As the Interstate 35 bridge came crashing down toward the Mississippi River waters on August 1st. an age-old debate heated up--was the government the problem or the solution? Economist Thomas Sowell of Stanford University questioned the incentives for politicians to keep bridges in good repair (Virginian-Pilot, August 13th.). According to Dr. Sowell, politicians (and by association the government) were likely the problem in Minneapolis because they had more "showy" things to spend taxpayer money on. A privately run organization could have done better.
Unfortunately, it's not so easy to banish government from bridge construction. Economists describe bridges as quasi-public goods. This means it is too hard for private enterprises to identify and bill users of new spans before they are built. Almost all bridges are commissioned by the government rather than the marketplace, as a result. Repair work is usually purchased by the government for similar reasons.
If Dr. Sowell is correct about the nature of politicians and economists are correct about the nature of bridges, the answer is transparent: Society will only get adequate bridge repair from its government! "Starving the beast," or defunding the showy stuff, won't work because politicians are as human as the selfish constituents trying to save tax bucks. Taxpayers will have to fund the showy stuff even if the bridge repair bill is optional. On the other hand, good ol' fashioned inefficient government (consumer of the showy stuff and the repair work) is the only tool at our disposal sure to keep the bridges standing.
Unfortunately, it's not so easy to banish government from bridge construction. Economists describe bridges as quasi-public goods. This means it is too hard for private enterprises to identify and bill users of new spans before they are built. Almost all bridges are commissioned by the government rather than the marketplace, as a result. Repair work is usually purchased by the government for similar reasons.
If Dr. Sowell is correct about the nature of politicians and economists are correct about the nature of bridges, the answer is transparent: Society will only get adequate bridge repair from its government! "Starving the beast," or defunding the showy stuff, won't work because politicians are as human as the selfish constituents trying to save tax bucks. Taxpayers will have to fund the showy stuff even if the bridge repair bill is optional. On the other hand, good ol' fashioned inefficient government (consumer of the showy stuff and the repair work) is the only tool at our disposal sure to keep the bridges standing.
(Blogger's Note: The photo used with this blog depicts the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, New York. It appears courtesy of "Brooklyn Bridge Gallery" http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/bbridge/bbgallery)
1 comment:
Good post.
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