[extessarere]

WE are paying the $.48/gallon to the government. I see nothing that says that money that I am paying is being spent in a certain way.

Indeed we are paying that at the pump, my mistake. We should lower taxes by driving less, smaller or more efficient cars, inflating tires, etc. A tax cut for every consumer. I topped my tank with 8 gallons, now it has a full 10 gallons in it. Right now I'm getting 32MPH in the burbs with maybe 10-20 miles on a highway.

No the article does not mention that the US defense of oil producing countries. Funny how it's left out of the equation. Defending Middle East oil has been part of US foreign since the Nixon Admin.

I'm not sure what you are saying here. You/We are on average paying 12% tax to federal and local goverments on our gas. You enjoy this on top of the other taxes you pay?

I pay as little of this as possible.

The soft drink industry is much more of a threat to our national health and healthcare costs.

Well, possibly. Unfortunately, this story doesn't bleed so it doesn't lead.

So? People can choose to invest where they want.
Would you propose that we not, as investors, invest in any company that takes tax write offs?

No, just that it would appear to be wiser to invest in companies with higher profits. Also, for the US to give tax breaks to companies with lower risks and better profits.

I'm off to go calculate the true cost of a can of coke.

Hey, good luck with that. Let's also know how many lives are lost in production, damage from spills, and our foreign and domestic policies regarding soft drinks.