Friday, June 01, 2007

California

It already has draconian gun- buying rules, a ban on calibers of over .50 (not one example of which has ever been used in a crime); bans on guns that look "bad". It wants regulation mandating non- existent technology to mark bullets on ("evil" semiauto only, because only they can kill I guess) handguns.

It is so insanely expensive that half of the nouveau idiots that dominate our local subdivisions are people my age who have moved here to live forever on the proceeds of selling a single house there.

This year, it intends to ban incandescent light bulbs and neuter all your dogs. Last year, it narrowly missed banning hunting with dogs. Its Game Department has publicly said that raptors are "theirs" and that they resent falconers having access to them.

Educated "Anglo" residents are fleeing for the first time, even as it fills up with Mexican and Central American peasants who want to vote without benefit of citizenship, as a right.

And now Reid tells me that Southern Cal wants to ban fireplaces and burning wood.

"Carney said there are "pretty obvious adverse impacts of wood smoke on pollution. If you stand close to a wood fire and breathe, you can feel it in your throat and in your lungs."

"Carney said that while she would listen to comments from the public and the building industry, attractive alternatives to wood fireplaces are available.

" "Let me tell you, the natural gas logs are wonderful," she said.

[Nice sense of the environment there, lady--SB]

"Carney also said she would consider even tougher measures to clean up fireplace pollution, such as a complete regional wintertime ban on wood fires."

Why does anyone stay there?!

Of course, escaping Californians, who at least here seem to want to immediately burden us with the nannying they escaped, may yet drive me to Eastern Montana, North Dakota, or Minnesota-- game and dwindling populations. Or, conversely south to Honduras-- anarchy in a good climate for old bones, and cheap (no, I wouldn't tell my new neighbors how to live).

And no, Reid isn't an escaping Californian-- he is a Southern expat gentleman ...

6 comments:

Rebecca K. O'Connor said...

I know. I've been walking around the house grousing about this for the last half hour. There are people in Banning who DEPEND on their fireplaces in the winter. And they are not going to be able to afford central heating or gas.
It is consistently below freezing and it SNOWS here. They are probably going to let mountain homes off the hook, but I'm in a pass between the mountains. Grrrrr.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of the "brass stamping" bill, here is an editorial from the Denver Post that says it has passed the California State Assembly and urges Colorado to do the same

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_6031144

It still has to get through the Senate and have Governator Arnold sign it, though.

Stuff like this makes me think I just made it out in time. Still looking at land around Pie Town, Rebecca?

And thanks for calling me a gentleman, I think

Anonymous said...

Oh, and speaking of Central America, my brother-in-law and his wife in Bellingham, WA, are retiring and moving to Belize. Might want to check that out.

Rebecca K. O'Connor said...

Graduate school made me tighten my belt -- but yes, I've been watching for land out there for a while. Pie Town, Quemado... it's all sounding good to me!

Anonymous said...

We already have "no-burn" days in the Denver metro area since we have inversions in the winter that trap every fume. They actually tried to use infrared scopes to find and fine people who broke the ban. I think new homes are gas-only.

Gawd I hate those gas fireplaces! Instead of enjoying crackling logs you get a nice hisssss...

Anonymous said...

The whole point about burning wood in a fuel efficient woodburning stove, preferably with a back boiler, is that on a life cycle basis, it is much more CO2 efficient, and hence less impacting on the natural world than burning non sustainable natural gas- it also is usually a locally produced sustainable fuel, with wider social and economic benefits distributed locally as well.

Community biofuel boilers, generating electricty ,with heat recovery, distributed locally to provide space heating , hot water , and cooling are even more eco friendly,and well proven in Holland and other European Cities. However , they require community effort - not the province of big business, as they do not produce huge instant, repeat cash flows for private companies. So they are not, regrettably ,YET, on the radar as No1 business models for Texan, or other capitalist companies .



JohnnyUK