Conservatives want to end support for America’s fastest growing industry

[n2doc]

BY DAVID ROBERTS


18 OCT 2011 4:43 PM

Republicans are giving the finger to one of America's most promising industries.
In these grim economic times, one U.S. industry has defied gravity. Not only is it growing, it's the fastest growing industry in the country. It now employs 100,000 Americans at 5,000 mostly small businesses spread across all 50 states. Unlike in so many others, in this industry the U.S. has a positive trade balance with China; it is a net exporter of high-tech manufactured products.

In addition to being successful, this industry is wildly popular with the American public, across regions, demographics, and political parties. It has been embraced by mainstream institutions from Walmart to the U.S. military. And unlike its competitors, this industry creates positive externalities, social benefits not reflected in its profits.

The startling counter-cyclical growth of this industry had been unleashed by a modest bit of economic stimulus: a cash grant program that helps project developers compensate for the crippling credit crunch. In contrast to the familiar tax credits -- which tend to go to large, mature companies that have enough profit to benefit from them -- cash grants help small, innovative, growing businesses that are plowing revenue into growth. In fact, a recent study found that they work twice as well as tax credits. In 2009, this cash grant program pulled in $4.50 of private capital for every public dollar it invested.

more

http://www.grist.org/politics/2011-10-18-conservatives-end-support-americas-fastest-growing-industry

[Initech]

1. Why do they hate America so much?

And yet Obama gets the blame for all of this... :grr:

[ixion]

2. He gets blame when he deserves it

and when he does stupid things, like 'triangulating' or caving or simply following the neocon path, he is most certainly deserving of part of the blame.

He, and further the Dem majority Congress, had a golden opportunity to be populist heroes, and they blew it, and they continue to blow it.

[Warpy]

7. They're controlled by a bunch of oil men and they don't want

any dollars to get away from the oil men.

[msongs]

3. time saver...it's the solar industry, oil & utility companies worst enemy nt

[Recursion]

5. Along with clean water's worst enemy, unfortunately

I am just not on the "dig up all the rare earths in the world to make solar farms" bandwagon yet...

[krispos42]

4. It's the solar power industry.

Oh, spoiler alert, by the way. :eyes:


Like, six paragraphs in you find out what it is that the Repubes are being assholes about.

[Ian David]

6. I thought this was going to be another marijuana thread. n/t