The American Spectator

p> WHEN PUSH COMES TO SUV br> Re: Eric Peters’s Fuel Economy at All Costs : /p>

I love it when I see a big truck or SUV filling up at my local Valero gas station. I try to imagine how much “road tax” is being collected by our state and federal government when the “big guy” is filled to the top of its tank. The owners of these biggies are contributing huge sums of money to our economy and tax collections. This is one time that I am a pro-choice advocate. I’ll bet you a plug nickel that Markey and Platts ride in the comfort of a SUV. Oh, but they need their mode of transportation because they are biggies in DC. And while I’m at it, how about the legislation banning incandescent light bulbs in favor of those “mini fluorescents”? These new fangled light sources will pollute the land fills with mercury. Thomas Edison will be condemned; likened to Christopher Columbus. The Belgians are going to tax barbecuing. You know, barbecuing contributes to global warming. Do you suppose Texans would roll over and pay a tax for barbecuing? What will they think of next?

p>Messrs. Markey and Platts, get out of our faces. Get out of our wallets. Leave free enterprise alone. Ninny nanny state. br> — Clasina J. Segura br> New Iberia, Louisiana /p> p> Peters claims that people will drive their cars more if mileage efficiency is increased. But this is largely a straw man; yes there is some increase in the number of miles driven as mileage efficiency is increased but it is fairly small. Just because I could drive twice as many miles if my mileage efficiency is doubled doesn’t mean I’m going to. People don’t willy-nilly decide to dramatically increase the number of miles driven just because their car mileage efficiency increases. br> — unsigned