A lot of business are subsidized when they are first starting out. I don't think the oil companies had to build their own pipelines without help. I am also guessing that the government was a lot of help in building the railroads. The ethanol industry is paying a lot of taxes now so the governments that subsidized them are getting their investment back. A lot of states and communities offer great tax advantages for a new factory or business that wants to move into their area just like they did with ethanol.