4 ms·

I will not pay for your transportation. Believe it or not, it is ludicrous to many to imagine such a tax.

• AnthonyMouse 8y ago
  Are you fine with taxes paying for roads just not trains and buses, or do you not even want roads? The first is inconsistent and the second is a very small minority position. Because this kind of infrastructure is heavy on fixed costs. It takes money to build or operate it, but once you do, the cost of the incremental car or the incremental passenger is so close to zero that collecting a fare equal to the actual marginal cost would cost more to collect than the amount of the fare. But charging more than that would unduly discourage productive use of the infrastructure that is already being paid for. Which means the most efficient pricing strategy is flat rate. And since ~0% of the population consists of hermits who never use any form of transportation, that makes it one of the most appropriate things to fund with taxes.
• rexpop 8y ago
  You should pay for _your_ society. Public education improves your standard of living: do you want illiterate neighbors? Public transit similarly improves the quality of your neighbors, enabling them to take better jobs, live in less expensive housing, contribute less to traffic, pollution, auto deaths. They have more free time to read books (can't do that while driving!) and work on hobbies, or side-businesses. Public transit raises all boats. So, really, you're buying something _for yourself_ that's not available at any store: happier, healthier, and more competent friends, family, neighbors, teachers, clerks, politicians, mechanics, etc.