Again, it's all about the money.

The powerful auto industry lobby convinces Bush administration of impending economic catastrophe should they be required to produce cleaner cars. Thousands of jobs lost, more people on welfare without medical insurance.

Given the present state of the economy, and the present woes of the the auto industry, there may even be some truth to their dire warnings.

So, the administration figures it can't let the economy slide further down the tubes and pressures states to abandon demands for cleaner air and the EPA to deny state action.

Besides, they figure, environmentalists are whining and crying foul over an overstated case.

It's really no biggie, the air's plenty good enough. It was good enough for grandpa and it's good enough for us.

Hell, it's been smoggy for decades and people aren't falling dead on the streets from emission poisoning, it can wait another decade or two or three until auto sales are up, the industry's making money making money again, the markets are healthy and we have some surplus funds to throw at it.

Unless, of course, those traitorous tree-hugging liberals get into office and screw things up.

Right now, we have an occupation to pay for, sheiks, emirs and oil barons to take care of and a couple more wars on the horizon. And don't forget the Chinese who are holding notes on the country.

Whadaya mean things are already screwed up and getting worse by the week?

Naah, just like they've been telling us all along, the economy's really healthy, it just looks bad for a few million schmucks having a hard time buying groceries, hanging on to their homes and heating them. Smart folks, the true patriots, are doing fine.

To those without an extra dime to spend on a new car, it doesn't matter if the cost of cars goes up because of stricter emission requirements, theyre not going to buy one anyway.

What a crock. If you have a problem it's because you're stupid, lazy or a traitor. So shut up, get a third job to replace the old car, or get the hell out of America.

If you and the old lady can't make ends meet on two jobs apiece, put the kids to work. There's plenty of lawns to be mowed and cars to be washed in Haggin Oaks. And stop eating so much and getting fat. Your diabetes and heart disease is costing the rest of us. 

Clean air....what's next, clean water, too?

We'll be long gone before it's a big deal. If it gets bad, the kids and grandkids can handle it.

By that time, they'll figure out how to wave a magic technological wand and make it all disappear, anyway.

Yes, much of this is about big money in politics. It is also about the loss of rights by states to provide protections and governance for their citizens. California (or any state) cannot create a law, or a regulation, that trumps, or circumvents, a federal law. Just because we are the largest and most populous state in the union with all types of human and animal diversity coupled  with geographical, atmospheric and climate differences that set us apart from the rest of the country does not mean anything today in terms of our ability to govern on a local basis. We are now in the one size fits all category of government.

A very recent Supreme Court decision struck down Maine's attempt to prevent the trucking industry from distributing cigarettes purchased on-line , which allowed minors or people who wanted to get around the state tax imposed on the sales of the smokes. This ruling comes on the heels of the EPA announcement regarding California's attempt to enforce higher pollution standards on vehicle emissions. And it follows the years of wrangling over the medical marijuana law in California, which has  proven to be a total fiasco and costly failure with the federal government hounding and jailing people who desperately sought to combat the the pain of their maladies with an herb that has been found effective in combating pain and nausea. Too bad for you asthma and chemo sufferers.

Oh, and on a side note, Exxon will probably be let off the hook for about $2.5 billion in punitive damages over the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska some 19 years ago. The original damages of $5 billion was already cut in half by a Federal Appeals Court, but now the Supreme Court is close to putting its two-cents worth on the issue. This  means that all those people who lost everything  will get about two cents when all is said and done. It sure pays to be big in America, the monopolists don't even have to worry about trial lawyers these days.