Friday, September 22, 2006

Punishing The Law-Abiding

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California sued six of the world's largest automakers over global warming, charging that greenhouse gases from their vehicles have caused billions of dollars in damages. The lawsuit is the first of its kind to seek to hold manufacturers liable for the damages caused by their vehicles' emissions, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer said.

How could such a stupid person pass a law exam? These vehicles were manufactured and sold in accordance with all state and federal regulations. California fills its tax coffers every day with the ill-gotten gain from their sale and operation. Can anyone in good conscience say it is OK to legally permit something, and then sue for doing it?

We cannot be certain we have man-made global warming, and if we do, the extent of its monetary damages or its benefits. We may not know in a hundred years.

Missing from the lawsuit are the owners and operators of the vehicles. It is one thing to build a vehicle, it is another to operate it. Does “build it and they will drive it” make the builder solely responsible? Didn’t the California consumers dictate the number and type of vehicles manufactured by what could or could not be sold profitably to them?

So let’s put it all together. Lockyer sues manufacturers for engaging in lawful behavior, saying they are causing unknown damages via an unproven process. In a state whose lawmakers validate illegal activities (undocumented immigration), it isn’t surprising they want to penalize legal ones.

Dumb, and dumber.

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