My personal residence will be needing a new roof, probably within three years. I cannot write that off. But, when I sell it, I'm not subject to capital gains taxes. Within the past month, on two houses, furnace repairs ran a little over two thousand .. It's nothing more than a clothing store having to purchase the suit, in order to sell it. At least repairs are a deduction from income. New ones I would have to depreciate ... I believe it's fifteen years. When a long haul trucker's engine blows .. they write off the cost of the motor .. basically the same thing.
I cannot believe that we still have corn squeezing subsidies. Ethanol is for cheap booze, not for burning in one's car. Fork the government and all of the special dispensations. If it doesn't move .. subsidize it. If it moves, tax it.