[Hoot Gibson]

As to the bolded, I obviously agree which is why I want the R and D to be done in federally owned, managed and operated facilities (similar to the Manhattan Project concept) as opposed to investing in some private business whose owners shuck out political donations. Heck if our tax dollars are going to fund the development, I don't want some private business getting patent protection on the new developments. If anything, I want the federal govt to license the inventions to private business so the taxpayers can get a return for their risk/investment.

We're probably closer in our thinking than you think. We have some differences. I look at the race to develop effective alternative energy sources before China does as something similar in nature to the race to the Moon and as something that must have the financial backing and management of the federal govt. Not everything the federal govt touches goes to crap. Actually I view the alternative energy source race to be of more importance. Last thing we want is to have the Chinese develop the technology first. They'll patent protect it; charge a fortune for us to use it; and our court system will protect the Chinese patents at the same time the Chinese govt gives almost no protection to the patents of US companies (I know the Chinese govt says they are working hard to produce tougher legislation but I'm not a believer yet).

With very few exceptions, and the Manhattan Project, which was undertaken in responst to an existential threat, was one of them - the federal government has a very poor record of innovation compared to the private sector. Most software development and research done under the federal umbrella is not done by government employees, it is done by federal contractors. Federal contracts historically have not always been awarded on the basis of merit. Many companes are excluded from even bidding on key contracts because they are too big or because they are not owned by members of a qualified minority. (I work for a subcontractor on such a contract.)

Federal employees are generally not known for there stomach for risk takng. Most of them are in government jobs for the long term security and benefits (there are exceptions and there is nothing wrong with seeking job security and a good pension). Entrepeneurs they are not. Think about how much money has ben spent on so-called clean coal technology and how little change there has been in coal utilization. Both the Germans and the South Africans were producing gasoline from coal decades ago and although we still have that technology and it could b employed economically, it remains undeveloped because of federal regulations. Instead, we have spent billions promoting ethanol for political reasons while damaging engines and polluting the air with contanimants more dangerous than those from gasoline.

For every expensive success story like the race to the moon or the Manhattan Project, there are many more failed boondoggles.

As for your fear that the Chinese will develop a cheap alternative fuel before we do, if we create a healthy environment for product development like we once had, I just don't see that happening. China is buiding a new coal-fired power plant about once a week, as our federal government wages war on fossil fuels and forces us into ever shrinking cars and to buy CF lights instead of incandescent bulbs. China is not waiting for alternative fuels - it is tying up carbon fuel deposits and selling solar panels to us.