But with the introduction of the W, Rove and Co to our beloved and treasured institution known as the Executive Branch, there has been a systematic deconstruction of the supposed, albeit theoretical, wall between Church and State. This degradation of the system our forefathers so bravely interdicted into the Constitution is neither righteous nor appropriate. But how did I get on this rant?
Turns out, Mr. Bush is asking us once again to lead by faith alone and trust him that his way is the "right" way. I don't know about you, but I'm getting dramatically tired of people suggesting that I swallow leadership by faith over fact and public policy set in the ether rather than driven by real concrete evidence and proper planning. How about you?
...But all Mr. Bush really asked for was the authority to set mileage standards in a different way. Rather than requiring companies to meet an average fuel-efficiency standard, balancing gas savers against gas guzzlers, he would assign targets model by model, based on factors like size and weight.Follow the money and you will find who benefits from increased CAFE standards - middle class Americans or Big Oil and Auto interests? Funny, I seem to remember that the Model T used to get about 25 mpg. Why are we not getting 100 mpg these days?
As for what those new targets might be, Mr. Bush would leave it to his secretary of transportation to decide. And he asked the country to take it on faith that this new measurement system, combined with technological advances, would lead to annual mileage improvements of 4 percent a year.
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I don't care if it rains or freezes
'Long as I got my plastic Jesus
Riding on the dashboard of my car
Through my trials and tribulations
And my travels through the nations
With my plastic Jesus I'll go far
''[T]he Model T used to get about 25 mpg''
That's because it only went about 25MPH.
Modern EFI vehicles today are as efficient as they can be given their weight and engine displacement. Like other 'free' lunches, there is no gas mileage free lunch. The only way to get better mileage is by building/buying lighter vehicles with smaller engines. We already have variable valve timing to make engines more efficient at different RPM, and we now put some cyclinders to sleep in large engines when their additional displacement isn't needed. A gallon gas has a limited amount of energy. There is no magic pill that you can put in your tank.
Lower speed limits would increase gas mileage. But lower speed limits would also increase commuting time. Since life consists of nothing but time, lower speed limits are in effect, Death by the mile.
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