An Argument Against Governments Providing Services
What would the public response be if Greyhound had been involved in 3 separate, fatal accidents within a short period of time, all (likely) involving incidents of unsafe driving on the part of the bus drivers?
Let's be honest - there would be editorials across the country denouncing the company, lawsuits would be filed, and Congress would be licking its chops as it looked forward to using its bully pulpit to investigate, pontificate and castigate.
But what would the response be if the owner of the bus company involved in all of these accidents was a government agency?
Take a look here, here and here for a spate of recent accidents that highlight just such a case.
The public reaction would largely be muted, as it has proved to be with these accidents. Sure, there would be a few articles urging the agency to do their job better and safer, goshdarnit. But what about major lawsuits? Nope, the government limits the amounts awarded against it.
In case after case, in attempting to perform routine functions the government demonstrates that these are best left to the private sector and free market.
If Greyhound had been the operator of these buses and their drivers had been responsible for one accident after another, they likely would be forced to make significant upgrades to their training and services, key officers would be dismissed, the company would disgorge significant amounts in lawsuit settlements and it probably would lose their contract to another company that employs better, safer practices.
This isn't going to happen to the government agency in Denver that operates their bus system.
Sure, they'll hold a few safety meetings and maybe put up a poster or two in the employee lounge, but the same drivers will soon thereafter be back on the road doing the same old thing. And Denver pedestrians and car drivers would be well served to keep their head on a swivel when they see a bus approaching.
Just another reason that a monopolistic government should not be in the business of squeezing taxes out of its citizens in order to render services that should be left to the private sector.
Let's be honest - there would be editorials across the country denouncing the company, lawsuits would be filed, and Congress would be licking its chops as it looked forward to using its bully pulpit to investigate, pontificate and castigate.
But what would the response be if the owner of the bus company involved in all of these accidents was a government agency?
Take a look here, here and here for a spate of recent accidents that highlight just such a case.
The public reaction would largely be muted, as it has proved to be with these accidents. Sure, there would be a few articles urging the agency to do their job better and safer, goshdarnit. But what about major lawsuits? Nope, the government limits the amounts awarded against it.
In case after case, in attempting to perform routine functions the government demonstrates that these are best left to the private sector and free market.
If Greyhound had been the operator of these buses and their drivers had been responsible for one accident after another, they likely would be forced to make significant upgrades to their training and services, key officers would be dismissed, the company would disgorge significant amounts in lawsuit settlements and it probably would lose their contract to another company that employs better, safer practices.
This isn't going to happen to the government agency in Denver that operates their bus system.
Sure, they'll hold a few safety meetings and maybe put up a poster or two in the employee lounge, but the same drivers will soon thereafter be back on the road doing the same old thing. And Denver pedestrians and car drivers would be well served to keep their head on a swivel when they see a bus approaching.
Just another reason that a monopolistic government should not be in the business of squeezing taxes out of its citizens in order to render services that should be left to the private sector.
Labels: free market, RTD
posted by Tom at
6:10 AM
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