Say Anything Blog

Airlines, airports, roads are subsidized why not rail?

Roads are a differnet matter.  Unless we want toll roads everywhere they should be government subsidized.

Airlines and trains are private enterprise, however.  They should exist on their own profits.

The war against illegal plunder has been fought since the beginning of the world. But how is… legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish this law without delay … If such a law is not abolished immediately it will spread, multiply and develop into a system.

Frédéric Bastiat, The Law

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

WOOF said, Airlines, airports, roads are subsidized why not rail?

Please explain the logic used in this kind of thinking.  Thank you.

There is no logic , just political power, that’s the point.

$1.17 Billion becomes “nearly $2 Billion” in your headline. I first thought to blame Reuters, but the link provided shows that their headline reads “House approves $1.17 billion for Amtrak.” I guess you really *will* “Say Anything.”

WOOF said, There is no logic , just political power, that’s the point.

Then why didn’t you make your point obvious?  It didn’t read the way you intended.

[...] Amtrak, in it’s 34 four years of existence, has never turned a profit. More recently, it has been sucking up nearly $2 billion/year in government subsidies and is nearly $4 billion in debt. [...]

[...] So much for fiscal conservatives in Congress House approves $1.17 billion for Amtrak.Hat Tip: Say Anything and Wizbang [...]