Stimulus bill not stimulating enough for alternative energy

If you've read this blog before, you know that I firmly believe the best thing we can do for this nation is reduce our energy usage. Doing so will allow us to scale back our military footprint and make us a less-hated presence in the world. We have spent well over a trillion dollars on our Mideast wars so far.

So I'm more than a little displeased with the compromise stimulus bill, which tags a mere $50 billion toward energy programs, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Specifically for energy programs, the bill includes:
$13.9 billion to subsidize loans for renewable energy projects;
$11 billion toward a smart electricity grid to reduce waste;
$6.4 billion to clean up nuclear-weapon production sites;
$6.3 billion in state energy efficiency and clean energy grants;
$5 billion to weatherize modest-income homes; and
$4.5 billion to make federal buildings more energy efficient.

Among other line items, the bill also contains:

$8.4 billion for mass transit;
$8 billion for construction of high-speed railways;
$6.4 billion for clean and drinking water projects; and
$7 billion to bring broadband Internet service to underserved areas.

Meanwhile, the Obama team is saying the bank bailout may top $2.5 trillion. By the way, that's $8,333 per man, woman and child in the United States. The $50 billion for energy amounts to just over $166 per capita.

Come on! Let's put our money where, as a nation, we're bleeding. End wars over oil, put the money into renewable energy. Build an export-oriented economy around wind turbines, solar cells and whatever else we can dream up.

It's seems so simple that I'm starting to wonder if I'm a simpleton.