Considering that America’s Founders created a very small central government that operated for more than 100 years without any income tax (or any other broad-based tax), it’s very disappointing that Washington is now consuming more that 20 percent of our nation’s output.
That’s bad for growth since resources are diverted from the productive sector of the economy.
But let’s also keep in mind that politicians also impose policies that may not have much impact on GDP statistics, but definitely reduce our quality of life.
I’ve written about some of these annoying bits of red tape.
Inferior light bulbs- Substandard toilets
- Inadequate washing machines
- Crummy dishwashers
- Dribbling showers
Jeffrey Tucker, in a column for the Foundation for Economic Education, shares my disdain for the nanny state.
Soap doesn’t work. Toilets don’t flush. Clothes washers don’t clean. Light bulbs don’t illuminate. Refrigerators break too soon. Paint discolors. Lawnmowers have to be hacked. It’s all caused by idiotic government regulations that are wrecking our lives one consumer product at a time, all in ways we hardly notice.
And he points out another item to add to our list.
We now have gas cans that don’t work nearly as well as they used to because of mindless bureaucracy.
Who would make a can without a vent unless it was done under duress? After all, everyone knows to vent anything that pours. Otherwise, it doesn’t pour right and is likely to spill.
…The whole trend began in (wait for it) California. …The notion spread and was picked up by the EPA, which is always looking for new and innovative ways to spread as much human misery as possible. …So…you have not been able to buy gas cans that work properly. They are not permitted to have a separate vent. The top has to close automatically.
Environmental zealots tell us we need these poorly functioning gas cans to save the environment from vapor.
But as Tucker explains, the policy is backfiring.
…don’t tell me about spillage. It is far more likely to spill when the gas is gurgling out in various uneven ways, when one spout has to both pour and suck in air. …There is no possible rationale for these kinds of regulations. It can’t be about emissions really, since the new cans are more likely to result in spills.
Amen.
This is a never-ending nightmare when I mow my lawn. When it’s time to refill the gas tank, I know gas is going to spill regardless of how careful I am.
I can’t imagine that’s good for the environment (I’m sure it releases far more vapor than would seep into the atmosphere with a vent), but I confess that my main concern is that gas dribbles onto a hot lawnmower engine. So I’m always poised to run away from my mower if the thing bursts into flame.
Oh, the joy of red tape!
Writing for Forbes, Clyde Wayne Crews also has commented on this inane and counter-productive regulation.
…when I first tried to use these new gas cans a few months after purchase I was shocked at their new spring-loaded, Mousetrap game style…spouts. …You need three hands to operate today’s gas can spouts.
You’ll start each project spilling more gas than you get into the mower, motorcycle, car or whichever. In other words, you will create more vapor emissions than you ever would have otherwise. …No gas cans available for sale anymore have vents on the opposite top-side either, so when trying to pour you get a sloshing, heaving mess, burping gasoline eruptions leaking from the complex yet flimsy spout that easily breaks.
But Wayne very helpfully proposes a solution…assuming one is willing to incur a small risk.
…in order to harm the Earth less with a normal, non-polluting spout, I was wondering about workarounds for the inhumane, vapor-spewing trick spouts the environmentally unfriendly EPA forces you to buy to increase pollution. With a bit of searching, I found so-called EZ Pour “water” jugs. Note: You and I cannot use these alternatives to pour gasoline into vehicles or equipment, since that is an illegal non-EPA bureaucrat-approved hack, but they can be used to pour “liquid,” however.
The EPA can have our EZ Pour jugs when they pry them from our cold, dead, non-polluting fingers!
I had some fun in 2013 by pointing out that when they outlaw tanks, only outlaws will have tanks. Who could have predicted we’d be saying the same thing about well-functioning gas cans?
[…] I think of over-bearing governments with myopic enforcement of silly rules, I obviously think of the United States, especially the IRS, EEOC, FDA, and […]
[…] Dysfunctional gas cans […]
I do hope that people will soon come to understand, that each of these poorly made – and unnecessary devices – is the result of lobbying – and bribes offered – by the companies that make them, e.g. seat belts, cars intended to crush on impact (can there be many body shops left?), computers attached to car engines. . .There is no market for any of these things, and so of course, Washington will force it on the public. As to the EPA, of course it should be abolished – so should all other forms of social control.
OK- let’s answer your problem right here. Go to Amazon and look up JustRight Accuflow cans. I own two now- 5 gallon and 2 gallon. Solved the whole problem, and may never have to buy another. My dad has similar cans that he ahs had since before I was born (and I’m 60).
I stopped the other day to help two stranded ladies in a parking lot who had gone to the trouble of getting a can of gas to start their stranded SUV when it ran out of gas. Unfortunately, the could not figure out how to use the can they had to buy at the station. Firstly, it had a blocking cap on the inside, and secondly, it had to be pushed into the hole to make it flow. So, you had to first remove that cap- getting gasoline on your fingers when you did so. Then, you had to make sure the nozzle was on tight or you would (as I learned) leak gas on your jeans as it drizzled past the not-tightened-enough spout. I’m a car guy, and I have to admit that even for me, figuring out that gas can was difficult.
Problem I see here is that none of those who make these laws will ever use one of these cans themselves. They are chauffeured to wherever they are going, and if not, would call a service to handle it for them. And they never mow their own lawns, so its somebody else’s problem. I’d bet they even go to full service gas stations…
These cans should be outlawed- but then there I go as well. Please just give us more regulations so we can all be safe, and pay ten times as much to be so.
I wish Mr. Trump would spend about five minutes and take a red pencil to all of these regs. In fact, take a red pencil to the EPA.
If the gas can is plastic then, before putting any gas into it, heat up a nail and then punch it through the plasti opposite to the spout. Plug it with a cork or something when you don’t need to pour gas. This isn’t rocket science.
The no spill water jugs are probably not made of a gas-resistant plastic and are not a good idea.
I still have an old metal, vented gas can and of course wouldn’t dream of violating EPA regulations by punching holes in the gas cans. But if you are going to break the law, punching holes is safer than water jugs.
“But as Tucker explains, the policy is backfiring….don’t tell me about spillage. It is far more likely to spill when the gas is gurgling out in various uneven ways, when one spout has to both pour and suck in air. …There is no possible rationale for these kinds of regulations. It can’t be about emissions really, since the new cans are more likely to result in spills.”
See, this is why “Libertarians” often seem sofa king STUPID to me. The policy is not backfiring, it is working perfectly, because the communists who push these policies hate our guts and want us dead and sabotaging us is more fun than a barrel of Winged Monkeys. It’s not even a conspiracy, dummies, because they say out loud that they want us dead, if only you guys would listen.
So, yeah, you say it your selves, “it can’t be about emissions, really.”