THE EPA

Good morning friends,

The EPA is a perfect example of the lack of COMMON SENSE in our bureaucracies. What is an acceptable amount of emissions from an internal combustion engine? Their goal is 0, none, nada, zip. That would be cool in an ideal world, no doubt. But what do we have today? Diesel pickups that should be getting 22/24 mpg getting 11 to 13, doubling the amount of oil consumed. Like gas and diesel fuel is free, right? Can't we have some kind of real world compromise?

They have put emissions regs on every small engine sold in America. That's why your lawnmower, air compressor, pressure washer, etc. have to run with the choke on for at least 5 solid minutes till they even start to run right, and half the time they never run right because they're so lean. But the best part is now a lot of small engines are coming without oil drain plugs. So you've either got to buy a vacuum pump or, as I suspect a great many do, turn it on it's side and dump gas and oil all over the ground. Why no law about that?

And my favorite EPA boondoggle: Last year they came up with new regs on the allowable lead content of children's toys. Which included dirt bikes and ATV's.
Result? Every dealer in this country had to remove every bike or ATV 90cc and under from the showroom floor, and were not allowed to sell them. Yeah, they have lead in the batteries. Now I've been involved in motorcycle racing for 40 years, and I have NEVER seen a kid licking his battery, chewing on his fenders, or sucking on his handlebars. I know I'm just a dumb farmer but I seriously doubt a child old enough to ride a motorcycle or ATV is doing any of that stuff with ANY of his toys. Manufacturers, dealers, and individuals contacting the EPA got exactly nowhere. ONLY AFTER MONTHS OF THOUSANDS OF VOTERS DELUGING THEIR CONGRESSMEN WITH PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS WAS THIS INSANITY CORRECTED.

Remember folks, you have got to get involved in our political process or these idiots will legislate and regulate US out of existence!

Dumb Farmer