3 ms·

Chicago has a highly successful multi-billion dollar sewer megaproject that has been going on since the 70s, which would seem to be a powerful argument against

• missedthecue 4y ago
  Other cities like Jackson, Mississippi have sludge coming out of the faucets, and I don't even need to bring up Flint, Michigan. My point wasn't that all governments fail at sewer maintenance but that governments aren't automatically superior at long term planning, and in many ways have structural problems that can inhibit long term planning, whereas a private sector company may not have those same mal-incentives. Furthermore, private companies can fail, be sold for scrap and parts to competitors, and go nonexistent whereas governments don't. If pets.com loses too much money, they can go get a little more and extend the runway, but eventually they go out of business and other companies get their market share. If my government loses too much money, greater amounts are borrowed, taxes are raised, and the money furnace continues to be fed.