By Larry Riley, Ball State Professor, in the Muncie Star-Press:
More than 10 years ago, what is essentially a privatized government agency now known as Lifestream Services Inc., expanded its primary mission to senior citizens and established a rural transportation service.
“The New Interurban” grew since then to operate 24 high-top vans in seven counties surrounding, and including, Delaware County, each weekday, costing about $1.3 million annually.
At the time, I thought the idea was batty and I guess I still do.
The organization immediately came to the Delaware County commissioners with hands out and the commissioners were happy to oblige.
At a public hearing in 2001, Lifestream produced a letter of support for the service which summarized the thinking: “If you live in the county, you are cut off from a lot of opportunities that city residents get easily. It almost feels as if you are not a real citizen. No matter where we live, we deserve the same services.”
At the time, I called this rationale astonishing inductive reasoning.
No, nobody deserves the same services no matter where they live, and the more remote from civilization you choose to reside, the fewer services you’re going to get. What’s more, those services are going to cost you more.
Or at least they should.
Except when government decides to provide the services. Then the services may indeed cost you less, but a lot of somebody elses are going to pay more, and for services they don’t get.
...
See the full article here:
http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012306050015
