[Alberta's Child]

He has a legitimate point.

How is it that we're OK with "tolling" when it comes to electricity and gas, but not when it comes to highways?

[Wallace T.]

Too many people believe in the road fairy, that somehow roads will be built and adequately maintained without additional taxes or tolls. Part of the problem is due to states and the Feds diverting funds to rail or other mass transit projects that take few vehicles off the roads. Another part is increased population, due in part to massive immigration, legal or illegal, that causes more wear and tear on existing infrastructure. Environmental regulation also needlessly slows down the process of road building.

However, the political system was just as corrupt a half century ago as now. Lyndon Johnson, Richard Daley, Wilbur Mills, etc., were just as corrupt as the current batch in power, if not as leftist. Yet the Interstate system was built in spite of the normal graft.

[BobL]

“He has a legitimate point. How is it that we’re OK with “tolling” when it comes to electricity and gas, but not when it comes to highways? “

Because, at least until very recently (if even), the tolling for utilities was not used to try to control behavior. For example, I can turn on my air conditioner at 4 in the morning, or 4 in the afternoon...and beyond that, my electricity rates are controlled, as opposed to these ‘contracts’ which often have NO RECOURSE when the private operator decides to ream the users (429 ETR in Ontario is a great example...something like 50 cents per mile now, way, way more than it costs to operate).

We went through utopian idea here in Texas and TOTALLY REJECTED IT...you’d think Pencil Neck could learn something from our reaction.

[BobL]

...make that 407 ETR (in Ontario).

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

How is it that we're OK with "tolling" when it comes to electricity and gas, but not when it comes to highways ^{in any way regulating the ability of people to have freedom of movement and common areas for that purpose} ?