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I don't think these numbers take into account state and local governments. The also don't take into account the expenditures in the private sector that are required by government to meet regulations. They also don't take into account that regulations can prevent many economic activities from occurring. It is sufficient to say that China has a much lower burden on its producers due to government than the US does.

We haven't accounted for the massive costs and risks imposed on american producers by the american tort system. Example, there was a GE plant in Connecticut that followed all the laws, did not produce pollution that was illegal. The plant is now shut down, but the courts ordered GE to spend 500 million dollars cleaning up the river even though the pollutants put into that river were legal at the time, even though all the experts agree that the cleanup will not benefit the wildlife in the river at all. The wildlife is thriving in the river, the courts are just forcing GE to spend 500 million dollars.

We should compare the outrageous medical industry costs that americans have to pay. They are WAY out of line compared to the medical costs in other countries. Everything is expensive in america, but the medical industry's cost ratio compared to those of other countries is very high compared ot other industries even. A person who needs many medical procedures can buy a plane ticket to the Phillipines (or many other countries), fly there and have the procedure done, fly back and still save LOTS of money. The US government forces insurance companies to spend their money here on the american medical industry. It is a very unfair disadvantage american producers are saddled with.

Another Example: In china today they're building a lot of nuclear power plants with the help of american corporations. Those same corporations do not build nuclear power plants in the US because the special regulatory burden on such construction has destroyed that industry, making it uneconomical to do so.

Another Example: In china today they're building a lot of nuclear power plants with the help of american corporations. Those same corporations do not build nuclear power plants in the US because the special regulatory burden on such construction has destroyed that industry, making it uneconomical to do so.

Disgusting. If Americans had the freedom to let nuclear technology mature in the 1970's we would be independent of the Middle East today.

There simply isn't a safer more environmentally sound way of generating power.