We just proved the removing subsidies will not raise gas prices. To say that is to say that oil companies control the price not the market. However, we just recently (July 2008) witnessed the demand destruction and price reduction caused by overpricing gasoline. Do Exxon's subsidies come to $12+ billion per year? Not likely. So now, subsidies have become an entitlement as a minimum oil company profit. Subsidies need to work for the American tax payer and limited to qualified and verifiable alternative energy research that yields production by the end of a fixed period - else the subsidy goes away.