Ritter's California Emissions Plan

There has been a lot of talk about the most effective way to clean up the environment. Governor Bill Ritter is leading an effort to adopt California’s emissions standards. In his plan, Governor Ritter wants to set emissions standards for all new cars sold in Colorado after 2011.
The problem with the plan is that it will dramatically affect the auto-industry and consumers. Critics of the plan point out that there are virtually no vehicles in any Colorado dealer show rooms that would meet the stringent California emissions requirements. The plan will also hit consumers with an additional cost of up to $1000 per new vehicle. Furthermore the California plan calls for low-carbon fuel by 2010, which translates to an additional 4.2-6.6 cents per gallon. This plan specifically targets SUVs, which are a necessity for families, outdoors people, and other road warriors who travel in Colorado many various driving conditions.
I do not believe that this plan is in the best interest of Colorado. The American auto industry has just begun to show signs of recovery, and high gas prices already have many consumers and businesses struggling. It is not in the best interest of Colorado to implement another big government policy that puts the burden on the people. There is a lot of debate about the most effective way to clean up the environment, and I believe that we need to find a common sense scientific approach to deal with the issue, rather than another dubious big government effort. I am proud to call myself a conservationist, and I believe that we deserve clean air, water, and open spaces. I do not however believe that the best way to achieve these results is through hastily implemented big government policies.