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5
5
Public (Government) Private (Companies)
Debate Score:10
Arguments:10
Total Votes:10
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 Public (Government) (5)
 
 Private (Companies) (5)

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What entity can adequately provide better roads at the lower cost?

Government                                                                                Vs                                    Private Companies

Uncle SamHand

Public (Government)

Side Score: 5
VS.

Private (Companies)

Side Score: 5
1 point

Law of economics:

Private costs > Government costs.

This has been proven time and time again. In theory it should be cheaper and more efficient, but that's only when all companies are of equal size. In REALITY (important word) the road industry would be run by oligarchs. This means that people will be paying MORE while corporates will be trying to give LESS. Why? The incentive to make money (the basis of capitalism) The less you give and the more you get = higher profit margins.

I know you're a dickhead aka libertarian so you feel the less governmental incentive = better outcomes in every single way. Then you use America as an example of the success of capitalism even though if you knew it's history it was always due to governmental intervention. I've tried to dumb down this argument so you may actually understand it. I hope for your sake (being the devils advocate) that you understand this.

Side: Public (Government)
1 point

Law of economics: Private costs > Government costs.

I would love to see what law of economics this is because what I have seen it is to the contrary.

Typically, a private firm has an major incentive to operate at lower variable costs, but public firms operate at lower fixed costs, and the only reason for public firms lower fixed costs is the highest executives in private firms have higher salaries than the highest officials in public firms.

Therefore, variable costs are expenses that change in proportion to the activity of a business, which always fluctuates the marginal cost, and ultimately the major difference between the efficiency of private to public firms. Variable Cost

Side: Private (Companies)
Kinda(1649) Disputed
1 point

Remember there's an ultimate difference between theory and reality.

Side: Public (Government)
MegaDittos(571) Disputed
1 point

Then why contract out jobs????? Does goverment everywhere own the equipment to provide better roads or do they contract to the private to get the job done?

Side: Private (Companies)

Public roads are a result of a government monopoly where the demand has no power, which then results in producing less roads at a higher price. It becomes expensive while at the same time less maintained. Government Monopoly

Problems with Public Roads

1. Since roads are free, there is a common access problem, and it is abused and ultimately overused.

2. Suboptimal Distribution

"Bridges to Nowhere"

3. Tax for roads are enforced and non negotiable where there is no tax refund for bad product or service.

4. You are the mercy of the majority. Others can vote for you to pay for their roads.

"Government, who robs Peter to pay Paul, can always depend on the support of Paul."

Private Roads

1. Cheaper and of higher quality due to competition

2. More Environmentally friendly

----Incentive to carpool

3. Users will pay to specific personal use.

4. Privatizing roads may see a rebirth of the rail.

As a result, businesses will pay less taxes; thus, they have a higher propensity to pay higher wages to employees, which will result in a increase in economic development and growth because the general public will have more money to spend elsewhere.

Side: Private (Companies)
brycer2012(1002) Disputed
1 point

Privatizing roads may see a rebirth of the rail.

You're contradicting yourself. How can you say that the government is wrong to collect taxes for roads, but it's okay for them to do it for railroad tracks?

the general public will have more money to spend elsewhere.

Like paying to drive on the roads? You may not pay taxes, but you will spend the extra money on tolls.

the average motorist pays about $171/year in road maintenance taxes, wikipedia

That is pretty cheap. Here's an example of how much you would pay without the government collecting taxes: A man lives around exit 12 on the New Jersey Turnpike. He works somewhere in norther Manhattan, NY. He has to pay $8 round trip to go on the turnpike every day, and he has to pay $8 to go across the GW Bridge. If he works about 250 days per year, then he pays about $4000 per year, not including any extra driving.

Side: Public (Government)
1 point

You're contradicting yourself. How can you say that the government is wrong to collect taxes for roads, but it's okay for them to do it for railroad tracks?

Well, no, there is no contradiction because it was implied that the transportation of passengers via railway would be privatized as was the case of the Japan Railways Group.

"The demise of the government-owned system came after charges of serious management inefficiencies, profit losses, and fraud.

The new companies introduced competition, cut their staffing, and made reform efforts. Initial public reaction to these moves was good: the combined passenger travel on the Japan Railways Group passenger companies in 1987 was 204.7 billion passenger-kilometers, up 3.2% from 1986, while the passenger sector previously had been stagnant since 1975.

Demand for rail transport improved, although it still accounted for only 28% of passenger transportation and only 5% of cargo transportation in 1990. Rail passenger transportation was superior to automobiles in terms of energy efficiency and of speed in long distance transportation." Japan Railways Group

Like paying to drive on the roads? You may not pay taxes, but you will spend the extra money on tolls.

True, the privatization will come at the expense of tolls, but the government uses the same tactic, and it will come at a lower price because of competition done at more efficiency. This was proven with Japan's Railway System.

Here's an example of how much you would pay without the government collecting taxes: A man lives around exit 12 on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Unfortunately, this is where you are misinformed. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is government owned by the state of New Jersey. Hence, the term New Jersey.

"The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is governed by an eight-member Board of Commissioners. One seat is currently vacant. The Governor himself does not serve on the Board, but he appoints the members and designates the chairman." NJTA

Therefore, taxes on road maintenance differs state to state due to tolls and rates of taxes.

Furthermore, all tolls collected at the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is additional money paid to the government top of income taxes.

Toll Rates

Side: Private (Companies)