(06-16-2017, 10:02 PM)tomh009 Wrote: You are strictly speaking correct but the follow-up is not so clear.
He's not strictly speaking correct.
First, there actually are usage fees. Gas taxes are effectively usage fees. And we also have some tolls + toll lanes.
Second, he said: "Nor do motorists pay to use local streets, or in this backward country of ours, even superhighways.". Usage fees aren't the only way to pay for something. The majority of road users are tax payers that pay taxes that fund the road. (And I'd argue that its a much fairer system to do this then a pure usage fee approach would be - better off people SHOULD subsidize people that are less well off.)
ijmorlan, would like to pretend that roads are some gift given to drivers that are paid for from some magical source of money that has nothing to do with the people that use or get benefit from the roads. Its an absurd position. (Note: This isn't to say that roads aren't subsidized by non road-users, which to some extent they obviously are.).
Ok, now I'm done... maybe.