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From: radford@calgary.UUCP (Radford Neal)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Private roads (and airports)
Message-ID: <19@calgary.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 30-Dec-85 17:18:01 EST
Article-I.D.: calgary.19
Posted: Mon Dec 30 17:18:01 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 30-Dec-85 23:22:16 EST
References: <849@mmintl.UUCP> <28200425@inmet.UUCP> <954@mmintl.UUCP>
Organization: University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
Lines: 33

> It is an established fact that private roads have nowhere been built.  It
> is an established fact that railroads have never been built without state
> exercize of eminent domain (and almost always, subsidies, too).  
>
> -----------
> It is
> an established fact that airports large enough to handle jets have always
> been built with public money, using eminent domain.
> -----------
> 
> Part of the reason why these things have never been done privately is
> because of public competition.  But this puts the cart before the horse.
> The reason for public spending on these things is that private interests
> did not provide them.
> 
> Frank Adams                           ihpn4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
> Multimate International    52 Oakland Ave North    E. Hartford, CT 06108

In the case of airports, this is easily explained by air travel being
a luxury of the ruling class. They were built by the government because
this class found it cheaper to use their political power than to pay more
for air fares.

It's unlikely that eminent domain was really required. The airports are
generally outside cities where land is relatively cheap; there's considerable
flexibility on siting; the option of not building an airport is quite
viable, so hold-outs have no assurance the buyer will eventually give in.

Disclaimer: I haven't researched this in detail. Maybe I'm wrong. This 
doesn't appear to be an impediment to posting news articles though. (Nor
do I think it should be.)

    Radford Neal