READY, FIRE, AIM: The Democratic Republic of California

I’m reading a news article in NPR.com, claiming that the state of California has banned Red Dye No. 3, due to its alleged tendency to kill people.

Apparently, the legislature in California thinks they can do that kind of thing, just because they have 40 million people who believe in climate change and who buy organic avocados.

“Californians will still be able to access and enjoy their favorite food products, with greater confidence in the safety of such products,” said Governor Gavin Newsom, who signed the bill into law earlier this month.

The law won’t be implemented until 2027, however, to give companies enough time to revise their recipes, “to avoid these harmful chemicals”… (and incidentally, to also allow the U.S. House of Representatives enough time to elect a Speaker.). So California consumers will have a little over three years to continue poisoning themselves.

In a separate news story, the American Licorice Company has announced they are changing the name of their flagship product, “Red Vines”.  After retooling their assembly line, the candy will be sold as “Gray Vines”.

That’s not the only complaint I have with the Democratic Republic of California, however.  Last year, the “regulators” passed a law prohibiting the sale of gas-powered cars in California, beginning in 2035. That’s a big deal, because California is home to 11% of the 160 million light-duty vehicles in the U.S., and they regularly drive them into the ground.  (My apologies to Daily Post readers; these numbers do not include pickup trucks. But they do include SUVs, if that makes you feel any better.)

Any car manufacturer who wants to remain profitable in America pretty much has to bow down and kiss the feet of the California regulators — unless they’re already manufacturing electric cars. (We’re looking at you, Elon Musk.)

Colorado is small potatoes in the automobile ownership game. We normally purchase a measly 1% of the nation’s light duty vehicles.  However, we have our own “regulators” who aspire to be like the ones in California, and although they haven’t yet outlawed new gas-powered cars, it’s only a matter of time.  The clock is ticking.

Worldwide, electric cars are already in high demand. Mostly in China.

60% of global electric car sales took place in China in 2022, but it’s hardly a fair contest.  Their best selling car is the Hongguang Mini EV, which retails for $4,500… but it’s only available in China.  If we had EVs that cheap here in the U.S., everyone would want one.  Sure, it’s not a pickup truck, but it apparently has sufficient room for a normal-sized suitcase.

What choices do we have here in America? The cheapest Tesla is, like, $45,000.

If the politicians in California were truly Democrats, they would have talked China into shipping us some Hongguang Minis before outlawing gasoline cars.  DINOs.  Democrats in Name Only.

And now, Red Dye No. 3 has become illegal.  No doubt Colorado regulators will want to jump on that bandwagon, in the coming months.

Personally, I will be perfectly happy eating gray licorice, if it still tastes like red licorice.

Well, not ‘perfectly’ happy, but reasonably happy.

Or maybe just resigned.

I will not be happy, however, waiting 12 hours to charge my $45,000 EV when it now takes me two minutes to pump a full tank of gas.

Louis Cannon

Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all.