Starve the beast?
It was the hope of many Republicans during the government shutdown in 1996 that many people would realise they didn't need all the services that weren't being offered, leaving them in a stronger position to cut things like parks and the arts once the stalemate ended. Unfortunately for them, that didn't happen and many people blamed Republicans for their obstructionism, reelecting Bill Clinton.
Now Minnesotans face a similar test: Twin Cities-area transit workers have been striking for over a week. Some libertarians found that transit didn't get significantly worse in the midst of the strike, leading them (predictably) to call for an end to bus service.
What's wrong with this?
1. People aren't on the roads because they have nowhere to go. We see these stories from people who can't make it to work because the busses aren't running. But then again, these people don't contribute to libertarian think tanks, so if we can prevent them from getting public unemployment benefits, it should have very little net impact to the tax rolls, which is all that matters.
2. People are making short-term changes. It is entirely likely that people set up short-term carpools and decided to telecommute until the strike ends. While telecommuting is something many people can do occasionally, it's unlikely the levels occuring now in the Twin Cities area can be maintained. As for car pools, the free-rider effect will soon sink in, putting more people in their cars. Unfortunately, civic-minded behavior doesn't usually last long on the roads.
Post Author:
rj3 | 1:20 PM |
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