"A long road to fuel efficiency"

Denver Post Editorial

The Post blames Detroit for failing to make more fuel-efficient cars.

"Detroit worsened its current agony, and ours, by waging a long fight against higher fuel economy standards so it could continue to flood the market with gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles and pickups."

Detroit only produced the cars people were buying. If there is any "fault" to be placed, it is on the American consumer for buying big cars.

The Post points out the sales for big cars are falling, while "Toyota's gas-sipping Prius and Yaris models are selling briskly" and "Honda, boasting the most fuel-efficient fleet being sold in America, was predicted to report an increase in sales."

Yep, the free market meets the needs of the people yet again.

The Post says that "Given the continuing importance of the auto industry to the already wobbly U.S. economy, politicians and auto executives alike are scrambling for answers."

No, auto executives have the answers: Make cars with better fuel economy. They are doing that.

The scary part is the implication that politicians can do anything to solve the "problem." The best thing the politicians can do is to stay out of the market and let the car makers that meet the demand of the public succeed. Those car makers that fail to do so will lose money.

There is beauty in the simplicity of it.

Business executives will make bad decisions. But with competition, another executive will take advantage of that mistake. The public wins.

Government makes bad decisions, too. The problem with bad government decisions is that when they turn into legislation, they stifle competition, not foster it. And the public loses.