A friend posed this challenge: try to find something good in the latest corrupt-multi-billion-dollar-industry-give-away, oh excuse me, I mean the Energy Bill, which recently passed in Congress.
Of course, so much pork was thrown into the Bill that there are crumbs for just about everyone, and no doubt there are some programs that are not completely offensive which will now see a rise in their coffers. But given that I would much rather see direct taxes on the externalities associated with energy production and zero subsidies of any kind, even some minor assistance for renewable energy hidden among the billions for fossil fuels is nothing I can get excited about. So although it’s been difficult to think of what good may come out of the Energy Bill, I have finally come up with a few things:
1. We now have more proof that so-called small government free-market “conservatives” are even more addicted to big-government market-distorting policies than the Democrats.
2. Five years from now when gasoline is just as expensive (or more so) people may finally realize that giving their tax dollars to U.S. oil and gas companies does nothing to lower the world price of oil.
3. People get to see that the GOP really and truly is in the pockets of big business (how else could you explain giving away billions to companies that are in the midst of making record profits?)
4. Environmentalists get another paper trail to hold politicians accountable come the next election.
5. People with Hummers and huge SUV’s have another thing to make them feel even more guilty since their compulsion for driving cars as big as tanks prevented the inclusion of any improvement in the mileage standards into the Bill.
Any thing I missed?
J.S.
