This wasn't a yea or nay vote on the incentives themselves, but rather a vote to end debate on the measure to include them in the new tax incentive plan.

The effort to end the filibuster failed, and the incentives will likely not be included.

If it had been a straight up vote, the measure would have passed because it had a simple majority.

Once again, please remember. It is not Government that should be leading, or even can. It is private industry that will make (or not) the decision in the marketplace. If clean / alternate energy sources are all that environmentalists say, then they really do not need subsidies, do they (and yes, I don't think government should be doing ANY subsidies)?

And if they cannot compete effectively in the open marketplace, why is it right to take money from taxpayers to prop them up?

Treason. Hang them from oil rigs.

Skip,

I too am a "market guy" and I believe, as you hopefully will one day also see, that corporations are beginning to see the value and payback opportunities found in sustainable practices.

It is interesting that you're posting here. You're a Evangelical, practicing Baptist right? If so, does it infuriate you that the Southern Baptists just got on-board with Al Gore's message about climate change? Well if so, you shouldn't be. People are waking up to this issue as being a human, and spiritual one. This move to conserve the Creator's Creation is crossing political, religious and socio-economic lines.

I suppose it may take longer for someone like you who's a professed Rush Limbaugh fan who has a section on his blog called "Environ Mental Wackoism" to come around. That's unfortunate. But it's okay, I'll pray for you in the meantime.

Skip,

I too am a "market guy" and I believe, as you hopefully will one day also see, that corporations are beginning to see the value and payback opportunities found in sustainable practices.

It is interesting that you're posting here. You're a Evangelical, practicing Baptist right? If so, does it infuriate you that the Southern Baptists just got on-board with Al Gore's message about climate change? Well if so, you shouldn't be. People are waking up to this issue as being a human, and spiritual one. This move to conserve the Creator's Creation is crossing political, religious and socio-economic lines.

I suppose it may take longer for someone like you who's a professed Rush Limbaugh fan who has a section on his blog called "Environ Mental Wackoism" to come around. That's unfortunate. But it's okay, I'll pray for you in the meantime.

Although I agree that the clean energy industry should be able to prove themselves without being artificially lifted with subsidies, they are competing in an unfair marketplace. Fossil fuels receive subsidies, so in order to build a cleaner future we need to even the playing field.

Yes products/services should prove themselves in the marketplace without subsidies ... after over a century of subsidies to petrol, auto, developers, etc. ... etc., it is they that should be able to stand on their own.

Many (most) new industries require assistance to become established. All the various 'conventional' industries benefitted mightily ... and still do after decades, generations ... over a century.

Any green 'subsidies' are merely helping to (slightly) level the playing field.

Who are these senators and lets take action.......write letters, call offices, etc.

And also, it should be noted that the filibuster and the ensuing vote were not related directly to these inventives.

Rather, the Democrats had proposed to amend the stimulus bill, and their amendments included the green incentives among a number of other, more prominent things.

The green incentives were collateral damage, not the primary target here.

I've been saying this for years, even when the Democrats (my party of choice) were in the minority: it's time to abolish the Senate. All it does is protect the interests of political parties with no popular mandate.

“dirty energy; taxpayer subsidies for billion-dollar oil, coal, and gas corporations like Exxon; dependence on foreign oil –“

Please don’t forget to include the new “Green Mafia” -- ADM and their highly subsidized ethanol – which is a lot less green than advertised. The massive swaths of Amazon rain forest clear cut for ADM soy plantations, on and on.

Call it what it really is –** Corporate welfare** – the tag applies to everyone I’m afraid –green or not.

I am reminded of an old parody song – “My Country is of Thee, sweet land of Subsidy…”

You say "propped up with unfair subsidies" and I say "using incentive-based methods to overcome market barriers." Let's call the whole thing off...

Calling defeat "progress" really takes the cake. What planet have you been living on? A no-win is a no-win. Need I spell that out again?

Every single failed vote and every single day we travel closer to the abyss is one day, one step closer to our collapse, or don't you understand that?

We don't have TIME anymore to piss around and wait for more of our ignorant leaders to get on the bandwagon and do the right thing. Our environment is dying - rapidly. Just how long do you suggest we wait as we make "progress" for example?

Also worth mentioning - tax incentives will not change anything anyway, you should realize this. The entire Green Movement has been ursurped by big business, it's now "ethical" to "go green" (as in profitable).

Continued consumption at ANY price is not the answer and never will be, because it simply permits the marketplace to adjust to the highest bidder, but it does not change the rates of consumption or energy use or resource destruction. This is definitely NOT the way to go because it simply doesn't work.

Calling all of this "progress" is truly bizarre - where's your head?

There may be new laws in the future up for voting.

There may be new laws in the future up for voting.

There may be new laws in the future up for voting.