Why the sudden magnifying glass on government subsidies?

Reader comment on: More Subsidized Solar Layoffs

Submitted by Pim Van Hemmen (United States), Mar 1, 2012 23:09

The US government has been giving subsidies to industries for decades. One example is the farm industry. We've been subsidizing the farm industry for a very long time, including corn growers, whose product is being used to make ethanol, which has been proven to be a fuel that takes more energy to make than it returns.

So, why is everybody scrutinizing the government's subsidization of an energy source that is a proven renewable source and that has a future, but not take a look at farmers, who've been going out of business for decades?

I like your blog, but you need to recognize that the scrutinization of solar energy companies is just an anti-Obama phenomenon. We've been giving the oil companies huge tax breaks for decades and they're rolling in the dough and not going out of business. Why do we not scrutinize that? They're hanging onto an energy source that's bad for the environment and most everyone acknowledges will run out very soon.

We need to subsidize renewable energy so we can get off oil and ethanol. The former is running out and the latter is a waste of money (and also of natural resources Iike water).

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