Denver is considering draconian rules and fines to get people to use less energy. This is just another reason that I'm glad that I don't live in Denver.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
What is it with Colorado lately? They're getting as bad as California. Many of these proposals also mask a more sinister agenda of trying to punish those who have large families, namely us. The extra fees obviously hit those who require more resources. I've even heard some pols express that as a secondary positive result of these draconian tactics. I'm sure we'll see more and more of this in the future.
the proposal also contains some ideas that may be unpopular, such as penalizing heavy users of electricity and natural gas This plan is actually a defense against having Al Gore ever live here.
and basing auto insurance premiums on the number of miles traveled. Madness. Yeah, I know, let's have auto insurance dictated by the government. That way, we'll have cleaner air!
To cut back on use of landfills - methane gas from landfills is a major contributor to global warming - the plan would encourage recycling and charge residents for the amount of trash they throw away. Does anyone else live in a place where they don't pay for trash collection. Or, to put it differently, I'm sure Denverites pay more in taxes to have it done, than they would if dealing with a private trash company.
"The most remarkable difference is that you used to see people with 15 bags of lawn clippings on the street; you don't see that anymore," said Susie Gordon, senior environmental planner for the city.Yeah, because we all know that those clippings just suddenly ceased to exist! Gimme a break.
Setting energy-efficiency standards for new construction
Giving carpoolers and hybrids priority for parking
Hey, go for it. Be careful of the price bump for new housing. A little, and my home is worth more. A lot, and Denver becomes the new California, as nobody can afford to live there any more.