From: utzoo!decvax!duke!mcnc!jcw
Newsgroups: net.politics
Title: Re: gas tax and public transportation
Article-I.D.: mcnc.1406
Posted: Wed Dec  8 10:05:06 1982
Received: Thu Dec  9 01:18:18 1982
References: hplabsb.1182

Railroads, automobiles, and aircraft all started as private ventures but
were subsequently subsidized in one or more ways by the government.  Who
knows the reasons?  Some possibilities:
1.  The new means of transportation should be available to more people.
2.  The new means should be available more quickly.
3.  The new means is better than the old means but "can't compete" yet...
    so we'll help it along a little.
4.  We (read government) know what's best for you (read me) and we'll
    therefore force it upon you.

Whatever the reasons were/are, it is difficult to separate the effects of
subsidies from the effects of the free market.  I am inclined to believe
that if the government had stayed out of it entirely, we would probably
have more 'public' transportation... and that transportation would probably
be on rails.