On this quiet Sunday morning, be prepared to be blown away with the latest and one of the most evil ideas that has come along for the expansion of the Nanny State… The following is penned by longtime FR friend Bill Leonard, who serves as a member of the California State Board of Equalization…
Pry the Thermostat from My Cold, Dead Hands
By Bill Leonard
I have written about the number of people leaving California for any number of reasons— high taxes, traffic congestion, poor public schools, burdensome business climate—but yesterday came word of a new one: the cooler cops. The California Energy Commission is proposing in its Title 24 regulations that newly installed heating and cooling systems in homes must have the ability be controlled by the government, during “price events” and “emergencies”. That’s right, if these regulations are approved, when the temperature soars, the cooler cops will be able to override the thermostat in your home and shut you down. It does not matter if you are willing to pay for the cost of your electricity usage; the state will simply determine when a power crisis exists and you will be forced to sweat it out.
**There is more – click the link**
January 14th, 2008 at 12:00 am
While I agree with all that Mr. Leonard says, I only note that CEC has backed off the proposal somewhat, and now leaves ultimate control in the hands of the homeowner (albeit requiring bypass rather than default.) I doubt they would have backed off were it not for WIDE spread public outrage.
January 14th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Could you imagine the uproar when the first person dies because their AC is turned off by the government?