Electric Car Mandate

* Government bureaucracy in action is a sight to behold! On May 9, at a public forum to discuss hybrid-electric vehicles, the bureaucrats at the California Air Resources Board were trying to decide if you and I should drive electric cars with a lot of batteries and an engine, or just a half ton of batteries. Not minding the car’s production costs or possible pollution from the lead-acid batteries in every car, they just insist we stop polluting the air. We all agree in cutting air pollution, the question is how, and how much does it cost us taxpayers.

Can’t you see the “hazmats” in their space-like suits stationed on every highway in case of an accident? Lead and battery acid are hazardous materials! Guess who would pay for that? But that’s not the biggest problem.

The bureaucrats at the Air Resources Board have based their clean-air standards for cars on what they think is possible if electric cars are mandated. Car manufacturers would be forced to produce electric cars they can’t sell due to the electric cars’ high production cost. Guess who will have to pay for that?

Never mind that getting rid of old, polluting “clunker” cars would do a better job of ridding the air of smog at little cost. It’s full speed ahead for electric cars and cross you fingers that the battery charge will last till you get home.

HAL McDONNEL

Fullerton