Get the story right. The government does not "give money" to oil companies. The oil companies, like all businesses, have breaks in the sense that they have tax deductions that allow them to keep more of their own money. I have read that the governments (fed, state, local) make more money on taxes on every gallon of gas, than the oil producers make in profits!
The government DOES give money to certain alternative energy producers in the form of grants and subsidies. For instance, corn ethanol is heavily subsidized at multiple levels even though it is perhaps the biggest boondoggle in energy production. Ethanol is a commercial and environmental failure at every level, yet I don't see a public outcry to stop the wasteful government support spending. If bio-fuels made sense, and competed successfully in a free market with oil ... which it doesn't .. there would be some justification. As things stand, corn for ethanol is sheer stupidity sanctioned by government. Therefore, let's cut this outrageous ethanol insanity first. There are studies that suggest it takes more energy to produce a gallon of ethanol than that ethanol actually delivers when burned. Norskey in MN.