YAY California found another way to waste money!

[FitzIngarage]

Curious that Rueters neglects to mention that California Democrat State Attorney General Bill Lockyer is seeking re-election. Just like New York's Attourney General Eliot Spitzer, Lockyer is seeking to put his name in spotlights and fill empty state coffers with booty confiscated from businesses through lawsuits.

New York State had ruinous laws in place that forced auto manufacturers to pay lawsuit damages on accidents involving leased vehicles! The manufacturers have much deeper pockets than an insurance company. The manufactuers responded by no longer leasing vehicles in New York. Very cool. Some time later, with little notice from the media, New York reversed the law and provided normalcy. By the way, New York also filed a suit similar to California's and it was thrown out of court.

I cannot understand how thinking people elect lawmakers like these.

[nswelton]

the reason this suit was filed in the first place was because the auto industry is litigating emmission control legislation that was approved by a mid-term republican. you can call lockyer's actions political manuevering if you want, and you might be right. but the basis for this suit is now several years old.

technology exists for cleaner cars and trucks, but the auto industry -- as well as a lot of other industries -- don't want to make any expenditures that will cut into profit margins. cars are not a scapegoat for environmental problems; cars are an integral cause of them. there's no scapegoating going on here.

making a usable public transportation is a great idea, but the car culture is so pervasive in southern california that it will take something drastic -- maybe $5.00/gal gasoline -- to force people to use it. i hope we see that soon.

i'll ride my bike as much as i can, ride a 85 mpg scooter when i can't, and will drive my truck when no other options exist.

[sandiegan05fronty]

Originally Posted by nswelton

making a usable public transportation is a great idea, but the car culture is so pervasive in southern california that it will take something drastic -- maybe $5.00/gal gasoline -- to force people to use it. i hope we see that soon.

Don't know that $5/gallon will help......Public transportation is not cheap....The buses will have to pay the higher gas price therefore, the bus riders will have to pay more to utilize the bus system......

[nswelton]

There are more creative ways to power public transportation than to just buy more petrol at whatever the going rate is for consumers. Diesel buses can use biodiesel and cities can build bio-diesel brewing infrastructure. Then public transport can take advantage of $1.50 to $2.50 per gallon gas. Even if cities don't build infrastructure, they can still buy regular biodiesel at $3.15 a gallon -- same price as regular gas -- and maybe even get a contract with a supplier to get it at wholesale, which would be even cheaper. Sure, increasing petrol prices would create more demand for biodiesel, and biodiesel prices might go up, but there are easy ways to mitigate such a situation. Regardless, even if gas did go up to $5 a gallon, a bus fare might increase 10 cents. BFD.

[Mainerunr]

Originally Posted by nswelton

technology exists for cleaner cars and trucks, but the auto industry -- as well as a lot of other industries -- don't want to make any expenditures that will cut into profit margins. cars are not a scapegoat for environmental problems; cars are an integral cause of them. there's no scapegoating going on here.

scapegoating...yup. this planet works on cycles, always has. was warmer 14 million years ago than it is now, was warmer 500 years ago than it is now.

as for the auto industry having the technology...given the trouble that ford and GM are in, dont you think they'd be sellling it if they had it? if they had a technology that would allow a significant improvement in fuel economy, they wouldnt have to discount their vehicles so much and they could actually make a profit when they sell a car. hell, the only reason they make flex fuel vehicles is because they get a credit on their fleet CAFE figure for doing it.