The Line of Pigs at the Trough Gets Even Longer

Even more industries are lining up for government tax breaks or spending to fund normal business investment as discussed in the Wall Street Journal.

Railroads are lobbying for new tax incentives to expand tracks to ease congestion. Utilities want incentives to expand the transmission grid. Telecommunications firms want tax breaks to expand broadband service. All of this falls under the rubric of "infrastructure" but is really private firms looking for a subsidy.

In some cases, government regulation may be limiting investment in these areas - in which the case the solution isn't to provide a subsidy, but to remove or modify the constraint.

If the U.S. government doesn't reject an auto bailout, expect ever increasing numbers of companies and industries to look for their turn at the trough.