Corporate welfare alive and well in the Obama administration
Who is happiest with President Obama’s nominees to head the EPA (Gina McCarthy) and the Energy Department (Ernest Moniz)? As Tim Carney explains, it’s neither environmentalists on the left nor free marketeers on the right, but the lobby groups that seek as many beneficial — for their corporate members — government subsidies and mandates as possible:
Although Obama regularly talks about ending “corporate welfare,” battling the “special interests” and creating a “level playing field,” he has steadfastly supported government favors for the ethanol industry — favors that increase costs for drivers, taxpayers, ranchers and grocery shoppers.
The Solar Energy Industries Association also applauded Obama’s nomination of McCarthy and Moniz. Solar companies profit from a production tax credit that Obama recently fought to extend, and a plethora of stimulus subsidies such as loan guarantees, tax credits and grants.
Check who’s investing big in solar energy, and you’ll notice a lot of politically connected names, such as Al Gore, Warren Buffett and Vinod Khosla.
And this is not a new thing for the president, Carney notes:
Obama never has been anti-business. His stimulus amounted to billions in corporate subsidies. His health care bill is a boon to hospitals and drug-makers. He was the most important supporter of Bush’s bailout outside the Bush administration in 2008.
Carney’s right. Obama isn’t anti-business. He’s anti-markets.
As I have written before, both liberals and conservatives need to recognize the nexus of Big Government and Big Business is more problematic than either one on its own. Democrats and Republicans both have a bad tendency to scold the industries they don’t like while protecting the ones they do.
Big Green Energy is one industry the Democrats definitely like. As Carney puts it, the idea is: “Politicians and bureaucrats tell business what to do, and business gets to make a profit doing it.”
But only the biggest businesses benefit from that arrangement: Only they can afford the lobbyists who help shape the legislation and absorb the costs the legislation foists on them. The upside for them is they become further entrenched in their markets, keeping smaller competitors at bay and, in some cases, virtually guaranteeing themselves profits. That builds up a lot of economic sclerosis over time, and it’s one reason America has lost some of its competitive edge.
The good news is that our economy is still dynamic enough — as opposed to, say, many of those in continental Europe — to overcome that sclerosis if we start to unwind that Big Government/Big Business relationship. Obama’s nominees for EPA and Energy suggest that won’t be happening in the next four years. The GOP would do well to spend that time changing its own M.O.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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615 comments Add your comment
josef
March 9th, 2013
5:13 pm
HILLBILLY
Much the same here. I know I fall short. What bothers me, though, is how easily and with what aplomb so many practice that double standard. And, when it’s pointed out, respond automatically with either “you do it, too” or “s/he started it.”
The other night over at Big Daddy’s we got off on the Late Misunderstanding. Two posters, one of whom I hold in pretty high regard, the other whom I like, but don’t necessarily hold in the greatest esteem, went to claiming that G-d was on the side of the North and that’s why they won. They presented that in such a fashion as to make me think they actually believed that. One is known for his trouble-making and nasty tempered attacks on the people of faith and religion in general, and the other for his open-minded and tolerant approach. Both, though, presented that point as an unshakable fiat.
I had to back off before I said some things I might regret later. The same with the Hagel nomination. With no feeling of contradiction whatsoever, the liberal element came in singing his praises as if he walked on water, ignoring completely his record of being outspokenly for just about everything they claimed to be against. It wasn’t that they did it so much as it was the, again that word, aplomb. The very ones cursing Cheney and his early on and unpopular stance on gay marriage, questioning his sincerity, were perfectly willing to “believe” Hagel’s “hot seat” and lukewarm (how’s THAT for a mixed metaphor!) “apology.”
That’s why I’ve now given the AJC the name The Hubbard Daily News/we cut our conscience to fit the fashion of the day
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
March 9th, 2013
5:31 pm
“Two posters, one of whom I hold in pretty high regard, the other whom I like, but don’t necessarily hold in the greatest esteem, went to claiming that G-d was on the side of the North and that’s why they won.”
My knee-jerk response to those kind of posters is usually “Holy crap!”
Not much else to add when that “G-d is on our side” nonsense is posted.
Hillbilly D
March 9th, 2013
5:36 pm
josef @ 5:13
Wasn’t there but I just about guaran-damn-tee you I know who one of them was.
My own thinking is that God probably finds politics disgusting, same as a lot of other things we humans do. Probably a good thing I’m not in His shoes. I’d probably have rained down the fire along time ago.
Occasionally there are some good discussions on these blogs but most days it’s just a way to waste time and avoid doing anything productive. Like I’ve said before, if you change Obama/Bush or Dem/Repub to Georgia/Georgia Tech, you couldn’t tell this place from the sports blogs. It’s all about backing “one’s team” for most folks.
josef
March 9th, 2013
5:48 pm
HILLBILLY/TIBERIUS
Yep.
josef
March 9th, 2013
5:57 pm
Gotta run…y’all take care…
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
6:04 pm
Here’s one for the national laugh track -
The act was designed to spark outrage against Republicans, yet the sheer pettiness of it instead provided a moment of clarity. Americans might not understand the technicalities of sequester, but this was something else entirely. Was the president actually claiming there was not a single other government item—not one—that could be cut instead of the White House tours? Really?
Speaking of that, the tour stunt itself is turning into a PR fiasco. ABC reports the cancellations save a total of $18,000 a week. A Forbes opinion piece noted the cost of cutting the tours was equal to about two hours operating Air Force One. Speaker John Boehner twisted the knife, announcing that while Congress was also getting hit by sequester, it had planned wisely, and tours of the Capitol would continue. Come on down folks! Visit the government branch that knows how to prioritize!
getalife
March 9th, 2013
6:34 pm
The cuts just started so be happy.
You finally get your cuts.
Deficit reduction is a campaign promise.
Done.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
7:12 pm
Cue the laugh track -
This week, Sports Illustrated actually named the current White House resident one of the most powerful people in sports.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
7:16 pm
This one’s a gut buster -
Apparently, the president and his team had a choice: cancel the tours or start Secret Service furloughs. – pmsnbc
What a great comedy these libs are.
Just Saying..
March 9th, 2013
7:31 pm
“But I do see a grossly incompetent president who has a not so secret disdain and contempt for the American free enterprise system.”
Which explains how the stock market is at an all time high, corporations are enjoying their largest profits ever, and the employment rate is the lowest since the Bush depression.
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 9th, 2013
7:39 pm
Our President Bush’s HIGHEST unemployment rate: 7.3%
Obozo’s LOWEST unemployment rate: 7.7%
Heckuva job, Obozo!
Just Saying..
March 9th, 2013
7:41 pm
“… but I have to believe that he was probably working a full schedule most of the time.”
Why do you HAVE to believe it?
If ridding the gift TREK counts as work, you may be right…
Just Saying..
March 9th, 2013
7:47 pm
Right Barry.
IF the Bush Depression ended Jan 20.
Just like the two wars he put on our credit cards…
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
7:48 pm
This is even better than an Eddie Murphy show -
Samira Ibrahim, who was scheduled to receive a “Woman of Courage” award from Michelle Obama and John Kerry on Friday until an unfortunate flap erupted over some ill-phrased Tweets from the courageous lass rejoicing on the anniversary of 9/11 that she loved to see “America burning.”
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 9th, 2013
7:49 pm
Is that the same credit card Obozo put his failed stimulus. Yup.
Don’t fear facts.
Obozo’s had four years to fix anything, and has failed.
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 9th, 2013
7:53 pm
Some “depression”. We hardly knew it was even a recession until mid-2008 and it was over June 2009. Yawn.
And it occurred because Dodd and Frank made it possible for millions of Democrats to get mortgages they couldn’t afford.
Our President Bush fixed another Democrat mess, just as he cleaned up the dot-com bust and the Islamofascist problem Clinton handed him.
indigo
March 9th, 2013
8:17 pm
Aesop – 7:48
It’s still unclear it she made anti-American comments or if her account was hacked.
I don’t see anything in this story about “America burning”.
You just swallow, hook line and sinker, whatever any conservative blog posts, don’t you tool.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/08/samira-ibrahim-anti-semitic-tweets_n_2837303.html
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 9th, 2013
8:25 pm
“Today is the anniversary of 9/11. May every year come with America burning.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/07/us-postpones-award-for-egyptian-woman-over-anti-semitic-tweets/#ixzz2N60Rd6Ip
——————-
Moochelle Obozo wanted to give that an award.
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 9th, 2013
8:26 pm
And indigo gets faced again.
bluecoat
March 9th, 2013
8:33 pm
Well could be the people of miss.are just hornier than others(the evangical christians)May be they just like sex better than others,reckon it could be in their water or something they eat?These people just don’t let work get in the way of a little procreation.You know when we took this country from the natives.The men fished and hunted and the women done the work.Now here comes the white dude talking about assets/liabilities.The white man has sure improved over the way the native men had it.Go through life living by a schedule,afraid it will be a short life even if the years are long.Stop smell the roses ,and let Mississippi take care of their problems,you take care of yours..
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 9th, 2013
8:34 pm
Last refuge of a scoundrel: “My account was hacked”
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
8:38 pm
Be quiet, sap -
Finally, Ibrahim herself has spoken, writing in Arabic on her Twitter page. Egyptian democracy activist Mina Rezkalla provides the translation: “I refuse to apologize to the Zionist lobby in America regarding my previous anti-Zionist statements under pressure from American government therefore they withdrew the award.”
Trash fed fool.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
8:41 pm
Next up for Ibrahim, a date with chuck hagel!
Cue the laugh track, Kyle.
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 9th, 2013
8:44 pm
Turns out the “tools” who “swallow, hook line and sinker, whatever any conservative blog posts” know juuuust a little bit better than indigo what they’re talking about.
That’s gotta sting.
breckenridge
March 9th, 2013
8:45 pm
“And it occurred because Dodd and Frank made it possible for millions of Democrats to get mortgages they couldn’t afford.”
What on earth are you talking about Barry Phone? Perhaps you’re referring to the Cranston-Gonzalez Affordable Housing Act of 1990?
SEC-103 — PURPOSES OF THE CRANSTON-GONZALEZ NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACT.
1) to help families not owning a home to save for a down payment for
the purchase of a home;
(2) to retain wherever feasible as housing affordable to low-income
families those dwelling units produced for such purpose with Federal
assistance;
Oh look it mentions down payment. Wow how old fashioned is that. What a silly concept, certainly not applicable in the new economy. Because then we couldn’t have a bubble, and without a bubble there couldn’t be a burst and people simply walking away from their mortgages.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
8:45 pm
Now this one ain’t funny at all -
Susan Rice as national security adviser? U.N. ambassador said to be front-runner.
Are you kidding me?
bluecoat
March 9th, 2013
8:46 pm
My no. one 1 priority Cigaretts
two 2 tanning lotion
three 3 wiping tears
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 9th, 2013
8:48 pm
Dodd and Frank are just the latest in the long line of miscreants scheming to force banks to make loans to people who should not have them.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
8:58 pm
OK, so who among us should inform bluecoat that only he understands his comments?
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
8:59 pm
Has bluecoat shot the flame to another rock?
breckenridge
March 9th, 2013
9:03 pm
Perhaps it’s a case of free association.
At any rate you know what Benjamin Franklin said……well I don’t remember exactly what he said, but the gist of it was when 51% of the people figure out they can get free stuff from the government then the experiment in democracy is over.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
9:05 pm
Here’s what dummycrats expect from their leaders, and just try to prove me wrong -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLHc-yIAPbg
breckenridge
March 9th, 2013
9:10 pm
Here’s the exact Ben Franklin quote:
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.”
He also said:
“There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and more frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.”
But he did not say “it is what it is” because he was not a freakin’ moron.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
9:13 pm
And here’s what the Repugs want -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek8ejHBZ1uo
breckenridge
March 9th, 2013
9:21 pm
Nice, very nice. My priorities:
1. Burning the hair off Barbie dolls with my Bic lighter.
2. Attacking tomatoes with an ice pick.
3. Closing my eyes and throwing a bunch of paint on a piece of cardboard and then calling it a great work of abstract art.
bluecoat
March 9th, 2013
9:32 pm
What the Repugs wants and what they become.gallinippers
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
9:56 pm
Now we have two lunatic liberals onboard.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 9th, 2013
9:57 pm
Psychotherapy, the unsung cure for liberalism.
td
March 9th, 2013
10:17 pm
“dems ? Do U have any thoughts on Obama’s transition from a progressive academic humanist 2 a regressive corporate warlord”
John Cusack
Looks like a little buyers remorse is setting in. lol
wsm_marathoner
March 9th, 2013
10:38 pm
I am a 50 year old Banker. Was in a long term relationship for 20 years with a man that I ended about a year ago. As a conservative gay man with a Higher power, I am conflicted but I think Black people hurt things by being anti Gay but wanting entitlements. Same at work.
getalife
March 9th, 2013
10:49 pm
“Psychotherapy”
About time you went.
What did they prescribe for your ODS?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
March 10th, 2013
6:36 am
bluecoat’s posts last night prove that some people should never take up drinking.
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 10th, 2013
6:49 am
Aesop’s: Psychotherapy, the unsung cure for liberalism.
————————
A remedial math class too.
pulpgrinder
March 10th, 2013
7:22 am
“Unemployment rate drops to lowest in four years
Thank you Obama !!!!”
That would be fantastic news if at the same time labor participation rates didn’t drop. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 10th, 2013
7:24 am
Eager to employ California’s overtaxed refugees, an alarming number of large company relocations have been announced in the last few months. The list includes: Campbell’s Soup, Chevron, Comcast, eBay, LegalZoom, PayPal, Yelp and Maxwell Technologies. These corporate moves to states with more favorable business climates are resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs and employment opportunities. The economic blow to California surely will have a detrimental impact on local communities and the taxpayers who stay behind for years to come.
Awesome. Let the basket case blue states full of whackjobs whither on the vine.
Good riddance.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 10th, 2013
7:37 am
Does anybody know when and why the government screws with the time of day anymore? The urinal sure doesn’t. Is there anything that government doesn’t have it’s filthy, greedy hands all over?
Lil' Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
March 10th, 2013
7:43 am
Our President Bush changed Daylight Savings Time, starting it earlier and ending it later in the year, as an energy savings measure. Naturally, the whack jobs who should have supported it for that reason criticized Him roundly for it. Just another illustration of the so-called “environmentalists” real interests–politics.
indigo
March 10th, 2013
7:56 am
Barry
Aesop said she “loved to see America burning”.
Now it’s “anti-Zionist statements”.
I guess you approve of childish exaggeration.
indigo
March 10th, 2013
7:59 am
Barry
There’s no real evidence that Daylight Savings Time does anything to save energy.
Your President Bush changed it so he could proudly tell Americans he and the Republicans were actually doing something about America’s energy problem when, in fact they were doing nothing.
indigo
March 10th, 2013
8:01 am
Barry
Just for you, tool.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121031-daylight-savings-time-2012-when-does-fall-back-nation/