This state has completely lost it's freakin' mind. I know that probably doesn't come as a shock to many of you, which is pretty telling in and of itself, but there's some wacky shit going on in Sacramento. And it's going to impact EACH & EVERY one of US..

Let me start with what's currently coming out of the State Air Resources Board. You know these folks - they're another of those appointed boards (like the renowned Water Resource Board - more on them later) that apparently don't answer to anybody and operate without oversight or accountability and exist to, well, let me quote their website on this...

"The Air Resources Board leads the country in working with the public, the business sector, and local governments to protect the public's health, the economy and the state's ecological resources through the most cost-effective reduction of air pollution. The Board now employs roughly 1,200 engineers, scientists and attorneys, with an annual operating budget of more than $750 million."

Apparently they're not suffering from the states unemployment or budget cuts. 

So as a result of AB32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (saints preserve us), the ARB has been charged with figuring out all these ways to vastly reduce our emissions by 2020 and beyond so as to save our planet from the politicians that..., no that's not right. To save us from ourselves is what they're supposed to do. Last year they came up with an ill-advised ruling which would have shut down most long-haul truckers in the state. Before saner minds over-ruled their lunacy, they did make the accurate point that this would have greatly reduced deadly emissions in this state and, according to a since discredited study, would have saved over 3,500 lives each year. 

They currently have a proposal on the table as a result of one paragraph in AB32 which would regulate under-inflated tires. That's right. This state is $22 Billion in the can, unemployment is 12%+, we can't get enough water to drink but these clowns have nothing more important to worry about that if your tires are inflated to within 1% of the manufacturers recommended amount and if you used an approved and certified tire gauge to tell you that. Honest. You can read the whole shebang right here. 

REGULATION TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM VEHICLES OPERATING WITH UNDER INFLATED TIRES

Here's the bottom line - every time you get an auto service (and there's some debate about whether just stopping for gas might qualify), you would be required, at some undetermined cost, to let the servicer check your tires with an approved tire gauge. If you are under-inflated by as little as one (!) pound per square inch (PSI) under the manufacturers recommendation, they will have to insist that you immediately inflate them to the proper poundage or, if you promise to get it done, you can do it yourself within seven (7) days but then you have to get certified that your tires have been brought into compliance or you face the possibility of fines and/or incarceration. 

The servicer also has to maintain all these records for 3 years and make them available to some sub-committee of the ARB or somebody upon request. Yeah. That won't increase costs at all. I imagine your corner mechanic will be able to readily maintain voluminous & accurate records ready at a moments notice and incorporate that easily into their daily routine. 

Yes indeedy - this is serious stuff you damn scofflaws with your under-inflated tires. Your callous disregard for your tire pressure is responsible for putting tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day causing at least 3,500 deaths in the state every year. Oops, sorry, that was the last discredited study - but I'm sure it's valid here. 

Well, the good news is we're in a 15 day public comment period due to expire on January 27, with the proposal scheduled for implementation on July 1. If you feel like making a public comment, you can read what some other folks have written about this winner and post your own comments here: Board Meeting Comments Log.

While you're there, I would also encourage you to read the bio's on the members of this board. While there appear to be a couple folks, like Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge, who have some real-life experience, the board appears to lean heavily to those who have made a career of feeding at the public trough. The current Chair returned in 2007, 30 years after serving as Chair under Moonbeam Brown. She has spent the intervening years  in public and not-for-profit service; with the EPA; as one of California's 'first environmental lawyers' initiating 'precedent setting test cases under the Federal Clean Air Act; and moving California's 'landmark climate change agenda' ahead. Oh JOY!

Jeez. Is it any wonder much of what comes out of there has little relevance to the everyday lives of people who have to make a living here? And is it any wonder businesses, jobs and regular people are leaving this state by the truckload - with or without appropriately inflated tires? I think not.

Well, that's just one of 44 different programs the ARB is working on under AB32 to give our lives greater meaning by 2020. I can hardly wait to hear the rest. 

Of course that's just my opinion - I could be wrong.