Carmakers want a bailout. American oil companies want to pay less in taxes. Taxpayers don't want government bailing out private industry. Lawmakers feel to do nothing will spell economic disaster. The Obama administration wants to encourage the development of new technologies.

I have the solution. American oil companies that use their record profits to help bail out automakers that are developing new technologies will receive tax breaks. This is the private sector bailing out the private sector. The government's role is only to provide tax incentives, dispelling fear of public ownership of private industry.

The money for these incentives can come from eliminating carbon credits, which are ineffectual and arbitrarily distributed. Those companies unwilling or unable to develop new technologies will fall to economic Darwinism.

If oil companies fail to contribute they have as much to lose as the rest of us, because oil prices and demand are on a downturn with the rest of the economy.

In times of fear and panic we need to use common sense.

Nancy Pund, Lincolnton