[larry hagedon]

As I said, it is impossible to tabulate all of the thousands of earmarks, gifts, tax breaks, free consulting and other services and so forth from federal, state, county, city and townships.

Dont forget we are talking 50 years here.

I thought I also pointed out that Obama just subsidized George Soros to the tune of 2 billion dollars to drill in Brazil.

Any published report only touches the tip of the iceberg.

Trying to compute the benefit to the oil industry from the US Navy patrolling the seas to protect tankers and oil rigs from sabotage, terrorism, and pirates would be a hopeless task, but it is a huge figure also.

As I also said, the people we elected do not want us to know how they spend our money, so they hide it.

[_Jim]

Ground rules; Definitions first.

Subsidy:

1. a direct pecuniary aid furnished by a government to a private industrial undertaking, a charity organization, or the like.
2. a sum paid, often in accordance with a treaty, by one government to another to secure some service in return.
3. a grant or contribution of money.
4. money formerly granted by the English Parliament to the crown for special needs.

Subsidy vs Tax break:

There is an important economic distinction between a subsidy and a tax benefit.

... business firms, including oil and gas companies, generally receive a variety of tax benefits that are not necessarily targeted subsidies (or tax expenditures) because they are available generally.