Liberals, who always cry for “choice”, never want to give the American consumer choice in much of anything. They know what’s best for us, so shut up and get a life. They are apparently only pro-choice with baby killing. The banning of the incandescent light bulb meant that General Electric, the largest maker of light bulbs, had to close all their plants in the US. So much for creating more jobs in the U.S.
U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) joined with U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming) February 17 to introduce the Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act. The legislation would repeal light bulb standards Congress included in the 2007 energy law that effectively bans traditional incandescent light bulbs starting in 2012.
The BULB Act has 27 co-sponsors. A companion version of the legislation has been introduced by Congressman Joe Barton, R-Texas, in the House of Representatives.
The ban was intended to save on electricity costs and limit pollution by replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs). However, CFLs are more expensive, many 
contain mercury that can be harmful even in the smallest amounts, and most are manufactured overseas in places like China. In September 2010, the last major GE manufacturing plant for incandescent light bulbs in the U.S. closed in Winchester, Virginia and 200 jobs were lost. The jobs are now all in China. They’re the largest makers of the compact fluorescent bulbs, CFLs. They are not made here, say the environmental-wackos, because they’re too hazardous.
The Heritage Foundation recently reported on CFLs, stating, “[T]he exposure to mercury vapor is dangerous if the bulbs are broken. Hospitals and medical charities warn that CFL bulbs cause migraines and epilepsy attacks. Other critics also point out that CFLs do not work well in colder temperatures and thus will force Americans to use more heat. CFLs do not work well with dimmer switches, and the lifespan of the bulb diminishes when turned off and on frequently.”
Ironically, the CFL’s contain mercury, a highly toxic substance. A broken bulb can create an environmental nightmare and according to Scientific American at least one case of mercury poisoning has been linked to these bulbs.
Toxic cleanup crews may be necessary to contain a broken light bulb. I guess this is what the environmentalists mean by creating more “green jobs”. Cleaning up the mess that they’ve foisted on the American people through advocacy of their radical legislation. First, we ban imports of lead in Chinese toys and now this: forcing Americans to buy toxic light bulbs from the Chinese at the expenses of American jobs and consumer safety. What kind of insanity is this?
CFLs become potentially hazardous when safety instructions aren’t followed, however. Here’s a list of “CFL Don’ts” from the San Francisco Fire Department:
*CFLs should NOT be used in track, recessed or inverted fixtures
*CFLs should NOT be used with a dimmer switch UNLESS clearly marked otherwise
*CFLs should NOT be used in place of a 3-way bulb, UNLESS clearly marked otherwise
*CFLs being used outdoors MUST be enclosed
*CFLs should NOT be used in emergency exit fixtures or lights
“The government has no business telling an individual what kind of light bulb to buy,” Minnesota Republican Michele Bachmann said in a statement last month. “This mandate has sweeping effects on American families and businesses and needs serious consideration before taking effect.
Bachmann, founder of the House Tea Party Caucus, has long argued that Congress overstepped its bounds by mandating that only energy efficient light bulbs may be sold after January 1, 2012. She’s also raised alarms about the environmental hazards of the tiny amounts of mercury contained in the compact fluorescent bulbs
Bachmann said she could live with the mandate only if the Government Accountability Office (GAO) can vouchsafe the safety, cost-efficiency, and environmental benefits of the new bulb technology.
“Frankly,” she added, “I would be surprised if the GAO can prove these criteria, but at minimum, these bills will provide the opportunity to examine these important issues.”
