Question for Libertarians

[Benman]

Something I've always wondered but never seen answered. I know that libertarians think highways and major roads should be built with toll money or some other user-pays system. But what about local streets that run in front of all our houses. Would their existence be based on tolls? What if you neighbor doesn't agree to pay a toll. Do you have a little fifty foot stretch of road that goes nowhere?

[lehighguy]

I consider myself a libraterian, and I still see a role for government in transportation. It really depends who you talk to.

[coffeecrazy1]

I agree with Lehigh. Libertarians are not anarchists, and certainly see a role for the government. Pooling our funds to make public roads is, perhaps, one tax I would be in favor of...not to say I have a problem with toll roads(I drive one everyday, and it's much faster, cleaner, and nicer than the public one).

Regarding the problem you present...I doubt that you'd have everyone owning the little section of road in front of their house. Most likely, you'd see a new type of company emerge: road management firms...and my guess would be they'd work like the power company, the water company, and so forth.

I dunno, though...lots of problems to get around with that one. I think the free public roads are actually a decent use for government.

Free public schools, however, are not...but that's another thread.

[lehighguy]

There were some countries in Asia that do that. You have a special liscence plate determining which roads you can drive on, and they fine you if they catch you doing the wrong thing.

[SheetWise]

There should be a role for user taxes, where you can identify the people who use the services and how much/often they use it. Roads can be paid for with fuel taxes -- the more fuel a person consumes, the more they use the roads, the more they pay.

[Il_Mostro]

I'd be willing to listen to this argument. But it seems to go against a lot of current discussions here. If I have a big car I won't use the roads more than the guy with the small car, but I'll still pay more taxes for it?

Remember, I might agree with you here, but do you really agree with you?

[edthayer]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd be willing to listen to this argument. But it seems to go against a lot of current discussions here. If I have a big car I won't use the roads more than the guy with the small car, but I'll still pay more taxes for it?

Remember, I might agree with you here, but do you really agree with you?

[/ QUOTE ]

The extra tax that the big car user pays can be justified because of the added pollution his car creates. Libertarians are generally anti-pollution, because pollution is an invasion of the rights of those who breathe it. Forcing polluters to pay tax because of the pollution they create is justifiable in a libertarian viewpoint.

[Il_Mostro]

As I said, I might agree. But now you put pollution into the mix as well, so how do you know how much of the car tax-money that should go to pollution prevention and how much to roads?

[SheetWise]

[ QUOTE ]
so how do you know how much of the car tax-money that should go to pollution prevention and how much to roads?

[/ QUOTE ]
That's one of the reasons these things should be taken care of by local communities who own their own roads, and address their common local concerns. Further down the thread I proposed a model.

[lehighguy]

Like I said, I think one of two asian countries have a system like that. You buy special liscence plates that determine what roads you can drive on and when. I forget all of the details of the specific countries. You'll have to look it up yourself.