Why is the Department of Energy allowed to spend our tax dollars on wasted projects? The president and DOE were warned that their investment in Solyndra ($535 million) was not a good investment before the loan was made. Then we find that more DOE loans have been made. Beacon Power was loaned $43 million and now is bankrupt, Mesquite Solar $337 million and now is bankrupt. And the most recent loan of $737 million has gone to Tonopah Solar Co. Did I forget to mention that the executive director of Tonopah Solar Co. is Ron Pelosi, the brother of Nancy Pelosi's husband?

Additionally the DOE has funded geothermal, wind and nuclear projects a total of $8.3 billion. It seems a little nepotism is afoot here. No, I don't think Obama would have considered doing anything as wrong as that - well, what the heck, he is keeping it in the family. After all, crony socialism is pretty much the routine in Washington these days. November 2012 just can't come soon enough.

LAWRENCE KETTLE

Coeur d'Alene