Gentlemen,
I recently sent an email to a friend who agreed with the below and asked that I post it for your consideration also. But first I have to tell you I frequently work with a labor attorney who has a saying “Don’t call an air strike in on yourself”. We see people doing this all the time. So, consider these observations in light of this saying.
• Reading as listening to the Forum, it is obvious a lot of people are making contact EPA bureaucrats and Customs, asking questions, seeking clarification, and drawing attention.
• The persons on this Forum by no means represents all people making these bureaucrat contacts, just a highly representative group of existing Listeroid owners and probably also likely buyers in the near future. I am fairly confident that nationally well over a 100 Listeroid import inquiries have made which is surely sufficient to generate some internal memos or CRF checks.
• In the long run, these contacts are drawing unwanted attention (I.e. Sort of like calling in an air strike): These is no way to stop the inquiry process, it’s a fact of live and will continue as regulations slowly but surely get tighter.
• Picture yourself as a under achiever, lazy government bureaucrat, maybe even a political / affirmative action hire. So here is a really easy and safe opportunity to justify your useless position without pissing off a major U.S. corporation (I.e. GM, Wal-Mart, or some other major corporation with a legal staff on retainer), jamming up your boss or worse of all creating a lot work for yourself. Collectively, we as Listeroid owners present no real opposition.
• So this is where I see all of this going: The more attention drawn, the tighter the regulations will become. THERE IS NO FORMAL CORPORATE ORGANIZATED OPPOSITION and therefore the most restrictive bureaucrat regulations that one can conjured up will eventually become law.
The EPA doesn’t give a dam about a few back yard red necks spread out across the country and the EPA certainly is not the least bit intimidated by this weak collation. Nor does the EPA care about self reliance, hurricane relief, off grid, living, etc.
I suggest using the existing laws to continue making orders, ensuring proper engine labeling to designate as stationary engine and trying to stay under the radar as long as possible. Gentlemen, your thoughts and comments are welcome.
Bruce