DIYbanter - View Single Post

dpb

wrote:
On Jun 5, 1:16 am, gpsman wrote:
On Jun 4, 9:10 pm, wrote:

Aren't the interstates and local roads the trucks' infrastructure? I
don't know if having your business massively subsidized by the
government really counts as a plus.
"The grants made between 1850 and 1871 turned over to the railroad
companies about 159 million acres of the public domain, an area
exceeding five states the size of Pennsylvania."
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- gpsman

If you agree to spend billions of your own money on this risky
venture, we'll give you a whole bunch of worthless (at the time)
buffalo pasture and desert. Such a deal!

Anyway, that's startup funding in support of social policy, not
ongoing, never-ending maintenance subsidy. Not the same thing.

A large portion of it was not at all worthless even at the time--it sold
very rapidly as the railroads moved westward.

But, I agree it was social/national expansionist policy of the time and
served the intended purpose.

OTOH, the public roadways also pay a handsome dividend...

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