Let there be (fewer) light (bulb choices)

Former reason editor Virginia Postrel dissects the light bulb "ban" in her Bloomberg column.

Bottom line:

The bulb ban makes sense only one of two ways: either as an expression of cultural sanctimony, with a little technophilia thrown in for added glamour, or as a roundabout way to transfer wealth from the general public to the few businesses with the know-how to produce the light bulbs consumers don’t really want to buy.

Or, of course, as both.

Of course, the simple, easy way to do energy policy is via a carbon tax, not via light bulb performance standards, mileage standards for cars and all the rest. This is ECON 101 stuff and shows, as do so many things, the fundamental non-seriousness of our legislature.