Here in Iowa, fuel taxes and licensing fully fund our state's highway
maintenance. Taxes are used to build anything new. I definitely don't
mind because I happen to drive on the roads too. So, I suppose that
I'm a welfare recipient as a result. But since EVERYBODY benefits from
a good transportation system, I suppose an argument could be made that
welfare is universal. Let's not single out the trucking companies.
As to the railway system, the railroad construction was funded either
directly or indirectly by the government. It was necessary to do that
to get it built. By the end of WW2 rails were being decommissioned at
an alarming rate because over the road transport provided a timely and
customizable delivery without being beholden to the monopolies. There
are RR historians here on this list who can give you all the reasons
why the railroads failed. Efficiency doesn't really come into play too
much. If cost of shipping a trailer on rail across 8 states was truly
less than road, then any smart shipper would use rail. But
time-sensitive delivery also is key. You can blame this on JIT
manufacturing and inventory management.
AG
On Tuesday, August 3, 2010, Nathan Wajsman <photo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Exactly! While I am concerned about the environment in general, all I was
> stating here is the "polluter pays" principle. Standard microeconomics tells
> you that the best way to combat negative externalities is to make sure that
> those who cause them bear the full cost. If it is fair that BP pays for the
> cleanup of the Gulf, then it is equally fair that truckers and owners of SUVs
> pay for the damage they cause.
>
> BTW, I warmly support nuclear power, so I am certainly no wild-eyed green ;-)
>
> Cheers,
> nathan
>
> Nathan Wajsman
> Alicante, Spain
> http://www.frozenlight.eu
> http://www.greatpix.eu
> http://www.nathanfoto.com
> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
> Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog
>
> YNWA
>
>
>
>
>
> On Aug 3, 2010, at 7:32 PM, Mike Lazzari wrote:
>
>>>
>>> My prayer: Oh Lord, please save us from Euro environmentalists.:-)
>>>
>> Not environmentalist,...economist :-) There was nothing enviromental at
>> all in Nathan's post. It is the economics of subsidy.
>>
>> Socialism is alive and well in the US. But it's the corporations at the
>> receiving end.
>> --
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>>
>
> --
> _________________________________________________________________
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--
Ken Norton
ken@xxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.zone-10.com
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