Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site tty3b.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!floyd!vax135!ariel!hou5f!orion!houca!hogpc!houxm!hocda!spanky!burl!we13!otuxa!tty3b!mjk From: mjk@tty3b.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: State run enterprises Message-ID: <131@tty3b.UUCP> Date: Fri, 17-Jun-83 14:08:04 EDT Article-I.D.: tty3b.131 Posted: Fri Jun 17 14:08:04 1983 Date-Received: Tue, 21-Jun-83 10:39:07 EDT References: <2029@tekmdp.UUCP> Organization: Teletype Corp., Skokie, Ill Lines: 12 On Jon White's comparison between highways and railroads: Why are railroads expected to return a profit while the Interstate highway system, the largest public works program in the history of the world (costing between $100 and $400 billion), has never been asked to show a return? Which airports have been closed because they weren't profitable? And yet the entire FAA exists to subsidize air transport. This is NOT an argument against government subsidy. I'm just pointing out that subsidies exist everywhere, so it's ridiculous to argue that railroads should die if they "can't survive in the marketplace."