"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 18 May 2007 07:42:53 -0700, "gatt"
wrote in
:


If you criticize it, you're likely to be called a socialist.

If you don't, you're likely to see US infrastructure owned by a Dubai
corporation.

I agree. What bothers me about the idea of privately-owned toll roads,
bridges, etc is that the emphasis switches from optimum traffic flow to
optimum revenue flow. There's not a whole lot of room for competition:
IE, Burger King can't build a bridge and exchange right next to McDonald's
Bridge and offer a lower price. If there's gridlock, so what? The owner
still gets his toll and still wants as much traffic density as possible.
Potholes? Too bad. More wrecks, slower traffic... caveat emptor, but what
else are you going to do if there's a monopoly on the I-5 bridge between
Oregon and Washington?

After what Enron did to the west coast and Portland General Electric and its
customers, nope. I can't support it. We're still paying jacked-up energy
rates to unscrew the damage.

-c