Government « Rich Rambles:

June 26, 2008

HR 5734 – Again

Filed under: Government — Rich @ 2:23 pm

Read what happened at the hearing by clicking here

”Deborah Kent Stein, Representing the National Federation of the Blind, spoke first reading from a prepared statement. It was interesting that her statement included a criticism of electronic system and mentioned being dependent upon batteries. It was the first time I heard what sounded like real requirements, something we have needed all along, not a fixed solution. She also cited the kid who claims he was hit by a hybrid because he didn’t hear it. Finally, she claimed that if hybrids weren’t equipped with noise makers, the blind would be confined to their homes, unable to venture out.”

What? WHAT? Really? If hybrids weren’t equipped with noise makers, the blind would be confined to their homes. Why? Let’s go to the fact sheet:

Number of blind people killed in a year by noisey cars = 4700+

Number of blind people killed in a year by a hybrid = 0

In 10 (Ten) years of hybrids on the road, not one of them has killed a blind person.

So, other then as an etherial boogeyman, how are hybrids so dangerous that by not installing noisemakers would they be a threat to the blind?

Okay, moving on.

At this nice hearing, which had Representatives from the National Federation of the Blind, American Council for the Blind, and American Foundation for the Blind, how many hybrid experts and owners were invited to speak? None. That’s right, they’re hoping to make a law concerning a group without letting said group have any representation. Seems to me this country fought a war over being taxed without representation!

Now, it seems to me, that if this law does pass, it won’t change anything for us, the current hybrid owner. After all, wouldn’t we be grandfathered in? Model T owners don’t need airbags or seatbelts to drive their T, why should I have a noisemaker now? Or are you going to change the nature of the grandfather clause?

All right, so, I’ll admit it, I can be persuaded to be in favor of HR 5734. All I want are two changes:

1. ALL VEHICLES MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH NOISEMAKERS FOR THE BLIND.

2. THE GOVERNMENT PAYS FOR ALL NOISEMAKERS.

Like that’ll happen.

Again, HR 5734 isn’t fixing any problems, in fact, I suggest that any idea to help the blind should be universally helpful. Like for instance, all the blind, when they leave their homes, should wear neon yellow reflective clothes, and a safety helmet with a white and red strobe light on top. That way, everyone knows they’re blind, and can give them some leeway. See, with my idea, the blind could be safe from every motor vehicle, bicycle, and other potential harmful fast moving object! Of course, the blind should pay for the vest and helmet. And should be heavily fined if their helmet doesn’t work. After all, how many blind people do I see in a day on the road? None. How many motorized vehicle does a blind person encounter a day? A lot more then none! Let’s put the safety devices where it’ll do the most preventative good, right? After all, you don’t put a “Caution: Bridge may be icey when cold” sign in the middle of a street, right?

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June 25, 2008

HR 5734 – A Bad Idea

Filed under: Government, Media — Rich @ 5:58 pm

So, it seems that after three years, there is some actual traction to “Bell the Hybrid”. For those unaware, the idea is that hybrid, full electric, Hydrogen, and any other sufficiently quiet automobile is a threat to the blind, and legislation is in the works to force all these quiet vehicles to emit the same noise as “noisey” automobiles. This is, as every one of you should realize, a terrible idea. This isn’t just a bad idea for a handful of hybrid owners who like to sneak up on unsuspecting pedestrians, but for every single taxpayer in America.

Let’s start with the pertinant fact: 5000 Blind people were killed in the last year by said “noisey” vehicles, making the same noise levels or more then congress wants all quiet vehicles to make, so how does this actually fix the “problem”? The answer is, it doesn’t, it’s the legislative equivalent of painting a wall with a shotgun.

Then let’s move on to the fact that this isn’t an issue, or at least it isn’t as of this writing. This isn’t in reaction to a problem, this is in fervered anticipation of a problem. That’s correct, no blind person has been injured by a quiet car!

Now, let’s move on to this messey legislation, and how it effects the taxpayer, hybrid owning or not. First of all, who’s going to pay to bell the quiet car with noisemakers? There are more then a million “quiet” cars on the road. If the government is paying for it, even at five dollars a unit, that’s more then five million dollars to ”solve” a problem that hasn’t happened yet! If it’s the owners costs, then there will undoubtedly be outcry from said owners (myself) included, a sudden increase in violations of the law, and additional court and legal fights. But the legal fun isn’t over yet! So, after having paid millions of dollars to noisey up Americas quiet cars, what happens when, just like the 5000 who were killed by a noisey car, a noise making quiet car hits or kills a blind person? Now it’s a federal law suit, since the government failed to make it noisey enough! Millions more down the drain! And where does that money come from? You, the tax payer! So, you pay twice for this act of legislation, once to “bell the hybrids”, and then again when their solution doesn’t solve anything. Plus, heaven help you if the legislation isn’t sound, and you’re kept up by noise making quiet cars who are now making a terrible racket instead of near silence!

Now, I’m not unsympathetic to the blind, but there are a lot of alternative solutions, including ways to protect the blind against all motor vehicles, not just “quiet” ones. Additionally, safe driving is the responsibility of the driver, at all times. So be careful out there people!

HR 5734 – Bad for you, bad for America, Bad for the blind.

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