Michele Bachmann...... The Lights Are On, But Nobody's Home.... Except Maybe This Time.

It really scares me when I find myself agreeing with Michele Bachmann. It's positively spooky! Could she actually be right?

By...Sarah Muller, from the Last Word Blog on MSNBC

Don’t tread on Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s light bulbs. She reintroduced her Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act this week on the House floor. This would repeal the mandate to phase out incandescent light bulbs in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act.

Bachmann said, "The government has no business telling an individual what kind of light bulb to buy. In 2007, Congress overstepped its bounds by mandating that only 'energy efficient' light bulbs may be sold after January 1, 2012. This mandate has sweeping effects on American families and businesses and needs serious consideration before taking effect.”

Her bill would keep current standards in place as long as the comptroller general says it leads to consumer savings, reduced carbon-dioxide emissions and it's safe.

No surprise here, Rep. Ron Paul is one of her co-sponsors.

My Comment on this Bright idea....

I'm a big fan of saving energy and recycling, but,... It's been my experience that there are some applications for light bulbs where the new "Low Wattage" florescent bulbs just don't work. For one thing, you can't use them if you have a dimmer on a fixture. Plus,... they are more expensive than regular bulbs. Like maybe five times as expensive. Another point of contention is that they are considered a "hazardous" item, when disposing of them, where as regular bulbs are considered recyclable in most states.

In my studio,... "The Fireman's Forge", I have six 100 watt, low wattage florescent bulbs. The total wattage use per hour is actually 146 watts for all six fixtures. The light from these is enough to adequately light my entire shop. I've also replaced all the flood lights, and bulbs in my house and barn with "low wattage" florescent bulbs. They work very well when the application is suited for them. But,.... Do I want my government to tell me what bulbs I can use?..... I DON'T THINK SO!!!