Bill Gates: Energy Visionary? (energy Manhattan project, yet again) — MasterResource

Subsidies? The U.S. Energy Information Administration defines them and finds that in 2007 coal got $932 million and gas and petroleum liquids got $2.1 billion. Even if your Congressman votes to kill them totally, that’s still only $3 billion. But before even hoping for any of this recall that your Congressman is the person who put the subsidies in place. Since $3 billion is rock bottom in Bill’s wish book, we are probably talking taxes or bonds for the rest.
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Got it? A group of executives who have helped destroy billions of shareholder wealth (even relative to the market decline) have decided they know how to save America and the world. Oh, and it has to be done with your money rather than theirs. Note that the AEIC contains no one remotely related to the production of real energy, not even some exhibitionist CEO of a regulated utility wailing his concern for the planet as long as his carbon allowances come for free.

Exxon's 2007 Tax Bill: $30 Billion -- Seeking Alpha

Conclusion: In other words, just one corporation (Exxon Mobil) pays as much in taxes ($27 billion) annually as the entire bottom 50% of individual taxpayers, which is 65,000,000 people!