Ritter's Climate Plan Evokes Car Dealer Complaints

So much for the friendly business coalition that helped elect Gov. Bill Ritter. After cutting deals with Big Labor, now he has angered car dealers with his overly prescriptive climate plan:

Ritter's climate action plan says Colorado will join California and 15 other western states in adopting new vehicle standards to control greenhouse gas emissions.

A 2008 model Subaru called the PZev, which stands for "partial zero emission vehicle," and many more like it, isn't good enough to pass muster under the new California standards.

"What comes out of the tailpipe on a smoggy day is cleaner than what goes into the air cleaner," said Don Hicks, owner of Shortline Subaru.

If Colorado follows in California's direction, cars that currently suit Coloradans' lifestyle will be a thing of the past, according to Hicks.

"By 2016 none of the cars for sale in this state today will be available," he said.

Of course, dealers are the ones to complain now. But consumers like you and me are the ones who will feel the real pinch down the road.

Ritter has staked a lot on the highly disputed Greenhouse Theory of Global Warming. Small, reasonable steps to promote conservation, while protecting the economy, are being abandoned in favor of more radical changes that promise to undermine consumer choice and economic well-being.

Our governor really appears to be trying to make his administration's record memorable long after he leaves office.