Uncle Sam Wants YOU... to Save on Appliances...WHAT??!!! Something is wrong with this picture!!

America is out of money. We are incurring debt at an astronomical rate and sinking into a hole while barf is amused by the tax day protests.  Since his "cash for clunkers" was such a huge success, he is now repeating a monumental failure ... cash for old refrigerators. What does this really do?  Doesn't it encourage Americans to spend money at time when the financial outlook is bleak?  Isn't he then able to point to the sales, manipulate the numbers, and tell us how consumer confidence is up by showing "blips" on the heart monitor and life support machines?  He and his administration are so under-handed; the thought has occurred to me that he and it might be helping companies unload their improperly or fraudulently labeled appliances?  Improperly labeled?  By whom?  Our GOVERNMENT, of course!  Once you have had the opportunity to read the article below, please read the article that follows immediately thereafter: "Feds Approving Bogus Products as 'Energy-Efficient,' Investigation Finds .. Do you really want this government running hellcare?" It can also be found at:  http://americanlibertyriders.ning.com/forum/topics/uncle-sam-wants-you-to-save-on 


Uncle Sam Wants YOU…to Save on Appliances

There are big crowds at stores across Illinois today, with people rushing to buy new government-labeled Energy-Star refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, air conditioners, and freezers as part of the “Cash for Appliances,” program. Anyone that purchases a qualifying appliance gets an automatic and immediate 15% discount from Uncle Sam, who has set aside $300 million for this initiative, $6.5 million of that here in Illinois. To make the deal even sweeter, anyone willing to trade in an old appliance gets an extra $75 rebate. Similar to the “Cash for Clunkers,” program that dealt with automobiles, a good way to understand this program is by thinking of it as, “Cash for Kitchen Stuff.”


Given the state of the economy the last few years, retailers are excited about this program, because any business at this point is good business. Robert Bevilacqua, the CEO of Grant’s Appliances in Chicago, optimistically expects a very profitable weekend. Bevilacqua said, “We are kind of forecasting about four times the amount of business through the weekend.”

Many retailers, including Sears, are slashing prices even more, in an attempt to maximize the number of shoppers at its stores before the money runs out. Recently, this program was employed in Arizona and Iowa, and the interest was so great, the money was gone within a few hours.


Source:  http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/04/16/uncle-sam-wants-you-t...



Feds Approving Bogus Products as 'Energy-Efficient,' Investigation Finds

Shown here is one of the fake products submitted to the government for certification by the Government Accountability Office. (GAO) - a "space heater duster!"



The federal government has been slapping "energy-efficient" ratings on products that don't even exist -- including a bogus space heater with a duster stuck to it and an alarm clock supposedly powered by gasoline.


These fake products were submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy for approval as part of an undercover investigation by the Government Accountability Office.

The office wanted to see how easily the feds could be duped, since the Energy Star program used to identify products as energy savers serves as a guide to businesses looking for such modern marvels and the basis for millions of dollars in incentivizing tax credits -- including $300 million from the stimulus.

The products fooled the federal government three out of four times. Of the 20 products submitted for approval, 15 were given the thumbs up. GAO reported that the federal government generally did not ask for critical evidence to back up its claims about how energy-efficient -- or real -- its bogus products were.

"Certification controls were ineffective primarily because Energy Star does not verify energy-savings data reported by manufacturers," the report said. Two of the fake firms even received requests from real firms to buy the products after they were listed.

Among the products approved was a "room air cleaner." The product image should have been a giveaway -- it showed a space heater with a duster and several fly strips attached to it, looking more like a fire hazard than an energy saver. The EPA approved it in 11 days and listed it on the official Web site, according to GAO.

The government also approved a "metal roof panel," a "geothermal heat pump," and a "gas-powered alarm clock." The latter was described as a generator-sized clock run on gasoline.

The government did reject two of the products -- a "compact fluorescent light bulb" and "ventilating fan" -- and took no action on three others. The GAO reported that the government asked for the products to be certified by a third party for only four of the products, and that of those only one was rejected.


Government officials told the GAO, when informed of the investigation's results, that they continue to check up on products after they are certified.

In a joint statement, the DOE and EPA said they take the findings "very seriously" and that they have started "enhanced testing" to improve. But they said the public should not lose confidence in the program.


"A review last year found that 98 percent of the products tested met or exceeded the ENERGY STAR requirements, and last year alone, Americans with the help of ENERGY STAR saved $17 billion on their energy bills," the statement said. "Consumers can continue to trust the ENERGY STAR to save energy and money and protect the environment."


Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/04/02/feds-approving-bogus-pro...

Where is barf finding $300 million? Oh, wait... from you and from me and from our children and from our grandchildren. Now he is tapping into our great and great-great grandchildren's "legacy." We DO NOT have the money!!!  STOP spending it like you got it!