Subsidies to Big Oil - NYTimes.com Re "One Bad Energy Subsidy Expires" (editorial, Jan. 7): It is encouraging to see you call for the repeal of excessive tax breaks for the oil industry. Incentives should help emerging industries develop and grow, not forever subsidize them, which is why the ethanol industry willingly gave up the blender's tax credit at the end of last year. As you suggest, the expiration of the blenders" credit is an opportunity to take a hard look at the hidden costs of our continued dependence on gasoline, nearly two-thirds of which is derived from foreign oil. We've spent trillions of dollars importing oil, financing corruption, political adversaries and outright enemies for access to this oil. Congress must end the needless subsidies to Big Oil and focus its attention on expanding access to renewable-energy technologies, like ethanol, which are proved to make America stronger and less reliant on oil as our primary transportation fuel source. The writer is public affairs director of Growth Energy, an ethanol trade association.