Patrick, Why would people say you are wrong? It is a fact that whatever a human creates serves one of three purposes: Commerce, Military, Pleasure.
If there is commercial reason to build a road, people will build it. If people do not, the government will build it for the military/law enforcement. People don't usually do anything that does not either shelter and protect, feed and supply or entertain them - or help with procreation. By the same token, people will do anything to ensure that they have food, shelter and ample time and opportunity to reproduce, and will do anything to protect those 'needs'. The real power of 'money' is simply the fact that it is the only item on the planet that helps converting one into the other. You got the cash, you build a house, get exotic food, inhabitate the dwelling with mates and their offspring and hire some sad sacks that have none of all that and pay them to protect you and ensure that you continue to have all of it. Then boredom sets in and you either start creating art, or become an expert critic on and collector of art (depending if you have any talent whatsoever, or not). And when it comes to talk about money, it's similar to high school talk about sex. The more one talks about it, the less he has, and the more one tries to get some, the less likely he is to succeed ;o) By simply letting people fill their perceived needs and supplying them what they think they want, commerce flourishes. To ensure ample supply and maximize return you need roads, bridges, etc. The reason people might oppose your idea is simply that they are blinded in by the believe that they don't have to pay for roads if the government builds them, while also being afraid that if you build them, that you might make them pay. When they introduced the private toll road system in Malaysia, some social-flavored opposition leader refused to pay and told everyone else they should follow suit. Once people relized how kewl it is to have four lane highways from every corner of the country, they started to pay happily and shunned the normal two-lane pot-hole riddled roads that were free of charge. By now Malaysia has the best highway system in East Asia, outside Japan, the concessionaires that maintain the highways and bridges went IPO and in effect the annual dividends are in a way giving highway users their money back. Another example of free market success. Trouble is only that this wasn't free market at work, it was planned and regulated by a smart government ;o) So maybe, in the end the problem is less the people and businesses, but simply a self-serving government... Cheers, Robert. PS: just for the record, the poorer people who use mainly motor scooters get to use the highways for free and there ain't even any road tax or levies on them and gas prices are subsidized - no biggie, Malaysia has oil. budget & privacy website hosting http://www.cyberica.net e-commerce & e-business services http://www.cyfrocash.net budget domain registrations http://www.u2planet.com --- You are currently subscribed to e-gold-list as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Use e-gold's Secure Randomized Keyboard (SRK) when accessing your e-gold account(s) via the web and shopping cart interfaces to help thwart keystroke loggers and common viruses.
