One of the late Sen. Barry Goldwater’s favorite sayings was that “any government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.”
That Goldwater-ism remains in full force today, as the modern American state has become so big, its power so great, that virtually nothing is beyond its power.
Including…the humble light bulb. Some years back federal regulations killed off the incandescent light bulbs that light American households for a century. Their replacements were LED lights, which used a fraction of the electricity to generate the same, or more light.
They just cost more. But it was for our own good, so quiet, you.
But as the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Ben Lieberman writes, even the LED is not safe from a restless bureaucracy whose sole purpose is to regulate everything it can even more:
For the most common kinds of light bulbs, the current standard of 45 lumens per watt is now being tightened to 120 lumens per watt, which very few LED bulbs can meet. The light bulb market is complicated, with thousands of different versions available and multiple categories and features, but it appears that upwards of 99 percent of LEDs available today wouldn’t meet this standard when it takes effect in 2028. Even most of the bulbs currently awarded the federal government’s EnergyStar designation as being the most efficient ones on the market fall short of what will be required. The few bulbs that do meet the standard tend to be several dollars more expensive than the rest. For its part, DOE estimates the price for a typical pear-shaped light bulb rising from $2.98 to $5.68, an increase of $2.70 per bulb, or nearly 91 percent.
Not known is whether the high efficiency bulbs have any performance drawbacks, such as not lasting as long as the less efficient versions.
Regulators have several imperatives guiding their decisions. Among them is the profound impulse to be important. Important regulators get more funding to write more regulations, rinse and repeat.
But sometimes, regulation veers headlong into a wall of commonsense. Is there a measurable, long-term benefit for requiring even brighter LEDs? I suppose were one selling sunglasses for indoor use, then yes, the benefits could be enormous.
Here, however, the higher cost per bulb will overcome any supposed lighting benefit. Which means any benefits that may exist will fall to the bottom lines of the LED makers. Not the LED users.
Which brings us back to the Goldwater quote. Government is more than happy to require manufacturers give you more light than you can handle. But it’s going to cost you plenty. And as for cheaper substitutes? Better start stocking up on those right now….before government bans them like it did the old, reliable, inexpensive incandescent bulbs.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
READ NEXT: Bipartisan TikTok Ban Passage Shows Politicians’ True Masters
Former Senator’s Bold Warning Still Holds True Today
Kamala Harris’ 2005 Controversial Drug Policy Proposal Resurfaces
In 2005, then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris introduced a controversial proposal to delay prosecution of drug dealers until their third offense. The plan faced swift opposition and was quickly rejected by law enforcement officials.
Harris' proposal suggested that individuals caught selling narcotics would not face charges until they had been arrested for the same offense at least three times. The idea was part of a broader effort to reform the city's approach to drug crime, focusing resources on more serious offenders while.
Biden Admits Inflation Reduction Act Was Deceptively Named
Dick Cheney Endorses Kamala Harris, Calls Trump Greatest Threat To US Democracy
Ex-Clinton Pollster Rips Democrats For RFK Jr. Ballot Antics
Largest & Oldest Police Union In The Country Endorses Trump
One of the late Sen. Barry Goldwater’s favorite sayings was that “any government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.”
That Goldwater-ism remains in full force today, as the modern American state has become so big, its power so great, that virtually nothing is beyond its power.
Including…the humble light bulb. Some years back federal regulations killed off the incandescent light bulbs that light American households for a century. Their replacements were LED lights, which used a fraction of the electricity to generate the same, or more light.
They just cost more. But it was for our own good, so quiet, you.
But as the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Ben Lieberman writes, even the LED is not safe from a restless bureaucracy whose sole purpose is to regulate everything it can even more:
Regulators have several imperatives guiding their decisions. Among them is the profound impulse to be important. Important regulators get more funding to write more regulations, rinse and repeat.
But sometimes, regulation veers headlong into a wall of commonsense. Is there a measurable, long-term benefit for requiring even brighter LEDs? I suppose were one selling sunglasses for indoor use, then yes, the benefits could be enormous.
Here, however, the higher cost per bulb will overcome any supposed lighting benefit. Which means any benefits that may exist will fall to the bottom lines of the LED makers. Not the LED users.
Which brings us back to the Goldwater quote. Government is more than happy to require manufacturers give you more light than you can handle. But it’s going to cost you plenty. And as for cheaper substitutes? Better start stocking up on those right now….before government bans them like it did the old, reliable, inexpensive incandescent bulbs.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
READ NEXT: Bipartisan TikTok Ban Passage Shows Politicians’ True Masters
Norman Leahy
Kamala Harris’ 2005 Controversial Drug Policy Proposal Resurfaces
Search
follow us
subscribe
Trending Stories
ABC News Releases Rules For Trump-Harris Debate
ABC News released the rules that both RepublicanTim Walz Called ‘Coward,’ Military ‘Impersonator’ By Fellow Soldiers
ANALYSIS – Dishonorable veteran. I have been hittingWill China Retake Its Lost Lands In Russia’s Siberia?
ANALYSIS – It could happen. "May we liveDangerous Obsession: Secret Service Records Reveal DEI Is Top Priority For All Agency Employees In ‘Every Action, Every Day’
Despite being tasked with the critically-important task ofCommentary
Gun Controlling Brazil’s Ban On X And Free Speech Not Only Predictable But Inevitable
Biden Administration Uses ‘KKK Act’ To Charge Christians Protesting At Abortion Clinics
WEF Makes Another Move To Force Us Into Submission
Criminal Biden Speaks Out – His Latest Statement Will Make You Sick
Security
Report: Texas Oil Company Warns Employees Of Migrant Gangs As Attacks Surge
What Will US Military Leaders Do In An Election Crisis?
US Marines Join South Koreans In Major Amphibious Drill
Report: Justice Department Accuses Russia Of Election Interference, Announces Indictments
Foreign Affairs
Gun Controlling Brazil’s Ban On X And Free Speech Not Only Predictable But Inevitable
Blaze Media Fires Lauren Chen Over Allegations Of Taking Kremlin Cash
FBI Seizes Phones Of NYPD Commissioner, Top Aides In Expanding Probe Into NYC Mayor
Knives Out: After Virtually Outlawing Guns, UK Officials Now Coming After Knives
Business & economics
Biden Admits Inflation Reduction Act Was Deceptively Named
Services And Manufacturing Industries Facing Severe Challenges – What’s Behind The Numbers?
August Private Payrolls Rise By Just 99,000, Marking Smallest Gain Since 2021
Gas Prices Drop Sharply – The Canary In The Coal Mine For An Impending Economic Crisis
heath & science
James Darren, Known For ‘Gidget’ And ‘TJ Hooker,’ Dies At Age 88
Governor Youngkin’s ‘It Only Takes One’ Campaign Aims To Tackle Fentanyl Crisis
Zuckerberg Admits Regret Over Facebook’s COVID Collusion – See The Details
Vance: Trump Would Veto Any Federal Abortion Ban
American Liberty Arms
Former Rep. Gabbard On ‘No Fly List’ Should Concern All Gun Owners
California Gun Control Fails To Prevent 49ers Player From Being Shot, Nearly Killed
Comer Accuses Harris Team Of Possible Conspiracy In Glock Legal Battle
Naked Intruder’s Bizarre Standoff With LAPD Ends In A Blaze Of Bullets
At American Liberty News, we eschew the mainstream media’s tightly controlled narrative to provide our readers with real news, real insights, and the means to take action. We seek out insightful coverage – and partner with knowledgeable and experienced people and organizations to bring you the information and insight our readers demand.
We humbly seek to provide the tools and information necessary for our readers to decide for themselves what is true and what is right.
TOP TAGS
TOP CATEGORIES
FEATURES
American Liberty News ©2022
Evolution Digital Media | 1900 Reston Metro Plz | Suite 600 | Reston, VA 20190