As I commented in an earlier post today:

Thinking long-term, drilling for more oil is not going to encourage technological innovation or reduce our dependency on a finite resource. It's just a bandaid, or to use another analogy, a "fix" for an economy addicted to fossil fuel.
There were electric cars available in the 1990's (made by GM) but they were pulled off the market (see the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car.") The excuse that there are not enough facilities to charge these cars is not valid. After all, when Ford invented the gasoline fueled car, how many gas stations were out there? It takes a commitment by the people to investing in innovation to get us off oil and less dependent on oil producing nations.

...and if the government can subsidize the farm and oil industries, why can't we as individual taxpayers get a decent credit for solar panels, alternative energy vehicles, etc.?