From: ahk@chinet.com   
      
   hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:   
   >On Sunday, June 8, 2014 4:58:16 PM UTC-4, Stephen Sprunk wrote:   
   >>hancock4 wrote   
      
   >>OTOH, the latter group benefit from _others_ driving and even from the   
   >>_potential_ driving they could do.   
   >>For instance, the street in front of my house is useful to me, but I   
   >>also benefit from the mailman, the pizza delivery guy, the police   
   >>patrols, the fire department, etc. using it as well.   
      
   >Well, by that logic, everyone benefits from everything, and as a social   
   >benefit, all those services should be subsidized or even free.   
      
   >Indeed, many argue that transit fares should be free as a public   
   >service, and all road costs be paid out of general funds.   
      
   >But society has recognized that it is best to let the marketplace make   
   >such decisions on actual costs, as much as possible.  Public subsidies   
   >are applied [supposedly] to encourage services that otherwise would not   
   >be provided.   
      
   >So, government charges various user fees for its services.  It's not   
   >perfect, obviously, but it does encouarge more efficient usage.   
      
   Oh, dear gawd, hancock. NOTHING government does encourages efficiency.   
   NOTHING. Untolled highways are the obvious example of government promoting   
   highly inefficient land use. What do federal flood insurance and region   
   wide flood control programs do? They encourage denser construction in   
   flood plain.   
      
   Even rural free delivery of mail promoted inefficient land use by encouraging   
   non-rural land use in rural areas, although as imperfect as the mails are,   
   it's a reasonably efficient service as government goes.   
      
   As you observed, everyone does benefit from government services, and   
   the market should reflect that. As costs and benefits are distributed   
   with great inequality, it's best to charge things to land.   
      
   >At any event, IMHO, all road costs should be paid out of road taxes and   
   >vehicle fees.  These costs would include the many public safety services   
   >needed for roads, such as police, fire, and resuce.  You would be   
   >shocked at how high such costs are.   
      
   I'd still charge certain emergency services to land; not all police   
   departments are useful.   
      
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