Doesn't work - another reason why Reagan said that Government is the problem - Granite Grok

Doesn’t work – another reason why Reagan said that Government is the problem

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.”   – President Barack Obama, Inauguration, 1/20/09

Naw, it doesn’t.  From the Daily Signal (emphasis mine):

The guiding fiscal principle of President Obama’s 2009 Stimulus Package was simple: “Spend it as fast as you can.” Programs operating under that principle are almost predestined to flunk a cost-benefit test—and the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) has proved to be no exception. University of Chicago researchers have documented that WAP is yet another government “efficiency” program that does not actually save money. The only surprising finding was just how badly it failed. Costs exceeded benefits by a 2-to-1 margin.

The fundamental problem with energy-efficiency mandates and subsidies is that they are based on two absurd premises. First, they assume that consumers are not fully interested in saving money—hence, government intervention is required. Second, they expect a bureaucracy that has served up an $18 trillion national debt to transform into Scrooge McDuck when it is time to count energy pennies.

I dryly note that

even as the bureaucrats (and our US Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) whose legislation has enabled “efficiency” standards by these same bureaucrats – does she believe that we citizens are too stupid to decide to save energy on our own?  So much for the free market) tout “OH!  The higher cost of better efficiency will SAVE you money” never, EVER say “But OH, by the way, our kindred spirit bureaucrats are RAISING those electrical costs at the same time so it is VERY doubtful you’ll see those savings.  Just the higher costs.

So, one hand “gives” you the illusion of “energy savings” at the cost of higher upfront costs (and if you assess your new “efficient” appliances) and dubious savings all the while your baseline energy costs are skyrocketing.  Just consider this yet another example of the Bureaucrat Pincer Movement – caught in the middle at the expense of your wallet.

And so remember, just because something is “energy efficient”, doesn’t mean it’s worth a tinker’s dam if it can’t do the job it was meant to.

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