An Out Of Control Government
Jan 10, 2012 Political
Suppose the federal government required all people in the US to buy clothing impregnated with a special fire retardant and that failure to buy clothing with the fire retardant would result in a $1000 fine. It would be bad enough that the government required us to have such things in our clothes but now suppose that the fire retardant did not exist.
That’s right. The government requires you to buy clothing with a substance in it that does not exist and then fines you when you are unable to do the impossible.
Not many Americans would stand for this kind of nonsense so Big Dog, how could you even suggest such a silly thing? The government would never require people to use something that does not exist and then fine them when they were unable to do so.
Not so. The federal government will receive about $6.8 million in fines (for 2011) assessed to oil companies because they failed to mix a biofuel additive in with their gasoline and diesel. The companies expect to pay even more this year for failing to use the biofuel.
The problem is, the biofuel does not exist outside of labs. It has not been developed for use so it cannot be used but that has not stopped the government from assessing penalties on companies because they cannot possibly meet the demands the government has placed on them.
Penalizing the fuel suppliers demonstrates what happens when the federal government really, really wants something that technology is not ready to provide. In fact, while it may seem harsh that the Environmental Protection Agency is penalizing them for failing to do the impossible, the agency is being lenient by the standards of the law, the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. NYT
This is absolutely ridiculous and clearly demonstrates an out of control government. This is what happens when government mandates compliance with things that are not yet possible or will not be when compliance laws take effect. This is the same problem we will face if government mandates movement to certain “green” energy sources by specific dates and then those not yet invented sources do not come to be.
I would imagine the oil companies will take legal action to keep from paying a penalty that they cannot possibly avoid.
If not then how long will it be before we are all held hostage to the impossible demands of an impossibly inept government?
Cave canem
Never surrender, never submit.
Tags: biofuel, fines, foolish government, impossible demands, oil companies, penalties, tyranny