state governments also pamper business with subsidies and protectionist restrictions on competition. It's impossible to put a price tag on these. but looking at the Internet alone, experts calculate that state impediments to buying and selling cost consumers $15 billion a year. For example, Georgia for bids the online sale of contact lenses, and Oklahoma the online sale of caskets. And all fifty states shield their car dealers from competition by prohibiting manufacturers from selling directly to consumers over the Internet. In addition, cities and states frequently provide tax breaks to corporations to lure them to, or prevent them from leaving, the local area. These subsidies cost taxpayers $50 billion a year, but for many reasons, they rarely pay off in job or higher overall tax revenues.