“Ending government bailouts and corporate handouts will allow for huge, immediate, direct tax cuts — giving back desperately-needed money to American families — every year — to spend, save, or give away as they see fit.”
– Libertarian Party Website (below)
The Libertarian Party, the self-described “Party of Principle” advocating “minimum government, maximum liberty,” has a worthy stance on ending special government favor to business (cronyism). For energy policy, this would mean a long overdue contraction of the solar power, wind power, and ethanol industries. It would also be big trouble for Elon Musk’s Tesla and other electric vehicle companies.
The LP pledge is reproduced below, followed by a discussion of what the virus is, and why it should be ended.
The Pledge
If elected, I will sponsor and work diligently to pass legislation to end government bailouts, grants, loans, loan guarantees, and other handouts to private businesses; eliminate unnecessary government spending, which fuels crony capitalism; open up bidding of government contracts; and require all government contractors and their employees to agree to abstain from lobbying or from promoting or opposing political campaigns.
What is crony capitalism – and why must we end it?
In a marketplace that’s free of onerous government fees, rules and regulations, businesses are free to innovate and to make and sell their goods and services. Customers are free to buy, or not buy.
With crony capitalism, politicians interfere with this process by doling out favors to well-connected businesses:
What does the politician get out of it? Campaign donations. Jobs for his family, friends, and allies. Secret, insider investment information. A plush job when he retires.
Whether the politician solicits the business or the business lobbies the politician, everybody else loses:
What will happen when we end crony capitalism?
Their presidential candidate is quoted as supporting a carbon tax/fee. Such a fee is a form of cronyism.
Charles G. Battig
So is Obamacare, and the automotive industry bailout. And the banning of incandescent light bulbs in favor of the newer, much more expensive varieties of light bulbs is negative (punitive, not subsidizing) cronyism. The Obama administration has broken the system of free market enterprise.
How about this?
“Just say no to subsidies.”