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Non-Tech : Alternative energy -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Big Bucks who wrote (2933)	4/25/2006 12:10:28 PM
From: Rock_nj	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 16955

OK, fair enough. I know there are other hidden subsidies that the oil industry benefits from such as the fact that the federal government has literally created a market in which the oil companies can sell their products (i.e. roads). Yes, gas taxes pick up a lot of the cost of roads, but not all of it. In a truly free-market economy all roads and supporting infrastructure would be paid directly by user fees, such as tolls. It is kind of funny that people complain so much about paying tolls, it's about the most free market as you can get with roadways, pay as you go, just as you pay for phone service or groceries as you use them. Exxon is also paying for other things with their federal income taxes, such as for courts that allow them to litigate cases against other oil companies and State and Commerce Depts that helps them broker deals overseas. All I want is a truly free market for energy. It's not just the oil companies who get a free ride. We've spent a lot of money subsidizing natural gas, coal and esepcially nuclear for electricity. Now, perhaps there was a "greater good" reason to provide those subsidies in past decades, but at this point with renewables and alternative energy schemes becoming more viable, these long standing subsidies are having the effect of favoring the entrenched energy industries over emerging competition, and that is not something we should be supporting if we are really in favor of free markets. Let them sink or swim on their own. GM and Ford are starting to feel that effects of free markets, as consumers are turning to competitors for their products. I don't see why we can't liberalize the energy markets at this point in time, let the best technologies win in the marketplace.