way too high already. HR 25 needs to be passed and the IRS and the current income confiscation system eliminated. The debt is way too high, however, recall that Clinton balanced his budget on the single largest tax increase in the country’s history, despite all the hoopla about his remake of welfare and going centrist about money. The GAO this week just reported however, that the Federal Debt will be cut by half, and three years sooner than predicted. Borrowing? That is the very concept and the crowning achievement of having the Federal Reserve System. It will never go away. The media is absolutely liberal in it’s outlook. The problem there is the influence of the huge media owning moguls, as well as the undue interference of people like George Soros who has his own agenda which is suspicious. Probably seeking to be king or something. Polosei is too busy running around crowing tax increase to be bothered with items that might affect the ethics committee. The Democrat platform is nothing but words. Troop “realignments.” Which is nothing more than “withdrawal.” A huge mistake right now. “Funding increases” which means “TAX more.” Their is no real answer to the mess we are in, no leadership, and no guidance to get there. The Democrat party has been hi-jacked and taken over by the far left shills exemplified like Howard Dean the DNC leader. The BBC? You trust the BBC for anything? The original “lets make it all up to look like the real thing” people? The so called Florida confession was later proved conclusively to have been bought and paid for by the very same folks through three or four outside parties that were traced back to an “unamed” money source. Probably George Soros again. Dave, do you not see what is occurring? By division created by the spinmeisters employed (and very well paid) by both political entities, the results are nothing more than arguments with no resolution. I am not engaged to split whether it is a good thing to accept a misdemeanor or a felony. To me they are both criminal acts, and smack, as in criminal behavior patterns, of deeper undiscovered things that probably would sicken us all if disclosed! I seek a consensous that the two party system is so corrupt it is berift of any further support by any one in any way. That this country is in such deep trouble, immediate corrective action BY THE PEOPLE to redress the ills must be initiated. Congress is so dead locked in maintenance of their positions they are not responsible to the people anymore, and Congressman could care less only seeking to continue in their positions, smacking away the corruption garnering untold millions for themselves at our expense. Sleaze is sleaze and should not be tolerated on any level in any way in our public institutions.