$300 million prize for innovation?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080623/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_energy;_ylt=AkZ4iFfc3UdBGCKQJgCWQDCs0NUE

Senator McCain proposes providing a prize of $300 million dollars to whoever can come up with a zero-emission car battery.

As any good citizen should do in contemplating such a decision, the first thing I do is wonder who is going to pay for it?

"I could pay for it by canceling three pork-barrel projects that are unnecessary and unwanted."

So instead of saving money by canceling "pork-barrel projects" we would continue spending money on other, more "worthy" projects?

I am all for having a zero-emission car but I'm not too sure how I feel about spending $300 million dollars to benefit a few.

Lets leave it up to the automobile makers, they know a strong demand will begin to grow for zero-emission vehicles (if it already hasn't). A strong demand for their product would be enough of an incentive. We don't need our government giving favors to a few.