Saturday, April 09, 2011

Bulb Wars

A mighty smiting!
“   April 8, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today praised passage of a bill by South Carolina State Representatives Bill Sandifer and Dwight Loftis that would allow the manufacture and purchase of incandescent light bulbs in South Carolina that are subject to a federal ban that begins to take effect in Jan. 2012. ”

HAVE RATBASTARDS BANNED YOU LIGHT BULBS?

“ "It is my strong belief that the feds have overstepped the Tenth Amendment, and now are venturing into telling us what kinds of lighting we can have in our homes," Sandifer added.

But how can the federal government ban light bulbs? "They are trying to use again as they have so often done, the Commerce Clause.  But I have a real problem with Big Brother intruding in how I live in my home," Sandifer declared.

"Since the bulbs would be made entirely in South Carolina and sold in South Carolina, the federal government has no power to regulate it under the Interstate Commerce Clause."
Americans for Limited Government (ALG)
 ”
I just e-mailed this to my state delegates:

Dear_____
I thought you would find this a very reasonable response to the encroachment on our civil liberties by the feds.  If you agree, I look forward to reading that you have sponsored similar legislation. If you do not agree, why in heaven's name not?

Regards ....

4/09/2011 09:43:00 AM 13 Comments

"If the number of Islamic terror attacks continues at the current rate, candlelight vigils will soon be the number-one cause of global warming. "
Argus Hamilton


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13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wickard v. Filburn begs to disagree. Just substitute "light bulbs" for "wheat" in Wickard and it's the same thing. The farmer didn't even let his "manufactured" wheat go off his farm, but the SCOTUS declared he was influencing interstate commerce by not having to buy wheat elsewhere.
Now if the valiant effort by these SC guys gets Wickard overturned, hallelujah!
If Wickard overturned 150 years of precedent, why couldn't SCOTUS overturn the 70 year old Wickard precedent?
Lt. Col. Gen. Tailgunner dick

4/9/11, 11:34 AM
Mark Alger said...

Screw the 10th. SHow me in Article 1 enumerated powers where it says that Congress has the power to dictate residential lighting.

Oh, you say? In the 18th Century, they couldn't have anticipated electric light (they did) or global warming? Fine. Amend the Constitution to give Congress the power.

What's that? It'll never fly?

My point exactly.

M

4/9/11, 11:42 AM
Anonymous said...

I saw this today:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/09/sprint-radar-imaging-system-peeps-inside-walls-floors-to-detect/

And asked myself how the government will be abusing it in our homes.
1st up? When they come for the guns, they are comin with this bad boy.

4/9/11, 3:14 PM
Alear said...

Doug Ross points us to another point where the nanny state is wrong.

4/9/11, 3:33 PM
Anonymous said...

This would do wonders for South Carolina tourism.

With all due respect, Colonel, Wickard v. Filburn dealt with a product that was used in inter-state commerce. These light bulbs would not.

Freddie Sykes

4/9/11, 8:12 PM
gadfly said...

It might be easier for state legislatures to authorize the purchase and sale of "Heatballs." - for that extra bit of cozy heat when the sun goes down.

4/9/11, 10:04 PM
Scott said...

I have been looking for a 100-200-300 watt 3-way bulb with the big base for a week. Wal-Mart and Kroger did not have them. Found a single row at Home Depot. I used to see plenty of these bulbs everywhere alongside the smaller ones with the regular base. It is either a conspiracy or everyone has thrown out their old lamps.

4/9/11, 10:11 PM
Anonymous said...

Freddie - Filburn's wheat never left his farm, but I guarantee you South Carolina light bulbs will leave SC. And GE and Phillips light bulbs are sold all over the world, and will be until the last government outlaws their use, possession and manufacture.
By interstate commerce, do you mean on commodity exchanges?
Lt. Col. Gen. Tailgunner dick

4/9/11, 11:57 PM
Anonymous said...

I have been looking for a 100-200-300 watt 3-way bulb with the big base for a week. Wal-Mart and Kroger did not have them. Found a single row at Home Depot. I used to see plenty of these bulbs everywhere alongside the smaller ones with the regular base. It is either a conspiracy or everyone has thrown out their old lamps.
# posted by Blogger Scott : 4/9/11 10:11 PM

Those are called "Mogul base" bulbs. They are expensive. You can buy an adapter for ~$3 or so that will screw into the socket and allow you to use standard base 3-way bulbs. [Oh. My. Three-Way? shame]
tomw

4/10/11, 9:45 AM
Anonymous said...

Colonel, I think the court's decision was an insane overreach but, although Filburn's wheat never left his farm, wheat was part of legal interstate commerce. These light bulbs would not be because, if they ever leave the state, they would merely be souvenirs of vacationing in South Carolina.

Freddie Sykes.

4/10/11, 9:05 PM
Anonymous said...

Freddie, I like the way you think. You should have been Filburn's lawyer. He would have been growing "beige mini light bulb souvenirs" instead of wheat. He had to make millions of them because not very many of them would light, right?
Lt. Col. Gen. Tailgunner dick

4/10/11, 9:44 PM
Anonymous said...

US v. Raich found that the item "in commerce" need not be legally in commerce.

4/11/11, 12:39 AM
Anonymous said...

need not be legally in commerce.
Yeah, that's really disturbing. That means there is no limit to what Congress can control. One could argue that having a child, because it consumes but is not in commerce, i.e., not sold as property, affects commerce, therefore Congress can say "Have no children" or "Have 12 children" and levy penalties for non-compliance, which is frightening and insane. Seems to me the Founders' commerce intent was to stop the duty and tariff wars between the states, and I have seen arguments that at the time, regulate meant to make regular, to make it happen, not control it in every detail.
I hope the states can make 10th Amendment stick, or we are screwed forever short of the cartridge box.
Lt. Col. Gen. Tailgunner dick

4/11/11, 1:11 AM

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