Some Libs Just Don't Get It

Every Monday during the last hour of the Ron Smith Show, a local Democrat wonk, Frank Defilipo, participates to offer a counter-point to Ron's decidely conservative bent. Frank attracts caller who wish to test him and his view points. This usually involves criticizing his big-government ideas. Hardly a barb goes by that Frank doesn't ask the caller whether or not he enjoys having roads. Ugh! Every time I here this, I go through the roof. The constitution, a document written to severely limit the power of government, authorizes Congress to establish Post Offices and Post Roads. The most ardent Libertarian recognizes that governments have a basic responsibility for civil infrastructure. Offering up roads as justification for big government is sheet folly. Frank also uses roads as justification of high taxes. Again he's so far off the mark as to warrant ridicule. Roads are paid for by direct taxes or user fees. The price of every gallon of gas sold includes a very large tax which (in theory) directly funds roads. Gas guzzler or heavy trucks pay more in user fees than small cars or hybrids -- it's proportional to use. The more you drive, the more you pay for the upkeep of roads. I'm not exactly sure of the math. In other words, the gas tax may not be enough to subsidize roads completely or it might be more than enough. Regardless that is only one source of direct revenue related to driving. Car registration, driver's license renewal fees, revenue from speed tickets, toll booths, sales tax on cars and now the infamous red-light cameras are all ways the users of roads directly pay for this infrastructure. What Flip seems to miss is that we Libertarians are for limited government not the absence of any government.