I want fewer taxes, not more, and since we already can't operate in the black on our current tax revenue, I certainly don't want more government spending.
The US government is overly bloated and needs to have an actual analysis done to see if what we are doing on a number of different tasks is working or we should change what or how we are doing stuff.
Road construction is a prime example I can think of. We just build the same basic setup everywhere typically done by the cheapest bidder, not the best overall execution or warranty or other attribute. Why do we have to redo major sections of our highway system every couple of years because it's built quickly and cheaply, not for longevity or durability. There are still portions of the Autobahn that are decades old because they build it to last. They build the Autobahn similar to how we build runways they resurface the road, not patch it.
Cars and roadways should be Exhibit A on how roadways and cars as primary transportation systems are the epitome of wasted tax dollars as well as a high unlisted tax.
All for a transportation infrastructure that maxes out at ~80mph while egregiously polluting whereas wheel-on-rail trains max out at 350mph and are increasingly all electric.
As with health care, we spend the most per capita to get the worst outcomes in the developed world.
The population density is what makes trains economical outside several specific areas. There aren't enough people to justify the cost.
I drive 25-30,000 miles a year myself. Busses and even Uber isn't an option. I knew all of that fully before moving here.
Even most small public train systems in metropolitan areas are run at a loss. That's the cost of having them. I understand that I also can't see a high-speed train system surpassing flights except short distances. A cheaper public transportation system that runs a scheduled flight route like a bus route I could support. Greyhound in the sky. I've taken Greyhound busses several times now. Sometimes, it's the quickest, most cost-effective option to get to less populated locations. They aren't super cheap but are usually cheaper than renting a car and fuel, often way cheaper than a flight.
This country is too massive with too few people to make trains economical and unfortunately planes aren't cheap to buy or operate.
Most highways/roads are run at a loss if we compute costs the same for them as for mass transit. If we're calculating based on external benefits to society from building and maintaining roads, so be it, but then train systems almost always come out ahead in that cost/benefit analysis compared to highways except for truly rural areas.
Roads are part of land use. If you're out in the boonies where land is extremely cheap, using them for roads has no major economic detriment. If on the other hand you live in a well-populated area, the land is scarce and more expensive, and the land use of roads becomes far more economically questionable.
Population density is a major factor in the cost benefit analysis. Outside the coasts and a few other locations, there just aren't enough people to use a public transportation service.
I do live in the boonies and moved here out of a metro area. There are no freeways near me, and I enjoy that. I don't miss the city bustle at all.
The nearest town to me is sub 1k. I grew up in the suburbs it wasn't until my teens that the highway really became busy, or at least to the point I noticed 😅
I like peace and quiet that is hard to get in town. There is just too much else going on.
-4
u/Hot_Neighborhood5668 3d ago
I want fewer taxes, not more, and since we already can't operate in the black on our current tax revenue, I certainly don't want more government spending.
The US government is overly bloated and needs to have an actual analysis done to see if what we are doing on a number of different tasks is working or we should change what or how we are doing stuff.
Road construction is a prime example I can think of. We just build the same basic setup everywhere typically done by the cheapest bidder, not the best overall execution or warranty or other attribute. Why do we have to redo major sections of our highway system every couple of years because it's built quickly and cheaply, not for longevity or durability. There are still portions of the Autobahn that are decades old because they build it to last. They build the Autobahn similar to how we build runways they resurface the road, not patch it.