Tomorrow we'll wear stupid hats, get drunk, and say good riddance to 2006. I'll be glad when I can look back at a year again and not say good riddance. Until then, so long you lousy year.
There's reason to think that 2007 will be better. President Bush has been politically hamstrung with a democratic majority in both houses. Nancy Pelosi has said that impeachment's 'off the table,' but it's really difficult to see how any real investigation into just about anything -- from the long string of lies leading to the Iraq war, to the use of propaganda against the american people, to government corruption, to domestic spying -- won't turn up real crimes. It may be that justice, not to mention the people, will demand impeachment.
Take this fun little story, currently flying under the radar as all the famous, infamous, and unknown dead people suck up all the media attention.
L.A. Times:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cleared the way for automakers to produce hydrogen-powered fuel-cell cars to meet zero-emission vehicle requirements in California and 10 other states.
In a waiver signed last week, EPA officials approved amendments adopted in 2003 by the California Air Resources Board that allow manufacturers to produce fuel cells as an alternative to battery-powered cars and light trucks previously required by the state.
"This is a real Christmas gift for all of us," Air Resources Board Chairman Dr. Robert Sawyer said in a statement. "All Californians will breathe easier because of this measure, and the technology that makes these clean cars possible can now be made available to everyone."
Actually, it's a big Christmas gift to General Motors. What this waiver allows them to do is to include prototypes and test vehicles when figuring the number of 'clean' vehicles it produces. But, since those vehicles aren't even in production, much less for sale, it renders California's requirements pretty much meaningless and ineffective. According to Wired's Autopia, "...This EPA waiver lets GM include impractical vehicles as part of its required number of clean vehicles. The intent was to encourage the sale of clean commercial vehicles, not expensive prototypes funded by tax dollars. When fuel cell vehicles become commercially viable, they should be included, but that shouldn't excuse GM from doing anything today about fuel efficiency."
Pretty sweet deal, huh? Screw the law, screw California's silly little democracy, government exists to serve Big Auto...
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Tags: news | politics | business | financial | environment | corruption | Bush | Andrew Card | EPA | General Motors
