Tax breaks for energy efficiency are too often a racket that subsidizes newer and larger buildings most of all - in other words, exactly the opposite of what is actually most energy efficient. It's nearly as ridiculous as how the typical hybrid vehicle owner benefits from thousands of dollars in direct subsidies and tax credits, yet cyclists receives little or nothing. The underlying logic is anything but "green."
Anyway, this deal is horrifically bad. I don't know how Reid "negotiated" an extendor that includes nearly every tax credit except for those that most benefit the poor, but thank God that this abomination has begun to receive attention and even more that Obama is refusing to play along.
It's the typical Democratic strategy. Start out with your position being the compromise position, and then after the Republicans refuse to budge, meet them halfway a couple more times.
