I didn’t think California’s red pen-pushers could come up with one more absurd, insane, nanny-state regulation.
I was so wrong.
In the face of economic collapse, you’d think California would be concentrating on ways to attract business to grow their economy and tax base.
Instead, the eco-Nazis are drumming up more ways to stifle The Warming. (which they must not have gotten the memo about, because it’s not warming anymore!)
Plasma tvs. Turns out they’re evil energy hogs. Especially those over 40 inches. So, the California Energy Commission is considering a ban on what they define as non-energy efficient models. Which is about 25% of all tvs sold in California.
But is it really ALL about the energy?
From Hot Air,
Who is supporting these proposals?
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the LCD Manufacturers Association, television component manufacturers such as 3M and Agoura; television manufacturer Vizio, and all three major California electric utility companies (Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison) endorse the proposed regulations. Many well-known retailers including Wal*Mart, Sears, Costco, Sam’s Club, and Frys have all agreed to emphasize selling energy efficient TVs. Additionally, a recent survey showed California households overwhelmingly (89%) want their next television to be more energy efficient.
In other words, it’s a protection racket for LCD manufacturers. They want the state to intervene in the market, as plasma currently undercuts the price for LCDs. Eventually, LCDs will win this format war anyway, as plasmas have more propensity for burn-in and don’t last as long as LCDs. However, consumers should make that decision, not the state.
So if you’re in the market for big screen TV, now might be the time to buy. The regulations are expected to be approved this summer.
And what will happen when the regulations go into effect? California consumers will buy their TVs from on-line retailers out of state, which will force electronics retailers to close, jobs to disappear, and tax revenues to drop. The economy will continue to decline, budgets will continue to show shortfalls, and the California legislature will continue to press for more tax increases. In other words, it will be business as usual for the increasingly anti-business Golden State.
