HOT Lanes no longer make me BOIL but I still simmer.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some library that I will never borrow a book from?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some fire station that I will never need to call?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some park that I will never step foot in?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some beltline that I will never walk on?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some school that I will never attend?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some mass transit that I will never ride?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some sewer pipes that I will never use?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some police officers that I will never call?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to dredge some port that I will never sail from?

Put the burden on the people who use these things and just toll me when I use them! Otherwise, include me out.

Go move to a third-world country then.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some library that I will never borrow a book from?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some fire station that I will never need to call?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some park that I will never step foot in?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some beltline that I will never walk on?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some school that I will never attend?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some mass transit that I will never ride?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some sewer pipes that I will never use?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to fund some police officers that I will never call?

Why in tarnation should my tax dollars go to dredge some port that I will never sail from?

Put the burden on the people who use these things and just toll me when I use them! Otherwise, include me out.

I think public libraries are obsolete outside of schools. And I think many things should not be "government" funded the way they are now. But people and business should be able to vote to tax themselves as we see in a lot of improvement districts such as Midtown, Buckhead and the like. Or if the hotels in town decide they want to all add an extra fee to their rates to support a convention center and stadium that will attract them more customers then they should be allowed to. Roads should have tolls just as transit should have fares. However things such as roads and transit that are a natural monopoly (you can only build one road directly between A and B) should remain publicly owned as a public monopoly is better than a private monopoly. Also things such as police, firemen, defense, and emergency healthcare have to many externalities to function effectively as competitive markets without government involvement or mandatory insurance (ie the fire department not only will stop your house from burning down but also prevent it from spreading to your neighbors).

So, short answer: externalities are why your tax dollars should go to (some of) these things.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by jsvh

I think public library's are obsolete outside of schools. And I think many things should not be "government" funded the way they are now. But people and business should be able to vote to tax themselves as we see in a lot of improvement districts such as Midtown, Buckhead and the like. Or if the hotels in town decide they want to all add an extra fee to their rates to support a convention center and stadium that will attract them more customers then they should be allowed to. Roads should have tolls just as transit should have fares. However things such as roads and transit that are a natural monopoly (you can only build one road directly between A and B) should remain publicly owned as a public monopoly is better than a private monopoly. Also things such as police, firemen, defense, and emergency healthcare have to many externalities to function effectively as competitive markets without government involvement or mandatory insurance (ie the fire department not only will stop your house from burning down but also prevent it from spreading to your neighbors).

So, short answer: externalities are why your tax dollars should go to (some of) these things.

I've thought about this in the past... I'm not so sure.

The libraries in Gwinnett are pretty well used. I know many school age children use them for school and growing up. I use to say perhaps we are better off putting more of that money back into the school's libraries. My niece, now 13, would have had a tough time finding enough books for her curriculum in elementary school without them.

However, I came to realize two things. The public libraries are bigger than a schools...largely because there are far fewer than 1 per school, therefore it is cheaper to have large public libraries with more options compared to many more smaller ones. It also has the benefits for all age groups. It is also cheaper to keep them open for longer hours and on the weekends when they are busier.

[ATLTJL]

I'm glad people are discussing this.

Just in case some of you didn't figure it out, I was attempting to point out that it would be ludicrous to not fund roads. I believe in publicly funded roads, libraries, parks, fire stations, police departments, etc.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I'm glad people are discussing this.

Just in case some of you didn't figure it out, I was attempting to point out that it would be ludicrous to not fund roads. I believe in publicly funded roads, libraries, parks, fire stations, police departments, etc.

Need to use italics when using sarcasm.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I'm glad people are discussing this.

Just in case some of you didn't figure it out, I was attempting to point out that it would be ludicrous to not fund roads. I believe in publicly funded roads, libraries, parks, fire stations, police departments, etc.

I understood your point, ATLTJL and am also glad people are discussing this.

In my opinion it makes perfect sense to have fire and police services funded out of the general treasury. An emergency can strike anyone without warning.

Even there, however, there are limits. If I put my home far away from existing services, do I have the right to insist that my fellow citizens build a new station near me? How do I respond when they say, "Why don't you just live closer to the rest of us?"

With roads I think it's a little more complicated. Can I plop down anywhere and expect everyone else to chip in to build a road out to my place? And if they do, how nice does that road have to be -- is two lanes enough or do I get more? Who pays for the upkeep? Do they have to police it, too? What if the consensus is that a new road out my way is not a good idea, but that there is a greater need elsewhere?

[scorpioqueen]

I thought about getting the Peachpass but am confused and the website does not clearly explain. Once purchased do I receive a monthly bill for using a specific exit? I travel on 85 North daily around 3pm and exit Boggs Rd.