WP blog: Do Libertarians Ride Subsidized Buses?

[Bradley in DC]

http://www.readexpress.com/read_freeride/2007/10/blog_log_do_libertarians_ride_subsidized.php

Blog Log: Do Libertarians Ride Subsidized Buses?
WOULDN'T IT BE NICE if a big pot of money appeared to fund the nation's public transit needs? Instead, there's limited cash available for projects in cities across the country.

Today, the Federal Transit Administration is scheduled to hand over a bunch of cash to Norfolk for its first light-rail line. But some leaders, including Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald Connolly have accused the Bush administration of playing politics with much-needed mass transit funds. What hope does the public transportation agenda have in the next presidential administration?
The transit blog Live From the Third Rail compiled a rundown of stances of most of the declared 2008 presidential candidates (sorry, Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter) on transit, where said opinions could be extracted from public statements or policy actions.

Public transit typically involves huge subsidies from city, state and federal governments, so it's probably no surprise that Republican Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, pictured at left, "believes that the U.S. Department of Transportation should be eliminated. Literally," the blog writes. We guess libertarians don't ride the bus too often. [Virginian-Pilot; WaPo; Live From the Third Rail]

[kylejack]

We ride buses subsidized by Romney (thanks for the straw poll ride, Romney!). Does that count?

[enter`name`here]

I ride the bus everyday actually. I'd probably be screwed if the public transportation system were shut down, I still support eliminating public transportation though. I guess most people just don't understand that I like most libertarians value my principles more then my material well being.

[JosephTheLibertarian]

I ride buses whenever I feel like it... what does that mean? I can't because I'm a libertarian?

[enter`name`here]

I ride buses whenever I feel like it... what does that mean? I can't because I'm a libertarian?

I took it as an attempt to paint libertarians as uncaring rich folks trying to take away necessities from the poor.

[JosephTheLibertarian]

I took it as an attempt to paint libertarians as uncaring rich folks trying to take away necessities from the poor.

I'm not rich...lol

[MozoVote]

I ride the bus every day, and the Mecklenburg bus system is subsidized by a half cent sales tax. The John Locke foundation paid signature gatherers to put a petition on the ballot this November, to repeal the tax.

I will vote against repeal. I view their actions as carbetbagging interference from an out-of-county group.

[angelatc]

http://wonkette.com/politics/does-ron-paul-want-to-end-government-support-of-adorable-kittens%3F/

The Wonkette follow-up.

[foofighter20x]

Blog Log: Do Libertarians Ride Subsidized Buses?

Do they really get a choice? Does the local government allow bus-line competition and the use of the same bus-stops?

If not, sounds like optionally-coerced use--i.e. you have the option of riding the bus, but if you do ride it, it has to be the gov't's...

[Scribbler de Stebbing]

Just debated this issue last week at my debate society. Privatize mass transit. Up until the middle of the Twentieth Century, mass transportation, buses included, was a function of private industry.

Airlines are private, allowing most of us to forgo ownership of our own private planes. They use market discipline to get us to desired destinations in the comfort for which we are willing to pay, at a market price. Let buses, trains, and anything else private innovation can conjure up benefit from the market as well.

[JosephTheLibertarian]

yes...privatize it.....it's simple, really. JUST LEAVE IT ALONE