[A. Pole]

In your attempt to illustrate the problems with these foreign interests owning U.S. highways, you actually managed to highlight the one point (the elimination of overpaid toll collectors) that most people would actually consider a benefit of this kind of arrangement.

So you think that toll collectors are overpaid if they make more than $10 per hour?

And if they get paid less and get the food stamps and subsidized housing (they will qualify if they have children), how will it benefit the economy?

Or maybe you think that toll collectors deserve to be poor and should commute to their work on bicycle or on foot?

[Alberta's Child]

The skill set required for a toll collector is about the same as the skill set for a cashier at Wal-Mart or Safeway. So any toll collector who is paid more than a grocery store cashier is basically overpaid.

The fact that the toll collector is part of a government racket doesn't change this.

[seasoned traditionalist]

"In your attempt to illustrate the problems with these foreign interests owning U.S. highways, you actually managed to highlight the one point (the elimination of overpaid toll collectors) that most people would actually consider a benefit of this kind of arrangement.

So you think that toll collectors are overpaid if they make more than $10 per hour?

No problemo!

I predict that withing a couple of years, most of the toll collectors will be those who are just doing jobs "American don't want to do," and for a lot less than what is being paid today.

[Trust but Verify]

No, toll collectors should be paid according to the skills it takes to collect tolls. $20/hour is ludicrous. The people who work in grocey stores need more skills than a toll collector. They sure as hell don't make $20/hour.

[mtbopfuyn]

$10 is too much. How much gray matter is used sitting in a booth all day?

[xjcsa]

So you think that toll collectors are overpaid if they make more than $10 per hour?

I would say that anyone in the public sector is overpaid if they would make less in a free-market environment.

I'm always amazed at the power of threads like this to bring the Buchananites and the socialists out of the woodwork.