Going through my old file called 'News Articles I want to keep'...

The signs are unmistakable - the U.S. economy is not merely in a temporary recession - the yang of a ying-yang trade cycle. Rather, it is trapped in a structural and possibly long-term depression. As the illness worsens, the hyenas in the White House and Congress are circling, to see what political profit they may derive from the remaining bones.

The connections between regulation and America's economic woes are high-lighted when comparing the U.S. auto industry with its relatively unregulated German counterpart. German cars - particularly Mercedes, Audis, and BMWs - may be the best in the world. Volkswagen is the best-selling car in Europe.

American environmental regulations have backfired. The U.S. national 55 m.p.h. speed limit was introduced as a conservation measure, then maintained because it was deemed to make highways safer. Yet gas consumption today is at an all-time high.

According to Congress's Office of Technology Assessment, making cars more efficient requires that they be either smaller or lighter. Saving weight means abandoning technologies such as rear-wheel drive, which handles better under dry conditions, or four-wheel drive, which is safest in wet and snow. It means lighter materials such as aluminum or plastic.

-Hey- These words were written November 7, 1991 - Orange County Register - drafted by Alston Chase. When you realize this is almost 17 years ago, and we're still doing 'blah blah' about that, let's take note of what is really been done about the small cars. I think the announcement of the 'Smart Car' shows what's been part of one company's agenda these past 17 years.

Now, about that recession.....should we say simply, "I'm baaaaaaaaaaack".....