Let there be light

The federal government has decided to ban incandescent light bulbs by 2012. My question is, why not sooner? I've been using fluorescent bulbs for the past couple of years. I've never had to replace a single one, they've never broken or burned out. The only difference is that they take a couple more seconds to turn on once you've flipped the switch, and you don't even notice it after a few days. I suppose they do cost more, but since they use 75% less energy and last approximately five years, it's worth it.