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The Maryland Public Service Commission is notorious for its fundamental inability to effectively regulate the energy business in Maryland. And O'Guvnah O'Malley's inability to move beyond Progressive/Fascist mandates -- like compulsory subsidies for the sales of compact fluorescent bulbs -- is legion.
Government is lousy at picking winners and losers. And the insistence that we all throw our incandescent bulbs in favor of mercury-laden CFLs is just another perfect example. Why? Because private industry is working hard to create another alternative: LED-based light bulbs.
From the Purdue University Website:
Researchers at Purdue University have overcome a major obstacle in reducing the cost of "solid state lighting," a technology that could cut electricity consumption by 10 percent if widely adopted.
That's right, while O'Guvnah and his Public Service Commission were putting our dollars in the pockets of Mayo Shattuck and the big box retailers in the city of Baltimore, smart people were doing smart things and working hard to bring us an even better option.
That is the value of the market over government. The best part is that the price of LED lights could drop by a factor of 20 within the next couple of years because of this breakthrough. All without a mandated subsidy surcharge (or, if you prefer, theft) on our electric bills.
It turns out that this PSC is no better than the Ehrlich PSC. And this governor is certainly no better than the previous one.
Remember, the next you hear a politician say "I'm from the government and I'm here to help", grab your wallet. And if he comes knocking with big business tucked arm-in-arm, looking for a subsidy, grab your gun AND your wallet AND your KY jelly.