The San Jose Mercury news reports that the California legislature has pulled over Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on the good intention-paved road to Hell. If that sounds confusing, that's because it is. The headline: Sen. Dean Florez, D-Bakersfield accused the Governator of rigging state contracts to favor GM products. The story behind the story: federal laws forced the state to buy alternative-fuel vehicles; only "flex-fuel" Chevrolet Impalas and Silverado pickups met the contract requirements. (So Kalifornia bought 1,138 of 'em.) The story behind the story that's behind the story: there's no place to fuel these vehicles with E85, save a privately owned station in San Diego (that the state doesn't use). When confronted with the facts, Florez wanted to know why the State didn't apply for a waiver that would have allowed them to buy "real" green machines. The man who OK'ed the contract had a simple reply: "Demand creates supply." Who knew?
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In California, we still call him “Der Gropinator.” Affectionately, of course. Always with affection.
Who does Dean prefer? More accurately, which auto company funds Dean’s re-election?
Figures “Flex-Fuel” was a code-word for taxpayer handout.
GM green machine in the photo? Isn’t that a Tesla roadster? Though the headlights remind me of the Koenigsegg.
3 news items up we have “Pelosi’s (D-California) CAFE Crusade Bites the Hands of UAW.” Sounds like an even score to me. Every time a rule changes or an action is taken, someone is going to complain.
If anything, California must be the state LEAST favorable to the big 2.5. Between relatively high fuel prices, tougher emissions rules, Prius lanes for commuting (no big 2.5 vehicle qualifies), etc, a big 2.5 car is a rare site indeed around here. Even the big 2.5 trucks aren’t quite as common as they are in other parts of the country.
One move would be to start using these vehicles with E85 all the time so we don’t have to have ethanol added for the rest of the vehicles, but can still maintain our corn-grower subsidy quota.