Sunday, July 20, 2014

North Texas - Engineering The Toll Road Capital

From the Dave Lieber column in the Dallas Morning News - Area's roads toll for thee.  From the article in the paper today:

"The emergence of North Texas as Toll Road Capital, USA represents failure of government of the worst kind.  We have to pay for what we could do for free."

They say they don't raise our taxes.  But fees that can cost hundreds of family dollars a month to get to an from are money out our our pocket.  Call it by any name you want."

I disagree.  Government gets blamed way too much for things that are just flowing down from citizens and voters.  We have changed as a society.  The actions of the collective have taken a backseat to the individual. Taxes versus tolls is just the tip of the iceberg.  Our declining infrastructure and failing public education is symbolic of our failing culture and society - - we see everything through a fiscal lens and ignore the more important societal shifts.  We no longer think in terms of the collective.  From health care to highways we have become a nation with a very dangerous view of the world - - me first.  What do I get out of it?  How can I maximize my collective benefit with minimal input?  We hate the idea of helping the needy in terms of health care and love the idea of paying a toll so we can get to work faster than our neighbors.  We love our private schools and do nothing to help support and change our public systems.  We love the military and our wars - - as long as my kid isn't involved and has no risk of coming home in a body bag.

Tolling is the most visible example of we get the kind of government we want and deserve.  It all is coming down to me and not us.  Pooling resources for our collective benefit is becoming a distant memory.

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