Some might plausibly argue that the only true roll-back of government under Republicans following the takeover in ‘94 was doing away with the federally-mandated 55 mph national speed limit. Well, since they’ve screwed everything else up since then, why not wipe out this crowning achievement as well, right?
“Republican Senator John Warner of Virginia has asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to calculate what speed would provide optimum gasoline efficiency under current technology,” reported Fox News yesterday. “In a letter to Bodman, Warner cited studies that show the 55-mile per hour national speed limit saved 167-thousand barrels of oil a day - after it was imposed by Congress in 1974 because of the Arab oil embargo. The letter read ‘one could assume that the amount of fuel that could be conserved today is far greater.’”
Republicans are their own worst enemies.
Posted on July 8th, 2008 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: National
Been there, done that, &%$#@*^$%#@! ever doing it again, and the same for Reich-marshall Warner!
During the first phony oil shortage I had a car with true overdrive, which I could not use at the lower speed limit, so I actually got WORSE mileage.
Overdrive is now common, most newer cars have some form of it, Mr Warner needs to butt out!
Chuck, I found a more detailed report on this RINO loon’s brilliant solution.
Your post did not reveal the full extent of his stupidity.
He also wants to outlaw all “non-essential” driving, complete with travel permits and a new bureaucracy to issue them!
This is not just anti-Republican, or not conservative, it crosses the line to outright fascism!
With “Republican” liberals like this on our side it’s no wonder we’ve lost so many recent special elections, and are no longer respected as a party.
Here’s the short article and link!
http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm
Senator Calls for Halt to Automobile Travel as Oil Conservation Measure
Senator John Warner (R-Virginia) suggested that Congress consider banning unnecessary automobile travel in order to help save gasoline.
“In 1974, when we faced oil prices of $12 per barrel, Congress set a national 55 mph speed limit,” Warner remembered. “Studies showed that this saved 167,000 barrels of oil per day and reduced highway fatalities by an estimated 4,000 per year. Now, with oil prices more than ten-times higher we need more drastic action.”
Under Warner’s proposal all non-essential automobile travel would be banned. A “Bureau of Travel Permits” would be established within the Department of Transportation and charged with determining what travel would qualify as “essential.”
Preliminary discussions have indicated that travel by government officials would easily qualify as essential. Most trips by private citizens are expected to be accomplished via public transit. Carpools of five or more may be granted temporary permits subject to periodic audits of the participating members.
“Considering that about 90% of the travel is likely non-essential—I mean, only a small fraction of the population has truly important reasons for going by car—we could save 18 million barrels of oil daily,” Warner calculated. “We’d also reduce highway fatalities by around 35,000 a year. Our air would be cleaner. And we’d save billions by cutting back on roadway construction.”
Warner apologized for “not getting this brilliant idea sooner,” but expressed gratitude “for the high prices that have enabled me to finally see the light.”
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This idiot should be recalled, we’ve been being compelled to try to “Conserve” our way out of oil “shortages” for decades, while our population and new demands for energy continue to grow.
The internet alone consumes more energy than this fool’s plan would conserve, and it wasn’t around in the 70’s, so maybe he would like to ban it too, or establish a federal commission to decide who should have access?
Drill HERE, drill NOW, drill EVERYWHERE the oil is available!
While I don’t disagree with the notion that it’s time for Sen. Warner to be put out to pasture, the reference you cite above is from a satirical website. It’s not true.
Richard,
Would you be surprised to learn that even since 2001 over fifty percent of the Outer Continental Shelf has been leased for oil and gas exploration with another twenty five percent scheduled through 2011? That’s right, since 2001 an additional 900,000,000 million acres of the Shelf’s 1.76 billion acres has been leased! So, where is the oil? Understand and know that US consumes 24 million barrels a day, or 9.17 billion barrels a year and the Interior Dept says there is only 21 billion barrels of know reserves. Go to the Mineral Management Services website and read the news releases yourself. I didn’t know until I read about this on the R-J blogs.
Dude, the world has passed peak oil! Denial doesn’t change the fact. Denial leaves you at the whim of others-and they have nothing to offer. Better be growing you own food, gettin your own source of energy and water…..the standard of living in America in the 1930’s is coming back…it’s why your parents and grand parents told you about the Great Depression!
From The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics section on Natural Resources:
“In 1891, for example, the U.S. Geological Survey stated that there was little chance that oil would be found in Kansas or Texas. Since then, 14 billion barrels of oil have been produced from just those two states.”
“In 1914 an official of the U.S. Bureau of Mines claimed that the total future U.S. production would be 5.7 billion barrels. In fact, production has already been six times that figure.”
“In 1920 the director of the Geological Survey said that peak annual crude production had almost been reached. By 1948 annual U.S. production was four times its 1920 level.”
“Finally, in one of the most astoundingly wrong predictions, the Interior Department stated in 1939 that U.S. oil supplies would run out in thirteen years. Of course, over sixty years later, the United States is still producing oil.”
I guess the following statements should be added to the entry:
“Dude, the world has passed peak oil! Denial doesn’t change the fact. Denial leaves you at the whim of others-and they have nothing to offer.” [Dave Shaw]
“Game over, man, game over. What are we gonna do now??? What the #$%& are we gonna do now???” [Bill Paxton, Aliens]
I apologize for not realizing the post I was directed to by another site was “satirical” and “humor”.
I cannot apologize for being so outraged with our current congress that I found the link entirely credible.
I saw less clear satire than an explanation of what we can expect from a little extrapolation of current Big Government trends.
Oh, and Dave shaw, I’m not buying your doom scenario.
We have MANY ways to produce oil, drilling is the most efficient, and has to be continued until other technologies mature.
Oil Shale, Thermal Depolymerization, Tar Sands, Switchgrass conversion, NUCLEAR, Hydrogen, etc.
Until the commitment is made to build the infrastructure supporting “alternative” energy it will remain pie in the sky.
Drill here, drill NOW, and earmark the excise tax’s for development of new technologies if you have to.